Chapter 5: Haruki

***Authors note*** This is another small side story about one of the side characters, you may have to go back and read chapter 4 to remember whats going on. ***

"Hey Haruki, nice training session today" A boy called out to Haruki who was about to leave gym entrance. 

Haruki turned to face the boy. 

"Yeah allthough i think i overdid it" Haruki said whilst pointing at the sky noting that it was already pitch black. 

"Just like you Haruki, overworking yourself make sure you get the proper amount of rest, we cant have you falling apart at the tournament coming up soon now can we" The boy said with a smile on his face. 

Haruki yawned. 

"Yeah you are probably right, so im gonna head home and get some sleep. ill see you tomorrow" Haruki said kindly 

"Allright ill see you tomorrow" The boy said smiling whilst walking off in the opposite direction. 

Haruki made his way silently home, walking through dimly lit streets, the streets were eerily quiet as if the entire place and absorbed all the sound and was holding its breath. Haruki noticed the distinct lack of people normally the streets would be buzzing with people, it was late at night but still it was strange to not encounter a single person.

Whilst walking haruki accidentally kicked a discarded soda can, the soda can bounced off into a alleyway where it was engulfed by the darkness, the sound of the can bouncing away shattered the silence momentarily. 

Haruki tried to carry on his way. 

*MESSAGE ALERT* 

"Hmmm" Haruki said taking his phone out of his pocket.

He opened up his phone and saw a red 1 icon above the email app. 

"I wonder who would be sending me an email at this time" Haruki thought out loud. 

Haruki clicked on the icon and saw it was an email from Yahiko. 

"Yahiko is emailing me, i havent seen him in a while i wonder what he wants. probably help with his homework or something as usual" Haruki thought with a slight smile on his face. 

Haruki opened the Email and saw it was an attachment email with a small message reading "Hey buddy i found this really cool article i think you should check it out" From Yahiko. 

"An article, maybe it was something to do with history or philosophy. Yahiko always did have an interest in that sort of thing" Haruki thought to himself. 

Haruki clicked on the attachment file....

EMMIA'S TALE 

Haruki's eyed widened and his breath instantly quickened which in turn caused his heart to race, in the deadly silence the sound of his heartbeat could almost be heard echoing throughout the deserted streets. 

"What was that, why would he send me that, what the hell" Haruki said out loud 

Haruki placed his phone in his pocket, before he could even take a step he heard a noise coming from the alleyway where he had kicked the soda can earlier. 

The sound was hard to describe it felt like a mournful cry, the crying sound seemed elongated and almost inhuman like. Haruki looked over towards the alley to see if he could locate the sound, but the alley was engulfed in shadow which obscured any long range vision. 

Haruki let out a sigh. 

"Im going to regret this" Haruki said worryingly.

He slowly made his way into the alley. 

As Haruki made his way through alley he could not make out much around him as the area was just too dark, weirdly dark like the type of darkness you would get if you turned off all the lights in your house quickly and your eyes couldnt adjust. Haruki had to feel around to see where he was going. all the while he could see hear the mornful cry 

louder 

louder 

Louder

Partway through the alley Haruki was finally granted the gift of light thanks to a overhead street lamp that illuminated a small portion of the alley. 

As Haruki made his way quickly towards the light he noticed something, a silhouette of a person kneeling down facing a way from him. the light from the overhead lamp was enough for Haruki to see that it was definitely a person.

The mornful cry seemed to becoming from this person, Haruki etched his way closer and closer in order to get a better look at this person. As he got closer he could make it out that it was a school girl, because of the skirt she was wearing alongside the school uniform. However since she was facing away from him he could not make out any features besides her long black hair that flowed down her back. 

Haruki got closer and closer and closer, until he was an arms reach away from her. 

"Umm excuse me" Haruki said politely. 

no answer. 

Haruki paused for a moment. 

"Ummm why are you crying did something happen" Haruki asked with a look of concern on his face

The girl began muttering something. 

At first Haruki could not make out what it was but eventually he could hear and audible phrase.

"All....of them.....all....of....them.....all...of....them" The girl muttered incoherently. 

Haruki could see the girl was distressed and was sobbing quietly whilst muttering. Haruki took a deep breath and approached ever closer to the girl whilst reaching out his hand to place it on her shoulder. 

Just as his hand made contact with her shoulder, the girls neck shook back violently to face him. now illuminated in the light Haruki could make out the girls facial features, she had black hallow eyes and pale skin with black straw like hair covering her face. The reality of what Haruki was seeing hit him like a sledgehammer. 

Haruki jumped backwards in pure shock and terror. He could see the girl was still looking at him her body twisted and contorted in a strange way that allowed her body to remain facing away from him whilst her head was looking at him. 

He jumped to his feet and ran back down the alley, Haruki's heartbeat and breath were racing he felt as if both his lungs and heart would explode out of his body at any minute. 

"NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY" Haruki shouted out loud whilst he was trying to get his brain to contemplate what he had just saw. 

He reached the end of the alley and darted around the corner onto the side street, there he saw a long deserted road with not a single car nor pedestrian insight. He saw a row of streetlights illuminating sections of the street. 

And there at the far end of the street was the silhouette of the girl he had just seen. They looked at each other for a moment before the girl started walking towards him, however this was not the way a human would work the movements were jarring her body would twist and contort into weird shapes as she walked.

Haruki turned and ran as fast as he could, he could feel the wind brush past his face, his heart was banging against his chest begging to burst free. Haruki finally reached the end of the street and looked around, he could see a park which was slightly engulfed in the shadow of the night. 

"Finally im back, i can cut through the park and get back home ill be safe there" Haruki said reassuringly. 

He raced through the park at breakneck speed, ran down the street as fast as his legs would carry him. 

After finally reaching his house Haruki swung the door open and ran inside before slamming it behind and him and locking it tightly. 

He ran straight up to his room and shut the door. 

Haruki walked over to his closet door and slumped down in front of it. 

He placed his hands over his face and was trying to regulate his breathing. 

"What was that, what was that, what was that" Haruki repeated over and over trying to get his brain to come up with a logical answer. 

"I need to tell someone about this" Haruki said whilst pulling out his phone and opening up the contacts app. 

Call Yahiko? The phone said on its screen 

The phone rang and rang and rang. 

NO ANSWER 

"DAMN IT" Haruki said in frustration whilst throwing his phone across the room.

Haruki suddenly heard the sound of a door unlocking. 

"Im Home, Haruki dear are you home yet" The gentle voice called out. 

"Thank god my mom is home" Haruki thought whilst giving a smile. 

Before he could move to go out of his room he felt a pressure on his shoulder.

The close door slowly creaked open letting out an ominous creaking noise. 

Haruki slowly looked backwards towards his shoulder, there he could see cold pale fingertips clutching his shoulder. he followed it the pale fingers clutching his shoulder were attached to an arm that was reaching out of the closet, there in the small creak that could be seen was a hallow eyeball staring out at him.

Haruki was frozen in fear unable to move or speak. 

The figure slowly moved its hand from his shoulder to his mouth, whilst using its other arm to wrap around Haruki's body almost like she was hugging him. Haruki looked back one more time and saw he was face to face with the pale figure, he hallow eyes staring into his soul and through all this Haruki noticed the figure had a slight smile on her face. 

The pale figure quickly dragged Haruki back into the closet and the door slammed shut with a thud. 

SILENCE 

The bedroom was completely dark and silent, save for the light coming off the phone that Haruki had thrown earlier. and on its screen read a message. 

ALL...OF....THEM