Finally, Suki came to. She was back in her room with Kimi lying on the floor asleep next to her. She looked out her window and her eyes widened in surprise. It was already dark outside.

How long was I asleep for..?

Suki rolled out of bed and crouched down next to Kimi, gently shaking her awake.

"Kimi...Kimi, wake up!" She whispered.

"Ugh...what...? Suki...?" Kimi groaned, slowly rising from the floor.

"Kimi...wake up. You have to get up."

Kimi's eyes flew open and was now fully awake, facing Suki. Her face lit up and she hugged her.

"THANK GODS YOU'RE OKAY!" Kimi exclaimed.

Suki was a bit taken aback but fell into the hug herself. "Yeah. I'm okay..."

Kimi broke away from the hug and was now just holding her hands.

"You passed out before we even got out. I thought you were a goner or somethin'! I was almost fallin' halfway home before we-"

Kimi stopped, her gaze going to the middle of Suki's chest in confusion.

"Where did you get that?" She asked.

"Get what?" Suki asked, confused herself.

Kimi pointed to the middle of her chest. "That. That "

Suki looked down and realized that Kimi was right. Hanging around her neck was a silver butterfly necklace with green emerald embellishments.

"I...I don't remember having this..." Suki said, examining the necklace.

She looked down and spotted a silver ring with a small ruby gem placed in the center on Kimi's left ring finger.

"You have one too, Kimi."

Kimi looked down at her hand, confused.

"Wha...? Where did we get these?" Kimi asked, puzzled.

"Maybe they're from that other world....are you able to take it off?"

Kimi shrugged, then quickly began to take off the ring. She slid the ring off her finger without problems.

"Well at least they aren't stuck to us." Kimi said.

Suki nodded, a little relieved.

The room was silent for a moment before Suki was reminded of something she saw in that other world.

"You saw that too, right? Isas? In that palace like structure?"

Kimi thought for a moment before it clicked in her head. "Oh yeah! You think...he has a persona, too?"

Suki shook her head. "No. I don't know why but...I could feel that it wasn't really him. Something felt...different."

Kimi tilted her head, confused. "Different?"

Suki nodded. "Yes something...just didn't seem right about him."

Kimi shrugged. "Maybe we should check it out tomorrow after school. That we it won't seem suspicious."

Suki nodded in agreement. "Alright. Sounds like a plan."

Kimi smiled before looking down at her watch, her expression then turning to surprise.

"Oh Shi- I gotta get going! It's hella late!"

"It's only nine. You could stay longer."

Kimi shook her head. "Nah, Suk. I go back home at help out with the kids. I got like- Seven siblings! But hey, we still have that thing tomorrow!"

"So, it's a date~?"

Kimi blushed intensely as she let go of her hands. "Y-you know what I mean!!"

Suki chuckled as Kimi smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, Suki?"

"Hm? Yes, Kimi?"

Kimi took one of Suki's hands, and looked her in the eyes.

"Suki...this may sound really weird but...I feel like...things are gonna get fucked after all this, so I want you to promise me something."

Suki nodded. "Anything Kimi.."

"Promise me, that you and I are gonna stick through this until the end, okay? You and me together til the end."

Suki smiled, as she could feel something originate inside of Kimi. A sense of determination.

"I am thou,

Chariot Arcana: Rank 1

Suki was a bit puzzled by the voice that played in her head, but then again, it wasn't the weirdest thing that had happened that day.

Suki nodded. "I promise."

Kimi nodded back. "Good. Now I gotta get going."

"Let me walk you out."

Kimi walked out of Suki's room with Suki following behind her. They walked out of the house, when they noticed that the world around them was...different.

Even in the darkness, the world had become filled with more color and a bit more clear. The air...was different.

"Hey...we're not wearing our mask..." Kimi said.

Suki's hands ghosted over her mouth, feeling the absence of her surgical mask.

"Y-you're right but...everything is so much...fresher. So...natural."

Both girls came to the same conclusion that this power granted something the whole town could benefit from, but only they had it.

