The cursed hot springs house

A group of four students gathered in front of the hot spring house in the serene forest clearing. The calmed silence of the spring morning was interrupted by the soothing sound of flowing water and occasional bamboo strike. The tallest of the first-year students; had long blonde hair and was examining her surroundings. A pair of elegantly framed glasses adorned the crown of her head, while she donned the Onmyou uniform, complete with white gloves. Her green knot collar matched her companions’, signifying their first-cycle status. The other two first-year students were twins, being able to be distinguished by their headbands. They each had initials in their jacket pockets. The girl with the orange headband had an ‘A,’ while the one with the yellow headband had an ‘H.’ Both possessed vibrant red hair that reached their shoulders. Their companion, similar in height to the blonde girl, stood apart as a second-year student. Her lustrously cascading ponytail extended gracefully. Two stars adorned her left lapel, accompanied by the iconic sophomore number badge. The blonde girl expressed her disappointment.

‘What is the allure of this place?’ the second-year student took the floor.

‘Rumour has it this place is cursed.’ Puzzled, she glanced back at the dormitory.

‘Cursed?’ the twin with the yellow headband extended the explanation.

‘Yes, indeed. Rumours suggest that the ghost of a malevolent witch is confined within these walls.’ The other two girls regarded her incredulously. ‘What? How can you call yourself a witch and not believe in ghosts?’ her sister placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and spoke up.

‘Just as Haruna mentioned, and besides, there is some evidence to support it,’ the second-year student interjected, raising an eyebrow.

‘Oh, really?’ Haru’s excited gaze turned to her second-year companion.

‘Chihiro informed us that Akane heard from Ukyo about witnessing lights in the dorms last night.’ The blonde interjected, dismissing it as baseless rumours.

‘That’s just a foolish tale. It’s a snowball effect. Ghosts don’t exist.’

‘Don’t scoff at such matters, Masami,’ reprimanded one twin. ‘You might end up cursed for your mockery.’ The second-year student glanced at the building.

‘Miss Sawari was warned yesterday that someone had seen lights here.’

‘See, Masami? Even Kate agrees,’ nodded the other twin, earning a disapproving look from Kate.

‘Don’t misunderstand me, you morons. I’m with Sakai. Ghosts are mere figments of imagination and old wives’ tales. The problem is that you two are easily swayed by gossip and rather foolish.’

‘What did you say to us!?’ the twins confronted Kate, who playfully stuck her tongue out, provoking them. Masami sighed and turned towards the hot springs house, while her companions engaged in a heated exchange of insults.

‘Alright, let’s investigate.’ Masami cut off the discussion, gaining her friends’ attention.

‘Huh? Spending too much time with these two has affected your sanity, Sakai? Have you forgotten about the incident in Kyoto when they almost set fire to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine? They can’t be any more foolish, believing that the statues were alive,’ Kate mocked the twins.

‘You’re the foolish one!’ the orange headband girl raised her voice, annoyed.

‘Say it, Akina! Besides, that was your fault, Kate!’ Haru supported her sister.

‘Is that so? And what about when we got locked inside the school because you insisted on solving the seven dark mysteries? Was that also my fault?’

‘Enough! Stop it, all of you!’ Masami pointed toward the dormitory. ‘Let’s go inside, dispel your doubts, and put an end to these baseless rumours.’

‘Wait, Sakai,’ Kate intervened, feeling overwhelmed. ‘The place appears run down. We shouldn’t be here. Access is prohibited.’

‘What if we encounter the ghost?’ Akina showed hesitation.

‘Yeah! I don’t want them to snatch my soul, Masami!’ Haruna took a step back, clarifying that she didn’t want to enter.

‘Ghosts aren’t real!’ Kate persisted.

‘Shut up!’ both twins responded in unison.

‘If you’re so scared, stay here and keep watch. I won’t take long,’ Sakai offered as she made her way towards the porch.

‘Wait, Masami!’ Haruna prevented. ‘If the ghost catches you, can I have your desserts?’ Akina chimed in.

‘No! As the elder sister, those desserts belong to me!’ Aki turned to the blonde. ‘Right, Masami?’

‘Since when did we decide you’re the big sis!?’ Both confronted.

