The oceans crash relentlessly. Petrichor filling our noses as we stand there. We’re left bemused by the sight in front of us. Glasses missing from almost every room. Covered in mold, moss, and damp wood. The walls essentially hanging on by a mere thread. This wasn’t here before. There was more beach. A school had cut off the rest of it. Our bodies wouldn’t allow us to move even an inch closer. Something just isn't right about this school. Sojiro is in agreement. An angst covers him as he try to figure out what sight has grazed his eyes.

"The aura here is... deeply worrying."

Yuta is still in a bewildered state. Trying to tell himself that this is real.

"I don't get it, but I agree."

If only Eva and Aron were here... They surely would've had an idea of what to do! After yesterday they have gone almost completely silent. I wonder what's happening between them? My sister looks on at us and has a spark of enlightenment. Which means nothing, but trouble.

"Today's pretty spooky don't you think?"

"What are you planning?"

"I'm not planning anything! Although..."

"Although....?"

"I was just wondering since this is here, what if we were to do a test of courage! We'll go through different entrances and whoever leaves last wins!"

"You are up to something!"

She has a smug on her face. Why would anyone want to go in there?

Yuta who couldn’t comprehend the situation only moments ago, is now fully on board.

"Ah! That sounds like a great idea!"

Karawase is delighted to see that someone else is falling into her trap. Sojiro acting so brave and lively as usual decides to join in as well.

"Heh. I'm not afraid of anything! Let the gates of hell open and I will quell its anger!"

Yuta walks up behind Sojiro without him realizing it.

"Boo."

He jumps and runs behind Karawase.

"EEEP! Take the woman, and not me!"

Karawase doesn't take it all too well. Knocking him on top of the head. He falls directly to the ground.

"You numb-skull!"

Yuta thinks about it.

"Hmmm... I've only ever seen it in manga it sounds like a fun experience! All the spooky thing that could happen makes me all excited!"

What are you, apart of the occult club? Now that Karawase has seemingly got her way it was time for her to go on the offensive.

"Then let's split up into groups! I'll go with Yu-"

Karawase tries to pounce on to him while she continues. Only to be cut off by Yume!

"Oh you want to come with me and Sojiro? Why didn't you say so? Come on guys we're going to win this!"

She grabs Karawase by the collar as if were a cat. She complies, not even trying to scratch her.

"Eh? Hang on what just happened."

Yume grabs Sojiro's lifeless body and walks away with both of them.

"Yuyu come back to me! I can't lose like this!"

"Silly, that not my name! Unless you want it to be my nickname, then I will gladly take it!"

“Please spare me!”

I never knew she was that strong. They fade off into the distance.

“We’re... the only two left?”

Yuta blurts out. I’m not sure why he sounds so nervous. It’s not we’re... Alone.... Together...No one else to interrupt us.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, NO!

I wasn’t prepared for this?! Is that why Yume took the other two away? I wish she would’ve at least told me before she would do such a heinous action!

"Do you want to head in already?"

"Eh? Uhh... Yea..."

We head our way to the entrance. It doesn't have a pungent smell, but it's distinct. The doors look as if they could crumble at any moment. I pull them open with little resistance. They creak heavily, despite how the outside looks dilapidated, the inside is... clean? The school looks like it's just closed for the summer. Nothing seems to be even the slightest damaged. This place is really creeping me out.

"This place looks so nice!"

Yuta is amazed by it...? He’s looking around starstruck by the scenery. I don’t understand how he could see such beauty in such a unsettling area. It feels too real.

"I guess."

I'm not sure why, but I don't want to be here.

Huh? Where did Yuta go? Don't tell me he just left me here!

"Look at this old door Sara!"

He’s trying to head into one of the classrooms. Is he really not that worried about me? Wait, what if something happens to him?! As he enthusiastically, and unassumingly opens the door he accompanies it with his growing curiosity.

“What’s on the other side?”

“W...Wait!”

I rush over to him and grab onto his hand and hold it tight. He stops trying to open the door. Turning around towards me confused by such a visceral reaction.

“Hey... You’re holding my hand.”

“I know.”

HANG ON!

Inside Sara’s Head:

Sara: Huh?! What’s wrong?

War: What in the hell are you doing woman? Are you trying to jeopardize this operation? We can’t be giving out such free wins to the enemy!

Love: Don’t you see what’s goin’ on? She’s standing her ground for her man. You go girl! We’re cheering you on from here!

Shy: What?! Don’t you all think this is a bit much...? Skinship isn’t really something we should be doing so freely...

Sara: I just wanted to make sure he didn’t go in there! Who knows what could be lying inside of these walls?!

War: Then say it rather than trying to give up our position!

Love: War... You’re always so forceful just let her be herself! What man would want a woman who’s acting like another person?

