Coming to you live from a very steamy journal post~
Why, hello there, kittens! I'm Kanji, esteemed reporter of all things fabulous and ever so delightfully naughty, and I'm here with a most special update for a fandom just beginning its long, hard... journey into adulthood~!
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 4 KINK MEME
In this scintillating post of mine, you can comment anonymously with any pairing ( Read more... )
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 4 KINK MEME
In this scintillating post of mine, you can comment anonymously with any pairing ( Read more... )
***
Sitting at his desk with his English homework spread out before him, Souji almost enjoyed the tranquil calm, immersed in his repetitive task. So when the sound of rain suddenly blasted against the windows like the hammer of a thousand tiny rocks, he flinched and turned his head to stare wide-eyed at the drawn curtains. It took a moment for him to register what the sound really was. Low thunder groaned in the distance. What time was it, anyway? Even before glancing at the clock worry slowly crept through him, licking at the edges of his previous lull. Six minutes until midnight. There was no way there could be…
Souji glared at the blank TV screen as if it had been the cause of all his disorientation. It had been sunny and warm for the past three days; the weather report only mentioned cloudiness with a slim chance of overnight showers. Tomorrow was supposed to be another gorgeous day as well. Things like this were a freak occurrence, a testament to nature’s occasional unpredictability. Though they happened sometimes, they never did so like this. Four more minutes and the clock would strike twelve.
Souji’s hands began to sweat and he dropped his pencil unheeded to the desk as he stood to look outside. It was absolutely pouring. The slightly inclined street in front of the house already bore little streams of rushing water. Thin strips of orange-tinted lightening tore two neat paths through the black night sky over Inaba. The storm was overhead. He watched the sky through the violent sheet of rain before closing the curtains and turning his attention back to the TV set. One more minute. He was certain he would see nothing tonight, or at least, he had to convince himself of that. But as the seconds ticked away, that surety gave way to doubt. Finally, the clock struck midnight with a hollow clack.
The lights in his room dipped low, threatening to die out altogether when another peal of thunder erupted, closer this time. But that didn’t stop the TV screen from flickering. A blurry image appeared, and Souji’s attention was rapt upon it. Someone’s image materialized before him, and though it was impossible to make out the details, he could tell from the form’s general aspects that it was a man. The figure seemed to be in a scarcely furnished room, and oddly enough, it was that room’s features that appeared more clearly than the person within it. Little else but a dresser and bed adorned the strange place. But as Souji peered more closely, he could see that the man onscreen was not alone. It seemed there was a woman sitting in one corner, partially facing away. Her light hair was cut short, but her form and style indicated her gender right away. Something was off, however. Thin ropes connected her arms behind her back. Across her eyes and mouth were two white strips of material bound tight. A matching set of earmuffs or something of the like rested against either side of her head. She appeared uncomfortable in that position, but otherwise didn’t struggle against her bindings. Souji had little time to pay her much attention before the man’s figure onscreen came so close to the ‘camera’ that the image was totally blocked out. Then, the screen went black.
With a certain attentive panache common to madmen, Souji had his phone whipped open and ringing Yosuke’s cell within seconds. It rang several times before a pause, only to be picked up by Yosuke’s voicemail. Damn it. Yosuke was probably asleep, or had his headphones on, or was doing anything but being there when Souji needed him. Not bothering to leave a message, Souji hung up and chucked his cell onto his desk. The storm outside was already letting up; the rain became only a soft murmur against the glass. Souji’s throat suddenly felt parched.
Making his way quietly down the stairs, he discovered the kitchen light below still illuminated. Dojima still sat at the table, busy working on the same project Souji had seen him with once Souji had excused himself to his room earlier that night. Papers lay scattered about. Dojima seemed to be deeply involved with whatever it was, but once Souji appeared in the soft glow of the light over the sink his eyes lifted.
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Souji shook his head and retrieved a glass from the cupboard. “No. I was just finishing my assignments.”
Dojima grunted in response and then changed his mind. He looked closely at Souji, the way he often did when he suspected something amiss. “It’s great that you’re doing so well in school, but you shouldn’t be up this late too often.”
With a full glass of cold water now in hand, Souji turned to retreat back upstairs. “I know. I won’t. Goodnight.” He had almost made it back to the foot of the stairs when Dojima’s voice stopped him.
“Nanako tells me you don’t even get in until late sometimes. What have you been doing for so long after school?”
