The classroom buzzed with excitement as students whispered among themselves, their curiosity piqued by the large world map projected on the board. Yui absentmindedly twirled her pencil, only half-listening—until her teacher cleared his throat.
"As part of your history curriculum, we will be taking a class trip to Egypt," he announced.
The room erupted into murmurs.
"A school trip overseas? That's rare."
"We're actually going to the pyramids?"Yui straightened in her seat, her honey-brown eyes widening. A trip to Egypt? That was the last thing she had expected. She turned to Ayumi, who looked more skeptical than excited.
"A whole trip just for history?" Ayumi muttered, crossing her arms. "Sounds like a lot of effort.""Come on, it could be fun!" Yui whispered back. "It's better than sitting in a classroom."
Across the room, a student raised their hand. "Are we going alone, or is this a joint trip?"
The teacher adjusted his glasses. "This will be a combined trip with the other 7th-grade classes and a few selected 5th graders. It is an educational experience, not a vacation. You will have assignments, so be prepared to take notes."
Yui perked up at the mention of other classes. That meant Haru and Haruka would probably be there too.
"A history assignment? On a trip?" a student groaned, the teacher ignored the complaints and continued explaining the itinerary, but Yui's mind was already elsewhere. A trip to Egypt… This might actually be exciting.
One Week Later – Egypt
The golden sands of Egypt stretched endlessly before them as Yui stepped off the tour bus. The sun blazed high in the sky, making her immediately regret wearing a long-sleeved shirt."Ugh,"
Ayumi groaned, shielding her eyes. "Why is it so hot?"
Yui took a deep breath, taking in the dry air. "It's so different from home…"
In the distance, massive pyramids loomed over the desert, their ancient forms standing tall against time. The sheer scale of them made Yui's stomach flutter with excitement .A familiar voice called from behind.
"You two look like you're melting."
Yui turned to see Haru, standing with his arms crossed and a grin on his face. Haruka stood beside him, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Yui! Ayumi!" Haruka waved. "Isn't this amazing? We're actually in Egypt!"
"It's hot," Ayumi muttered.Their teacher clapped his hands, gathering the students.
"Listen up! We'll be entering the pyramid in groups. Stick with your assigned group and don't wander off."
Yui glanced at the list. As expected, she and Ayumi were paired together, but Haru and Haruka were in a different group.Haru yelled. "This is so freaking cool!"
"At least we're all here," Yui said, offering a small smile.Haruka nodded eagerly. "And maybe we can meet up inside?"
The guides led them toward the entrance of the pyramid.
Yui took a deep breath before stepping inside, the cool air inside the pyramid was a stark contrast to the scorching desert heat. Artificial lights placed by archaeologists illuminated the narrow passageways, casting long shadows across the faded hieroglyphs on the walls.The students moved carefully, their footsteps echoing through the silent corridors.
"This is insane," Yui whispered, running her fingers along the smooth stone.
"Yeah, it really is..but.." Ayumi muttered, jotting something down in her notebook. "I just wish we didn't have an assignment for this."
Their group continued forward, but after a few minutes, Yui felt a tap on her shoulder."Hey," a familiar voice whispered.
She turned to see Haru standing there, smirking. Haruka peeked out from behind him.
"You're not in our group..Haru…" Ayumi deadpanned.
Haru waved dismissively. "Yeah, well, our group is boring. Thought i'd join you instead."
Haruka gasped quietly. "The pyramid is way bigger than I expected.."
Yui sighed but smiled. She should've expected this amount of excitement, and she shouldn't expect them not to be.
Then suddenly..
"Hey, check this out!" Haru's voice echoed ahead.Yui turned to see him stepping into a secluded chamber, separate from the guided path.Yui hesitated.
"We're supposed to stay with the group—"
"Come on, it'll be quick," Haru insisted, already walking inside. Ayumi groaned. "I swear, if you get us in trouble!"
Despite their better judgment, the group followed Haru into the chamber, leaving their classmates. The air inside was noticeably colder. Faint beams of sunlight seeped through cracks in the stone, illuminating the space. The walls were covered in elaborate carvings of Egyptian royalty.In the center, resting atop a stone pedestal, was an ancient golden amulet.
Haru's eyes gleamed. "What's this.." Haru reached his hands towards the ancient golden amulet, but to quickly and ended up dropping it.
"Don't touch it!" Yui snapped.
The moment Haru's fingers touched the amulet, it fell and shattered, then a sharp gust of wind blasted through the chamber. The torches lining the walls flickered violently, and a low rumbling echoed beneath their feet.
