Looming Shadow

The darkness was suffocating, a palpable shroud that enveloped them like a living entity, its presence palpable in every labored breath. Kousuke stood up, his stiff arms stretching overhead as he broke the oppressive silence. 

“Is everyone okay?” His voice was laced with concern.

"...Yea—"

Shinjiro's response was cut short by a terrified shriek that pierced the lifeless hallway. 

“Oh, god, no… My… My ankle!!” 

Kazune's voice trembled as she clutched at her ankle, her face contorted in agony.

The ankle was twisted at an unnatural angle, the skin already swelling and turning a deep shade of purple. Kazune's eyes welled up with tears as Akane and Takumi rushed to her side. 

Takumi held her leg and snapped it back in place though barely, "AhhhHHHH..." screamed Kazune as he ripped a piece of his shirt and tied it around her ankle, the makeshift bandage eliciting a pained flinch from Kazune.

As the torches flared to life, casting macabre silhouettes on the walls, the group's fear intensified. The flames hissed and spat, casting an otherworldly glow that seemed to sear the air. 

Cobweb-shrouded portraits watched them, their subjects' eyes following the group with an unblinking, malevolent intensity.

Haruki's anger boiled over as the torches continued to ignite. “Do you get it now?! I told you coming here was a bad idea, and yet none of you listened to me!!” His face reddened, veins bulging in his neck as he gestured wildly.

Ryota's calm demeanor was a stark contrast to Haruki's agitation. 

“We should head towards the light,” he said, his deep voice commanding attention. 

Yuna nodded in agreement, her eyes fixed on Ryota. In that instance, Haruki's face twisted in a snarl. 

“You can't be serious.” 

Ryota's calm gaze met Haruki's furious glare. 

“What's the problem, Mizuno?”

As the debate escalated, the group's footsteps echoed off the walls, a mournful dirge that seemed to foretell their doom.

They walked in a straight line, except for Kazune, who limped along with Akane and Takumi's support.

As they passed a branching hall, Kousuke felt a sudden impact. An axe blade bit deep into the side of his neck, the sound of the impact a sickening crunch that echoed through the hall  

His eyes widened in shock as he stumbled backward, hands grasping futilely at the handle embedded in his flesh.

The air seemed to bubble and hiss from the wound, a ghastly parody of breathing, as thick, crimson blood pooled around him. Kousuke's body trembled, convulsed in shock, as the blood continued to flow.

The figure carrying the axe loomed closer, its face obscured by shadows. With a swift, deadly motion, the axe chopped Kousuke's head, sending blood splattering everywhere.

Half of his face was severed, a gruesome wound that seemed to leer at the group as blood dripped from it uncontrollably.

Mei's face was splattered with blood and flesh, her eyes wide with horror. Shinjiro stumbled backward, his face ashen. Haruki's mouth hung agape, his eyes frozen in terror.

Hina's hands clamped over her mouth, stifling a scream. Ryota's calm facade cracked, his eyes wide with shock. 

“Oh dear god…” Hina whispered, her voice barely audible as Haruki added in his thought, as if finishing her sentence.

"...We... are so dead..."

『To be continued...』