29th July 2021
“HEY! WAIT! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!” A blood curdling shriek shattered the silence. Yuki spun around, his gaze darting through the dense foliage, searching for the source of the unearthly scream. Naomi, her eyes wide with terror, mirrored his actions. A twig snapped underfoot, sending a jolt of adrenaline through them. There, amidst the gnarled branches and overgrown bushes, a figure emerged from the shadows.
The man was tall and imposing, his silhouette stark against the fading light. A worn brown leather trench coat, the colour of sun-baked earth, enveloped his wiry frame. A wide-brimmed hat, the same shade as his coat, cast his face in an unsettling shadow. Only a hint of a beard, dusted with flecks of grey, was visible along his jawline. He moved with a predatory grace, silent and deliberate, each step heavy with unspoken menace.
Dread coiled in Yuki's gut. The urgency in the man's voice as he boomed, "HEY! WAIT!" sent shivers down his spine. Had they stumbled upon something they shouldn't have? The last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues. A cool breeze whispered through the leaves as Yuki darted.
The man's gaze swept over them, sharp and assessing. His brow furrowed in confusion. "Kids?" he rasped, his voice rough and gravelly. A long pause followed, filled only with the rustling leaves and the pounding of Yuki's heart. "You shouldn't be here," he finally muttered, but his words lacked conviction. He didn't move, his silhouette a menacing block against the fading light.
Seeing the man lower his stance gave Yuki a sliver of confidence. He puffed out his chest and stepped forward. “Shouldn't be here?” he challenged, his voice surprisingly steady. “You're the one trespassing. What are you even doing here? Squatters? You can't just break into abandoned buildings, even if they're falling apart.”
Naomi shot Yuki a worried glance. “So this attitude is why he always gets in trouble with the bullies.” she thought with a grimace.
The man's face hardened. A muscle twitched in his jaw, a low chuckle rumbled from his chest, devoid of humour. “Trespassing, huh? Hey kid, do I look like a homeless person to you?” He stepped up, now his face fully visible in the sunlight.
Yuki gasped, his breath catching in his throat. The man's face was like a living mask, devoid of any colour, as if the blood had drained from his skin. His eyes, a startling emerald green, seemed to glow with an unnatural intensity. Their almond shape and the sharp angles of his face offered no clear clue to his ethnicity. He was a riddle wrapped in an enigma. A shiver ran down Yuki's spine as he realised this man wasn't like anyone he'd ever seen before.
The man scanned Yuki up and down, then moved his gaze towards Naomi. “Huh.” He gasped as his sight landed on Naomi, and so did she. A flicker of recognition, a startled widening of her eyes, passed through Naomi's face before it was quickly masked by a neutral expression.
A beam of fear, almost imperceptible, passed through Yuki's eyes. He knew he should back down, but a surge of protectiveness for Naomi overpowered his better judgement.
Yuki, whose back was turned towards Naomi was oblivious to the silent exchange, yelled, “Hey what are you looking at her like that! Don't you get any bad ideas or you'll have trouble facing me!” he yelled, his voice cracking slightly despite his attempt to sound tough.
Naomi quickly jumped between them, her voice calm but laced with a hint of something Yuki couldn't place. “Sir,” she began, “I don't think you actually live here. Which means none of this is your property. We were just playing hide and seek with our friends when we stumbled over this place. We won't cause you any trouble so will you please leave us alone?”
The man studied them for a long moment, his gaze lingering on Naomi a beat too long. Then, with a muttered curse, he turned and stalked away. As he did so, a file peeked out of his inner coat pocket for a brief moment. The harsh sunlight glinted off the words printed on the cover: “Receiver: Shin.” The name burned itself into Yuki's memory as the file vanished back into the darkness of the trench coat.
“See, this is how you deal with this kind of situation, not by getting angry instantly. That's why those bullies keep bothering you,” Naomi scolded, a hint of something complex in her voice - relief, fear, or perhaps something else entirely.
Yuki frowned. Something wasn't right. Naomi seemed almost… relieved to see the man, despite his unsettling appearance. “But Naomi, did you see the way he looked at you? It was creepy!”
Naomi bit her lip, her gaze flickering away. “It's nothing, Yuki. Just some weird guy who lives around here, probably. Come on, let's get done here before he comes back.” Her voice held a forced lightness that didn't quite convince Yuki.
