The first one I thought about was my Grandma.

I’ve been living together with her since my earliest memory. She was the kindest, greatest and most understanding person I ever knew. She scold me once a while if I went against her, but never too harsh. She knew what I would like as a birthday gift even though I never mention. She just knew it. She knew all about me.

When I was younger, I asked him about my parent’s whereabouts. She said.

“Your parent died in an unfortunate car accident”

The same answer always came from her mouth no matter how many times I asked her. She gave no further explanation about that. So, I stopped asking her. I could feel that she’s hiding something. But, I will not force her to speak without herself wanted to. I believe that she will talk about them in the future. I will patiently wait.

Although, yes, I am curious about my parent. Eighteen years of their absent has became a habit of mine. I’ve grown accustomed to life without a ‘parent’. Grandma is all I have. That is enough.

She always told me that, “Never give one hundred percent of your trust to people”

She would add something like, getting myself too indulged around them will one day for sure, cause me harm.

I didn’t know what she mean by that.

But, there is one thing that I know for sure.

I am going to be dead while wearing a girl’s uniform. I will be on the headline tomorrow as a crossdresser who fell down from the school’s rooftop. That didn’t sound too cool in my ears. Grandma will be so sad.

Before I closed my eyes shut, I saw the sky turning bright.

Is that heaven coming for me?

The sky was shining so bright that I could feel it behind my closed eyelid. But, something caught my mind as the light was so blinding and felt ‘blue-ish’ behind my lids.

Why am I still not reach the ground?

I opened my eyes and found myself floating mid air, falling but not with the usual speed, as if I was slowed down and my cloth moved in a way like the astronaut move in the space. I was surrounded by zero gravity. I couldn't hear anything, as if the sound vanished.

I rolled my eyes to side, reaching the school ground, observing what was occurring around me. Some students were facing up with finger pointing toward me, some were clutching their palm in front of their mouth, while the rest were walking toward the gate not noticing me. But, it was all in slow motion.

My sight was filtered blue. Everything I was seeing were tinted grey and blue, almost sepia like but blue.

Maybe I have entered the realm of the dead.

Before my mind decided on that, I saw a different light flashed on the rooftop. It felt like as if shadow was materialized on the mid-air. It gave me a shiver down to my spine. I started to have an ominous feeling.

That is no heaven. I will be going to the hell.

The shadow was whirling in a circle, I was sure that it was around where Kisaragi and the others stood. The circle grew taller and shot up to the sky causing an apocalypse like atmosphere in just a blink of an eye. Colour vanished, even the blue. The world has become black and white, with the black at the stronger side.

Later then, a pitch black shadow appeared and float above my chest. I couldn’t actually move freely to react as my movement was bind in the slow motion.

The shadow touched my skin and crawled on it. They slowly but steadily covering me from the heart as the center to all around my body. It was cold. It seeped into my skin and spread the cold into my blood rapidly. Then, it engulfed me whole.

Is that the end?

Apparently not.

My consciousness faded from this world.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was in an endless white void space, where no horizon could be seen from a far. This time, I was surrounded by the light. But, it didn’t blind my eyes. The light felt soft and warm, as if it was trying to get me to sleep.

I was confused, Am I in the Heaven or the Hell?

I wonder what happened to Kisaragi, Sasaki and the others after witnessing me falling down from the rooftop. They must be traumatized.

A moment passed.

A black dot appeared from the far back of the void space. It grew larger and closer as if it was slowly crawling toward my location.

Before I could further observe, the black dot spread and twirl like a tornado directly toward me. It blasted through me in a split second and ferociously invaded my mind.

I was overwhelmed, my head hurt so much that I groaned in agony.

Stripe of memories flashed through my mind. The sudden flash of memories were too overwhelming that I couldn’t think straight anymore.

I saw Grandma, Kisaragi, Sasaki and all the faces that I remember.

A lot of events that happened recently.

Myself as a middle schooler.

I saw the younger me playing in the forest I used to go.

Until myself as a baby.

The memories that flashed into my mind were going in a backward sequences in just a few seconds.

It was so fast that my head felt like splitting. My body felt boiling hot.

Until I saw that one weird memory.

A middle aged woman.

By the bedside, crying and weeping.

