Anita had a song stuck in her head. It was something that would not leave her, no matter what she played or listened to, and it had been there, nesting in her brain for what felt like an entire week. It was not a melody she heard before, but one that suddenly came to her. It had a familiar melody to it, notes that sounded the same as another of her songs, but they were slightly changed now. Really, there were differences everywhere, like a reprise of sorts. Of course, she knew the original well, and not even because of the dozens and dozens of times she’d played it since its creation. It was mostly because the night of its completion was a night she could never forget.

So much changed that night, at least for her. It cemented how she felt about her partner, and it was the first time she ever opened up about her scars to anyone. Anita, sitting in her bed, her old, still pristine mahogany guitar resting in her lap, looked down at the thirteen white lines in her pale skin, somehow still remaining clearly visible despite the similar complexion. They still bothered her, as she was sure they always would. They were a permanent part of her body, and they sullied what was once unblemished. It was only natural, but still, every day they got just a bit easier to look at, to live with. Ferain’s face flashed into her mind, though it wasn’t like it came out of nowhere. Ferain’s image was always there, and so too was her voice, and her little mannerisms, and her habit of touching her earring whenever she was anxious or thinking.

With all of the love that those memories brought, they also carried with them the drifting melody that she’d been composing since it found her. After a somber smile and a quick strum of the strings, she decided that tonight would be the night she took everything another step forward. Tonight would be another unforgettable experience. Anita set the instrument down on the bed and slid over the edge of the mattress. Today was going to be perfect. Nothing would go wrong, not like last year, and everything would work out. She had to hope that as she got dressed in her school uniform, sliding her skirt up her smooth, pale legs, and shrugging on her white shirt. Some smaller additions came next, like the blue ribbon beneath the collar, tied into a large, sloppy bow, and the yellow band she used to put her long silver hair into a straight ponytail.

She scruffed up her fringe a bit, just to add a bit more wildness to her usually upstanding and put-together look, and smiled at the reflection she saw in the mirror. The final touch was her makeup, from eyeliner to some pale lipgloss that really didn’t change much from their natural color. After a small bout of time, she added the final touches around her eyes and then gave a cute tilt of her head while smiling brightly.

“Wow, you’re so cute today, Anita.” she said softly, trying to mimic her partner’s quiet, docile tone.

“Thank you, Fera, you’re really cute yourself.” she then replied, using her own voice. She blushed warmly as she imagined Fera pulling her close and whispering those words in her ears. She squirmed a bit in her seat and struggled to contain a miniscule shriek of excitement. She eyed herself once more in the mirror and saw how red her cheeks were. “I was wondering, Ferain, would you want to… you know… maybe… Oh, this is too embarrassing.” Anita then gasped, waving a hand in front of her face. “Why am I getting so embarrassed talking to myself? If this is how I get with my reflection, how am I supposed to ask Fera later? I mean, I’ve done it before, kinda, but… Ahhh!”

Anita ruffled her hair and then reprimanded herself for messing up her earlier work on it. She used her fingers to shift things back in place and gave a final examination of the silver-haired girl reflected back at her, still flush from the intrusive thoughts that hardly ever went away. Her gray-silver eyes glistened and a bit of her confidence fled them. With all of her hope that everything would work out, there was still the memory of the previous year, and how that perfect night was so quickly ruined by Kiko. She knew it was highly unlikely that anything of the same scale would happen again, especially since this year had been rather peaceful, with the exception of Ferain’s actions at the start. Anita shook her head and forced a smile.

“Fera’s better, Kiko’s gone, and there hasn’t been any shady stuff at all in months. I need to relax, take it one moment at a time, and get prepared for tonight. Whether or not we do take that next step, it doesn’t really matter. I just want to have a good time with her.”

Anita put a pin on that line of thought now, hoping that this would be the last of her doubtfulness for the day. She rose from her seat and marched towards the door of her room. Fera was waiting at the dining table, eating a bowl of the plain, almost sugarless cereal she enjoyed. Anita found it odd, having one herself, that Ferain didn’t really have much of a sweet tooth. Maple certainly, and some of her other friends in the school that were also girls were quite fond of sweets. Ferain, however, had a small liking of things like cake, but for the most part, she didn’t consume much sugar at all. No cookies, no tarts, no unhealthy cereals. There was only one real time that Anita could recall in recent memory when she saw Ferain actually enjoy eating something super sweet, and that was at the most recent Halloween event. Maple’s partner baked sugar cookies and covered them in orange icing. Maple handed them out for everyone and to Anita’s surprise, Fera ate two of them.