Great, Souji thought, another session of drilling awaited him. It was true that there were times when he and his friends spent longer in the TV world than they had intended, but he tried to keep that from happening to the best of his ability and usually succeeded.
He turned again and saw that Dojima hadn’t bothered to face him. “Just, hanging out with Yosuke. We lose track of time sometimes.”
Dojima set the paper in his hands down and straightened. “At Junes, right?”
“What? No. Not always.”
“One of my guys tells me he’s seen you and your friends come and go from that store pretty often. Thing is, you never seem to leave with anything.”
Souji quickly sifted through viable excuses, a skill that became sharper the longer he resided with his uncle. “Well there’s not much else to do around here, and Yosuke works there. We like to hang out with him on his breaks.”
“Yosuke…Hanamura, right? You sure seem to spend a lot of time with that kid.”
Now Souji was at a loss for what to say, so he opted for silence at this point. He knew he would be reprimanded, but he didn’t care.
“Well, you’ve got school tomorrow so go get some sleep.”
That was not what he expected. Though a bit confused, Souji was not about to protest. He ran up the stairs without another word and shut himself up in his room. By this time the rain had already nearly stopped, but he did not feel any easier.
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Yosuke’s voice called out to him from behind: “Hey, buddy, hold up!”
Souji turned and saw that Yosuke had given up trying to tame his bike today. Those ever-present orange and red headphones dangled around his neck as he jogged toward Souji, a loopy grin on his face. Souji smiled and bit back a laugh; clearly Yosuke didn’t have time to fix his hair again. The mass of auburn lay matted flat against the left side of Yosuke’s head.
“You look like you slept well last night,” Souji gibed.
Yosuke slowed to a steady pace beside his friend. “Oh, so in other words you’ve noticed my youthful glow?”
“Not quite.” Souji reached out and teased a hand through the train wreck on his friend’s head.
“Damn, harsh.” Yosuke faked a pout.
As Souji worked on Yosuke’s hair, he grew serious. “Hey, did you watch the Midnight Channel last night?”
“Huh? Nope, I conked out early. It hasn’t rained in days anyway so why do you ask?”
“You didn’t hear the storm last night?”
“It stormed? No, I had no idea. I thought the air smelled different this morning though.”
“Hmm.” Souji gave up on his task and dropped his arm.
Yosuke furrowed his brow. “Why, did you see something last night?”
“I think so. It’s weird, but at the same time it feels like I might’ve dreamed the whole thing. I don’t get it.”
“What happened?”
Souji shook his head and related what he saw to Yosuke.
“So there were two people this time?” Yosuke asked. “Yeah, that does sound kinda weird.”
Souji shrugged. “The more I think about it, the more it doesn’t seem real.” He looked over at his companion. “Just don’t tell the others about this. Not just yet. We need to be sure, and if I just imagined it then the last thing we need is everyone freaking out over nothing.”
“Got it. But hey, maybe we should ask the girls if they saw anything.”
“No. If they did, they’ll say something about it.”
Just as Souji had suspected, no one else had seen anything on the Midnight Channel the night before. Chie said the thunder woke her up, but by that time it was already past midnight so she didn’t bother to check the TV. Yukiko had slept through the storm. Feeling the odd man out, Souji doubted what he had seen even further. There was no denying the unusual circumstances through which the night’s events had played anyway. All the same, he would have to be cautious in the next few nights.
After school he and Yosuke wandered to Souzai Daigaku to buy some steak croquettes and wander about the shopping district to pass the time before Yosuke’s shift at the grocery department began. As the time neared five o’clock, Yosuke thumped his friend on the shoulder. “Well, the night shift is about to begin. See ya tomorrow. Oh, and I’ll be sure to stay up late tonight just to be safe.”
They said their goodbyes and Souji went home to find Nanako seated in her usual position in front of the television.
“Welcome home,” she chimed. “Um, sorry I don’t have dinner started.”
Souji caught the depressed note in her apology as he kicked off his shoes and tossed his bag to the floor. “Let’s order pizza tonight instead.” He couldn’t help smiling at the reaction that brought from Nanako.
“Yay! Oh, but I wonder if we should get enough for Dad, too.”
“He didn’t call yet?”
Nanako shook her head.
“Well, I guess we should just assume he’ll be here soon, right?”
