"H-Help!"

Tamaki stopped in her tracks. 

Akiba Tomoaki, a boy in the year above hers, was standing in the corridor, covered in claw marks. His skin was ripped open in ribbons of exposed flesh and blood, the tears just like those on his blue uniform. He was sobbing, looking at her with wet, glossy eyes that pleaded for the release of death. 

She wanted to rush forward and get him away from the thing that attacked him, but her feet were glued in place. 

"Help! M-Monsters!"

Come on feet, move. Please. 

"Monsters in the school!"

Why couldn't she just step forward? 

"Oh God, they're gonna kill us all!" 

He felt forward, colliding with the linoleum floor as a sickening splat rang in her ears. His blood was speckled all over her uniform, and she could just stand there, staring at the body. Was he alive? Had she really just stood there and watched him die? 

And the creature-She finally could see it fully. Its skin was a leathery, unhealthy bruise purple, wrinkled and taut in areas that made no sense. The hollowed yellow eyes burrowed deep inside its socked glowed with a malicious light, and Tamaki knew that this thing wanted her blood next. It didn't care that it just murdered Akiba. It enjoyed it. 

"Fuckin' hell Uchida, move it!" 

Charlie's hand wrapped around her upper arm and shoved her to the wall. The sudden shock of it ripped her out of her stupor, leaving her with processing everything at once. Charlie took a swing at the creature and his bat collided with its face, giving out a satisfying crack. 

Tamaki removed herself from the wall and ran at the being, screaming a guttural war cry that was incomprehensible even to her. She wound up her ice pick to help Charlie and deliver a helping blow. 

An observer would call her display hysterical. She wouldn't disagree. 

She swung for the creature and missed, the metal head of the pickaxe cutting through the air with a "whoosh!" She knew she wasn't supposed to be surprised by the outcome, since she had never before used an ice pick and Charlie probably used a bat all the time, but she still felt like an utter failure from her flop of an attempt. 

However, she didn't get to wallow in her self pity for long. The creature retaliated and clawed at her stomach, cutting it open as easily as a knife cuts through soft tofu. She nearly vomited at the sight of her own blood pooling at her feet.

It was so sticky and warm. So red. 

Everyone  and everything slowed down to a snail's pace, and as Tamaki caught Charlie's eye, she tried to smile. 

Instead, she found herself on the floor before everything went white. 

-oOo-

She was floating above a grassy field, gliding at what seemed like a million kilometres per hour. In the distance, she could see gray mountains, and below her were hills dotted with dark, scraggly-looking trees. 

She felt her stomach. It was still torn upon and gushing blood, but there was no pain. She watched the droplets of blood disappear as they fell to the fields, fading out of view so quickly that if she blinked she'd miss it completely. 

The speed she was traveling at slowed more and more as she approached a Caribbean blue-colored river. Her body dropped in altitude until she was standing on the riverbed, looking out across the water. 

Floating above the surface was a scraggly old man dressed in rags and holding a tribal staff...and a boy. 

The youth looked only a year or two older than her at best, judging by the baby fat on his face and his young face. He was clothed in green fabric tucked under white-Was that armor? And he had this weird looking machine attached to his forehead. 

But the most noticeable thing about him was his brown eyes. They seemed to hold more sadness than humanly possible. 

"...not your time."

She shook out of her stupor and blinked in direction of the strange old man. "Pardon?"

"There is still a light looking out for you."

She scrunched up her nose, a habit she did whenever she was confused that her mom always teased her about. "I don't really understand. Am I dead?"

The brown-eyed boy stared at her, like she was an insect he'd never seen before. Tamaki decided immediately she didn't like that look. 

"Look in the water and see your reflection." His voice was younger than she imagined, but she did as he said. 

Peering into the moving waters of the river, she slowly saw an image of herself coming to surface. But as it became clearer, it was apparent that wasn't her face, but the boy's. She put her hand to her cheek, and the reflection of the boy did the same. 

It was one of the more weird sensations she'd ever experienced. 

"I...what? What does this mean?"

The boy-the real one, floating above the water-just smiled and dissolved into a golden orb of light that danced through the air in playful loop-de-loops before dissipating into a thousand tiny golden sparkles. 

"Return now, to the land of the living! Be reborn under the glow of the light!" The old man commanded. Tamaki's body lifted off the ground from an invisible force and yanked backwards violently until she too was dissolved into nothing, just like the boy. 

-oOo-

As her vision cleared, the first sensation that registered in her mind was the pool of blood she was laying in. It wasn't as warm now, but it smelled and felt just as awful. Charlie was yelling something at her, but they sounded like he was shouting underwater. 

Tamaki supposed the best plan of action would be to drag herself to the nurse and hope that she would be able to at least patch up her shredded torso. 