That might not sound like a lot for somebody like Anita, but for Fera, it was shocking enough to get through a single one. Anita walked by, gave her a pat on the shoulder as she passed, and entered the kitchen. For her breakfast, she settled for a few pieces of buttered toast, which she sprinkled a bit of brown sugar on after plating them. She sat across from her partner but remained silent for a time, just watching Fera eat and read. She had a book open beside her bowl and seemed pretty enraptured by it.

“Good book?” Anita eventually asked, taking Fera by surprise. Her partner looked up at her as if she hadn’t taken notice of her this entire time.

“What was that?” asked Fera.

Anita giggled and shook her head. “Guess so. Nevermind, Hirigaya, it’s not important.”

“You can’t do that.” Fera snapped, looking at her with frustration behind her bright, sunny eyes.

“Do what?” asked Anita, smiling.

“Ask me something and then just ignore me. What did you say?”

“I asked if you would sleep with me tonight.” Anita then said, feeling her body heat up at the thought. Still, despite how much it affected Anita, it was nothing in comparison to Ferain’s reaction, which was exactly what she was hoping for.

She started hastily rambling while looking away anxiously and playing with her earring. “S-sleep? Like normal sleep or… l-like s-sex? Us? Tonight? Uhhh, I… I don’t…”

“I was joking.” Anita softly said. “Geez, Ferain, come on. We’re seventeen now, not ten or something. How does one mention of that get you so flustered?”

Fera gave her an incredulous look. “It’s not like you’re not.” she quickly retorted. “Besides, how else am I supposed to react when you just say it so blatantly? I mean, how can I be calm when I think about i–” Fera cut herself short as she looked up with cheeks as red as apples.

“What was that? Were you about to admit something?”

“Enough of this.” Fera said hastily, rising from her seat and grabbing her empty bowl. “I’m going ahead.”

“Wait a minute. I was just… Fera, come on.” Anita said, hurrying from her chair as Fera moved from the kitchen to the entryway and started putting on her boots.

“See you later.” Fera said, and in a flash, she was gone. All that was left behind was a bit of static in the air, a slowly closing door, and a dreadful feeling that Anita had just seriously messed something up.

Anita groaned as she fell limply back into her seat. “You had to bring it up.” she whined, chastising herself. “You know how she gets, and you just had to say that. ‘Oh, it’ll be funny’ I thought. Man, I’m so stupid sometimes.” Anita sighed, fell forward against the table, and began eating her toast with a pouty expression.

“Sounds to me like you need to cool it a bit.” said Victor, a short time later during the walk to school.

“I know.” Anita spat. “Fera said that we shouldn’t rush to that, to let things happen naturally. Maybe I am being too pushy. I don’t know why I’m getting like this anyway. It’s not like it won’t ever happen, and it’s not like that’s really all I want from us. I just get all excited and fluttery when I think about us in that way.”

“It’s called lust.” came Maple, who was walking at her side with her body pressed up against Anita’s, and her arms wrapped around Anita’s right one, as if they were the couple in this group. “You need to admit it, Princess, you’re not as pure as you might think.”

“I never thought I was.” Anita said, with a grimace. She then looked down at the road. “I’ve never felt this way before, so it makes me impatient and weird. It’s not a bad weird, just a… a…”

“A fuzzy weird.” interjected Maple. “I know the feeling. You know, only my family, roommate, and Victor know this about me, but I am very intimate with that particular feeling. Every month I go through a… a sort of heat, like a cat. It’s really rough, but… it might mean that I can help with your sexual urges.”

“H-help?” questioned Anita, giving a cautious look over into her friend’s honey-hued irises, which narrowed and looked like a predator that was sizing a juicy bit of prey.

“Yeah.” she said, almost hungrily. “We can do all sorts of things. I can– Ow!” Maple was interrupted and jolted by a light hit from Victor, who was walking just behind them.

“That’s not what she needs, Maple.” he said.