The two spent the evening together eating pizza and watching cartoons, but Dojima still hadn’t shown up by the time nine rolled around. He pulled all-nighters often, but almost never forgot to call to let them know when that was going to happen. Nanako worried, but Souji tried to distract her for the night. He hated to see her distraught, especially when it came to the rift between her and her father.
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Souji hadn’t even realized that he’d fallen under so deeply until something woke him. It wasn’t a noise or a physical sensation, just an apprehension stemming deep from his marrow. His eyes snapped open and immediately sought out the wall clock. Almost midnight. Rubbing his eyes, he caught a steady sound coming from outside.
He got up and looked out the window to find a light drizzle falling upon the town. How long had it been raining?
Once the clock struck midnight, the television screen flickered and the same image of the undecorated room appeared again. This time everything was clearer, though shadows hugged the edges of the screen. The same woman in white sat doll-like in her bindings in the far corner, oblivious to her surroundings. Something seemed more familiar about her this time. Souji didn’t have to stare at her too long to realize that she actually looked a lot like his mother. But…that couldn’t be right.
The scene panned out to display more of the room and Souji spied another woman in the room, bound in a manner very similar to that of her companion, but this woman’s bindings were black. That and she hung suspended by her legs from the ceiling in the opposite corner, her dark brown hanging messily about her face. Souji couldn’t tell if she was alive or not as she slowly rotated in lazy quarter circles from the taut rope. There was something vaguely familiar about her as well, but he couldn’t quite place it. A chill ran unbidden up his spine.
Then, from the darkness, the same man from the night before emerged. His back was smooth and bare, and it seemed he wore only pants. When the man turned to sit upon the bed’s edge, paying no heed to either woman, the shadows still managed to obscure his facial features. Souji’s eyes followed the dark trail of hair extending from the figure’s broad chest to his pants’ waistband. The same hair, though sparse, covered his forearms as well.
“It’s not right…I…can’t…”
Souji strained to hear the voice coming from the TV set. The man raised his arms to his head and a choked sound escaped the scene. Just as Souji felt the man was on the verge of sobbing, a low chuckle caught him off guard. The sound elevated into something far more disarming for the level of its amusement than for its juxtaposition within this dark scene, though it tapered off quickly.
“Not right! It’s not right! Same old broken record, bullshit excuse. Ha. What a joke.”
Souji’s eyes went wide when he heard the deep voice. No, he wouldn’t believe it.
“It’s time to give up that tired façade. Starting now.” The figure stood and walked toward the ‘camera,’ pulling his belt loose at the same time.
Though the shadows had not lifted entirely, Souji recognized the sharp stubble along the man’s chin. Then the screen blacked out.
A sour sensation rolled through his stomach, threatening to expel his dinner. Souji closed his eyes and clapped a hand to his mouth to calm himself, but it hardly helped. The floor seemed to turn beneath his feet. He never thought it would be someone close to him.
There was no doubt left in his mind now that Dojima was the next victim.
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LOL reCAPTCHA would've been more appropriate for one of the art fills: Saturday doodles
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captcha sez 'condor put.' which is almost 'condom put.' listen to captcha.
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“Dude, you were right! I saw it. And, didn’t that person look familiar?”
“Y-yeah. I think I know who it is.” Souji paused.
“So? Spill it already!”
“Look, tomorrow’s Sunday. Do you think you can come over?”
“Hey, what’s wrong? Why won’t you tell me?”
“Yosuke,” Souji began, wondering how he should even articulate the line of thought that just occurred to him. “I have a really weird feeling about this. I think…I think we can’t tell the others if no one else saw it.”
Yosuke didn’t say anything for a moment. “Why?”
“I don’t know! Just promise me you’ll be here tomorrow morning. We’ll figure it out then.”
“And what if they did? I mean, it didn’t even start raining until around midnight, but someone else might’ve been up.”
“I know. I’ll think of something.”
“Tch. This isn’t like you at all, Souji. But fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Yosuke hung up without a farewell and Souji followed suit. There was no way he would be able to sleep tonight. He wondered if he should call the police station. Just to be sure.
Making his way downstairs, the house seemed unnaturally still. The rain outside had become more mist-like now, and he couldn’t even hear it against the house. Pushing Nanako’s door open slightly, he peeked inside to see her sleeping peacefully in the glow of her Iwatodai lamp. He sighed; his stomach hurt all over again just thinking about how she would take the news that her father was missing. But maybe she wouldn’t have to know.
