An Underswap AU: A Tale of Seven Book 1

Entry # 35: A Bloody Encounter

Warning: Mentions of blood and bleeding up ahead.

✨ • ✨ • ✨

The raft brought them straight to the end of another bridge. The children got off their transport and continued traipsing down the wooden planks. The route was bordered by a cliff lined with pillars on their left, and a river invaded by water sausages on their right. Justin, Jaede and Alice walked ahead, while the rest lagged a couple of meters behind them.

"I believe you owe us an explanation." Gerard said, him and Chara gazing expectantly at Viorel. Saturn didn't look up from a certain book she buried her nose into, but the three of them knew that she is listening.

The blunette looked at their other companions treading ahead of them and signed. "Aren't they going to listen too?"

"Too creeped out to notice you were gone." Chara lied smoothly. They're not going to tell Viorel that the others have completely forgotten about him for a short period of time. "If it wasn't for Gerard, I wouldn't have noticed your disappearance either."

Viorel's brows creased. "What happened?"

"You didn't listen to the Echo Flowers?" Chara asked.

"No. I was too busy sketching the Wishing Room."

Saturn hid her relief behind the black hardcover, while Chara's tense shoulders relaxed.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't." Gerard shuddered at the memory. "Trust me."

"What happened?" The blunette repeated.

Gerard and Chara glanced at each other with uncertainty.

"The flowers started echoing our voices." Saturn replied, still not looking up from the book.

"Don't they naturally do that?" Viorel questioned.

"Well yes but no. The thing is, none of us have whispered any wishes to the flowers at all." Chara said, running his left digits through his dark brown hair. "How those plants were able to mimic what we sound like without being exposed to our voices is beyond me."

"Now that you know the spook fest we experienced, where were you?" Gerard prodded. One look at Saturn's inquisitive demeanor and Viorel instantly knew that there's no escaping this interrogation.

Heaving in a deep breath, the blunette started signing what he had seen: the chilling black and seemingly empty landscape, the nigh unrecognizable amalgamations lurking about in the darkness and the mysterious child that looked disturbingly similar to Chara. For some reason he can't fathom, he didn't mention that the mysterious child might be spying on them using some sort of misty screen. His siblings' reactions made him wince.

Saturn didn't looked surprised, although she nearly dropped the book; Gerard seemed like he anticipated it; and an ominous shadow loomed over Chara's visage. The red eyed boy is no expert in sign language yet, but his current knowledge is enough for him to understand most of Viorel's story; especially the last part. There are times he really hates it when his hunch is correct.

"Next time you see that kid, stay away from her." Chara hissed venomously. If looks could kill, Viorel would have bitten the dust.

Even though asking a question sounded like an absolutely terrible idea at the moment, his curiosity won him over and he signed, albeit with shaky hands. "Why? Did you know her?"

Chara's glare faltered and he looked away. ". . . I thought I did."

Saturn secretly scoffed at that.