“What would you know? You have about as much sexual knowledge as a goldfish would.” Victor shook his head and went silent again, leaving Maple to lean up closer to Anita while nuzzling her face as they walked. “Look, if you really want some sort of relief, you just have to do it on your own.” Maple looked back at Victor, seemingly to make sure he didn’t hear anything. Once she was sure he didn’t, she moved to Anita’s ear again and continued whispering. “I know for someone like you, it’s all a bit perverse, but–”

“I do.” Anita quickly said, feeling her face growing so hot, she thought Maple had a chance of getting burned from touching her. “It helps a bit, but… Is something wrong with me? I feel like something is off. I don’t think I should be this way. I mean, Fera keeps herself contained, and I’m sure most other people do. Why do I have so much trouble just waiting?”

“Maybe you have a bit of cat in ya too.” Maple said as a joking suggestion. She quickly saw that it wasn’t helping in the slightest and shifted into a much more serious look. “Sorry, I joke a lot. Honestly, Anita, I don’t think anything is wrong with you. You just want love, and I don’t see a problem with that. I’m also sure that Ferain isn’t as in control as you may think.”

“What makes you so sure?” Anita whispered.

“Uhhhh… You remember that last time she stayed over for our study session?”

“Yeah?” Anita said questionably. She always wondered if Fera ever gave into Maple’s advances, and honestly, she wasn’t so sure if she even minded, but what she did mind was if Fera had slept with Maple before her. That would be grounds for immediate punishment, and probably a week’s worth of the silent treatment. “Did she…”

Maple gave her a curious look before quickly shaking her head. “No, no. With me? Ha! No, nothing like that. It’s just… I heard–”

“Maple.” came Victor’s voice, and when both girls looked back, he was apparently finding the sky a much more interesting place to gaze at, as he was intentionally avoiding their eyes. He had a very flushed face, and he seemed to be struggling with something, though she couldn't place what it was.

“So you did hear.” Maple sighed. “Well, anyway… Trust me when I say that she thinks of you a lot. It’s just… She just needs time, I think.”

“Maple is right.” came Victor, still staring up at the sky. “You’ve been around people your whole life, Anita. They might have not been friends, per se, and they most certainly haven't been lovers, but the fact is, you’ve still been around them. You know how things like this usually go. People fall in love, they go on dates, they sleep together, it’s natural. Ferain has never really been exposed to this sort of thing before. She knows about sex, but I highly doubt she ever thought of actually having it with anyone before. I mean, before coming here, she probably thought she’d never touch another living person in any way, let alone in that way. She’s likely scared.”

“But she said–”

“She said she likes you, I’m sure.” Victor continued.

“She probably even said she wants you.” Maple added. “However, saying and doing are very different things. If not for my situation that night with Victor, I don’t think I’d have had the courage to ask either. It’s scary. I liked him, I knew he liked me, but still, doing something like that with somebody is hard. For somebody like Ferain, who’s been so closed up for so long, it’ll probably be really hard for her to convince herself to open up enough to let you see her like that.”

“Like what?” asked Anita, growing annoyed. “We’ve seen each other naked before.”

“It’s not that simple.” Victor said. “Coming from me, this might sound weird, or maybe too much information, but when we did it, I… I felt very vulnerable, and not in a good way. I felt like… like I let every defense down. I mean, we… It’s…”

“It’s intimate.” Maple said quietly, finishing for their giant friend. “It’s not the same. It’s… deeper, more… special. I know it sounds cliche, but it really does feel like you and your partner are becoming one, like there are no more barriers between you. It’s a big leap, and for Ferain, it’s probably like jumping from a mountain and knowing you’re just going to hit the ground at some point. Eventually, she’ll know that you’ll be there to catch her before it happens, but it’ll take a bit of time before then.”

“Are you saying she doesn’t trust me enough yet?” Anita questioned. Her heart felt pained by this thought, like Maple just shot an arrow through it and gave it a heavy tug.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

“No, no.” Maple hurriedly added, waving a hand. “Or… I guess. Maybe?”

“She’s been through a lot, Anita. If she asked you to be patient, you’ll just have to be.”

“I know. It’s just hard sometimes. Especially with you two, you know…”

“We know,” said Maple, giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder. “To think, I always wanted your relationship, and now you both want mine. How the tables turn.”

“Way to rub it in.” said Victor, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“So, despite everything we just talked about, what are your plans to win her over tonight?” asked Maple, acting as if she was some reporter trying to get a juicy story out of somebody.

“Plans?” gasped Anita. “I mean, I… I had an idea… It’s corny, but…”

“Oh, you have to tell me now!” Maple grabbed Anita’s cheeks, stopping all three of them and aggravating some of the students that had to stop suddenly behind them. The two boys that were abruptly disrupted muttered angry words at them as they walked around, giving them a sideways glance and a furious scowl. “What is it?!”