Was this how pigs felt right before they became shredded pork? Or maybe cabbages before the Koreans made them into kimchi?

Focus. 

The words were clear as crystal, but the voice didn't sound like Charlie's. It was softer and less aggressive. And she knew she'd heard it before. 

You are not dying again. You must keep going. Also, no. Shredded pork is just...No.

Going where? She'd been running around the school the past thirty minutes just trying to make sure everyone was safe. There was no goal in mind, except maybe finding where that 3rd year Ideo Hazama went. Tamaki had been willing to bet that he was hiding in a broom closet pretending to be some demon king until she actually came face to face with her purple-bodied attacker. 

Her first clue should've been when the sky outside turned suddenly to looking like outer space, but, as she'd been told time and time again by her parents, friends, teachers, and just neighbors, Tamaki wasn't exactly the quickest when it came to picking things up. 

Purple skies and an upperclassman deliriously declaring that he is the ruler of a demon world? Eh, not that big of a deal. 

How in the world have you survived this long? 

The voice was beginning to bug her now. Not just because it either always criticized her or made no sense, but because its familiarity was incredibly annoying for her not to remember what name or face was attached to that voice. 

Leave me alone, will you? I am literally dying, thank you very much. 

Not anymore. How about you stop moping and pick yourself up? You're fine. 

Had the voice not seen the blood? It's kinda hard to do that when my stomach looks like a scratching post. 

Do-Do you really not realize what just happened? 

The voice's tone made her want to scowl. Jeez, she was already having a shitty day from her bad math test scores and now she was dying on the floor listening to some part of her mind scream at her for not standing up. 

Enlighten me. She snapped. 

...I'm gonna let you try to figure this one out. I've spent too much time talking to you already.

Oh, for cryin' out loud! Voice! Come back here! Explain!

Her mind was silent. Empty as always, she thought bitterly. Great, now I'm bleeding and talking to myself. At least I excel at being crazy. Mom would be so proud. 

She just wanted to lie there and let the floor claim her. She could go back to that nice little meadow with the old man and the boy and stay there with Akiba. 

When you're dead you don't get yelled at for bad test scores or being dumb. You're dead.

Something poked her in the back. It wasn't sharp like a claw or blade, but dull and round, like the edge of a shoe. It nudged her, probably to see if she was still alive. This was the moment. Did she want to try and go on, probably just to return to being called an idiot, or did she want to throw away any chance of success for the release of death?

She groaned softly and tried to shift to her side so she could look at whoever-or whatever-poked her. Someone else decided to move first, however, and pick her up. She knew instantly as the silver rings on Charlie's fingers grazed her skin that it was him. 

Was he still trying to speak to her? Why was it so hard to make out what he was saying in the first place? She had a strange pressure in her ears, sure, but she'd been so focused on her own pool of blood to care about her ears. 

Charlie dragged her into what she assumed was the nurse's office and hefted her onto the bed where most students would lie down if they had a headache. He said something to the nurse Kayama and removed his grip on her so Ms. Kayama could work easier, she supposed. 

And work she did. Nurse Kayama must've been a superhero, because in no less than three seconds flat, Tamaki was able to hear and sit up again. 

"It was all in her head. Are you sure that's her blood?"

The nurse was talking to Charlie. Tamaki barely knew Charlie actually-she tended to not interact with upperclassmen-but judging by his expression, he'd been really worried about her.

Ms. Kamaya's cold hands felt around her stomach. "I'm sure. There is no wound that I can see." 

Charlie heaved a sigh of relief as Tamaki made eye contact with him. She heard Ms. Kayama's words, but they kinda just bounced off. The meaning didn't register. She was fine? 

Yes, you're not dying. In fact, the only proof you have that you even were wounded is the bloodstains.

The voice! Wait...wait...

"Uchida, get up. We don't have time to mess around!" Charlie said firmly. He pulled her off the table and helped her stand up. "Hello? Earth to Uchida? 

"I'm here." She mumbled. She paused and continued much more loudly, "I'm sorry for worrying you!" 

Tamaki bowed in apology, still surprised that her stomach didn't immediately give off pain or gush blood. She patted it delicately with her hand, and when she was met with a flat, smooth surface,it finally registered. 

"Oh my god, I was revived."

Uh...not the exactly wording I'd use...also...you said that out loud. 

The voice was too late. Tamaki looked up at Charlie and the nurse, both of whom were staring back. "Uh...I'm gonna go grab some water real quick. I think I feel dizzy." 

"Want me to come with you in case another one of them creatures show up?" Charlie asked, reaching for his bat already. 

