Yumi Of Death

The air in the classroom was heavy, thick with something unseen but oppressive. Yumi stood by the window, her face pale and calm, but her eyes burned with a rage that seemed to warp reality itself.

"Do you think death is cruel?" she asked, her voice slicing through the suffocating silence. "It isn't. Death is fair, just, and inevitable. But humans? They defile it. They make it hideous. They make it *wrong*."

Her words sent a chill down my spine, and as she turned to face me, her fury became tangible. The air around her shimmered like heat waves, and the classroom began to change. Desks cracked and split apart, the walls darkened with spreading stains of blood, and the ceiling warped as if it were caving in.

"I warned them," she continued, her voice low and venomous. "Every soul has a destined end. But some refuse to accept it. They twist fate, mock me, and spill innocent blood in their greed and desperation."

She shoved a blood-soaked book into my chest. "Read," she demanded. "See what happens when people spit in the face of death."

I didn't want to, but her glare left no room for argument. My hands trembled as I opened the book. The pages were damp, sticky, and smelled of iron and decay. The words seemed to crawl on the page, bleeding into vivid, horrifying images.

---

Her name was Keiko.

At ten years old, she ran away from the nightmare that was her home. Her mother had sold her body to predators, exploiting her for grotesque films that made her the object of sick men's desires.

---

*"Smile, Keiko," a man's voice growled behind the camera. "Do as your mommy says, or you'll both be punished."*

*Keiko's lips quivered as she forced a smile, tears streaming down her cheeks. The bright lights burned her skin, but not as much as the eyes of the men watching her.*

---

I felt bile rising in my throat as the scene played out in my mind. Keiko's small frame trembled as she endured horrors no child should ever know. Then, one rainy night, she escaped.

---

*The rain was relentless, drenching Keiko as she ran barefoot through the dark streets. Her thin dress clung to her bruised skin, and her small hands clutched a torn teddy bear. She didn't look back. She couldn't.*

*"I'll be okay," she whispered to herself, her voice shaking. "I'll be okay."*

---

For three years, she survived on scraps, scavenging through trash bins and fighting off rats. At thirteen, she found a baby abandoned in a dumpster.

---

*The cries pierced the stillness of the alley. Keiko hesitated, then lifted the lid of the dumpster to find a tiny baby, red-faced and wailing. Her heart ached as she scooped the infant into her arms.*

*"Shh, it's okay," she whispered, cradling the baby close. "I'll take care of you. I promise."*

---

She named the baby Hana and became a mother before she was even a teenager. She begged, stole, and sold herself to keep Hana alive, hating every moment of her existence but doing it all for the child.

By the time she turned sixteen, her world was crumbling again. Hana was diagnosed with cancer, and Keiko had no money for treatment. She was desperate when she received the message.

---

*"I know where the mother is. Meet me at the old school building tonight. – The Janitor."*

---

I felt the air grow colder as I turned the page. My hands were slick with sweat and something else—blood, perhaps? The next scene unfolded in vivid, sickening detail.

---

Keiko entered the abandoned school building, clutching Hana's stuffed toy like a lifeline. The janitor was waiting for her, his face obscured by shadows.

*"You came," he said, stepping closer. His smile was crooked and unsettling. "You're even more beautiful now. Just like I remember."*

Keiko's stomach churned. "Where's Hana's mother?" she demanded, her voice trembling. "You said you'd help me."

The janitor laughed, his voice echoing eerily in the empty hall. "Oh, I will... but first, you have to earn it."

Before she could react, he lunged at her, grabbing her wrist.

*"Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing against his grip. "You liar! You monster!"*

He slapped her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground. Blood trickled from her nose as she struggled to her feet, but he was already on her.

*"You're mine now," he growled, pulling a jagged rock from his pocket. "Don't fight it."*

Keiko's screams echoed through the building as he struck her with the rock. Blood splattered across the floor, dark and sticky. She collapsed, her breaths shallow and ragged.

The janitor froze, staring at the blood on his hands. His face twisted in panic.

*"No, no, no..." he muttered. "I didn't mean to—"*

But his fear turned to something darker. He stripped her broken body, his hands shaking as he committed unspeakable acts.

When he was done, he dragged her lifeless body to the rooftop and tossed it over the edge. It hit the ground with a sickening crunch, her limbs twisting unnaturally. Blood pooled around her, soaking into the concrete.

---

The book fell from my hands, hitting the floor with a wet slap. I doubled over, gagging, but nothing came out.

Yumi's voice snapped me back. "Do you see now?" she said, her tone sharp and icy.

I looked up and saw her—the girl. Keiko. She was chained to a chair, her body mangled and bloodied. Her face was a mask of pain and sorrow, her lips trembling as she sobbed.

"Help me," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Please... I don't want to be here anymore."

Her hands, raw and bleeding, clawed at the chains. Her tears mixed with the blood on her cheeks, dripping to the floor in a slow, steady rhythm.

Yumi stepped forward, her shadow stretching across the room like a demon's. "This is what regret looks like," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "And this... this is justice."

I reached out to Keiko, but the room shifted again. The walls twisted, the air filled with her screams.

Yumi grabbed my hand, her grip ice-cold. "Now you understand," she said, her lips curling into a dark smile. "It's time to find the bastard who did this. And when we do, we'll make him *beg* for death."For "Death isn't cruel—it's honest. Humans make it cruel with their sins." Let's go Kaito-kun.