“Down, girl.” Victor said, grabbing her collar and gently pulling her off of Anita.

“I… You see… I have this idea and…”

Anita couldn’t bring herself to say it. She instead shook her head and hurried away towards the checkpoint, leaving the other two behind her. As the day went on, Anita found it harder and harder to concentrate on anything. It wasn’t like most people were, really. It was the day of the festival, the last day of school, so naturally, everyone was in an easy, lazy sort of mood. People talked non-stop about the festivities, though there certainly were less accidents than the previous year, one of which being the famous firework fiasco in the stairwell. When lunch finally came around and she thought she’d see Ferain again, she didn’t show up. It was a shame for a couple of reasons, seeing as she wanted to both apologize and make it up to her, but Ferain never got there. Anita ate her lunch with Maple and Victor, and Kitari even stopped by for a moment with Sam at her side, but they didn’t stay long.

Kitari hadn’t been in such a good mood the last few weeks, which made sense given her father’s endless harassment since his visit. From what Kitari said, she stood up for herself when her father came calling. Apparently, he even tried to get physical with her in the courtyard at the school but she used her powers to fight back. The only problem now, or so Fera thought, was that Kitari was afraid of what might happen once she got back home and she didn’t have anywhere else to go but to her father. Anita had to agree, so she offered Kitari to stay with her over the break, but she was turned down.

“I have to face him, and I need to do it on my own.” Kitari told her. “If I keep running, if I keep tucking my tail between my legs, I’ll never be free of him.”

It was a shame to see that Kitari’s first End of Year Festival was going to be slightly marred by her familial troubles, but she was hopeful that Sam would be able to lift her spirits some. After her lunch was done and over with, Anita spent the rest of the day wondering where her partner was. They did have some classes together at the end of the day, but still, Ferain was nowhere to be found. It was like she ran from the city again, which was something that genuinely frightened Anita.

“Maybe she was tired of me being so pushy.” Anita thought, leaving the school on her own. A few people offered farewells as she left, but nobody walked with her. Maple and Victor went together, likely to get ready for the festival later that night, and without any other friends nearby, Anita was left in solitude. “Where are you, Fera?” she asked herself, sighing heavily as she continued her somber walk home.

Even when she got back to the dorm, it was empty. She checked Ferain’s room, the bathroom, the kitchen, and after all of that, she checked the roof. No yellow-eyed girl anywhere in sight, and it was actually starting to worry her now. Flashes of Kiko came to mind, and then images of a wounded or even dead Fera soon followed. Driven mostly by paranoia and fear, she brought up Fera’s number on the watch she always wore around her left wrist and tried calling her, but nobody answered. It rang a few times before going quiet.

“Call me back, Fera, I’m starting to get worried.” she said, after the watch let out a beep, signaling that she could leave a voice message.

Not really knowing what to do next, Anita decided that Fera was okay. After all, why wouldn’t she be? Nothing was wrong anymore. She was probably just busy or something. Maybe her dad gave her some important job to do before the festival. Instead of worrying, Anita figured that she might as well get ready. At least then, she’d be prepared to leave once Ferain got back. Or possibly, she would meet her partner back at the school. After eating a quick meal, she showered and started getting her outfit together. Just after she pulled a box out from under her bed, she heard a loud knocking from the front door. Anita was only in her underwear, a frilly purple set, but she quickly covered herself with one of Fera’s oversized shirts that was laying on the end of the mattress. Luckily for her, Fera had a fascination with really large clothing, at least when it came to sleeping, because with Anita’s proportions, it was still a bit too tight around the chest. Even so, it covered what needed to be covered, and she continued towards the door.

“Hiya!” came Maple’s greeting after Anita answered the door.

“Maple? What are you doing here?”

“We’re going to get ready together.” said the feline-esque girl, who was holding up a bag she brought along. She was wearing some casual shorts and a loose t-shirt at the moment, so it was no surprise that she wasn't quite ready for the event, but that didn’t explain why she didn’t do this at home.

“I don’t really mind, but what are you doing here? I thought you’d want to be with Victor.”

“Oh, I already saw him naked plenty of times. No need to keep on treading such familiar water.” Maple answered nonchalantly, while pushing past Anita to force herself inside.