Kimi looked at Suki for a minute and smiled. Suki smiled back, knowing that it was finally a genuine smile.

Suki then had a very quick thought come to mind. One that could almost seem plausible.

Maybe that other world had something to do with the death of that student...maybe even the whole flu surrounding the town.

And she blamed Akiniko for it! She called him a liar...

I have to apologize once I get the chance...I have to...

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W

M

March 5th, 20XX

Isas stood shaking and exhausted in the student council room with a blinding headache. Literally. There were points in the day were he could see nothing. He could have stayed home and rested. But he didn't.

Mother and Father wouldn't approve....

Another intense pain stabbed inside Isas' head. It was torture.

"Hey dude." A weak voice came in.

Isas looked behind him and only saw a blur until the pain disappeared, and saw a beaten Jumin.

Isas' eyes widened as he almost sprinted towards his friend and lightly cupped his face. His concern then turned to anger, with his brows furrowed as his mouth retorted into a snarl.

"I told you he would do this to you...why didn't you listen to me?!" He growled.

Jumin looked away and just sighed. "You...have a lot on your plate...you shouldn't be worrying about me."

Isas was about to say something but was interrupted when the principal walked in. They blushed and pulled away from each other, with Jumin quickly leave, pulling his hood up.

Jumin...

"Ah, Chikako-Kun. Are you ready for today's assessment assembly?" The Principal asked.

Isas was paying attention. Too...lost in thought.

"Isas? Everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yes sir! I am..." Isas assured him.

I hope I'm ready...I don't think I can even stand up...

The Principal nodded. "Very good then. I shall leave you to prepare."

"T-thank you sir." Isas said, releasing many shaking breaths.

I-I'm okay...I-I'm okay....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning assembly was about to begin. Being that there were too many people unfamiliar to him and could not find Kimi or Suki anywhere, Jumin stayed outside the doors of the auditorium, his hood up and ear pressed against the door.

Suki and Kimi sat up in front with their surgical masks on to make sure they did not seem suspicious. They watched as the student council was finishing up. They could see Isas hunched over in his chair, rubbing his temples with a pained expression.

"Is he okay?" Suki whispered.

"Doesn't seem like it..." Kimi whispered back.

Suki felt a pit form in her stomach and swirl around. Was Isas becoming ? Like the others?

Oh no. Isas...

The bell rang and the assembly began. The Principal stood and walked to the podium, adjusting the microphone and clearing his throat.

"Students and faculty, I have gathered you all here to address the events that happened here the day before. And here to discuss it with you is our student council president, Isas Chikako."

The crowded clapped, giving Isas a pounding headache.

Why do I have to give the damn speech? He's already up there! Isas thought to himself in annoyance as he strolled on stage.

He adjusted the microphone to his stature and began speaking.

"Fellow students, faculty, volunteers, and...and..."

He couldn't finish the sentence. He couldn't. He swayed back and fourth, and then another blinding headache hit him, worse than anything he had for the past three days. Isas began screaming in agony, gripping the sides of his head, almost tearing out his hair.

The crowd panicked. Jumin could feel his heart race as he stepped inside the auditorium, not caring that his anxiety striked.

Isas kept screaming intensely as everyone either sat or stood there and watched.

And then he stopped. His legs arched in and he continued to stand there. That was until the catalyst came into play. His irises turned a sickly green, then spewing out a liquid of the same color at a projectile until he fell onto the stage floor, unmoving.

Jumin screamed as his heart fell to his stomach. "ISAS!!!!"

He sprinted onto the stage, but was pulled back by teachers. He thrashed as he watched students and other teachers running all over the place.

"No, no, no! PLEASE! I NEED HIM! HE'S THE ONLY FRIEND I'VE EVER HAD! HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES ABOUT ME! PLEASE!" Jumin yelled, his voice breaking as tears fell down his face.

Suki and Kimi watched in horror as all of this began to unfold. They shot each other the same look as they realized what they had to do.

And they had to do it quick.

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