A voice, soft and melodic, drifted through the air.
"Hello….?"
Yui shivered as the temperature dropped. The shadows in the corners of the chamber seemed to twist and move.
Then, from the darkness, she appeared.
A girl in regal Egyptian attire stepped forward, her long, dark hair flowing like silk. Her warm tan skin glimmering in the dim light along with the gold jewelry on her wrists and neck. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Her golden eyes swept over them, filled with sorrow.
"Who… are you?" Haruka whispered.
The girl's gaze softened. "I am Neferet, a princess of this land. My soul has been bound to this place for centuries, trapped by regret and unfinished business."
Haru crossed his arms. "So… you're a ghost?"
Neferet gave a solemn nod. "Yes. I was denied peace, this is my grave. I have not seen the outside world in centuries…"
Yui Spoke softly "I'm so sorry.." Neferet smiled "Don't be."
The air in the chamber felt heavy, thick with something unseen yet suffocating. Yui's heart pounded in her chest, her eyes locked onto Neferet. The princess stood before them, poised and graceful, but there was an unmistakable weight behind her golden eyes..something ancient and unreadable. A prisoner, she had called herself.
Yui swallowed hard. "What do you mean… 'grave?"
Neferet's gaze lingered on her, thoughtful, before she let out a slow, wistful sigh. "I was bound to this place long ago, my spirit sealed within these walls, my name nearly erased from history."
She turned slightly, her fingers grazing the stone pedestal where the golden amulet once lay. "I have wandered these halls for centuries, watching as the world moved on without me."
Haru's expression changed to a face of empathy. "So you're stuck here? Like, forever?"
Neferet gave him a small, almost melancholic smile. "Yes. Unless…" She trailed off, her expression unreadable.Ayumi sighed. "Unless what?"Neferet tilted her head slightly. "You do this one thing for me.."
"Perhaps," Neferet murmured, looking down at her hands. "Perhaps you could help me..? I see that you all are protectors of the border between life and death from the emeralds you have."
Haruka smiled. "Of course we can help, but how?"
Neferet took a step forward, the faint sound of her jewelry jingling echoing through the chamber.
"There were once five sacred relics that belonged to me in life. Precious artifacts that held meaning to my soul. Over time, they were scattered and lost within this pyramid, buried beneath the weight of history."
She looked up at them, her golden eyes shimmering. "If they are gathered… I may finally be released."
"But…I need you to stay here, Yui," Neferet said softly, her voice carrying an almost sorrowful undertone.
Yui furrowed her brows. "Why? Shouldn't I be helping them?" she asked, glancing back at Ayumi, Haru, and Haruka.
Neferet let out a slow sigh, lowering her gaze momentarily before looking at Yui again.
"The items you seek are tied to this place, scattered and hidden by those who sought to erase my existence. If all of you search at once with more than three people, the spirits guarding them will react more violently, sensing too much movement at once. But if you stay here, it will keep the balance… and it will keep me from being alone again."
Yui hesitated, something in Neferet's voice catching her off guard.
Neferet offered a sad smile. "For thousands of years, I have been trapped here, left to linger in silence with nothing but the echoes of the past to keep me company. I have watched time pass, unseen and forgotten, over and over again."
She reached out, gently tucking a strand of Yui's hair behind her ear, her touch unnervingly tender. "Just for a little while, I would like to speak to someone—someone real. Is that too much to ask?"
Ayumi narrowed her eyes. "And how do we know you're not just trying to keep Yui here for something else?"
Neferet chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I cannot leave this place, and I cannot harm her. I only wish for a moment of company before my soul is freed. Yui will be safe—I swear it."
Haru scowled, still unconvinced. "And if something happens?"
Neferet met his gaze without hesitation. "Then you will know I have broken my word, and you may do whatever you must. But I promise you, Yui will remain unharmed."
Yui glanced between her friends and Neferet. Something about the princess's words tugged at her—this place, this spirit, this endless solitude. Maybe, just maybe, Neferet truly did just want someone to talk to, even for a short while.
"…Fine," Yui said after a pause. "I'll stay."
Ayumi, Haru, and Haruka exchanged wary glances, but with no other choice, they turned and headed deeper into the pyramid, their footsteps fading into the distance.
The group glanced at each other and back at the princess, they all nodded and agreed to help her, Haru smiled "Don't worry, just wait here and we will be back as fast as we can" Neferet smiled "Thank you so much.."