“I guess, but… That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“And I’m not going to. Does there have to be a reason anyway? I just wanted to get ready with one of my best friends. Besides, Victor’s a troll, he doesn’t understand the complex nature of makeup and hair styling.” Maple set her bag down on the dining table and turned to face Anita. “I could just leave if you want. I won’t force myself on you.”

“Phrasing, Maple, and no, it’s fine. Oh, have you seen Ferain around? I haven’t seen her since this morning? Do you think she ran off because of what happened last year, or… was it because of how I acted this morning?”

To this, she got a surprising laugh out of Maple. “She wouldn’t run out on you because you were horny.”

“Do you have to use that word? It sounds–”

“Dirty?” interrupted Maple. “You do know who you’re talking to, right?”

“Fair point.” Anita said.

“And by the by, I doubt she’s at all concerned with what happened last year. She’s a bit too busy for that.”

Anita looked up at her. “So you do know something?”

“Not much. Victor said he saw her running down the stairs before we left school. Said she seemed to be in a huge hurry for something.” Anita put a hand over her heart and gave a silent thanks, feeling relieved that her partner was at least alright. “Anyway, time to get you ready.”

Anita’s expression grew gloomy once more. “What’s the point? If Ferain is too busy, why bother going?”

“Trust me, she’s not going to miss tonight for anything. She’ll be there. For noooow, we just have to get you dressed.”

“But–”

“Time’s up!” Maple suddenly shouted.

“Wha– Ahh!” Anita bellowed as Maple tackled her, tugging at her clothes after they landed on the ground.

Later, Maple was sitting on Anita’s bed with her legs crossed and her hands in between them, almost perfectly resembling a cat on its haunches. She had a glowing handprint on her right cheek and a blissful smile on her face. “Thank you.” Maple said graciously.

“That’s the seventh time you said that.” Anita muttered, standing in front of her mirror.

“And I meant it every time. Thank you.”

“I never had anybody thank me for slapping them.”

“I am a certain sort of weird.” said Maple.

“Hmph. I was hoping it would hurt. You shouldn't have touched me there.”

“Sorry, I know I got a bit handsy.”

“A bit? It was like a massage.”

“Well, can you blame me? I don’t exactly have much to play with over here.”

“Tsk.” came the click of Anita’s tongue.

“You’re worse than Victor.” Maple said, pouting, before looking over at Anita and being unable to resist a smile. “You look good.”

“You think so?” asked Anita, examining herself from head to toe.

Her bangs were swept to the right and pinned in place, though the left side of them were still hanging down messily, an intentional choice decided upon by Maple. The back of her hair was left loose, except for a bit on the side that was braided by her right ear. Her outfit was one she’d bought just over a month ago, specially acquired for this night. It was a long dress that had a gradient to it. Closer to the top, it was the color of the sunrise, and it gradually began shifting into a more purple hue as it reached the flowy bottom, which had a slit that rode up the left leg to her thigh. She had a pair of sandals on that had spiraling straps that rode up her calves, and around her right wrist was a silver charm bracelet with a wolf, a moon, and a sun hanging from individual metal links. Her nails matched the dress, in that they had a mixture of purple and orangish tones to it, making it resemble a swirling combination of dawn and dusk.

“Do you think I went too heavy with the day and night theme?”

“No, not at all. Honestly, I’d have sex with you.”

“Maple!” Anita gasped.

“Joking, joking. Or am I?”

“Tsk.”

“You keep doing that and it’ll become a tick.” Maple leapt from the bed. “Not that I mind. It’s pretty cute. Anyway, it's my turn now. Here, strip me.”

When Anita refused, Maple took off her shirt and threw it in her face, causing her to grumble as she had to fix her hair. Maple’s ensemble was a more casual type of outfit. She tied her reddish brown hair into a couple of braids in the back, and near her right ear. As for her clothing, it was a black pleated skirt, probably one of the ones she used for school, and a light blue v-neck sweater that had a silhouette of a cat near her stomach. She also wore black and white striped knee-high socks and a pair of black sandals with little bows on them. During the walk back to the academy, they joined up with Victor, who was wearing a vest and dress shirt, and a pair of jeans. The more students Anita saw, the more she felt like she overdressed, but that was fine. She wanted to impress Fera, and she thought this would do just that, no matter how anybody else decorated themselves for the night.