Moving toward the kitchen, he spied Dojima’s work number scrawled across a yellow Post-it stuck crookedly to the refrigerator. Punching the numbers hard into his cell, he allowed himself no time to hesitate. Someone answered the line almost immediately.
“Inaba police department.” The voice was gruff, obviously tired and ready to leave work.
“Is Detective Dojima available?” Souji disguised his unease with bland politeness.
“Dojima-san left hours ago, son. What’s this in regards to?”
Souji ignored the question. “Did he get off early today or something?”
“Is this his nephew?”
“Yeah. I’m…just staying over at a friend’s tonight and I could’ve sworn he said he’d be working late. But if he’s already gone I’ll just try the house.”
“I see. Nope, far as I know he was gone by eight or so. Said he wasn’t feeling well.”
“Oh, okay, thanks. Sorry to’ve bothered you.”
Souji clapped his phone shut before the officer on the other end could get another word in. There was always the possibility that Dojima had hit the bar with that lanky partner of his. But that didn’t seem likely. Souji would just have to wait until the morning came until this could be resolved.
The medicine cabinet in the bathroom became his next priority. With any luck there would be some strong nighttime cold medicine he could take to knock him out for the rest of the night. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, Souji scowled. He really did look like he could use some rest-faint bluish crescents hugged the undersides of his eyes. As he pried the mirror open, he was relieved to find that something out there might be watching over him after all. After a few quick jerks to the cap, he downed a gulp of the bitter black licorice-flavored syrup without bothering to measure it first.
Trudging back to his room, he mused over what he had seen. There had never been more than one person at any given time on the Midnight Channel before. But then again, the two women were so motionless the entire time that they didn’t seem alive in the first place. What did it all mean?
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Taking these factors into consideration, it seemed Souji had subconsciously decided that any rescue party had to be small. Now he was positive of it. Whatever Dojima’s shadow would be like, no matter how the situation would play out, there was little doubt in Souji’s mind that Dojima would definitely not cope well with the knowledge that so many eyes had seen his inner turmoil once his shadow had been defeated. No, it was better if he kept his friends in the dark about this one. Yosuke would be enough. They’d been through so much already, right from the very beginning. Together, they could do it.
It wasn’t long before the sedative began to take control of his body and Souji’s thoughts trailed off. With heavy eyes, he submitted to the first wave of drowsiness without protest and fell under soon after.
When he awoke, it was to the rude alternation between a determined knocking and the doorbell’s shrill chime. Blinking groggily, he hauled his body out of bed and lumbered down the stairs to the source of the din. When he opened the door, the brightness of the morning sun assaulted his unprepared eyes and they watered immediately. Squinting in pain, he managed to make out Yosuke’s irritated face staring back at him.
“The hell, man? I’ve been knocking for like ten minutes!”
“Wh-what? Where’s Nanako?” Panic skirted his disorientation and he whipped back around to scour the house. All remained still, but it didn’t take him long to spot the note written in Nanako’s rounded hand resting on the table. He grabbed it up and read its contents, breathing a sigh of relief as he did so.
“Thank god,” Souji mumbled to himself. “She’s only gone to Mai’s house for the day...”
As he set the note back down, his relief crumbled anew as the previous night’s memories flooded back. When Yosuke touched his arm he jumped and wheeled around, having forgotten his friend was there at all.
“Damn, dude, you’re really wound up today. What the hell is going on already?” Everything about Yosuke’s presence radiated pure concern.
Souji looked at him sadly for a moment. “It was Dojima. He’s in there, Yosuke.”
Yosuke’s bottom lip fell open and his eyes widened as he processed what his friend had just relayed. “Dojima-san? Are you sure? But how?”
Souji shook his head. “I don’t know, but he never came home last night. I called the station, but they said he left early.”
“Shit.” Yosuke pulled his cell from the back pocket of his red jeans. “We have to get everyone over to Headquarters right away.”
As soon as Yosuke’s phone was open, Souji instinctively slapped it out of his hand and knocked it clattering to the floor. Yosuke looked angry as he bent to retrieve it. “What the fuck, Souji?!”
Once his line of thought from last night had returned, Souji’s determined mind began to operate seamlessly. It must have showed, because Yosuke’s irritation quickly dissolved. “Come sit down.”
Once seated on the living room sofa, Souji told Yosuke everything he knew about his uncle’s troubled past and his reasoning for not wanting to tell the others. Yosuke’s face betrayed his dubious feelings as he listened, but he nodded in affirmation every so often.