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Yuki couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. “There's definitely something wrong... This guy, this place... Everything seems off.” He thought to himself. He turned to Naomi, asking if she was sure about their course of action. She simply smiled and reassured him that there was nothing to worry about.
With a mix of apprehension and curiosity, they stepped into the dusty storeroom. Yuki couldn't help but ask Naomi, “So why did you bring me here?”
Naomi, her expression uncharacteristically serious, reached into her pocket and pulled out a worn envelope. “Yuki, you remember what you promised me, right?” she asked.
“Yeah, yeah, I promised to keep an open mind.” Yuki grumbled, his earlier annoyance bubbling back up. “Now come on, spill the beans. What's with the cloak-and-dagger routine?”
Naomi held out an envelope. “Look at this.”
Yuki snatched the envelope, his initial annoyance giving way to surprise at its official appearance. A crest, depicting a stylized owl perched on a stack of ancient tomes, adorned the wax seal. The letterhead read “The Avalon Athenaeum.” A shiver ran down his spine despite the warm summer day.
“Hey... what kind of a joke is this?” he sputtered, his voice laced with a hint of unease. “Don't tell me this letter—”
“Just look at it.” Naomi pleaded, her voice surprisingly steady.
“...fine.” Yuki said, as he opened the letter up. “This letter was written in Old English. I can recognize most of what's written.” Yuki thought to himself.
image [https://i.ibb.co/hmMmPb2/Picsart-24-05-28-16-11-08-467.png]
The Avalon Athenaeum
Headmaster: Aisling Celeste Walsh
Lief Mr. Tachibana,
We at The Avalon Athenaeum recognizeth kindr'd spirits. A scout hast deliv'r'd thy message.
Potential lies within thee. A lodging hast been did prepare. Confirmation is await'd by The Vox Aeterna. Respondeth by the 5th of August through the scout.
Awaiting thy replyeth,
Akane Yuan
Deputy Headmistress
As he finished reading, his disbelief flared back up. “What kind of bullshit is this? You actually believe in this nonsense?” he exclaimed, throwing the letter down on a dusty crate. His frustration was evident.
Naomi remained calm, her gaze fixed on him. “Well, I know it sounds crazy, but actually—”
“How can you possibly have an explanation for this?” Yuki interrupted, his patience wearing thin.
“Listen to me, it has to do with—” Naomi began, but Yuki cut her off again.
“What do you think? We are in ‘Larry Glasses’ or something?” He threw his hands up in exasperation. Frustrated and angry, he turned his back on Naomi, ready to storm out of the storeroom.
Naomi watched him go, her expression a mix of concern and determination. There was much more to this story than Yuki could have ever imagined. The strange man, and now this letter – it all seemed connected somehow. She hoped Yuki would eventually come to see it too, but for now, she had a decision to make. Should she follow him and try to reason.
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Let me take you on a journey into the world of urban legends and rumours, where reality blurs with imagination and the boundaries between fact and fiction become hazy.
Urban legends often emerge from a combination of curiosity, fascination, and a desire for something extraordinary. It starts with a simple thought: "Wouldn't it be cool if...?" From there, these tales take on a life of their own, growing and evolving as they are shared and passed on from person to person.
Have you heard a rumour that goes like this?
They say that people who are chosen one day receive an invitation from an anonymous to a place一that doesn’t exist, if you accept it, they say you disappear from this world. And then… they say you're taken to another dimension.
But the question remains, do we believe it? Belief is a complex thing. Some dismiss urban legends as mere fabrications, products of overactive imaginations or exaggerations of real events. Others find a glimmer of truth in these tales, a hint that there might be more to our world than meets the eye.
The power of urban legends lies in their ability to ignite our imagination and make us question the boundaries of reality. They serve as a reminder that there are still mysteries waiting to be unravelled, secrets yet to be discovered. Whether we choose to believe or dismiss them, these legends continue to fascinate and captivate us, weaving a tapestry of wonder and curiosity.
So, my friend, as we delve deeper into the realm of urban legends and rumours, let's keep an open mind and embrace the stories that ignite our sense of adventure. Who knows what truths or fantasies we may uncover along the way?
…Do you believe it?
<3 - Birth of the CruxーEpisode 3 - Fin>