38. S: Cold Silence

The fluffy white snow covering everything..... The quiet but peaceful rustling of trees.... and the mysterious fascinating whispers of wind...

They always..... remind me of a time forgotten.... of memories, now blurring.... and of her laughter, her smile..... and also...

“Her warmth that I will never feel again.”

Saying so, I resume my running, but...

“Huff, Huff, I am... Huff, getting tired....”

Panting sound.

Weakly muttering so, and feeling my confused mind losing its sharpness, I quickly clear my head from those images and the longing they bring, after all...

“Huff, this place... Huff, is not the same...”

Indeed, even if this place is a little similar, it’s still completely different...

“Huff, Huff, Huff....”

Panting sound.

So different, that even comparing the two is nothing but an insult to her memory, and so... I run... Like a madman chased by his past... I run.... because, I, after all, am indeed...

“... being chased....”

I am indeed being chased.... though this time at least, I am not chased by my past.... only, but there is also something else.... hidden there in the grey ashen world around me...

And knowing that, I... run. Because that is all I can do...

“For now, at least.”

Saying so, and doing my best in staying sharp, I quickly sneak a glance behind my shoulder, and what I saw then was...

Nothing, but the ash-covered world... No, wait, I think I saw some white silhouette this tim-

!!!

“Shi-....”

Vshhhhh.

Claw cutting sound.

Damn it, that was close. Thinking so, and glancing at the white claws embedded in a tree above my head, I quickly roll on ground, before then...

Jumping back on my feet and resuming my running. As I, this time, head toward the trees. Still, it’s really is weird.... this place...

Thinking so, and trying to bury the longing in my heart, I glance around me at this scenery, and what I see is...

A grey world barely visible through the storm of ash and snow.... a heavy fog almost blocking vision.... some sky-high wobbling trees.... and ground covered in both white Ice and grey Ash...

“Probably Curse, yeah....”

Saying so, and feeling my old sentiments getting back under control, I quickly...

Duck. As suddenly, some shining white claws almost...

Vssshhh.

Take my head, dammit. Once again, that was close... just a moment of unfocus, and my head.... would have rolled there under the 2m white silhouette...

Thinking so, and quickly flipping on ground, I resume my running, while also glancing behind me, but...

“Huff, Huff, again, it’s... Huff, Huff, gone...”

Dammit. Thinking so and feeling my fear and anxiety increasing, I run.... but dammit, that was close..... so close, that my heart is still beating madly from shock, but...

I am starting to get used to it...

Thinking so, and smiling a little, I glance in front of me this time, and I am...

“huff, huff, inside the forest...”

Smile.

Good, now its movement paths should be limited, and its attack pattern should become easier to predict...

Still, I can do more.... and knowing that I quickly glance in front of me, mentally mapping all of the trees’ position, as I...

Jump. To the nearest tree, I jump, before then stepping on its trunk and jumping to the next, and next and so on.... still...

“Huff, this is... Huff, hard...”

Fuuush.

Wind sound.

Breathlessly saying so, I feel my headache increasing, my muscle screaming, and more than anything... I feel my lungs suffocating...

“But... Huff, I can... Huff, still do this...”

Fuuush.

Wind sound.

Yes, I can still do this, not to mention that after all I have gone through, something of this degree is nothing.

Thinking so, and feeling my anxious mind calming down a little, I suddenly notice...

!!!

The claws from my upper right side.... drawing so close to my eyes.... so close that any attempts at evading is meaningless now.... And so, staring at the claws and knowing that, I can’t help it but...

“Gotcha”

I can’t help but smile, as I quickly spin mid-air, while also pointing my arms at the silhouette behind the claw and...

“LIGHTNING”

ZzZzuuussssh.

“GhEAaEAaAaA....”

Scream in pain.

And frying the White Bastard, as the world for once gets painted in the pale yellow glow.....

And then as that scene of pale yellow color faded, what I saw was.....

Baam.

What I saw then was a blonde twin-tailed girl, hitting files on the table, as she...

“So this is it for today, everyone...”

As she, the club president announced the end of today’s meeting.... and so...

“well, then see you later....”

“Yeah, I will call you...”

“Hey, did you hear the rumors?...”

“Ah, Senpai, what about the movie ticket you promised?”

And so, another day of this club is over...

Stretching my stiff shoulders as I think so, I can’t help it but walk through the door, and glance at everyone inside, before then moving my attention to the sign atop the club room and...

-Paranormal Research Club-

Sigh. When suddenly...

“Seriously... I still can’t get used to the new name....”

“What are you even talking about Ris-Chan?”

When suddenly the one who changed the club’s old name called me...

“Ah, nothing it’s just I am not used to this name....”

“hm? But it’s not like ‘Vampire Research Club’ is that different, you know?”

“..... Y-yeah... you got a point there....”

Dazedly saying so, I am suddenly feeling stupid... I mean, to think I got so used to the old name, that simply replacing Vampire with Paranormal is giving me this strong feeling of unfamiliarity...

“It seems I got too used to this club, then...”

“Ah, then good for you Ris-Chan, but I have to go now. It’s my turn to cook tonight, and my sister is.... well, you know...”

“Ah, right....”

“then see ya....”

Saying so, the president suddenly turns and then watching her walk, I suddenly remember...

“Ah, right...”

And so, I quickly move my attention to my side and start walking slowly, while also swiping my hand in air and...

Staring at the messages that have appeared, until I find the name I am looking for.... but...

-Asuka-san: So Sorry Gif-

But what’s the meaning of this...

-Asuka-san: There is a work situation-

-Asuka-san: Another So Sorry Gif-

-Asuka-san: so I will be late-

-Asuka-san: Love you, and don’t stay late-

“But Asuka-san....”

“How can you do that to me....”

“And what about my dinner....”

“My dinner, Asuka-san...”

My Dinneeeeeaaaaaa.....

“Sigh. Guess, we will have nothing for today....”

Saying so and feeling sad for this coming night, I can’t help but lament spending all my money..... Ah, but I guess Asuka-san may have sent some more, so...

“So, I just have to check my balance, right?”

Smiling and saying so, I suddenly freeze, paying attention to the fact I said that loudly, but then I...

Suddenly freeze once more.... but not because of my embarrassment this time, no.... this time I froze, because...

“it’s silent....”

The whole corridor.... is suddenly silent, empty, and...

Fuuush.

“C-cold...”

Saying so, and feeling a weird chill on my back, I do my best in suppressing the weird feeling in my chest, and.... slowly, I turn around...

But what I saw then was...

Blue.... an Endless Ocean of Blue...