The sound of footsteps echoed through the deserted halls as two college students sprinted toward their classroom. "What the… What was that, Tenka? Can you answer?!" Kentaro Takamiya's voice reverberated through the corridor, laced with a mix of fear and confusion. His best friend, Tenka – the girl who had been by his side since childhood, dashed ahead, refusing to offer any explanation. Yet, even in her silence, Kentaro could see the panic etched across her face. The usually stoic and composed Tenka was terrified, and the realization that they might be in danger sent a chill down his spine.
Kentaro wasn't an athlete. At five feet ten inches, he was lean but not built for speed or endurance. As he ran, his short brown hair flopped slightly in front of his eyes, hindered by the adrenaline coursing through him. Tenka, with her dark hair pulled tightly into a ponytail, which she claimed was efficient, was a whirlwind of focused energy that nearly knocked him off balance as she finally came to a stop. Her crimson red eyes were wide, breathing unevenly as if she'd just sprinted a marathon.
"T-that room," she stammered, her voice trembling with fear. Kentaro stopped, heart pounding, clutching his knees while he tried to gather his thoughts. The classroom they had just left was a scene torn from a nightmare, every student frozen in place, expressions caught between confusion and terror.
"I know everyone was frozen… But why? Tell me, Tenka!" He urged, his voice rising in intensity. It wasn't just the inexplicable situation that frayed his nerves but the desperate need to understand what was happening.
"I-I can't-" She began, her words choking in her throat. Kentaro sensed that something deep was troubling her, as if she were grappling with a truth she couldn't bring herself to share.
"Just tell me!" he shouted, the urgency of the moment pushing him to raise his voice for the first time. The volume rang in the silence of the hall, a plea for the truth.
Tenka's eyes widened as she registered the escalating danger. It was the first time he had ever truly raised his voice to her, and it startled both of them. Yet, staring into his eyes, she finally parted her lips to speak. "The reason… They were frozen," she whispered, but before she could continue, her gaze shifted past his shoulder, and the color drained from her face, turning her alabaster skin ghostly pale.
Kentaro felt an instinctive urge to turn, to confront whatever horror lurked behind him. But before he could react, Tenka grabbed his arm with a strength that belied her petite frame, pulling him along. "We need to run Kentaro, now!" Her voice was urgent, almost a command, as she yanked him into motion.
Despite being a girl many boys adored thanks to her looks and naturally gifted body, those who underestimated her didn't know the truth. Tenka was far stronger than the average man or woman, perhaps stronger than anyone Kentaro had ever known. Kentaro never knew why; he'd always assumed it was some god-given ability that he was now facing the consequences of. As she dragged him through the twisted corridors of Oshawa College, Kentaro had no choice but to follow. Panic surged, drowning out reason. Each corner they turned revealed an unsettling stillness, as if the world had paused, holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
With each hurried step, Kentaro's heart raced, and an oppressive sense of dread filled the air around them. What had they stumbled into? What dark force had frozen their classmates? Questions chased them as they navigated the eerie silence of the hall, urgency spurring them onward into the unknown.
Kentaro turned his back time and time again, desperately trying to glimpse what Tenka was so terrified of, but every time he did, he found nothing, nothing but an unsettling emptiness. Finally, the weight of exhaustion pressed down on him, and even Tenka was starting to show signs of wear.
"Listen, let's hide in here for now. I'll explain everything later," she said, glancing anxiously over her shoulder. Fear flickered in her eyes.
"But, " Kentaro began, but he cut himself off. There was no point in arguing; whatever was chasing them was clearly relentless. Hiding first made sense. He peered through the glass panel of the classroom door, and dread twisted in his stomach as he saw the same frozen tableau within.
"Everyone's frozen here too," Kentaro muttered, his voice barely breaking the silence. His gaze drifted from the teacher, caught mid-demonstration, to the rows of immobile students. The teacher held what looked like a pen in mid-fall, suspended in a moment that felt like eternity.
"I know, but right now, hiding in the classroom is our best bet. We can call for help in a safe place," Tenka urged, gently nudging him forward. Her eyes darted nervously left and right.
"If you say so…" Kentaro trailed off as he opened the creaking door. The eerie sound echoed through the unnaturally quiet college, magnifying the dread that settled heavily in his chest. The distinct smells of various colognes assaulted his senses as he stepped inside, advancing cautiously step by step. His eyes pulled towards the students sitting on the elevated tables, the rows ascending higher with stairs in between.
Tenka followed closely behind, her attention still fixated on the door and the hallway beyond, cautiously shutting it with a soft click.
His mind still wanted to know what Tenka was going to say before they needed to run, but what he saw made him forget about that entirely. "What the…" Kentaro muttered, reaching the center of the room. He stood before the steps leading to the higher rows, his heart pounding. On the eighth row, she stood out to him, not just noticeable, but captivating.
"Her hair… It's silver," he murmured, almost in disbelief, his eyes widening at the striking contrast in a sea of black and brown. Silver. A hair color he'd only ever seen in anime.
As he moved closer, inching his way up the stairs, a strange sensation washed over him. Despite the stillness of the classroom, there was something unnervingly alive about her presence. Dressed in a pristine white shirt with a perfectly ironed black tie, she seemed to emanate an eerie perfection. Her pink eyes glimmered in the low light, drawing him in like a moth to a flame.
Tenka, now turning to see what had captured Kentaro's gaze, froze. Horror etched her features as beads of sweat trickled down her cheek. "K-k-kentaro…" She stammered, the fear in her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
"Why? It can't be because of her, can it?" Kentaro asked, unable to tear his gaze from the silver-haired girl.
Before he could look away, Tenka lunged up the stairs, grabbing Kentaro's shoulder with an urgency that struck through his daze. "WE NEED TO GO NOW!" He hissed, her voice low yet sharp, fear radiating off her in waves.
Kentaro's heart raced. Whatever she felt was real. The girl might have been frozen, but a dread deep within him knew that she represented danger. "Fine, fine! But where are we going?" he shot back.
"Anywhere but here! Move!" Tenka urged, her dark hair swaying with urgency. "Jeez, honestly, this day just keeps getting weirder and weirder."
Before he could take a step down, instinct screamed for one last look at the girl with silver hair, a fleeting glance at someone who had unnaturally captured his attention. That single decision marked the beginning of his undoing.
Eyes widening in horror, Kentaro stumbled back, nearly falling. It was only Tenka's reflexes that saved him from tumbling down the stairs.
"T-t-t-tenka?!" he gasped, breath hitching as he pointed.
"What?!" she replied, following his gaze. In a heartbeat, the color drained from her face as she understood his terror. The girl, no longer trapped in frozen stasis, was staring directly at them.
Her piercing gaze fixed on Kentaro, and a chilling smile crept across her lips. Time stood still as that smile widened, morphing from innocent curiosity into something dark and predatory.
"What kind of sick joke is this?" He whispered, trembling as the girl began to chuckle softly. The sound, a haunting melody, sent shivers racing down his spine. She moved then, fluidly, as if the stillness surrounding her was a mere illusion.
Tenka, sensing the dire situation she stepped in front of Kentaro, slightly pushing him down. "RUN KEN!" She shouted, standing between Kentaro and this mystery silver-haired girl.
"But!" Kentaro tried to argue back, but was instantly cut off by Tenka's scream. "I SAID RUN!"
Kentaro bit his lip and took off running, taking one last glance at Tenka and the mysterious silver-haired girl… Unsure what other option he had left.