THE NIVES

I hate this Sen.

He is so damn cocky

Making sure to scare anyone he meets

I wish Nami sees what a pathetic person he is

She acknowledges that I am better...

Yuzuru stepped out of the girls’ combination room and scanned around the empty hallways. In the long hallways, fog was seeping through the floor. “It seems clear… What should we do now?”

Sen strolled out behind him, his hands in his pockets. “Hmm… let's head to the lounge first.”

Jacksaw bit his lip, then shook his head. “Let’s not!” 

Yuzuru latched onto him from behind. “Toby was there…Sen!”

Sen ignored them and continued walking ahead, leading to inevitable danger. Nami, Sephora, and Yao followed behind him. Jacksaw and Yuzuru exchanged looks and joined the rest.

“Toby is a soul, so no matter where we hide…he will definitely show up,” Nami spoke softly and laced her hand into Sen’s, and the latter locked his fingers with hers. 

Yuzuru sighed, “Fine, whatever.”

Yao looked at the two and slipped his hand on Sen's shoulder.

They froze on entering the lounge as they witnessed four dead bodies.
Yuzuru gasped and ran to them. “It's Rose’s gang.”

“Oh, poor them.” Yao squatted over the bodies, casually looking at them.

Sephora lowered down next to Rose. “They must have died recently since the bodies are still here.” She noticed a carving on Rose's forehead. “There is something written on her head…it says, ‘who’s weak now’”

“On Kaya, ‘make your own decisions.’”

“On Lea, ‘fear made you a pathetic person.’”

“On Dan, ‘serves you right, sadist.’”

Sen's brow rose in curiosity. “I had no idea he was sadistic.”

Nami shook her head. “Especially with his kind eyes.”

Yao nudged Yuzuru with a smirk. “I can’t wait to see what’s written on your head.”

“Why me?”

“Cause you are the one who started everything.”

Yuzuru’s eye twitched. “Not like you didn’t take part.”

“But still you started it!”

Yuzuru grabbed his shirt, yanking him closer. “I did it for Sen!”
Yao turned his gaze to Sen.

Sen sighed. “Yeah, sure…. Like I got anything out of it.”

Yuzuru jerked away from Yao and turned to Sen. “You were scared that Nami would choose Toby over you.”

"I-I wouldn’t..." Nami clung to Sen's hand. "I have liked Sen for a long time."

“Then why did you break up with him!?” Yuzuru's voice quavered.

“T-that was… I was confused….”

“Or did you attract Toby to make Sen react...like you did with that man?”

Nami's lips quavered. “That and this are two differ-“

“Different? Who knows?”

“Shut up!” Nami shouted at Yuzuru. “I thought you understood me!”

Yuzuru gasped, staring at Nami as she wiped her tears. Jacksaw shook his head, Sephora glared, Yao's eye twitched, and Sen kept the same face. 

Yao took a step ahead and pushed Yuzuru. "All you can do is tear apart innocent people!"

Yuzuru pressed his lips; he hung his head. "Sorry." He turned around, running into the corridor. 

Sen slowly bent down to Nami, wiping her tears. "Forget what he said...he is just paranoid."

The thunder roared while they remained silent. Sen pointed at the kitchen. "Let's go there...it will be morning soon."

While the others trod on the heels of Sen. Yao, he stayed back, sighed, and slowly followed.

.

.

At the far end of Star Awesome, behind the staircase leading to the training room, the two with identical names wandered. The place where they stood was clearer, though fog curled around their feet.

Nive (boy) opened a random room; flashing his phone light, he took a peek inside and closed it. “I wish we knew where the computer’s systems were…”

The girl stood behind him, lost in her own thoughts. “Hmmm…Nive… I have a necklace…” 

Nive’s mouth dropped open. “What a random thing to say.” He glanced at a locket hung on her neck. “That necklace?”

“Not this one.” She made a sigil, and from within it a necklace popped out. She picked it up and handed it to him. “This one”

Nive looked at her, awaiting further explanation. She told him about how Hiroto put it on Umano and was able to touch her.

“So you are saying, if we put it on Toby…”

“We’ll be able to touch him… or even stop him.”

Nive sat down on the staircase, twirling the crystal part of the necklace. “So when you fought Umano…you couldn’t touch her, and your magic didn’t work either?”

“Yup, in magic literature, spirit magic is a vast topic which I haven’t really studied….”

“And Jacksaw?”

“Spirits are Star Area species. His spells are based on Stanley-lit and the moonlit… so he is useless.”

Nive sighed, tapping his fingers on the railing. “Fighting Toby is hard… not because of him being a spirit or soul…but mainly due to the fog and the heavy atmosphere.”

“Ahh, if only Kaya were wise enough to use his wind powers to disperse the fog or something.” She sat down next to him. “What about Yuzuru?”

“His powers need will, determination, and a brain, but unfortunately, he lacks all those.”

“Yao’s strength, Sen’s weapons, Nami’s demonic control, Riley’s healing, Vivian’s hallucinations, Ayu’s whatever pixel thing she got, Rose’s regenerative plant powers… none are useful in the current situation." She shrugged.

She stood up and with a smirk, turned to him. “But if we put the necklace on him…. Beating him might be easy.”

“What if he takes it off…..”

“I will cast a curse on the necklace.” She pulled him up. 

"What’s the possibility that we won’t be able to take action in that fog?" Nive (boy) took a step into the mist and handed her the necklace. "We might be sacrificing ourselves.”

“That truly depends on our luck.” Her hand shone, a sigil glow in front of her. From within her staff emerged. She grabbed it and continued walking.

With each step, the fog thickened, swallowing them up.

“Nive…” Her voice echoed, but there was no reply. “I guess he is here for us.”

I have been a part of Star Awesome since we were only 9 people.

Me, Nive, Janka, Morrissey, Katie, Philomena, Dac, Damian, and Shar.

Since I was older than everyone except Nive, I got along with her the best
But then, after Riley, Vivian, Ayu, Alexander, and Nike
We had a group arrival, and they were all the same age as me
So it was inevitable we befriended them….

Days were boring and carefree, but still perfect

Then, finally, things took a little darker turn….
I guess we were all a bit abusive

But I don’t care
I had a role in Star Awesome, and that was to make decisions.
To help Sen make plans on the battlefield…
He told me everything…. Praising me… Acknowledging me
But that Yao just took that place
I am not jealous… I feel worthless.
What am I supposed to do now…?

I feel replaced

W-wait…

Why am I thinking about this?

Where is Nive?

Where am I? 

Nive blinked; the mist engulfed him. He felt a trail of liquid drip out of his nose. He wiped it; he tried to walk, but his body stiffened.

“I know....” A whisper resonated. Toby appeared behind him; he looked at Nive sadly. "Being worthless is awful."

Nive's shoulders slumped. He noticed a figure emerging from behind Toby. “I know; I am done for….” His knees buckled, and his body collapsed on the floor. ‘Worthless’ was carved on his skin.

Toby felt a thread of light along his neck, which turned into the necklace. He rubbed his fingers on it.

Light flashed in the mist from behind. He turned around and saw Nive's staff with a sigil glowing in front of it.

“Seriously, Toby…” 

The staff dropped, and the sigil disappeared. Her body stiffened as blood dripped from her nose. She collapsed on the floor.

A figure emerged from within the smoke and walked up to Toby. His cloak ruffled behind him. "You won't be able to take off the necklace; she cursed it....hmm, try avoiding direct attacks."

“Y-yes, leader.” Toby whispered.

Nive (girl) lay on the floor, gasping while her body trembled. Her finger slowly typed something until the phone dropped, hitting the floor.