It was dark.

So dark I couldn't even see my hand in front of my eyes.

All I saw was a pitch.....

black.....

Nothingness-!

Wait....!

Am I having my eyes closed?

With a small bit of difficulty, I opened my eyes and everything around me lit up in an instant.
And I mean in an instant! I had to shut my eyes again because of how much they were hurting from just how quickly it got so bright!

I looked around to find myself in an unfamiliar bed inside an unfamiliar room.

Just a plain boring, grey room with nothing but a desk with a chair, a shelf and the bed I laid in.
It didn't even have any windows.

This was definetly NOT my room!

Where were my anime posters!?

Where were the fairy lights!?

Where was my bed filled with cute plushies!?

Where were the shelfs filled with Manga, drawings and story notebooks!!?

How did I get here?!

The last thing I remembered was that I was on the way back from school!

It was a Friday and my friends and I had been planning an anime movie night all week! So, I was excited to get home.

Then, all of a sudden, I felt a clove being pressed against by mouth and nose.
The last thing I remembered was the smell of chloroform and a pair of eyes swirling with malice and something else......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
............. Despair!

And now, instead of binge watching Digimon movies - except for most of the Tri movies - and crying over them, I am suddenly stuck in this weird place!!

What even became of my friends who were walking with me?

Are they here too-?

Wait.....
.
.
.
.
.
.

WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER MY FRIENDS!!?

WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES!?

WHAT DO THEY EVEN LOOK LIKE!?

I DUNNO!!!!!

WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE!!?

When I looked around again in a panic, I found my gaze shifting down at my clothes and I suddenly saw that I was no longer wearing my school uniform, but instead one of my casual outfits.

I wore a black dress over a white shirt and white stockings, along with pink shoes.
Around the collar of the shirt was a thin red lace, tied into a bow.
However, I noticed that one thing was different!

I noticed there was a strange pink and black heart-like symbol on the side of my dress' skirt! I don't remember such a symbol on that dress before - or on any of my clothes, for that matter!

As pretty as I found it, I also found it concerning that it was there!

This is getting more confusing with every second.......! Literally. every. second!

As I looked around the room, I saw something on the desk.

A phone.

I got off the bed and picked up the strange phone. It didn't look like mine though! This one was a different model!
And it didn't have my kawaii bunny phonecase!

When I turned the phone on, I almost jumped in suprise at what I saw.

____________________________________

Name: Kurumi Shirai

Height: 5, 2

Weight: 93 Ibs

Chest: 33

Blood Type: A

D.O.B: July 15

Notes: Ultimate Author

____________________________________

What the hell?!

What is this!!?

Who wrote this and how did they get all this Information on me?! Especially my blood type! Even I didn't know my blood type until now!!!

Is this some kind of sick joke?!

Was I kidnapped?!

As dread filled my entire body, I suddenly felt my breathing starting to pick up pace against my will!

I was probably having a panic attack right now! I wasn't sure, but I can clearly feel myself hyperventilating and the palms of my hands getting sweaty!

Calming myself down all on my own was hard, since I never even had a panic attack before!

I maybe hyperventilated a little bit before - mostly at some totally EPIC anime moments - but I never had an actual panic attack!

I tried remembering the time I had done research for a story, on what to do when you have a panic attack!

Now I wish I had read about that "3 3 3" rule! Whatever it was! But I just thought that particular character knowing about that rule would be a bit too convenient!

What was the stuff I did read again....?

.........

Right! I got it!

- "Stay where you are, if possible."

Well, at the moment, I didn't feel like getting up from the bed anyways!

What were the others.......

- "Breathe slowly and deeply."

I tried to focus on slowing down my breathing and deepening it instead of quick and small breaths!

- "Remind yourself that the attack will pass."

It will pass....

It will pass.

It will pass!

- "Focus on positive, peaceful and relaxing images."

My Genshin Impact plushies. (Oh! And my really funny Genshin Impact fanfiction where Venti is both corrupted and drunk!)

Me in a cosplay at an Anime Con.

Listening to the japanese opening of "Digimon Adventure"!

