The next morning, the sun rose over the city as if the previous night's horrors had never happened. Gyau marched toward his friends, a wide, triumphant grin plastered across his face.
"Hey! Look at this, boys!" Gyau announced, waving a stack of bills. "I managed to collect 5,000 Yen for our little excursion last night. Here, Kawsoki, 1,500 for you. And Rio, 1,500 for you as well."
Kawsoki stared at the money in his hand and then squinted at Gyau. "Wait a second... that means you're keeping 2,000 for yourself? How's that fair?"
"Hey, I'm the one who had to go and collect the cash!" Gyau shot back, crossing his arms. "I told you guys to come with me, but you refused. I had to pay for my own train fare and everything. Are you really going to complain about the split after I did all the legwork?"
Rio chuckled, waving off the tension. "It's fine, Kawsoki. Let it go. We're just lucky to be alive, let alone getting paid."
As they entered the classroom, the usual morning chatter was replaced by a heavy, anxious buzz. Groups of students were huddled together, whispering frantically.
"Did you hear? There was a murder near the district last night," one girl whispered.
"Yeah, my brother told me the police are baffled. They're saying it wasn't a normal crime... that it might be related to a 'monster' sighting," a boy replied, his face pale.
The news was spreading like wildfire. Gyau pulled out his phone, showing a leaked photo from a local news forum. "Look at this... the victim's body was torn apart. The wounds are incredibly deep and jagged. It's definitely not human work."
As Rio looked at the photo, a familiar, chilling voice resonated within his mind.
"Hmph... I can feel it," Neroli whispered, her tone filled with a dark, predatory excitement. "That scent... one of my fragments is nearby."
Rio felt a shiver run down his spine. He pressed his palm against his forehead, trying to suppress the entity. 'Shut up, Neroli. Can't you just stay quiet for once? My head is killing me.'
"Don't be so grumpy, boy. You should be thanked that I'm alerting you. One of my 'selves' is out there, and they aren't as 'chill' as I am."
Rio sighed, leaning back in his chair. He hated this. He was a high school student with cursed marks on his soul, sitting in a room full of ordinary kids who were gossiping about a murder that he was indirectly connected to.
The classroom remained loud with theories and fear, but Rio stayed silent. He knew the truth. The peace they were enjoying was a fragile glass about to shatter, and the monster responsible for those deep wounds might be closer than they ever imagined.