Trapped

The floating ashes now started to move as if they were hit by a strong breeze, Akai looked up mesmerized; her eyes became dry from crying. The ashes flew in the sky like they were dancing in it to make her happy. Whatever it was it did work because now she was smiling peacefully. The ashes now made small animals which waved their paws and birds which waved their wings to say 'hi' to her. Akai laughed with joy, laughed to her hearts content.

"HEEEY!!! Thank you so much, for saving me and my friends!!!!" she shouted her lungs out "whoever you are thank you. I am in debt to you; if you ever need any help feel free to call me. I hope to see soon"

Huge thumps up was made the ashes, accepting her gratitude then it dispersed and turned into small butterflies, crystal ones at that, purple, indigo, pink and baby blue colors and more to describe but couldn't. Such glamourous sight which no one has ever seen she thought. The reflections of glowing butterflies reflected in her blue eyes like live galaxy, swirling around in front of her. They flew towards Akai and past the barrier as if it didn't even exist, they swarmed around her blissfully, in no sec she was diving in the ocean full of butterflies. She reached them with both hands in their own sides, slight breeze made her hair wave. A moment which she wished she stayed in forever.

Minute later the butterflies fluttered away and faded into thin air. Akai sighed disappointed, for it lasted short time. She stared at the clear blue sky and smiled softly. She inhaled a long breath and "I want meet you even more now!" She grinned wide saying that, she was happy that someone saved her life, when she thought she would die. When she glanced down, a beautiful crystal butterfly was lying on the ground; she picked it up. "Is this thing dead?" she thought it was one of those beautiful butterflies "I should burry it" said feeling sorry for it "or should I keep it" Akai stared at the butterfly for minutes and finally decided to keep it.

Later she went back inside the school. In the shadows of the school someone smiled at her and disappeared in the dark, though Akai never noticed that. She went to the school reception to try and call the police or any other available help services but all of them ended up in failure for there was no signal to begin with. She was furious from the telephone.

"You damn" she said "go to hell!"

Later she started to wrestle the telephone as if it was her worst enemy, she tore of the wire and smashed it to ground and even after that there was no scratch on it. She grits her teeth hard looking at her worst enemy it tougher than those vile creatures she fought not long ago.

"This damn hell phone" she said angrily abut then she had very uneasy feeling "wait, something is wrong" Akai looked at the direction of the corridor she and the others came through.

She took a quick scan of the reception hall's every crook and cranes. It was empty and very quiet, cold sweat run through her neck as she realized that she was the only one in the whole school which was filled with dead people. Her heartbeat started racing louder and her legs were shivering now. Akai turned to the door which leads out of the reception hall and inside the school. She gulped while moving forward to check weather if there were any monsters left inside, slowly opening the door, peeping in for any dangers, she sighed in relief as there was no one or any monsters there, the coast was clear, She walked in, stood in front of the corridor behind which had the miserable scene.

This time however she didn't have any ounce of courage or bravery to even take a step near it, Akai dug her fingers in the skirts of her school uniform. Her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her body, she trembling with fear from what's to come next. She was fooling around a minute ago and she was brave enough to kill those beasts half an hour ago so what happened now?

"I was never brave to begin with, I was scared to point I wished I was dead instead" she thought, tears walled her eyes "but I had no choice. I wanted to go home; I had to protect my friends. I had to act brave and stand as a light of hope for them, so I could make them move and not stay and die front me. My dear friends knew that I was trembling inside like a child, who got lost in the streets. I wasn't brave, I never will" she cried, whishing someone could hug her or that this was all just a bad dream.

Akai cried and released all her emotions which she was holding back the whole time, everyone was questioning that how can someone can be so brave at times like this, "she clearly is inhumane" she remembered what someone said behind her back sometimes ago, "but I am not I am human too you know, I was the one who was frightened the most. Yet, I stood up to light the torch which no one had the guts to do it. Why is no one here to be my light" Akai hit floor with hands until they bled "why am I always alone when I needed company? Why?"

She tucked her knees up to her body and wrapped herself around them, taking uneven gasps for air "why.." A memory popped in her mind, it was times when her friends used to ask why she wasn't scared of the horror movies, what she replied was that she was never afraid of dead, for if the person was scared of death he will be scared of everything around him.

"How shameful Akai, you lied, you lied to yourself" Akai said to herself "the God will not accept this sin of yours. He is always there with you to the end, so get UP! Get on your damn knees already"

Akai pulled herself together and placed her hand on the door to push it open. She narrowed her eyes, filled with determination to face whatever was on the other side of the door. Taking a deep breath and she push the door open.

"Eh" she stood froze in disbelieve.