- "Remember it's not life threatening."

Right! I remembered, when researching panic attacks, I read that the symptoms can be frightening but are not particulary dangerous!

By the time I went over all the points, my breathing had already calmed down.

Thank the anime gods that's over! Except for Kira! No "Thank You" to him!

Before I had any more time to process it, I heard the squeaking sound of the doorhandle.

I barely got to see the door creacking open before I immediantly went to hide under the bed and hoped I managed to make it under there in time before whover entered could see me!

I heard footsteps coming closer and from under the bed, I soon saw a pair of black shoes and black pants.

A scared yelp ecaped me and I immediantly covered my mouth, afraid that whoever was here might hear and do who-knows-what to me!

I shut my eyes and struggled not to cry out of fear.

I want my Venti plush.....!!

As I heard the footsteps again, I slowly cracked my eyes open and saw that the person was seemingly gone.

Just as I was about to sigh in relief, I felt two hands grab my ankles from behind and pull me out from under the bed.
I screamed in fear and looked behind me, to see the face of the person who I could only see the shoes of, just a few moments ago!

It was a boy with messy white hair and golden yellow eyes.
He wore a grey west with a dark grey, almost black tie, over a white shirt, along with the same black jeans and shoes I already saw.
He also wore a black cap.
He looked about my age, if not slightly older.

"Sorry....! I didn't mean to scare you."

That was what he said. His voice sounded very calm.

Kurumi: Huh?

"You hid under the bed, so I needed to get you out."

Kurumi: Uh....why.....?

"I hoped you might know where we are here......!"

Kurumi: Oh......! You don't know what this place is either.....?

He shook his head.

"No...... I woke up in a room, similar to this one......!"

He briefly took a look around the room before turning back to me.

"Identical, infact!"

Oh.........!

So.....he got kidnapped to?

That moment, I realized what an akward position we were both in right now.....

Nope!! Not happening!!

No Ship Tease with me, guys!!

I quickly got back to my feet before asking my next question!

Kurumi: And....who are you?

"I'm Shino Kurushima! Appearently, I'm the Ultimate Detective........!"

I blinked at him in confusion.

Kurumi: 'Appearently'....?

Shino put a hand in his pocket and took something out.

Shino: Well.....it says so in this student ID!

He showed me a phone similar to the one I found on the desk.

He turned it on and there I saw a picture of him as well as the same type of information which I previously saw displayed on my - appearent - ID, about me.

And indeed it said "Ultimate Detective"!

Oh! That's right! I remember seeing something similar in my ID too!

........

What did it say on mine again.....?

Kurumi: Ah! Well.... I'm Kurumi Shirai! I'm......

- I quickly took a glance at my ID. -

Kurumi: I'm the Ultimate Author!

Shino: Interesting.

Kurumi: Yeah, well.... I really like writing! But I haven't found the courage to publish anything yet.....

Shino: I see....

Kurumi: And you are an Ultimate Detective?

Shino: Well, yeah. I did help the police sometimes. Though, there are some cases that even I can't solve alone!

I found myself thinking about Shuichi Saihara - and not just because he's one of my all time favorite Danganronpa characters!

Shino: For example, the police has been after some terrorist for several months now! But even with my help, he's impossible to catch!

I nodded.

Kurumi: Oh yeah, I heard about that guy on the news!

- And because of the warnings the government just keeps sending out to all the phones, at the mere suspicion that anyone so much as saw the guy!

Really, at this point there were at least two warnings a week!

Kurumi: A serial killer turned terrorist after deciding just killing bad people isn't enough! Right?

Shino nodded, then sighed.

Shino: Back when he was just a serial killer, it was actually supposed to be a private investigation! But then he decided to play terrorist instead, and everyone knew about him!

Kurumi: Perhaps he thinks that if people know about him, they would try to not fall into the category of his targets!

Shino smiled.

......He had a pretty smile.

Shino: We came to the same conclusion! Not bad!

I scratched the back of my head, flustered.

Kurumi: Well, I am writing a story where something similar happens!

Before I knew it, I started rambling on and on again!

