'Have they discovered me?!' The mysterious pale lady.

‘There’s no one here, there’s no one here…’ Ayu closed his eyes tightly and held his breath. The footsteps echoed one after another until they stopped behind the door, making Ayumu’s heart miss a beat. The teacher reached out her hand towards the doorknob and paused.

‘Wait, I came here almost without thinking, but…’ Serizawa blushed. ‘What if he’s awake?! What kind of image am I going to give? I’m sneaking into my student’s room in the middle of the night!’ She fantasised again and imagined herself with her shirt almost unbuttoned. Supported against the door frame, she bit her pen with a lustful gaze fixed on him and spoke in a sultry voice. ‘Ayu~~❤’ she broke out of her fantasy. ‘STOP!’ Quickly, Yuuko covered her mouth, Ayumu recognised her voice. ‘It’s not the time for your nonsense!’ Her hand grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it wouldn’t budge. The door seemed stuck. ‘What the hell is wrong with this damn door!?’ The white aura ran through the teacher’s body, who tried to force it to unlock. He effortlessly turned the doorknob from the opposite side. Serizawa’s brute force caused the door to be flung open, revealing a surprise face-to-face encounter. There was a tense silence between them, the white aura disappeared. The lights downstairs turned on. Ayumu also turned red upon seeing Serizawa so suggestively dressed. Her blush still lingered because of her fantasy-filled mind.

‘M- miss S- seri…?’ the teacher screamed, cutting her student’s reply, and out of reflex, she punched him hard, sending him to the ground.

‘Yuuko!’ Sawari’s voice was heard from below. The teacher hastily shut the door behind her, her cheeks flushed with guilt, before she noticed her boss in the hallway. ‘Why did you scream?’ Sweat dripped down Serizawa’s forehead.

‘Who? Me…? I saw a cockroach. You’re supposed to be at Lala’s bar! What are you doing here, Mitsu!?’

‘I notice you’re fine. Your manners are still terrible.’ The vice principal adjusted her glasses. ‘And also, look at how indecently you’re dressed! Unbecoming of a representative of this academy! I think we’ll have to resume your disciplinary training.’ Her subordinate seemed to see the Onihime’s horns appearing.

‘Re-resume?’ Yuuko’s face paled, and her mind reopened old traumas. She screamed before clinging to Mitsuko’s leg.

‘What the hell are you doing!?’ The vice principal’s face turned red with embarrassment.

‘No, no, anything but that, I beg you!’ Yuuko panicked.

‘Alright, alright, calm down!’

‘No more electric collars, Mitsu, I beg you!’ Sawari hit Yuuko’s head with her middle finger knuckle, causing her to fall down. A red bump sprouted like a mushroom from her brown hair.

‘I’ve already told you to calm down!’ A fiery aura seemed to surround the vice principal. ‘And dress properly before coming to the bar!’ The teacher addressed her, lying on her side, as the vice principal descended the stairs.

‘Y-yes, ma’am…’

***

Ayumu rose from the ground, in pain from the merciless blow he had received from Serizawa. He recoiled before taking in the emptiness that surrounded him. He couldn’t see more than a foot in front of his nose. With his arms stretched out, the young man ventured forward, longing to reach the door. The boy walked endlessly, with no end in sight. ‘Where I am?’ Ayu stopped in the middle of nowhere, embraced by the dense darkness. A sinister laugh echoed in his mind. Perplexed, Ayu searched for its source.

‘Well, well, Nori!’ the voice expressed surprise. ‘You’re the last person I expected here.’

‘Nori?’ Ayumu turned, captivated by a glimmer of light. His astonished gaze met a woman seated in an oversized armchair. Her slim hands, bound in handcuffs, rested on her armrests. Chains secured her legs to the ground, rendering her immobile. Her entire body radiated a faint glow into the darkness, resembling a heavenly figure. However, the feeling she conveyed gave rise to suspicion. The voice spoke again with sarcasm.