She pushed opened the door wider. And she was confused of the situation, there was nothing there it was clear, there was not a single drop of blood, no bodies that were ripped apart, no claw marks on the wall. The smell of fresh blood which she smelt when first seeing hallway still remained in head, but there was no blood, it was vacant. Everything felt like a lie. Taking one step at a time she was moving in the hall way, touching walls the where she had seen the deep claw marks, trying to check whether she was hallucinating or not. The more she pressed her fingers against the wall, it became more obvious that she was not imaging things.

What Akai concluded from this was that the monsters which were inside the school had also turned into ashes just like the outside ones and somehow got cleaned all the bodies, might be the work of that mysterious stranger. Even all the classroom's arrangements were back to how they were this morning. She inspected the entire school for any sign of anyone except for herself, but there was none. She went back to the reception and outside it, tried the push through the magical barrier, only to hurt self-more. The bruises and scratches had increased; her clothes became dirtier, full of dust and grass water from where she would fall. Some parts of her skirt tore and her shirt turned from white to sweaty dust brown.

"groooowl"

"It's not even afternoon or recess time, yet my stomach is growling. I am hungry, where will I find food?" Akai looked around "oh! The school canteen! It will have so many delicious foods, oh all the curry and chicken sandwiches, popcorns, monsta cookies, mango and orange juice, and many chocolates and chocolate biscuits. My mouth is watering by the thought of it. They are all mine since I am the only one here. heheheeh"

She left her post and went to the canteen which was detached from the school and was in opposite of the school playground. But unknown to her the canteen was locked and the keys disappeared with the security guard. Therefore she searched for the tool box in the mechanic room; she was looking for hammers to break the lock. She found them and yet she took the whole box, as she thought that it might be helpful in something later on. The canteen door was locked with a 'lock'.

"My school is cheap" she said making an uninterested face "no buddy will know I broke it anyway"

Breaking the lock with the hammer, she entered the canteen. It was full of delicious food, all what she wanted and she will be the only one enjoying them until someone comes to her rescue. Akai started filling her school backpack as much as she can with the food, while also stuffing her mouth with chocolate cookies. After a while-

"Man, I'm staffed. Too bad Lily and Kiara wasn't here"

After filling her stomach, she put many food boxes in the heavy trolley and took them inside the reception. Under the big reception table she laid a mattress, two pillows and window currents from the school's infirmary, first aid box in case of an emergency and she also collected the phones which were left behind by the teachers.

"I will start calling with them soon after I get settled here, I also have knives from the pantry. My food and water is beside me and I have to block the doors of the reception which will lead inside the school."

Saying that she put her plan in motion, one by one, pushing and pulling all the heavy metal chairs to the both the doors on the left and right. It took so much time that it was almost noon, later Akai sat outside the reception, on the stairs. The number of questions piled up in her head, as the seconds go by her worriedness increased about her friends and family. She sighed and smiled, looking in the sky because she knew God will help them.

After a while a throbbing pain rushed in her body like millions of needles prickled one by one. The pain of the cuts and bruises had finally caught up to her.

"Damn it, I didn't realize that I was in so much pain." She said while hugging herself tightly, her eyes were shielded with the wall of tears "I ignored them for so long and now after letting my body rest, it has finally…agh! Damn this pain.it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much, god, damn it" she couldn't breathe properly

Akai shivered in pain. She inhaled heavily hopping it would ease the raging pain within her, and did work the pain slowly eased a little and she could breathe again, to lighten her own mood she begun to sing for herself

The name of the ship.... Aaah damn I don't know, another one then, ahem, ahem."

"Last night, all I think about is you…. And I don't know the rapping part, eesh. I miss my headphones right now by the way the pain started to fade, in that case I will continue with singing"

Akai past her boring and waiting time by eating good food and singing songs till it was evening and the sun was about to set, 'rival' was her last song for the day.

"By now I would have gone to feed the pigeons in my roof" she looked at the red sky of the dusk "everyone probably went back home, back to their family. I want too want go home, even though there were so many times when I said I hated staying there I still want to back. Home is home no better place to back other than home. Family is everything. I wonder what mum and dad are doing now; I bet that they worried sick about me" Biting her lips, Akai looked for any sign of human but was disappointed by the emptiness "I am all alone in this empty school, it's scary. It's cold too. Why are the police not arrived yet, sigh! I will go to sleep then, I am tired" she yawned "Too sleepy"

She crawled under the reception desk, where the mattress was laid. She then removed her shoes and socks and sat on it, covering the area under the desk where she was lying down with the curtains from the infirmary. Keeping her sword next to her, she let her hair free to sleep comfortably.

