Hana stared at the wooden board on the table with a hesitant gaze. There was a strange shiver at the back of her neck upon seeing those foreign symbols. "E-eh... doesn't that look a bit dangerous? How about we just order some snacks and watch a movie?" Hana declined politely with a workspace smile she tried hard to maintain.
However, the enthusiasm in the room was already unstoppable. Ayane had already prepared a bronze coin on the board, while Kamao nodded in agreement with eyes sparkling in curiosity.
Sakura let out a long sigh. She actually wanted to support Hana and reject this silly game, but when she saw the pleading and "adorable" faces of her friends—especially Ayane putting on puppy eyes—her defenses crumbled.
"Hah... alright, alright. Just once, okay? After that, we have to rest," Sakura said resignedly.
Hana's eyes widened in innocence. She didn't expect Kamao, who was usually calm, to join in as well. "Kamao? You too?"
Before Hana could protest further, Sakura suddenly approached with a mischievous smirk. "Come on, Hana-chan! Don't be so tense, or else your precious 'assets' will harden from the stress!"
Pluk!
"Kyaaa! Stop it, Sakura! That tickles!" Hana screamed while giving a small jump, trying to brush off Sakura's hand that had naughtily grabbed her chest. Hana's face turned beet red all the way to her ears, making her friends burst into laughter. The atmosphere that was previously a bit tense because of the horror board instantly melted into the typical banter of young girls.
"You're just so cute when you're scared," Sakura teased while giggling. Finally, with the remains of her amusement and resignation, Hana sat in the circle. "Fine... I'm in."
They began to place their fingers on the coin. Minute after minute passed. Ayane chanted small spells, while the others held their breath. However, nothing happened. The coin remained frozen still.
"Well... boring," Kamao complained after ten minutes passed without any supernatural occurrences.
"Told you, right? This is probably just some junk from an antique shop that was exaggerated," Leah chimed in while leaning back again.
They began to ignore it. The board was left lying in the middle of the table while they returned to gossiping about producer drama and upcoming concert plans. Laughter filled the room again, yet Hana still felt something was wrong. The air around her felt heavier, as if the oxygen in the room was slowly thinning.
"Okay, since it didn't work, I'll throw it away later. Maybe I'll just burn it behind the building so it doesn't become trash," Ayane muttered while reaching for the board to put it back into her large bag.
Right as Ayane's hand touched the wood, a cold whisper crawled directly into Hana's eardrum.
"Zxuaon lhin..."
Hana flinched violently, her chair creaking loudly. "What was that?!" her voice trembled intensely, her face suddenly turning deathly pale.
"What's wrong, Hana?" Sakura asked in surprise.
"What happened? Did you hear something?" Ayane stopped too, staring at Hana in confusion.
Instantly, the laughter in the room died. The atmosphere became a deafeningly silent void. The next second—CRACK!—the room lights went out completely. Pitch-black darkness swallowed them in an instant.
"A-Ayane? This isn't funny!" Leah shouted in the darkness.
The light flickered once, glowing dimly with an unstable yellow hue. And there it stood. In the corner of the room, right behind Hana's shadow. The figure was very tall, its head almost touching the ceiling. Its tattered black robes looked like moving mist, and in its pale, skeletal hand, it gripped a giant scythe that was rusted yet looked deadly.
The Grim Reaper.
"H-Hana... what is it? Why are you looking over there?" Sakura's voice sounded shaky, yet her tone was confused. They were all staring in the same direction as Hana, but to them, that corner was empty. They could not see the soul-snatcher who was now staring at Hana with dark eye sockets.
Its appearance was terrifying, emitting a foul aura that made the stomach turn.
"Hello, child..." the voice didn't sound in her ears, but rather echoed inside Hana's soul.
"NOOOOO! GO AWAY! STAY BACK!" Hana screamed hysterically, but the figure moved faster than the scream itself. The Grim Reaper lunged forward, its scythe cutting through the air soundlessly, and it slammed itself directly into Hana's body.
Hana choked. Her body stiffened rigidly, her back arching backward as if something was being forced into her.
"Hana! What's wrong with you?!" Her friends panicked, trying to grab Hana's shoulders, but they were thrown back by a wave of extraordinary cold.
Hana slowly lowered her head. Her yellow-blonde hair covered her face, but when she looked up again, her gaze was empty. It was no longer a clear, spirited blue, but a deep, cold, and foreign black void.
SHATTERRR!
The large glass window in the room shattered into pieces for no reason, destroyed by a strong wind that came from nowhere. The lights went out again, leaving them in total, gripping darkness, leaving only the sound of Hana's breath which now sounded much heavier—and no longer belonged to a human.
To be continued....
Wait for the continuation of Chapter 1 Part 3
Please look forward to it!