‘Do whatever you want!’ Masami advanced up the stairs, noticing the engravings on the porch. ‘Aki, Nori, Natsu, Mitsu, Saya, Yuu, Sayu, Ko, Azu,’ she read aloud. ‘Is this some sort of tongue twister?’ she wondered, positioning herself in front of the door and attempting to turn the knob. However, it remained immovable, locked by a non-conventional key. Kate’s voice echoed as she observed the blonde’s momentary pause.

‘Is something wrong, Sakai?’

‘Just a minor setback, Kurihara,’ she reported, deep in thought. ‘Perhaps a keyword?’ she adjusted her glasses frames. ‘Let’s see.’ With a gentle press of a small button, an interface materialised before her eyes.

‘Welcome, Masami,’ the Sakai Labs logo minimised and moved to the interface’s edge.

‘Let’s work some magic.’ The blonde’s eyes gleamed as she snapped her fingers, conjuring the magical seal of the door on her interface. She extended her hand to the door and began turning the circles in a precise pattern. With each rotation, the interface displayed the progress until she stumbled upon the word ‘Haruo.’ Hearing a click, Sakai turned the knob, and the door swung open before her.

***

Ayumu’s eyes snapped open, the intense pain in his chest resurfacing. For a moment, he struggled to breathe while lying on the ground. A faint glow emitted from his eyes. ‘Master?!’ he heard a concerned female voice echo. ‘What’s happening?!’ There she was again, kneeling beside him with a slender, fading figure. A peculiar scar adorned the back of his left hand, still tainted with blood. The faint glow vanished from his eyes, the chest pain subsided, and the figure appeared to dissolve. He remained on the floor, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, lost in emptiness. Gradually, his tense body relaxed, and an overwhelming sense of weightlessness enveloped him. He raised his upper body, contemplating the bewildering ordeal. The wooden shelves creaked in response to his movement.

‘Must be Miss Serizawa. She confirmed  she would seek me out in the morning.’ He blushed, recalling his teacher’s provocative appearance. Determined, he rose to his feet, contemplating a journey towards the hallway. Footsteps approached from outside, advancing ceaselessly. With his hand on the doorknob, he paused as a knock echoed through the door, followed by a loud shout.

‘I found you!’ Sakai pushed Ayumu’s room door with enthusiasm. Huffing, she hoped to surprise whoever was inside, but to her disappointment, no one was there. Disheartened, she looked around the room. On the desk, she noticed the mobile phone and PlayStation Vita. ‘Too easy, right?’ she remarked, standing in front of the closet, contemplating if he was hiding there. Eagerly, she opened it, only to be slightly disappointed once again. Something fluttered gently from the topmost shelf, settling at her feet. Her curiosity piqued, she picked it up an old family photo featuring five students. Surprised, she recognised someone. ‘Oh, it’s that woman! What was her name? Aarg, Kurihara named her before… Sawashima? Sawamura? Sawada…?’ She closed her eyes and tried to remember. ‘Sawari! Yes, she is the vice-principal, Sawari!’ She examined the photo again.

The left side had three girls. One of them, with black hair and a slender figure, leaned against the post by the stairs, smiling sweetly with half-closed eyes. Another girl in the photo smiled at the camera, her arms resting on the wooden railing. She was the smallest of the group, with long, silvery-grey hair and very pale skin. Behind her stood another girl, similar in appearance, slightly taller with medium-length hair. Mitsuko stood on the stairs next to the right-hand rail, her arms crossed in a serious pose. Behind Mitsuko, a girl with long white hair leaned against the sloping railing. They all wore Onmyou uniforms, with a blue ribbon showing the second cycle, except for one who had a red ribbon denoting a higher rank.

‘No time to waste.’ Sakai turned her attention back to the PlayStation Vita and the phone. ‘Let’s see what you’re hiding.’ She turned on Ayumu’s device and encountered a lock screen. ‘A pattern? Seriously!? People are very insecure.’ She adjusted her phone. The two screens merged, and Ayumu’s unlock screen was cloned onto her phone. ‘Here we go.’ In just a fraction of a second, hundreds of patterns were drawn. As the sound of a door slamming echoed, she glanced towards it.