Just like the previous year, the school grounds were crowded beyond belief. There were stalls set up everywhere, all of which were run by students, though none of them really cost a lot of money. Some were selling sweets, others masks, and others light-rings or glow sticks in a variety of colors. Some poppy party tracks were playing over the speakers that were set up all over the grounds, but surprisingly, Anita didn't have an ear for it tonight. With Ferain’s whereabouts and well-being on her mind, she had little attention to spare for music. Since passing through the checkpoint, she’d been on the lookout for her missing partner, which seemed to amuse Maple, who took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

“She really has you wound up, huh?”

“I’m just worried.”

“I know. You’re looking around like you’re trying to find a lost puppy. Relax a bit. She’ll be here soon enough.”

“Maple,” said Victor.

“Ah, that time already?”

“Yep.”

“Great. Well, Anita, you have fun. I’m gonna go play some games.”

“You’re leaving me?” she asked.

“You won’t be alone for long. A pretty girl like you, I’m sure you’ll be swept up in a heartbeat. Come on, big guy.” Maple said, taking Victor's hand and leading him away.

“I hate her so much.” Anita growled, though she didn’t really mean it. After watching the last bit of her company vanish in the crowd of people, her sense of panic surged back in. Anita hurriedly turned and instantly bumped into somebody.

“Hey, Songbird.”

Anita opened her eyes after wincing from the jolting impact and saw Zaz standing there. His dark brown hair was swept to the left in a spiky, lazy sort of fashion, as if he just brushed it aside with his hand and doused it with hairspray. He wore a white jacket over a maroon shirt, and a pair of black slacks.

“Zaz?”

“So you do remember me? I was concerned that I was a one-and-done sort of deal. Hey, my band and I want you back for a few songs. Do you think you could come and meet them real quick? Maybe, if you’re lucky, we’ll let you put one of your own songs in the mix. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds like you’re trying to butter me up. Sorry though, Zaz, I need to find Fera first. Maybe after. And if I agree, I want two songs.”

“Deal, and as it happens, I just saw the little lightning bolt just a bit ago.”

“Really? Where? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. Calm down or you’re going to ruin that pretty face. Come on, I’ll take you to where I saw her last.”

“Thank you. I’ve been looking for her all day.”

“I bet. Sucks to have somebody disappear on you suddenly. No need to fret any longer, I’m your guy.” He then looked back at her as he walked. “See what I did there? Fret. You know, like guitars.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Anita said coldly.

“I remember you being more fun.” Zaz said, looking forward again. “You were all like thrashing around and jumping and singing your heart out last year. Now you remind me of my sister. A total buzzkill.”

“I just need to find Ferain first. Once I’m with her, I’ll be good.”

“Man, I hope so. I need some of that crazy energy again this year. You really livened up the group. Come on, this way.”

Zaz led her into the school, and once inside, there was a surprising lack of noise. Once the doors were closed behind them, all was practically silent.

“Are you sure she’s here?”

“Absolutely. Like I said, I just saw her. Me and the guys were getting ready in the music room up on the fourth floor and we saw her leaving Hakamura’s office. No idea what she was doing there but whatevs.”

They slowly climbed the steps up to the third floor, where she saw caution tape spread from the railing against the wall to the post in the middle, which Zaz swiftly ignored and climbed over.

“Should we be going this way?” Anita questioned.

“I don’t see why not. Oh, actually, I forgot something.” Zaz climbed back over and grinned. “I have to go get the guys ready to play. Meet us in the gym in half an hour. You’ll have your two songs.”

“What about Fera?”

“She’s right up there. Go see her and then ditch her to come play. Simple stuff, Songbird.”

He winked and started back down the stairs, leaving Anita alone for hopefully the last time tonight. Anita lifted the tape and ducked under it, feeling shockingly anxious about going up there. Still, her feet carried her forward, and what she was met with was complete and total darkness. It was like she stepped into a box that was completely secluded from the world. Instantly, Anita’s guard was up and wind began funneling around her hands. It was too much like last year for her liking. She felt off about this, nervous and paranoid.

“Ferain?” she called out, before looking back at the solid wall of blackness that separated her from the staircase. “Are you up here?!” That was when she saw a small light at the far end of the corridor. The light grew larger and larger until it took the form of a beast that Anita recognized at once. The crackling blue shape looked like a constantly moving, quietly chirping baby wolf that was made of electricity. It was a rough silhouette, unstable in a way, but still familiar. “Fera?” she asked, walking cautiously towards it.