“I see,” Yosuke said once Souji had finished. “I guess I get it, but, isn’t it kinda dangerous for just the two of us to go in after him? I mean, how are we gonna find him in the first place?”
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“Teddie? But why? Rise’s the scouting pro now.”
“Look, I just don’t think it would be a good idea any other way. We can trust Teddie, too. It’s not like he’s completely lost his nose.” Though he wouldn’t tell Yosuke, something inside went off like an alarm bell at the sound of Rise’s name. He wanted to keep the girls away from this one at all costs, though he wasn’t sure exactly why. Whatever it was, he refused to question it. He’d learned long ago to implicitly trust his instincts when it came to his Persona and the other world.
Yosuke looked at him earnestly for a long moment, searching for something in Souji’s eyes until the latter finally looked away out of discomfort. Sighing, Yosuke wordlessly speed-dialed Teddie’s number.
“Hey, Teddie, you up yet? Oh…yeah…okay. Hey, listen, I need you to meet me and Souji over at Junes asap. It’s a secret…ugh, I don’t care, Ted! Just be there in fifteen, got it?” Yosuke clacked his cell shut and stood, facing away.
“You’ve been our leader all this time, so whatever’s telling you to do this, I know I’ve got to believe in, too.” Yosuke turned to his friend. “I can’t say I agree with it, but I trust you, man.”
Souji stood and touched Yosuke’s shoulder. “Thanks. I can’t do this without you.”
Yosuke’s face blossomed into a fierce blush. Turning away, he scratched at the back of his head and made a quick beeline for the front door. “L-let’s just get going. Nanako-chan will worry when she comes back.”
In no time the two were headed for Junes, neither talking, but each lost in his own uneasy thoughts about what they would find that day.
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Love the setup, love love love. I love that you even DID a setup! but now I'm sad there isn't more! Your writing is well-crafted, well-paced, and enjoyable to read, I hope there's more soon!
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Hooray, the continuation! I too am loving the setup. I'm kind of dreading yet really looking forward to finding out what's up with Dojima's shadow.
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Also, there WILL BE GAME SPOILERS in this story soon...
***
With a mechanical groan, the power doors leading into Junes slid open once the two approached and Souji bumped headlong into a suited man leaving the department store. Surprised, Souji’s mind instantaneously processed the familiar red tie practically smashed against his face and his heart skipped a painful beat. A hand clapped around his shoulder to keep him steady.
“Whoa there. Sorry ‘bout that.”
The voice was definitely not Dojima’s. Naturally, it wouldn’t have been. Souji looked up to see Adachi wearing his usual sheepish smile, a plastic Junes bag hanging from the man’s arm.
“What are you two up to?” Adachi asked. “Wasting a gorgeous day like this going shopping?” He glanced at Yosuke.
“We could ask you the same thing,” Yosuke casually pointed out.
“Oh, this?” Adachi lifted the bag on his arm a little. “Yeah, well, a man’s gotta eat! Too bad I’m such a lousy cook, though.” He smiled at Souji. “Dojima-san tells me you’ve got some culinary prowess yourself.”
Souji shrugged, agitated at this roadblock. “I manage.”
“Yep. Dojima-san’s sure lucky to have you around.” Adachi’s gaze practically glimmered as he eyed his partner’s nephew. “Well, I’d better get going. You kids be careful now.” He began to depart but suddenly paused and turned back to them. “Oh yeah, speaking of which. Tell Dojima-san to hurry and get better soon.” With that, he strode off.
The two boys watched him walk away for a moment before Souji looked to his friend. “Come on, we’ve wasted enough time already.”
“Hey, you don’t think we should’ve mentioned something about this to Adachi-san do you? I mean, they are partners after all,” Yosuke suggested.
“Are you nuts?” Souji scowled. “He still works for the police, remember?”
“Yeah, but… I mean, he’s helped us out on the sly before.”
“Forget it, Yosuke, we’re not taking that risk. Now let’s go.”
Before long the two were seated at their usual table in the food court; Teddie was already there, waiting for them in his bear suit.
“Wow, I’m impressed, Ted,” Yosuke declared. “You got here pretty quick.”
Teddie, however, did not appear flattered. “Wh-what’s going on? Are we going into the TV world today or something?”
With a meaningful glance from Yosuke, Souji nodded. “We need your help.”