-Later in the pyramid-
"What do you think these mean?" Ayumi asked, squinting at the carvings.
"I don't know," Haruka replied, running her fingers over the stone, feeling a strange chill crawl up her spine. "But they… they feel important. "
"It's probably just some old symbols," Haru assumed, though he sounded uncertain. He glanced over the carvings again, his interest piqued despite his initial skepticism.
As they moved on, they noticed more and more of these drawings, some appearing on the walls, others on the floor, and even etched into the stone ceiling. Each symbol was slightly different but shared common themes—spirals, bones, and what looked like a figure kneeling in reverence. There were markings of items—rings, a crown, and a dagger—and they all seemed to be placed together in some sort of ritualistic pattern.
Ayumi couldn't shake the feeling that the symbols meant more than just ancient art. They were connected somehow to Neferet's story, but she couldn't figure out how. She kept the drawings in the back of her mind as they continued their search for the five lost items that Neferet had requested.
As Haruka, Ayumi, and Haru wandered through the dimly lit corridors of the pyramid, the air felt thick with an eerie silence. Their footsteps echoed off the ancient stone walls, and the flickering light of their flashlights barely cut through the darkness. They were searching for one of Neferet's lost belongings, a golden amulet said to be hidden deep within the ruins.
Ayumi, still adjusting to the surreal nature of Limbo, clutched her arm nervously and tightly, glancing nervously at Haru. "Are we even sure this thing is here? It's probably the other way..one if we just walked past it?"
she asked, her usual sarcasm barely masking her unease.
Haru frowned "We just have to keep looking, hopefully we're able to figure this out..."
Haruka, walking slightly ahead, suddenly stopped, her grip tightening on her weapon. A chill ran down her spine. "Something's here," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Before she could say another word, a guttural growl echoed through the corridor. The torches along the walls flickered wildly, casting twisted shadows. Then, from the darkness, a figure emerged—a grotesque, twisted spirit, its body contorted unnaturally. Its hollow eyes glowed with malevolent intent as it let out a bloodcurdling shriek.
Ayumi stumbled back and fell, but Haru was already moving, drawing his sword and charging forward. He slashed at the spirit, but his blade passed through it with little effect.
Haruka quickly removed her gemmed hairpin, activating her abilities. A blue glow enveloped her as she summoned energy into her hands. "Haru, pull back! You can't just slice through everything!"
she warned before launching a wave of energy at the spirit. The force sent it recoiling, its form flickering like a flame in the wind. Despite this, it wasn't enough just yet to finish the ghost off.
Ayumi narrowed her eyes as the spirit lunged at her, its hollow wail echoing through the chamber. With a swift motion, she thrust her hands forward, emerald energy crackling around her fingertips before surging outward in a concentrated blast that made her transform.
The force struck the spirit head-on, sending it skidding back, but it wasn't enough to destroy it. As it recoiled, she pivoted on her heel, weaving glowing tendrils of energy into the air before snapping them toward the creature like whips.
Each strike left searing trails of green light, forcing the spirit back with every lash. When it tried to vanish into the shadows, Ayumi clenched her fists, sending a shockwave through the air that illuminated the darkness and dragged the entity back into view, leaving it vulnerable for the next attack.
After Ayumi's assault forced the spirit out of the shadows and left it momentarily stunned, Haru seized the opportunity. With a confident smirk, he dashed forward, unsheathing his sword in one swift motion, gripping the hilt tightly as his blade gleamed in the dim light. With a powerful swing, he aimed straight for the spirit's core, determined to cut it down before it could recover.
As Haru's blade struck the spirit's core, a shockwave of energy rippled through its twisted form, causing it to convulse violently. It let out a piercing shriek, its hollow eyes flickering wildly as cracks of golden light spread across its body. Haruka, seeing the moment of weakness, raised her hands and summoned glowing chains of energy, wrapping them tightly around the spirit to bind it in place. Ayumi, wasting no time, extended her hands, and emerald tendrils of energy shot forward, intertwining with Haruka's chains to reinforce the binding.
The spirit thrashed, its form rapidly deteriorating as Ayumi channeled her power into the core where Haru's sword had pierced. With a final, concentrated blast, her energy surged through the creature, causing it to let out an agonized wail before erupting into a burst of light. The spirit shattered into countless glowing fragments, which slowly faded into nothingness, leaving only an eerie silence behind.