Something is strange. She looked just like Grandma, but in her younger state. That’s weird. I never saw grandma’s picture in her younger age. But I was one hundred percent sure that she was the same person. I just knew it as a fact.

Seeing her tears rolling down like that, made me heartache. I wanted to stroke her cheek. But, I couldn’t move anything that was playing in my mind.

She came closer to me and held my hand.

“It was all my fault. You are too kind...” she paused and snuffled.

“I should’ve listen to what my mother said. I shouldn’t let you know about that.

I really hated myself”

Her tear dripped down to my hand which she held.

My vision blurred. I couldn’t see her face as clearly as before anymore. But, I can see her forcing to smile in the last moment.

“See you again...Shiratsuki”

The flash of memories ended.

***

My consciousness came back to me again, but this time, I can freely move my limbs.

I was lying on the cold hard ground.

My sense of hearing gradually came back to me. Heaviness haven’t leave my head but it was better.

It was kind of... noisy.

I slowly opened my eyes. It was dark at first, but then my eyes adapted to it and caught the dim light emitted from the ceiling of a....cave?

A lot of noise jumbled together and reached my hearing. I can hear clearly now, so I turned my body to the side and slowly lift myself up into a sitting pose. The once dark vision turned out to be brighter as I sobered up.

“What kind of joke is this!!”

“W-What is happening?”

“Where is this?”

“Can anyone explain the situation?”

A lot of people complaining and grumbling, some were crying.

I sat on the ground surprised.

Didn’t I fall down from the rooftop? Is this the realm of the dead?

No. Some people around me were the students of the same school as me. There’s no way that they were dead too.

Is it the light I saw destroyed the world?

It was such a coincidence if the world really destroyed at the moment I fell down to death. But, I have a hunch telling me that wasn’t it.

I stood up while scanning the surrounding.

We were standing in the center of a cave with weird bright dirt ceiling. I’ve never seen anything like that before.

Everyone was busy looking around to find clues. There were some holes around the cave, which seemed like they could lead us to somewhere else. Although, not knowing where it could lead might be risky, staying here clueless won’t help either. Some students started to form their little own group and marched toward the hole’s entrance. There was an especially big and tall hole in the cave. I saw a few people walked in there. Some walked into the other hole.

Around hundreds of people here. Not all of them were students, some people wear casual clothing, some were in their working suit. I could see a few unfamiliar face in every ten or twenty people. But, almost eighty percent of people are the students and ninety percent of the people are around the same age as me. I didn’t see any elder or young children.

Not many people went to venture, majority of them were too scared to wander around in this unfamiliar location.

What’s happening right now?

I need some enlightenment. So, I walked to a nearby student and asked.

“Do you know how did we end up in this place?”

That boy was startled by my sudden question but then he answered.

“I have no clue at all. I was on the shoe lockers hall. Then there was a light appeared around me. Then, the next thing I knew is that I am here” He explained while looking puzzled.

Odd. That’s a bit different from how I got here.

“Thanks”

I weaved through the crowd trying to find familiar face. But, all I got was a short weird stare from them.

Oh god.

I am still wearing a girl’s uniform

That explained why they looked at me in such a weird way.

I have to change it as soon as I am out of here

I was thinking like that as I continue weaving through bunches of people, heading to the biggest hole of this cave. It was so big that I have to tilt my head up just to see the upper side of the hole.

The hole was totally dark unlike the cave we stayed. There was no light on it’s ceiling and the air that flowed out from the hole was creepily cold. It brought shiver down to my spine. I didn’t feel like going in there.

“Everyone listen to me!!” A voice of a young man called out on everybody. The murmurs haven’t totally went dead but he actually did toning them down for a bit. The echo on the cave acted as a natural speaker and helped him spreading his speech.

People turned their body to the direction where the sound came from.

“Please calm down!! Do not wander around by yourself” He said.

I know that guy.

He’s Kishida Kenya. He is my class representative and also a student council’s member. He excels in study and is a very disciplined guy.

“For those who know where is this place, please speak!”

Silence.

Nobody knows huh.

When everyone was busy thinking about Kisihida’s question.

"H-HEELLPPP!!!"

A scream resonated from within the pitch black cave hole. The scream was vibrated with terror. All the eyes shifted to the hole. Everyone stood still, trying to catch what was the voice.