"No! I mean, uh, no thanks, the water fountain is really close anyways. I'll be fine! Why don't you help out Akiba in the meanwhile?" She spoke rapidly and animatedly, too much to be normal. Yumi would've picked up on it immediately, but luckily, Charlie didn't really know her. 

Still, he gave her a weird look. "...Alright then. Come back here right after."

Tamaki nodded and dashed out of the room as quickly as she could. On the floor in front of the infirmary door was the body of the greyish-purple creature that attacked them. Its body looked broken and smashed in several areas, probably from Charlie's bat. 

Its claws had her blood and fabric from her uniform on them. 

Keep going. You must keep going. 

Keep going where? The voice was so stupidly vague. It's my body, Voice, so I'm allowed to choose when I want to go or when I want to stay. 

The voice sighed heavily. 

What? If you want me to go somewhere specific, tell me where!

Have you never gone dungeon crawling before? Ever?

No? I've never even seen a castle in real life.

...

What did I do wrong now?!

...Nothing. You just...reminded me of when I was like you. 

You sound like you're a year or two older than me, tops. Don't go around saying stuff like that!

She was glad the hallways were so empty. It would probably look weird for anyone just to see her having a mental argument, and she didn't need another thing to add onto her reputation after the Stick Horse Incident of 1993. Still, she forced herself to at least move towards the water fountain, albeit at a snail's pace, just in case. 

I'm a lot older than you think. Looks are deceiving. But anyways, the point is moot. The real focus should be on Ideo Hazama, correct?

I guess? I mean, he did that weird shimmering thing that looked like something you'd see on MTV, and talked about being a Demon King or something, but uh...actually, yeah, it's kinda lining up. She admitted. 

What else did he say? You've got to keep all the facts in mind. 

Uh...I don't really remember? He was acting pretty much like a Disney Villain but also just creepy. 

The voice sighed again, this time more annoyed and less tired. 

Tamaki took that as a cue to drink from the water fountain, wait for him to actually speak instead of just audibly telling her his frustrations, and avoid being suspicious. 

...Do you have any idea where he could've gone? 

She swallowed a mouthful of cold water and wiped her mouth with her blazer sleeve. He did say something about...a world of demons? The Abyss, I think?

The voice's reaction to the information left her shivering, despite not knowing why. Did the voice have influence over her body? 

No, I don't think I do. I think you just subconsciously know what I'm fully aware of. Did Hazama mention a Lucifer at any time? The Gaeans? Anything? 

Luci...fer? Like that red devil guy from Christianity? She didn't know anything about Christianity other than Heaven was the good place, Hell was the bad place, God and Jesus were the only Gods? and uh...Lucifer was the king of hell? Oh, and crosses. 

Yes, him. Either the voice didn't want to mention her line of thinking about Christianity or it hadn't heard it. 

She tried to think back to the last time she heard the devil's name, but it definitely hadn't been recent. Uh...no. Hazama just mentioned that he was the king of the demon world. 

Alright. Well, since he vanished right in front of you, he has some sort of magic on his side, whether its his own or another's. I'm betting that if this school isn't already in the world of demons, there's a portal to it somewhere. 

Portals? Like those things she saw in cartoons? You're joking. 

Demons.

...Fair point. Okay, so if there's portals, there's gotta be someone smart that made it. And uh....all the smart people hang out in science labs, right?

Your wording concerns me. 

Why? 

Nothing important. Anyways, before we head to the lab, were there any rumors that you heard about demons? 

Rumors...Tamaki did like to talk. She shifted through the events of the day, starting at when she woke up and left for school. She was at second period when Charlie's voice called out loud and clear, 

"Yo Uchida! You're taking your sweet time at that water fountain! You okay?"

"Um, yeah!" It came to her in an instant. Shinturo said there was some weird ritual going on in the gym. "Just...come check this out!" 

She sneakily ran towards the gym and peeled open the door, like she'd been there the whole time. As Shinturo had said, the room was...different. 

Red pentagrams, burning pyres, the scent of blood and incense mixed together in a nauseating perfume. 

Good cover. 

Thanks.

Charlie came up behind her and peeked inside. "Holy shit."

The voice inside her head laughed mirthlessly. You've only uncovered the tip of the iceberg. The moment you became a demon summoner was the moment your fate was sealed. 

Hey Captain Sunshine, less patronizing more advising. What the heck do I do?

It's obvious, isn't it? You fight.

Her throat constricted. "But...that's a person."

Demons and humans aren't all that different. 

"Sure as hell is. Come on Uchida, lets take down these lame ass decorations." 

And while the two of them speaking over each other made it nearly impossible to understand, the sentiment was clear. 

I'm sorry mom. I know you taught me not to hit people but today, I have to. I hope you forgive me. 

She charged in screaming, completely ignorant of the voice's deafening lack of a response.