“But, where are the others?” the bear all but whined.
Souji gestured with his hand. “This is a special mission, Teddie. Now listen. You have to promise to keep this a secret among the three of us. No matter what, okay?”
Teddie looked skeptical. “But why?”
“We made a promise to help figure out what you are, remember?” Yosuke chimed in. “Don’t you trust us?”
“Huh?! Of course I do!”
“Then promise.”
Teddie looked down at his feet, his expression sullen. “Okaaay. I promise.”
Souji breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright. Let’s get going. I’ll explain the situation once we’re inside.”
Standing quietly near the stack of TVs, Souji and Yosuke watched Teddie keenly. Souji had left out a few details in his reiteration of what he had previously told Yosuke, but it was enough. Teddie didn’t need to know everything, after all.
“Someone’s been thrown in all right. I…definitely smell something different.” Teddie tilted his head this way and that, nosing the murky air. Suddenly he stopped and pointed excitedly into the distance. “Oh! I think he’s this way!”
“You found him?” Souji asked and approached the bear. “Quick, take us there!”
Souji’s wild determination momentarily took Teddie aback. “P-please, be careful, Senpai. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt…”
Smiling, Souji tried to put Teddie at ease. “Hey, don’t worry. I will. We both will.”
Nodding firmly, Teddie turned toward the source of the interference. He led the pair through the dense fog before two hazy red blots of light winked on in the distance.
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“Principle and…desire?” Yosuke read aloud. “What does that mean?”
“I still have a bad feeling about this,” Teddie complained.
Souji turned to the bear. “Thanks, Teddie, Yosuke and I can take it from here. Wait for us.”
“Um, sure thing. Good luck, guys.” Teddie frowned as he watched the boys disappear into the ominous gateway, but resolved to uphold Souji’s wishes by repressing the urge to follow.
Inside the house a long, cold hallway immediately greeted them. Everything from the walls to the flooring appeared to be made of some sort of drab, gray stone.
“Geez, it’s frickin’ cold in here!” Yosuke wrapped his arms around his chest to suppress his shivers. “What do you think this place is, anyways?”
Souji shook his head. Something was definitely familiar about the entryway itself, though. It wasn’t like the rest of the hallway, but was instead floored with wood. Even a well-used mat lay underfoot. It was almost as if…
“It looks like the house,” Souji realized as he scouted his immediate surroundings. “I mean, it looks just like the doorway to my uncle’s house.”
It was true. Everything there was the same, but something remained missing as well. No shoes rested anywhere in sight. Souji hadn’t realized it until now, but the sight of Nanako’s shoes at the door always made the Dojima house feel, well, contented. Like there was someone there that would always welcome you home. But this house was empty and devoid of warmth.
When he came back to the present, Souji saw that Yosuke had already begun trekking up the hallway. He jogged to catch up.
As the two walked, the hard stone hallway yielded several closed doors on either side. Though he tried to push them open, and though the freezing knobs were clearly unlocked, Souji could not get any of them to budge. It was as if something, or someone, behind those doors held them shut with determined force. The further he and Yosuke walked, the more dispersed the doors became. Even the doorframes began to look different; hard, jutting edges replaced the smooth sterile order forming the previous structures. Here, everything seemed more hastily and unstably thrown together. Even the stone tiles making up the floor attested it. The squares rested at haphazard angles: both overlapped and separated by wide spaces, as if they had been flung from a distance like frisbees and subsequently cemented down.
“Is it me, or is it actually getting warmer?” Yosuke asked and turned to look behind them. The path from which they’d come had been swallowed in seething darkness. He nearly tripped on a lump in the floor, but Souji caught him.
“Careful,” Souji warned and helped Yosuke recover. “I think you’re right though. It does feel warmer now. We may be close.”
“Yeah. I get that feeling, too.”
Still, the odd house remained strangely empty. The path was straight and long-impossible to get lost on. They had neither seen many Shadows along the way. It was all going just a little too easily, and though that fact didn’t sit well with either of them, neither vocalized their concerns.
Finally, the stone motif gave over completely to ancient, rich woods. Sconces bearing mysterious light spotted the walls between the jagged doors and occasionally spit up red sparks. The hallway walls and floor seemed to creak with each step they took. Yosuke paused to run a finger over a plank in the wall. When he drew it back, an ashy film covered his fingertip.
“Dust,” he declared and wiped the matter on his jeans.
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