Kurumi: In it, demons and monsters sneak amongst humans and a terrorist group is also on the loose!

Sometimes, I just can't help myself!

....okay, I can almost never help myself!

To my suprise, he actually looked intreagued.

Kurumi: But I guess I shouldn't spoiler too much! Especially considering we have more important stuff to deal with right now.......!

Shino: Yeah. Do you think there might be any more people here too?

Kurumi: I dunno! Maybe.

Shino: Then let's go and check!

When I heard that, I felt myself going pale.

Kurumi: Wait-! What!? You actually wanna go out there where who-knows-what could be waiting?

To my shock, Shino didn't look afraid at all!

Shino: "Who-knows-what" could also come into this room!

Okay, he did have a point.......

Shino: If you don't want to come along, then I won't force you to.

Shino then headed towards the room door, without another word.

........Screw this place! I don't wanna be all alone here!

I almost immediately went after him and as we left the room, we ended up in a large corridor with 15 other doors.

I first looked around the hallway and then back at Shino, with a concerned face.

He went to one of the other doors and tried to open it. It did. And when we took a peek inside, we saw a room that looked exactly like the one we just left. Same size, wall colors, furnizure and all!
However, nobody was inside.

Kurumi: Nobody here!

Shino: But then what are all the rooms for?

Kurumi: Maybe..... the other people already woke up before us?

I looked around the corridor, until my eyes abruptly landed on one particular door.

Or well...... what was left of that door!
The door looked like it was brutally ripped out of it's hinges and practically broken in half, I could barely see that the doorhandly was also missing and -! Oh my gosh, are those claw marks!!?

Shino: Perhaps.....

I only snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Shino's voice again.

Shino: We should split up! Then we have a higher chance of finding something!

I whipped around, looking at Shino in pure shock.
He wants to do what!?
Has he never watched a horror movie before!?

Kurumi: Wait, what?! Are you sure? I mean.....in typical horror stories, splitting up is always the first mistake every character makes!

Shino: This place doesn't look like a horror house to me!
And whoever kidnapped us, they most likely want us alive! Otherwise, they would've already killed us and wouldn't have made the effort with all these rooms!

Kurumi: Tell that to who, or whatever was behind that door!!

I pointed to the room with the broken down door and Shino's look turned to one of suprise.

I was not looking forward to figuring out what monster was behind that door!

Who knows what deranged psychopath kidnapped us!? This could all be part of some sick, twisted game our kidnapper wants to play with us!

I have watched tons of movies and written many psychological horror stories! I know what I'm talking about when I say some deranged psycho probably wants to live out some sick twisted fantasy!

Shino carefully went towards what remained of the broken door and kneeled down, seemingly inspecting it. He even ran his fingers over the claw marks!

Credits to him for being so brave!

I meanwhile, got a good look at the inside of the room.

I was expecting the room to be completely trashed.

I expected torn bedsheets and broken furniture.

I expected claw marks on the walls and maybe even blood.

And I was suprised to find that the rest of the room was completely untouched!

It looked like that..... thing that was in there didn't bother with the rest of the room and immediately went for the door!

As my gaze shifted down at Shino, still crouched down at the broken door, I saw that he was now inspecting the same fingers that he ran over the claw marks with.

And I could actually make out traces of blood on them.....

Shino: I suppose..... you are right! Okay! Let's go together!

I felt a wave of relief wash over me at his words, almost completely forgetting the blood I saw.
Still, right now, I was more focused on the fact that at least I wouldn't be alone here! Especially if we end up encountering whatever was behind that broken door!

Okay, Shino was basically a complete stranger, but I would take a boy I don't know over being all alone in an unknown location with whatever was behind that door!

After just a few steps, my gaze found the missing doorhandle from that broken door. On the wall, right above where it layed, there was a huge crack, like someone threw it at the wall with full force!

In my fear, I felt tempted to cling to Shino's arm, but I ended up merely walking a few steps closer to him.

As I nervously scouted through the corridors next to him, I was anxious to figure out what we might find here.

.......

....

I couldn't shake off the feeling that we were being watched.......!