‘Your presence takes me aback. Have you come seeking an apology?’ Ayu’s mouth hung open in disbelief. The woman had not spoken. Yet Ayumu would have sworn he heard her voice. She curled her lip in disdainful amusement. ‘How uncommunicative. I suppose it’s expected.’ The woman turned her head toward Ayumu. ‘Let me try with your companion. Who graces us with their presence?’ the boy hesitated. ‘Don’t be afraid. I couldn’t harm you even if I wanted to.’ Grim laughter resonated once more in Ayumu’s mind. ‘I understand your lack of trust but believe in the facts. As you can see, I am bound and restricted. You can’t approach me.’ The boy could see chains rising around the woman, and Shinto talismans scattered at her feet. ‘Ah, I almost forgot. I can’t communicate like a normal person.’ With her mouth open, the woman revealed a mark on her tongue. ‘I am harmless.’ Her lips sealed shut. ‘Oh! How impolite of me. I should introduce myself first.’ A moment of silence followed. ‘Forgive me; it’s been so long that I’ve forgotten my name. Natsu calls me Saya.’

‘Nonomiya Ayumu.’ He showed doubtful.

‘Nonomiya, you say? I swear you possess the essence of the Tsukihime house. Could it be…?’ Saya left the sentence unfinished and stated. ‘Excuse me, I’ve lost track of time…’

‘This must be a dream. Miss Serizawa knocked me out.’ Ayumu blushed, remembering the image of Yuuko before knocking him unconscious.

‘Miss Serizawa? You mean Serizawa Yuuko?’ Saya emitted another grim laugh. ‘I didn’t expect that! So, you’ve encountered Mitsu’s lapdog.’

‘This is the strangest dream I’ve ever had.’

‘It could be, my boy… perhaps I’m the materialisation of your dark fantasies. Dreams blur that thin line, endeavouring to confuse their host, don’t they? Everything seems real, far from the last frontier of the psyche. It’s amusing, yet tinged with sadness.’ Saya’s subsequent smile carried more warmth. ‘What do you think? Are you dreaming or awake?’

‘You say strange things.’

‘Who is your fierce companion, boy?’ Ayumu surveyed the surroundings, finding himself alone.

‘It’s just me. Is this some kind of joke?’ Saya taunted him with her provocative laughter.

‘No, it’s not a joke…’ The woman excused herself, her voice sounding sincere. ‘For a moment, she tricked me. She looks like her, but she isn’t Nori. Your friend is very hostility, but I can’t feel the deep resentment that Nori would have.’ Stopping her explanation, Saya paused, lost in thought about her. ‘Interesting, you can’t see her. Allow me to ask you. Being alone, have you felt someone close to you?’

‘I experienced that on the bus; but I attributed it to travel fatigue.’

‘So, I’m right!’

‘Yes, a presence similar to the one of my mother when she becomes overprotective.’ His words elicited another laugh from Saya, as Ayumu discerned a feminine silhouette enveloping him in its embrace.

‘If you dare lay a hand on my master, I…!’ the silhouette vanished from Ayumu’s sight within a fraction of a second.

‘Eh?’

‘Oh, what a threatening posture! Fear not, I’ve already mentioned that I wouldn’t be able to harm him, even if I desired to.’ Saya tried to ease the tension.

‘What was that?’ the boy turned his gaze toward the white-haired woman.

‘I am not the one to answer that question.’ Saya showed a soft smile and kindly. ‘But fear not. Your inquiry shall be addressed in due time. Speaking of which, time seems to elude us during this unexpected encounter. Before you depart, allow me to express my gratitude for your visit.’ Ayu grimaced, pressing his right hand against the back of his left hand. The pain intensified with each passing moment, searing his skin. The woman’s laughter echoed once more, while an overwhelming pressure constricted his chest. Gasping for breath, his body began merging with the encompassing darkness. ‘May my gift serve you well. Goodnight, my beloved apprentice.’ The last sound Ayumu perceived from the white-haired woman was her diabolical laughter before his body was devoured by the void.