Before falling asleep she prayed to God, then hugged the pillow and fell asleep, her ebony black hair on the thin white sheets which she used as a blanket was just like a pencil sketch that was drawn by an artist. Anyone from the outside would think that the curtain is just a decoration and no one can ever guess that someone was sleeping underneath it. Winter hasn't begun, yet it was very cold outside. Akai fell in deep sleep.

Outside the school, a person was approaching from the darkness in front of the school. A man with tanned skin and hair black as the night waving from the soft breeze, he wore long marine blue over coat. He walked past the barrier like it never exists and went into the reception hall; his shadow reached the reception desk under which Akai was sleeping, peacefully. He walked to where she was as if he already knew that someone was underneath and sat on the sheet of cloth which Akai laid because the floor was too cold for her feet, he near where Akai was sleeping and waited for her to wake up, but never bothered to wake her up.

The warm rays of morning sun that lighted the whole reception and the sound of goats grazing outside woke her up. There was farm near her school which had little goats to take care of in the early morning. Moving in the mattress, she realized that it wasn't her comfy bed at home. She sighed in disappointment, covering her eyes with her right arm. Raising up while closing her and bumped her head under the desk.

"Ah…I fargot that IEEE (I) wash (was), haaah sleeping in the school" yawning which was clearly meant she didn't get enough sleep last night "nobody came to rescue me, I see"

She moved the currents while still closing her eyes; her long hair slithered from her shoulders and across her face, she brushed her messy lock of hair from her face to back of her head. Creating a path to see clearly, she kept yawning. After getting out of the self-made bed, Akai starched her body; the warm sunlight was beautiful and reflected in her blue eyes as she opened them.

"It's amazing out here, the problem is that only I am enjoying it" she said that looking outside the open space in front of the school, as she looked down, she saw the man who was sleeping while sitting up "holy shit! What the hell?" she with surprise

She stared at the man, scanning his unusual looks and clothing and the beautiful features of his face. He had sharp jawline followed by straight bridge of his nose, lips that were thin but strong and muscular. His hair was black and little crooked, yet smoothly combed. The unusual part was that about the way he is dressed, the clothing seemed from the ancient era when the British ruled, his skin was tanned as the milk chocolate like Asians, and on the contrary he looked nothing like them.

It didn't bother her for long because she concluded that he was just wearing a costume.

"He was sleeping here all night and didn't care to wake me up, he must be feeling cold. Right should I cover him up with the blanket?"

On the other the man was awake; he was just pretending to fall asleep to see her reaction. He was very great at it that Akai did not suspect a thing. Akai proceeded on covering the man with blanket, when man suddenly spoke.

"I don't appreciate been stared at" he said, closing his eyes.

"Oh god, you're awake" she jumped "I am sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, sir"

"Don't bother, I wasn't sleeping." He said with a slight smile, his oceanic blue eyes glimmered at her amusing and awkward reaction.

"ok-ay, this is embarrassing" she thought

"Shouldn't you be cautious of strangers?" he asked her "I thought parents teach those to their children"

"You don't look dangerous" she replied

"Is that so? How do you know for sure?" he asked her feeling amused at her reply.

"Yes, because I felt like it" while raising her eyebrows as if he asked a weird questions.

"What if I was dangerous?" he asked her again.

"Then I will run"

"What if I caught you?"

"Wait, wait, wait, does that mean you are a bad guy?" she asked doubtfully "and I should run now?"

"No, I am saying that you should be careful. You can never know what is inside a person's heart" he advised her.

"What is inside yours?" she asked him directly.

"It's a secret"

"Okay, then" Akai didn't want to about things that won't benefit her now, and meddling in someone's isn't her hobby "What are you doing here? In the school I mean." Akai asked him.

"I came here because I saw light at night"

"Why were you even walking outside, in the middle of the night, also when 'human massacre' was going on....Monsters? Monster" she finally remembers the incident that happened yesterday "hey!! Have you seen any humanoid creatures out there, outside the school? Or any people? How did you get in anyway? Does that weird barrier not work on you too? Besides who are you? Why are you wearing these weird costumes? Was there a function nearby..."

In a second she asked all that to him. The man was perplexed to which he question of hers should answer first. Noticing his confusion on his face akai stopped asking more questions.

"Sorry about that I was just worried that's all" she apologized to him "do you mind giving me fifteen minutes? I need to freshen up"

"Sure"

"Thanks you, be here I'll be back" saying that she headed to the school bathrooms from outside the reception.

Twenty minutes later.

"So sorry, I forgot that I blocked most of the doors so I had to take roundabout, ya see" she while sounding idiotic.

