"where are we? " Asked Kotoko all confused, clinging on tightly to Akihito-kun. "I knew this was a bad idea." Said Hyungwon. "We won't survive here much longer. This is the world of the jins or spirits. It's not a place for us humans. Those who came here and managed to leave alive, tbeir souls were dead, they weren't themselves anymore. Those who never left here well they died here completely. We need to find an exit as soon as possible. This place seems too heavily infested, I don't think it can be exorcised anymore. Remember don't be scared whatever happens, that's what this world and the jins in it feed on. Stay calm, and let's find an exit. Let's not lose our minds either.
They kept walking in complete darkness and silence for a while, all the while linking arms with each other, fumbling around, trying to find their way or trying to even see what's ahead of them. The darkness and silence felt heavy amd they could only hear the sounds of their own pounding hearts. "Emrald, why are so calm... As if... Just it's queer." Said Kototo, breaking the silence.
"I have had high sensitivity to those things since childhood. I had encounters and interactions with jins, sometimes I could see them as they took on a human form, sometimes they were just tall shadowy figures. I went in and out of different parallel jin worlds in my childhood and experienced a lot of sleep paralysis as well jins who hugged and kissed me while I was wide awake. It was most strange experiences and I kind of got used to it but these experiences stopped a long time ago and I am actually scared but we cannot afford to lose our minds here. We ought to get out noatter what. Normally the jins releasing you is your only way out unless in some exceptions some people come out all on their own. This is the world the jins here want to show us. They want our souls to break and want to devour us. We can afford that now, can we?" Explained Emrald.
Just then something cold and dripping wet brushed against Akihito-kun's back, hands were crawling on the ground. "No matter what don't look behind you of you don't want to be cursed or possessed, run!" Exclaimed Emrald. And running they did, till they were out of breath and reached a place that looked like a corridor in an old elementary school."well this is more charming, at least there are lights, it may be a little dim but at least some light." Said Hyungwon. They kept walking and suddenly they could smell a foul stench coming from one of the classrooms. Peeking inside made them vomit. What they say was horrifying. On the ceiling of the classroom, countless shadows in tje size of children were hanged, all smiling eerily, and what looked like a pool of blood on the floor with what looked like shredded pieces of animal intestines scattered all over. They just kept walking and heard a faint sound. It sounded like two children weeping in the room that said "principal's office".
Slowly, Akihito-kun turned the door knob and opened it, they went inside. "Is there anyone here? Who are you? What's your name?" Hyungwon asked gently, silence.
Hyungwon asked the questions again, a little bit louder, silence. Then again, louder than before and a little head peeked out from under a desk, two little heads. They slowly came out of their hiding place and walked to Hyungwon and his friends. "Did you get sucked in this world too?" The taller one among the two children asked. They looked like siblings. An elder brother and his little sister. They were both wearing yukatas, so it seemed like they got in here recently, probably after getting lost from the Asakusa shrine summer festival. "Yes we came to visit the mansion, right before the fireworks started at the festival, what are you two children doing here? What are your names?"
Asked Emrald. "I am Kengou Shinichi amd this is my little sister Kengou Shihoin. We were at the festival with our parents and got lost amidst the crowd while playing with a ball we bought at a stall there. The ball suddenly rolled off to this mansion and we came in and suddenly got swept into this strange world. I want my mummy amd daddy back, please help us go back Omeechan, Oniichan!" Said the boy Shinichi while sobbing. Kotoko patted their heads and smiled warmly at them. "We are trying to find a way out too, do come with us, we shall make it out alive, let's pray." Said she.
They kept on walking and as they did, they kept seeing strange symbols drawn with dried up blood on the walls. "Ancient Feydac" said Kotoko "what?" Asked Akihito-kun. "Look, the scribbles, they are written in ancient Feydac language. I studied it so I can read. Huh? This is the way out. No it's not. It's an ancient cult civilization who wrote this... Thunder city? What is thunder city? A place where all regrets will be erased... What nonsense is this, truly some crazy cultists foumd himself lost here. Nothing of note except the directions. Take yhe next right then the right again then left then right then straight... We better try this." Said Kototo.
At the corner of the corridor, when they were about to turn right, they saw a little girl dressed in red standing there, dark jet black long hair dangling, hiding her face. She was laughing and suddenly ran off somewhere, the laughter echoing loudly all around them and saying "Did you come to play with me? Oneechan, oniichan? Let's play hide and seek!" That sent chills down their spines. There pasted on the wall was what looked like an exploded human body. Like it swelled and swelled and swelled until it exploded. It looked like it was decomposing so it must have been some time since that person had died there.
"Found you!" A child's voice said slowly, steadily and very clearly while laughing. "Naughty naughty oneechans and oniichans, run, run, run and die!" The voice said while laughing and suddenly strands oh hair were crawling and moving at alarming speed on the ground, they were dripping wet and seemed cold and were trying to reach for them, clearly to drag them somewhere where they wouldn't be able to escape. The ran as hard as they could in the direction indicated on yhe wall but ended up in a room full of huge skinny, bony hands with long fingers and nails moving slowly. "Haha, tricked you. Now you cannot escape." Said the voice while laughing.
"Now what? What do we do?" Exclaimed Kotoko and Akihito-kun. " I have an idea, follow me. You see I was scrolling social media and found a post from a Muslim influencer about a prayer called Ayatul kursi. I studied Arabic language so I could read it, apparently it's very effective in these situations. Let's try that, repeat after me!" Exclaimed Emrald. They recited Ayatul kursi many times while running, not looking back and suddenly a portal was opened and through it tehy went, suddenly they were back in the banquet hall on tje ground floor of the mansion but they kept reciting and running, out of breath and sweating heavily until they could see the main road, the cars, the glimmering lights of the festival stalls and finally reached a food stall. Out of breath they sat on a table there and ordered some water and Yakisoba. They rehydrated themselves and filled their stomachs, feeling relieved they came out of that nightmare alive. "Emrald, explain what happened now, I'm confused." Said Kotoko and the others nodded. "I have gotten interested in Islamic culture and religion while studying Arabic language. So that's how I know about some of their prayers. They are powerful protections I swear. I am thinking of reverting one day, I need to learn a bit more. My parents feel the same way about it. I told you guys that I was very sensitive to jins and all since childhood." Explained Emrald. "It makes sense, it is powerful, the way we could get out and an exit showed itself Infront of us so quickly. Oh right, it's past 2:00 a.m, we need to find these children's parents, hopefully they are still here." Said Kotoko and just then a couple was heard calling out the names "Shinichi, Shihoin! Where are you? Shinichi? Shihoin? Where are you?"
"Okaasama, otosama! (Mum, dad!) We are here, at the Yakisoba stall with some good oniichan (big brothers) and oneechan (big sisters... Note that the pronunciation for the two are different in Japanese language)" shouted Shinichi in a delightful voice. As their parents joined them, the children told them everything that happened and the kind big sisters and big brothers watched as the parents' face expressions grew darker with worry, they then turned to the four high school students and thanked them for saving their children. "May God always protect us all and bless us, we cannot thank you enough, here's our address, please we invite you to tea this Saturday afternoon, bring your parents along too, we cannot thank you enough, oh dear, it's the Lord's will and divine protection, sending brave people to rescue our little children."
With that the four of them retreated back to tje Kaisen household, getting a scolding as to why they are back so late but it became an unspoken rule among them to never mention or speak about what they haf just experienced and survived to their parents so as not to worry them. They also decided to never visit any haunted spots as the trauma of that experience is about to linger for quite a while.