Ayumi, Haru, and Haruka stood over the remains of the spirit they had just slain, their weapons still trembling with the aftershocks of battle. The air was heavy with the stench of decay as the creature's form disintegrated into dust, and in its place, something unnatural happened. Two lost items, the ones they had been searching for, suddenly materialized from within the dissipating spirit's body. The ornate dagger and a silver necklace glimmered eerily in the dim light, and Haruka recoiled as she caught sight of the cold metal.
"They were… inside it," Haruka whispered, her voice trembling.
Ayumi knelt beside her, feeling a strange mix of disgust and dread knot in her stomach. "It ate them," she said, her voice sharp with realization. "The spirit must've consumed the items. That's why they were missing."
Haru grimaced, wiping his blade clean before looking around. "Well, at least we're getting closer."
They pressed on, their nerves on edge after the unnerving discovery. The pyramid seemed to grow colder, the walls pressing in on them, and the sounds of their footsteps echoed eerily through the labyrinth. The next room they entered was smaller, filled with ancient tombs. As they moved through the room, Haru spotted a dark, shadowy shape protruding from the skeletal remains of an old tomb.
"I think I found something," Haru called out, crouching down.
Ayumi stepped forward, dreading what she might find, her heart racing as she watched Haru's fingers pry apart the ribs of a long-dead body. Inside, nestled against the brittle bones, were three more of the lost items: a jade ring, a faded scarab, and a golden anklet.
Haruka recoiled instantly, her face twisting in horror. "That's… that's disgusting…"
Ayumi's hand shot to her mouth to stifle a wave of nausea. She felt her stomach churn, the eerie feeling of the cold, clammy bones pressing against her skin creeping up her spine. The thought of the items being hidden in such a gruesome way, inside the ribs of a decayed body, terrified her. They had found things inside spirits, but this—this felt wrong. They could barely comprehend the horror of it.
After a brief, unsettling silence, Ayumi finally spoke. "We… we need to finish this."
——Back in Nerefets room——-
Yui stood near Neferet, the cold stone of the pyramid pressing into her back as the princess's gaze remained fixed on the items now arranged around her bed. The laughter had faded, but the eerie tension in the air lingered, making the silence feel suffocating. Yui glanced at Neferet, unsure of how to respond to the quiet intensity radiating from the spirit.
Neferet, sensing the hesitation, finally spoke, her voice a soft murmur that contrasted with the sharp edge of her earlier laughter.
"There's another reason why I wanted you to stay" she said, her eyes never leaving the circle of items. "Why I needed your presence here"
Yui nodded slowly, feeling the weight of the question pressing down on her chest. "I… I don't understand. Why me? Why not Ayumi, or Haru, or Haruka? Why did you need me to stay?"
Neferet's lips curved into a faint, melancholic smile. She slowly rose from her bed, her movements graceful despite the heaviness in the air. She turned to face Yui, her dark eyes full of a strange sorrow.
"I've been alone for so long, and I just haven't seen another girl..in a while." Neferet began, her voice soft but filled with an unmistakable sadness.
"For thousands of years, I have wandered this place—locked away from the world of the living. I was once a princess, surrounded by wealth, power, and people who adored me. But none of that mattered when they trapped me here, when they forced me into a marriage I did not want, and when I was left to die alone."
Yui's stomach twisted at the words, her heart aching for the princess, even though she could feel something unsettling beneath Neferet's tone. The story felt too rehearsed, too perfect.
"They didn't love me,"
Neferet continued, her eyes darkening with the bitterness of old wounds. "I was just a pawn, a piece in a game I never asked to play. My suicide… it was my only escape, my only chance to feel free. But that freedom was stolen from me, and I was condemned to this place—to watch as the world moved on without me, to see the time I could never return to. And now, all I have is the silence. The endless silence."
Yui's voice was soft but filled with the echo of a question she had to ask. "Im so sorry that happened to you..but…at least soon you'll be able to rest."
Neferet's gaze darkened further, and a flicker of something darker passed across her features. "Yes..very soon.."
————Ayumi, Haru and Haruka————
With trembling hands, they retrieved the remaining items from the skeletal corpse. They stood for a moment, each of them feeling the weight of what they had just uncovered—a piece of someone's past, now irreversibly intertwined with their own journey.
Once the last of the items had been collected, they made their way back to Neferet. The princess was waiting, her dark eyes gleaming with an unreadable intensity. Without a word, she reached out and accepted the items, one by one, placing them in a perfect circle around her stone bed.