Shy: We should just go home! This trip was too much stress anyways... I can barely think with him always around.

They begin to bicker and beckon. Making my situation much worse than it needs to be . In fact...

Sara: SHUT UP!

War: When did you become so aggressive solider... I like it.

Sara: It’s my decisions and I don’t need more than one me to make them for me. Now I have some talking to do.

I feel more confident after talking to... myself. Either way Yuta is still staring at me.

“Are you going to keep holding my hand Sara?”

“Y...Yes! You’re being too care free about all of this so I’m going to hold onto you... For safety reasons.”

Yuta backs off the door.

“Ah... I’m sorry for making you worry. I’ll restrain more.”

All the different emotions quell down.

“Thank you.”

We’re holding hands. Now what? We continue to walk down the hallways looking around the school. Being conscious of our surroundings making sure that nothing is going fall from under us nor from above. I focus more on our hands being close to one another. Just like the last time when we were at the amusement park. It’s so warm, and firm. I feel more safe and relaxed with him near me. We approach what seems to be a courtyard. The moonlight is peering through the clouds. There’s a bench. The moonlight beams directly onto it.

“Let’s go over there.”

Yuta with little to no explanation pulls me into the direction of the bench surrounded by a small garden.

“Wait for me!”

We move fast it’s almost like his body is blending into the darkness of the night.

As we approach the bench, my attention is grabbed by a figure. Sitting on the bench with little to no expression. Her hands put down by her side. She peers up at the rooftop, it's Grey eyes, hooked. What I thought to be a glow provided by the moonlight was her illuminating the entire area. It was a very mysterious glow. I couldn’t move. I grip Yuta’s hand who had also stopped moving. After a moment I could finally say something. And as if I destined to I cry out.

“It’s.... It’s a ghost!?”

The ghost lowers its head. The color in her eyes coming back. Her once motionless body now being reanimated. Her senses seemingly come back to her. She begins to panic after hearing me.

“GHOST?! WHERE?! Oh... It’s still me isn’t it?”

We both nod. She seems distraught by the news. Wishing for a different answer. I’m left with a chill down my spine. A real ghost...? This can’t be possible. I grip Yuta’s hand tight. He on the other hand seems to be intruded by her existence.

“So you’re a real ghost?! How does it feel? Do you need to eat? Can you fly super high? It must be so cool...!”

“Well...Uhh....”

Unfortunately the girl is overwhelmed by Yuta. It’s feels refreshing for it not be me for once. Either way.

“Yuta!”

“Huh?”

I knock him upside his head. Despite me being terrified out of my mind of such a possibility, I’m never too scared to be annoyed.

“Ow! What was that for...”

“You’re clearly causing her distress! Calm down.”

“But...When’s the next time we’ll get to a see a real ghost!”

“Learn to have some respect! She’s still a girl at the end of the day. And especially don’t be talking to some random girl while I’m around.”

“Ye-Yes mam...!”

Did I just really say that...?! I use his hand to cover my face as a wave of embarrassment comes over me. The ghost lets out a hearty chortle at our quarrel.

“Hehe... It’s been a while since I’ve laughed! Thanks! My name is Madeline! I really like flowers! What’s you and your boyfriend’s name?”

“B-Boyfriend? No, No! We’re just friends... I’m Sara and that’s Yu.”

“Sara and Yu? You two seem more than just friends.”

She gives me a deep stare full of doubt. Yuta backs be me up.

“Yeah we’ve only gotten close to kissing, but never have!”

I jab in the stomach. Jeez that idiot is trying to get weird reactions out of everyone. She begins to swing her legs as her body slowly animates itself back to the living.

“How did you two even find this place this place anyways?”

“Ah we just went from...”

I try and point from where we came from, but there’s only a wall there. I try and look around and begin to panic. I can’t even seem to remember how we got in here. It’s like our memory has been wiped. Everything seems unfamiliar.

“Ah. Your memory must be all scrambled isn’t it?”

Huh? How did she know that?

“You wouldn’t believe this, but this isn’t the first time this has happened to someone!”

As she said that all of a sudden she became very cheerful. Like she’s fond of whomever was here last.

“Does that mean you can help us get out of here?”

“Of course! If... I could actually remember how to get out of here too... hehe.”

“Huh?!”

“Yea... I never really found a way out.”

“Does that mean were trapped here forever...?!”

“No, No! I can help! I just can’t help myself.”

She frowns. I feel bad for her. Though, she doesn’t seem to dwell on it too much so I guess I shouldn’t either.

“If we just give it a moment...”

We hear the sound of pots and pans echo throughout the courtyard.

She hops off the bench. A familiarity seems to be compelling her to go towards the sound. With that we’re on our way to try and escape this place.

“Right, let’s get going!”