The man looked at her raising a brow which was very obvious that what he meant by it.

"Heheheeh" Akai laughed awkwardly "ahem, then, AA right. Do excuse me for late introduction, I am Akai Razaar; may I ask what your name is?"

"She completely changed her tone" the man thought and then he replied "I am Caligo Von Oblivion"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Oblivion" Akai starched her hand to him for a handshake.

"She can even talk formally, I see. This girl is a person who changes her attitude in seconds, if needed." He smiled at her "likewise, but [he looked at her hand]

"I see you don't like shaking people's hands" she said.

"What?" he asked sounding puzzled "no I didn't mean that, here"

"It's alright, don't be shy to tell what you don't like" she smiled

"Right….." he whispered

"You must be famished? Here" she bought a packed sandwich to him.

"What is this?"

"Its food, aren't you hungry?"

Akai sat on the desk and started munching on her sandwich; Caligo sat by her side on a chair, and then opened the sandwich packet. As Akai was eating she noticed that Caligo was looking at the packet as if it was his first time.

"What is he doing?" she thought, staring at him.

"Why are you staring?" he asked

"Oh, nothing much" she said "just that you look like European, that's all"

"Who are they?" he asked

"They are from Europe that's why we them European. They are Asia's neighbor but different in culture" she calmly explained him, looking at the scenery "may I know where you are from? and who exactly are you?"

"You are asking now? After so long?" he said

"Yes why? Is it weird being polite?"

"It's not" he said "but that's what anyone would do first, in your case"

"Then they are just rude and I am polite" she smirked "now please tell me"

"I am Caligo Von Oblivion and I am a mercenary from Yuuke Empire, which is for you is another world."

"You are kidding?"

"stop looking at me like I am some sort of crazy person" irritated as he said "and why are you so far away?!"

"Taking precautions"

"Yeah I can see that"

"Sir, are you telling the truth?" she said narrowing her eyes

"Yes I am"

"Then prove it"

"How"

"Magic, show magic" she said "because I think I saw it yesterday"

"What kind?" he asked confidently

"Destroy the barrier"

Caligo agreed and went outside the school, near the barrier which kept Akai inside. He stretchered out his hand and touched the invisible wall, it can't be seen yet it can be felt. He was very calm when he said

"Destroy"

The barrier begun to crack and it quickly spread all around the school, in seconds the whole barrier had broken into pieces. The shards were like pieces of broken glass but before they could reach the ground they turned to atoms. Akai watched the unbelievable sight of magic; no words could express what she had seen.

"Holy shit" she said "it's real magic"

"You still don't believe me?" he said

"No not that" she said "it's a compliment here, in this world. I mean who would have thought that magic is real. In my world it only exists in movies and Disney fairy tales."

"What are those?"

"Things for entertainments" she said "I can show you later, if you want that is"

Akai stepped out of the reception and went near him, still looking around for any sign of magic there might be.

"You believe in things too easily"

"Off course not, I wouldn't be like this if I hadn't already witnessed some" she said "yesterday"

After that Caligo explained what actually happened and why monsters suddenly appeared in this world. Supposedly, the key that links to gates of different worlds and multiverses was stolen several thousands of years ago, everyone thought it was lost but then some three days ago it reappeared in the demon world and that someone had used it to open the 'world gate'. Caligo along with few others came to this world (earth) to check the condition and if they can help.

"But I never expected that it would be this bad" he said with seriousness in his tone, and looked at Akai "what's with that reaction?"

"Oh! Nothing, I was just thinking about what you said about 'different worlds, gates and …multiverses?' omg" she said excitedly "that's awesome, it's like a fantasy come true though it is hard to believe"

"You are weird"

"No, it's not like that. I mean I am a modern person so it's nothing weird, this is cool but not the monsters brutality killing part, ahem" She cleared her thought "more importantly what will you do now?"

"I cannot tell you that"

"Sure, why not" she replied immediately

"Just like that"

"Yep, since you can't tell, I won't ask" she said then sighed "I live in 21st century, where compassion and worriedness for others do not exist. People only care about them" she paused to give him time to process, "now that there is no barrier holding me, I will leave the school"

"To where?" he asked

"To home, to my family" she smiled "please I need your help"

"Okay"

"I need your help to return home because you look strong and I am just a defenseless fifteen years old kid who has no idea of any danger outside." Akai explained "also just because I have a sword doesn't mean I can use it, okay, it was gifted to me. My house is just two to three kilometers away, in the walking distance so it's not that hard. So please will come with me?..."

"Alright"

"For real, that was easy thank you so much I appreciate it"

Akai thanked him as if she never expected him to agree by his answer.

***