The air in the chamber seemed to change, thickening with an unsettling energy as Neferet began to laugh softly. The sound of it—hollow and cold—echoed in the chamber, filling the room with a sense of dread. It wasn't the laughter of someone grateful, or of someone freed. It was the laugh of someone who had been playing a game all along.
As the circle of items around her bed grew complete, Neferet's smile widened, her laughter growing louder, darker.
"You've helped me more than you know…" she whispered, her voice dripping with malice.
"You really are so naive," Nerefet said, her once peaceful expression turning into pure evil. Yui's blood ran cold. Neferet's voice, once soft and sorrowful, now carried an eerie undertone, one that made her feel as if something had been slipping away from her all along.
"You've done so well," Neferet purred.
"The ritual is nearly complete. Soon, I will be free, and you will be bound to this place, reliving my death every day. A never-ending cycle of torment… just as I once did."
Yui's heart pounded in her chest, panic rising within her. No. This can't be happening. This wasn't what they were supposed to do.
"Yui, no!" Haruka shouted, but the words barely reached her. Yui's mind was spinning, the weight of what had been done crashing down on her.
Suddenly, Yui was pushed to the wall by Nerefet. All she can remember is her friends' reactions and her not even having the chance to react and her vision cutting black because of the impact.
Yui's eyes fluttered open, but the world around her was unfamiliar. The air felt different—thick with heat, carrying the scent of sand and something floral. For a moment, she thought she was still in the pyramid, caught in the trap of Neferet's curse. But this was no cold stone chamber. The ground beneath her was warm, smooth, and covered in what appeared to be soft woven mats. Bright sunlight streamed through the open windows, casting long shadows across the ornate tapestries that adorned the walls.
She sat up with a jolt, her breath caught in her throat. Her clothes were unfamiliar—an elaborate, flowing gown of deep blues and golds, decorated with intricate patterns that shimmered in the sunlight. Her fingers ran over the fabric, the sensation foreign and luxurious. She glanced around, noticing the rich decorations, the golden artifacts, and the towering pillars—this was no ordinary room. She was in a palace of some kind.
"Neferet?" a voice called from the doorway.
Yui froze.
The figure who entered was tall, a man dressed in fine linen and jewelry, his face regal, his expression sharp. He looked at her with a mix of affection and worry, his dark eyes scanning her face as if trying to confirm something.
"Are you feeling well, my princess?" he asked, approaching her cautiously.
Yui blinked, disoriented. "I… I'm not Neferet," she whispered, her voice trembling. Her mind was racing, trying to piece together the impossible. What was happening? Where was she? How did she end up here?
The man's brow furrowed, as though he hadn't heard her correctly. He stepped closer, taking her hands in his. His touch was firm, yet gentle, and he gazed into her eyes as if searching for something deeper.
"It is alright. You are still recovering from the fever. But you are Neferet. Our princess, who is destined to marry the Pharaoh. Do you not remember?"
Yui shook her head, panic creeping in. This couldn't be happening. She was supposed to be in the Limbo, not in some palace in ancient Egypt.
Before she could say anything more, the door opened again, and another figure entered—a woman with long, dark hair, her face tense but soft with concern.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, her eyes flicking from Yui to the man by her side. The woman's gaze lingered on Yui for a moment, before she spoke again, her voice warm but commanding. "Neferet, you must rest. Your wedding is soon, and you cannot afford to fall ill before then."
Yui's heart raced as the realization hit her: they thought she was Neferet. They truly thought she was the princess—the princess who was about to be married.
"No," Yui gasped, her voice shaking with the weight of her confusion. "I'm not—I'm not Neferet!"
But the woman didn't seem to hear her. She approached and placed a cool hand on Yui's forehead, her expression softening. "You've been through so much. Don't worry. The marriage will be soon, and everything will be as it should."
Yui tried to pull away, her panic rising to a crescendo. She didn't know how to explain, how to make them understand. The weight of their expectations, of the life they had mapped out for Neferet, pressed down on her like a suffocating blanket.
The man turned to the woman, speaking with a note of finality. "She is still weak. Let her rest. The wedding will be tomorrow. We must prepare."
Tomorrow. Yui's stomach twisted. This was a nightmare. How had she gotten here? How was she supposed to find a way back to her friends, to break free from this role they had thrust her into?
As the woman left, casting a final glance over her shoulder, Yui was left alone with the man, who still regarded her with a knowing, affectionate smile. "You'll be fine, Neferet. Tomorrow, everything will change. You will be free to rule by his side."
Yui swallowed hard, the weight of the name Neferet pressing on her like a heavy stone.