She began to bolt off as Yuta and I are left stranded unsure of where she went. A bit of silence is created. She slowly comes back.

“We’re going to the Culinary room, follow me.”

We both look at her and it clicks.

“Ah-”

We both start to follow her. She marches in front of us as if she’s a Sargent leading her cadets. She’s more... human than I was thinking she would be. Seeing as just a few moments ago she was more dead than alive.

Before I know it. We make it to the Culinary room. Just like the rest of the school, it’s in pristine condition. A slight draft pushed the pots and pans hanging from the wall a drift. Clacking at each other filling the only sound in the place.

“Now you two just have to find an object with some type of memory you hold dear!”

Yuta is all for it... as usual.

“An object I hold dear...”

He looks at me?! I start to blush. Only for him to turn and continue searching. I look up and groan.

Wait. A pot above me has a bright reflection. I remember it somehow. I tug on Yuta’s hand. Pointing to the pot above me. He grabs me and picks me up.

“Hey what are you doing?!”

“Did you want to grab it or not?”

I grumble and grab onto the pot.

My vision goes white.

A bright and cheery laughter comes clearly through my ears. The smell of food being prepared had filled my nose. Then my vision came back. It was those two. Yuta and my sister, they’re holding each other as they cook. I wanted to get angry, but I couldn’t.

This wasn’t the present. I’m seeing the past.

I remember, at this time they had been together for a while. I was sick of seeing them, yet times like this just were nice to sit and just feel at peace. Nothing was wrong as I just watched them with a smile.

I’m forced back into the present. Still being held up by Yuta. He doesn’t seem aware of his surroundings either.

“Did you see that...?”

“Yea...”

“Also could you put me down now?”

“Sure...”

He puts me down. Letting go of my waist and looking at his hands. I grab back onto one of them. Madeline comes up to us as get a grip back onto reality.

“So did you find a bit of your memory?”

We’re both astonished.

“You saw it too?!”

“Nope! So, I’ll take that as a yes!”

She turns around and leans over to listen for whatever is to come next.

A book drops in the distance. We barely hear it, but she picks up on it almost immediately.

"The library. Let's head there next!"

She rushes off once again, I appreciate her help, but isn't she a bit too enthusiastic about helping us escape? She's definitely hiding something. I guess as long as she's trying to help us I shouldn't worry. I tug onto Yuta chasing after her towards the library.

"Sara what are you-"

"Come on we don't want to be left behind right?"

In a matter in no time we reach her, but at the cost of our breaths.

“Alright you two, get to work and figure out where this next memory is!”

She sways blissfully.

“Now where to look first...”

The room filled with an abundance of books, yet nothing was what we needed.

Yuta drops to the floor.

“All these books, and not a single manga in sight! How will I ever survive for this long?!”

I frown.

“Is that all that’s on your mind?”

“If we’re going to be trapped here, I would at least like to be able to read!”

He’s right... We’re trapped here. Who knows how long it’s been since we’ve gotten here or how long it will be until we’re going to be out? My mind has been in so many places that I just forgotten what situation we’re in. What are we going to do? What if we don’t find our way out of here? Will this all truly lead to our escape...

“Ah- I found it!”

I turn to see him still on the floor pointing to a window. My eyes wash over with a white tint again.

Yuta stands there looking out the window, miserable. Feeling of confusion, regret, frustration. Blaming all this mesh of feelings on my sister. His friends are there for him, he knows that. It’s just not something that they can truly feel. Nothing he nor them can truly understand. Not sure what to do with them he looks from the third floor of our school. Envious and seeing almost a way out of his current conundrum.

Where am I though? I... I remember this day! This was a few weeks after they broke up! If I remember correctly, I walked in to come check up on him. I felt as if I had a part in that. I wasn’t doing it on purpose. I was just so...

Yuta opens the window. Thinking to himself, ‘I just want a feel of the breeze’. Of course that wasn’t his actual intent. He began to push himself further out of it. With little to no reaction to how high he was, nor how fatal this could be. He gets one foot onto the seal. As he begins to put his other foot onto the seal, he feels something under it. He can’t adjust properly, slipping backwards. Falling away from the window. Under his foot is a book. Picking up to see what the culprit was.

A manga.

Bright colors filled the cover. Characters that looked like they had it much better than him at the moment. They were happy, they knew what they wanted. He folds his legs and on the floor right there he sits to read.

That’s when I first saw him in a different light. I walked in that moment and was amazed. Compared to how I knew him, he looked so composed, focused, and determined. Seeing him sit there as the window pushed in the wind and the light beam. I became fascinated with him. I was curious about how he truly was. Not just the personality I had loathed when him and my sister were together.

The memory fades from my eyes, fresh in my mind.

Yuta worms on the floor.