I remember that a small group of students with male leading held a cigarette lighter walked into the hole.

Don’t tell me that sound wa-

A body of a girl student was thrown out of the hole. Hit the crowd of people who stood nearby the entrance. In a blink of eyes, dozens of people were thrown back all together with the impact caused by the flying girl. It was so strong that it actually produced a strong gust of wind as she passed through.

I ran closer to the girl who lie down subconsciously or dead.

She has a big claw mark dug deep into her back. Blood was gushing out making whoever that stuck with her, bathed in her blood.

People started to hysterically scream and panic. What on earth is that thing that could make a wound like that? Is it a bear? But the size of the claw is too big. I can’t think of any animals with claw as big as that.

“r-run....” the girl said before she huffed her last breathe.

Run? From what?

GROOOOWWWLLLLLLL...

The hole once again resonated but this time. It was a deep ferocious sound of an animal.

The noisy crowd once again became dead silent, people were surprised by the sound and started to move far away from that hole. Leaving the dying girl on the cold ground floor. All of them squeezed to the back of the cave.

Sound of feet thumping on the ground could be heard. It was a heavy stomping sound, as if the creature was a giant. It came closer with a low growling sound.

Everyone’s eyes on that hole. Nobody dare to make voices.

Then, that creature finally came out.

The height was around 3 to 4 meters tall. It was a black three headed hound like creature. Its black fur was messy, unruly and dirty. They were snarling with their long sharp teeth out. Its forefeet were complemented by oversized claws, three claws on each foot. The hind legs seemed to be so strong and tough.

The middle head dripped bloody saliva while snarling

at us.

That creature looked like the Cerberus in the myth.

I quickly scanned the surrounding. There were other holes in the cave. I spotted the smallest hole in the back of the cave and decided to move to that place.

People were too shock and they seemed to be paralysed in fear, couldn’t process what they were seeing.

I slowly weaved through the crowd in case sudden movement would agitate that creature, with my eyes constantly glanced at the back.

The three headed creature wiggling their nose and sniffed. Their sniffing sound were so loud that it echoed in the cave.

It took few steps forward to where the dead girl lying.

Then one of its head bowed down and bite that girl up. With its strong jaw and sharp teeth, it chomped on her body. Sound of bone cracking could be heard. Her blood spurted all over the place.

Part of the body hang out from its mouth. Seeing that, the head next to it snatched the part of the girl which hang out and ripped the girl’s body apart.

Whatever inside the girl came out splashing down to the ground. It was a horrible sight to see.

"t-this can't be happening"

"it was all an act, right?"

The crowd started to get noisy.

"N-NNOOO!!"

A girl screamed out with a high pitch voice reacting to the scene before her eyes. People were snapped out of their mind and started panic.

Upon hearing the scream, that three headed creature became alert. Their ears pricked up while dropping the body part they were chewing.

Ggrrrrrrrrr..........

The creature snarled and sniffed.

All three heads bowed down followed by the chest, then the body wiggled before it jumped.

“RUUUNNNNNN!!”

It was chaos, people ran to the opposite direction of where the creature was. Nobody know where should they run, for the moment, running away from the monster is the priority.

Those people started to bump each other, pushing away every person who blocked their way. It doesn’t matter whether the person was a male or female, younger or older. They ran only to save themselves.

That monster landed on the crowd.

Pounded those people with its heavy weight. They were instantly crushed under its feet.

As the crowd became disarrayed, I started running too.

Luckily, that monster jumped onto the other side of the cave where it was quite far from the hole of my destination.

I shouldn’t be thinking it as a luck, should I?

That monster bit on whatever that stood nearby, it pounded on people to constraint them down on the ground. Then one of its head will bite off whatever stuck out from its foot. It was an easy catch.

Just a bit more...

Just a few meters in front of me, was the small cave hole that I intended to go.

That thing won’t be able to go through this

I thought that I will be safe. But no.

That monster jumped high to the mid air again and pounded down right a few meters beside me.

Yes, right next to me.

I stumbled on my feet from the short quake that monster caused and I fell to the ground.

That monster was looking straight into me, snarling with all the saliva dripping uncontrollably, with few bodies under its feet.

This time, I will be dead for real.