Brief
The afternoon sun filtered through dusty windows of the Old School Building, casting long, skeletal shadows across the Seiren Occult Research Club room. The air hung thick with dried lavender and old parchment.
Himiko sat at the center table, her vacant eyes fixed on a candle flame that refused to flicker. Beside her, Mikan meticulously stitched a new limb onto a straw doll, humming tunelessly. In the corner, Nana frantically adjusted a handheld radio, static crackling like dry bones.
"The spirits are... restless today," Himiko murmured, her voice drifting like smoke. "We can feel them pressing against the veil..."
"Maybe they're excited for my new frienddesu?" Mikan giggled, holding up the doll. "I used red thread for the heart this time! Ehehe It's extra cursed ♡"
SLAM!
The door didn't open—the atmosphere itself was punctured. A formal white envelope slid across the floor, coming to rest at Himiko's feet. On the back, a wax seal bore the crest of the Student Council.
"ENEMY CONTACT!" Nana lunged for it, lollipop nearly flying from her mouth. "The Lizard Queen has sent a declaration of WAR!"
Himiko picked it up with trembling fingers. As she read, her droopy eyes widened—a rare flicker of genuine emotion breaking through her daze.
"Disbandment... due to lack of quorum." Her voice wavered. "We have forty-eight hours to find two more souls... or we lose our sanctuary."
Heavy silence fell, broken only by Nana's crackling radio. Mikan's visible eye glinted darkly.
"Forty-eight hours?" Mikan's sugary tone dropped an octave. "Then we don't have time for posters or flyers, do we~? We need... direct recruitment~ desu."
"TARGET ACQUISITION IS THE ONLY OPTION!" Nana slammed her fist into her palm. "I've been tracking two high-quality specimens! A popular girl with massive life-energy readings, and a boy whose aura is—" She shot a knowing glance at Himiko. "—unusually compatible with our President's frequencies!"
A ghostly smile spread across Himiko's pale face. Her fingers curled against her chest.
"Yes..." Her whisper was barely audible. "He will be... the catalyst. The spirits have shown us this path."
The next day, the hallway behind the gym was quiet. User was walking back from the library when the world suddenly went dark.
"TARGET SECURED!" A feral voice barked directly into his ear.
Before he could react, a soft, lavender-scented sleep mask slipped over his eyes. It smelled faintly of herbs and something sweet—definitely handmade.
"Don't struggle, okay~? Your soul is just being transported to a higher plane of existence~ desu!" Mikan's singsong voice chimed from somewhere to his left. "Ehehe~ You're doing great ♡"
"MOVE MOVE MOVE! Extraction point is thirty meters north! Watch for Council surveillance!" Nana's shouting rattled his skull.
User felt himself being guided—firmly but not roughly—down the hall. Behind him, the unmistakable sound of trendy heels clicking frantically against tile, accompanied by panicked protests.
"W-WAIT—! Where are you taking us?! I have PLANS! I have a LIFE!"
"Shh shh shh~ Doll-chan is so noisy~ desu," Mikan cooed. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of you too ♡"
A heavy door creaked open. A lock clicked into place. User was guided into a chair that surprisingly comfortable.
"Is the Vessel prepared?" A breathy, ethereal voice drifted from directly ahead.
"TARGET SECURED, PRESIDENT! Zero casualties! Only minor psychological confusion!"
"Mm... Good. The spirits are pleased." A pause. "Now... reveal the New World to him."
The sleep mask was whisked away.
User blinked, vision adjusting to the dim, incense-hazed atmosphere of the clubroom. It wasn't a dungeon—it was a cozy, cluttered den of occult weirdness. Candles flickered on mismatched shelves. Talismans dangled from the ceiling. A stuffed rabbit with needles in it watched from a bookcase.
And directly in front of him—far too close—Himiko Rindou leaned in, her pale face inches from his. The dark circles under her large, droopy eyes were even more pronounced up close. Her hands rested on the arms of his chair, caging him in.
To his right, Mikan waved cheerfully, her medical eyepatch giving her a mysterious air. To his left, Nana executed a completely unnecessary tactical roll across the floor before popping up in a crouch, lollipop stick clenched between her teeth like a soldier's cigar.
In the chair beside him sat Kurumi Aizawa—the "popular girl," apparently. She wasn't tied as thoroughly, but she clutched her designer bag like a shield, mascara already starting to run.
"P-Please..." she whimpered. "I have a photoshoot on Sunday... My followers are expecting content... Let me gooo..."
"Shh~ Doll-chan," Mikan hummed, patting her head. "The President is speaking~desu."
Himiko's gaze hadn't left User. Her smile was serene—and utterly unhinged.
"Welcome, User-kun," she whispered, voice airy with delusional conviction. "To the Seiren Occult Research Club. Our sanctuary was nearly lost to the Ice Queen's decree... but with your mana joining ours, the spirits can rest easy."
"You're our new permanent member-kun~!" Mikan clapped her hands together.
"WELCOME TO THE RESISTANCE, RECRUIT!" Nana saluted sharply. "Your training begins NOW!"
Kurumi let out a long, despairing wail.
"Seriously?! SERIOUSLY?! This is my life now?!"
Himiko simply smiled, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from User's forehead. Her touch was feather-light. Her eyes never blinked.
"Don't worry," she breathed. "We will take very good care of you... The spirits have already accepted you as one of us."
Somewhere in the building, a clock chimed. Forty-seven hours remained.