“My eyes! My eyes! It’s all black!”

“Take your hands off your face.”

He stops for a moment. Rubbing his eyes before removing them. I look down at him. For someone so...foolish. There’s so much I can’t see. How does he hide it so well? He stares back at me.

“Did I do something again?”

“No...”

I extend my hand to get him. He grabs it once more. Madeline comes up behind us.

“Interesting...So you’re not a couple?”

I yank Yuta and dash away from Madeline.

“Don’t just do that! And no we’re not!”

“Fine. Whatever!”

A bell echos through the hallways. We all stop. I look to see where it came from.

“What does that mean?”

Madeline looks pale knowing that foreboding bell.

“...We’re going to the roof.”

She heads off without another word. Something is off. Her demeanor has once again shifted drastically. I have to know what’s truly going on! I run up to the top floor. She’s sitting on the offensively short fence that is covering the edge. Swinging her feet as they dangle. I finally confront her.

“What is all of this? And what are you really hiding?!”

She continues to stare out into the distance.

“Are you ever going to tell him?”

My hand is felt by the air. Yuta is nowhere to be seen!

“What did you do to him?”

“He’s fine, don’t worry. Now... answer me, are you going to tell him?”

“Tell him what?!”

“You’re clearly in love with him.”

That’s none of her business. I’m trapped here and this is what she cares about?

“You’re a ghost so that shouldn’t matter to you!”

She jumps off the roof. I head to the edge to see where she went.

Not even a single scratch left to the ground below.

“You’re right. I am.”

I contort my body to see her standing behind me. No pupils, mouth, or hair. I want to scream, but only a small shrill voice comes out of me. She’s not alive. I try to back up, only to realize how close I am to the ledge.

“I don’t have anything. I’m just a ghost. Something that people don’t believe are real. Stuck as a fantasy that people treat as a thing that will hurt you. What am I supposed to do about such a fantasy? Nothing.”

Her pupils and other features come back and tears begin to well up in her eyes.

“I don’t want it to end. I don’t want to be alone again. Being with him and you all have reminded me how I once was.”

“I... I don’t know what to say.”

A wave of guilt strikes me realizing what I have just done. She continues.

“After I died, I regretted it. I regretted everything. I wish I had done more, and less. He came along and then for a day I truly had a friend. Ever since then, time has become meaningless to me. I am stuck alone forever because of my actions. And what for? I couldn’t figure another way out.”

Clearly stricken with grief she wipes her tears.

“There’s so much I could’ve said or could’ve done, yet I didn’t. You two are what I wish I could’ve been. Happy, Caring, Fun, Having someone to accompany me. I don’t want you to end up like me. Death is permanent. I can’t do anything more. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Live and tell him. It may not seem like it’s a big difference, but regret is something that can never be escaped.”

“I...I’m just waiting for the right time. If I try to rush it then wouldn’t I regret it?”

She goes silent.

“Hmmm...I guess that’s fair.”

That must have calmed her down. I should...

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh? What for?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“Ah- No, no! I should apologize for scaring you like that. I just wanted to at least feel like I helped someone...especially after I’ve been helped.”

I can’t just help but smile a little. She was just trying to look out for us? I guess that’s fair. She ponders.

“Did I come off too enthusiastic?”

“Just a bit, but I honestly didn’t mind.”

“Hehe~ I’m glad to know...”

“Your hand...! It’s fading!”

Madeline looks down. She sighs.

“It’s time. Promise me you’ll tell him?”

“Sure!”

We laugh as she slowly fades.

“Oh, and one last thing! If you ever meet someone named Rean, tell him I said hi!”

“I can do that easily.”

The waves crash.The ocean’s smell permeates the air. I slowly open my eyes and get up. We’re out! I touch myself to make sure I’m all in tact. Phew. Wait, where’s Yuta?!

I yell out to see if I can find him.

“Yutaaaa!? Where are you?”

*Groan*

“So loud... Just let me read for 3 more minutes...”

He lays next to me on the beach. I stare off into the sea for a moment going over what she said in my head over and over. I have to make this summer count. Sooner or later.

“WAIT WHERE’S THE GHOST?!”

Yuta springs off the ground. Sporadically looking around for her presence.

“She’s gone now.”

“Oh...”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll be just fine.”

“Nice.”

He gets up and dusts himself off. We look to where the school was before. The rest of the beach is there.

He stares at where the once haunted looking building stood.

“Let’s head back and just not think about the logistics of that too much ok?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

We start to head back. I grab onto Yuta’s hand. He’s caught off guard.

“Don’t tell me you’re still scared!”

“I am not! Is there something stopping me from doing this?”

“No... It’s just...”

“That’s what I thought. Now let’s just hope the others made it back safely...”

We walk back off into the distance keeping each other close.