NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48: Yuki
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Yuki raised her hand and knocked on the door, as she stood in front of her best friend's house, the sound echoing faintly in the crisp morning air.
She was currently in the Organization. It looked like a small village. Houses, small and rustic yet sturdy, clung to the branches of massive, ancient trees, their wooden frames weathered but cared for. About twenty of them hung at varying heights, connected by narrow ladders that creaked and swayed with every step.
Beneath the treetop dwellings, another cluster of houses formed a circle, their walls adorned with climbing vines and small, blooming flowers. In the heart of this circular formation lay an empty lot.
Her friend appeared at the door, a playful smile lighting up her face. She wore a short, swaying purple skirt and a simple black shirt that clung lightly to her form, hinting at her curves without being too revealing. A few strands of her hair fell over her eyes, which sparkled as she leaned slightly forward, giving Yuki a teasing glance.
"Hi!" she exclaimed, her voice cheerful and warm.
Yuki stepped inside her friend's house, her movements quick but slightly unsteady, like she was trying to hide the nervous flutter in her chest. The warm, cozy interior contrasted sharply with her racing thoughts.
Her friend's eyes narrowed slightly, noticing the way Yuki's fingers fidgeted and the quick glances she cast around the room. "What's wrong?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with concern.
Yuki parted her lips, but no sound escaped. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, too chaotic to form into words, and even she couldn't fully grasp what had happened. Her eyes darted around the room, desperate for some way to explain.
She looked down, and her breath caught in her throat. A sharp, panicked gasp escaped her lips. "It's gone!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly.
"Gone what?" her friend asked, brow furrowed in genuine confusion.
"You know what!" Yuki snapped, her finger trembling as it pointed downward, at the hem of her skirt. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and her voice wavered with a mix of panic and embarrassment.
Her friend's eyes widened instantly, the color draining from her face as understanding clicked into place. "Are you saying you… cut it off???" she gasped, her tone a mixture of horror and disbelief.
"No!" Yuki shouted, her voice trembling as her hands flailed helplessly. "It just… disappeared!"
Her friend's eyes widened, a mix of disbelief and curiosity. "How?" she asked, leaning in slightly, the sway of her skirt and the tilt of her head unintentionally drawing Yuki's attention.
"I don't know, Mary!" Yuki cried, taking a shaky step backward, her heart racing. "Suddenly… it just became… female…" Her cheeks burned crimson, and she felt an almost magnetic awareness of her friend standing so close
Mary blinked a few times, clearly struggling to process what she was hearing. "Did you… eat something bad?" she asked, her voice tinged with both bewilderment and a hint of amusement, as if part of her wanted to laugh but didn't dare.
"I… I don't know!" Yuki yelled, throwing her hands up in frustration. Her chest heaved, and her cheeks burned from embarrassment.
"Have you… tried, you know…?" Mary asked, her voice dripping with teasing suggestion as she swayed her hips back and forth, hands held out, on her skirt's level, like she was presenting something forbidden. Her grin was impossibly sly, eyes glinting with mischief, and there was an almost childish glee in the way she leaned forward, daring Yuki to react.
Yuki shot her a sharp, incredulous look, one eyebrow arched, clearly unimpressed by her friend's antics.
"Sorry…" Mary said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly, though the faint glint of mischief in her eyes refused to vanish. "But you really should try… Especially with the table…" Her words trailed off as a tiny bead of drool escaped her lips, betraying the degenerate little thought dancing through her mind. It was impossible not to notice how completely and utterly Mary was lost in her own naughty imagination.
"Please stop…" Yuki pleaded, her voice tight with a mix of embarrassment and desperation.
"Or maybe… Velurian…" Mary continued, the word rolling off her tongue with a teasing lilt. She licked her lips slowly, her hand inching provocatively down toward her legs, completely ignoring Yuki's protests.
Yuki's patience snapped. With a sharp step forward, she brought her hand up and slapped her friend across the face.
SMACK! The sound echoed through the room, and Mary blinked, stunned, her cheek reddening instantly.
Yuki's chest heaved, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and exasperation, while Mary's mischievous grin threatened to return, despite the sting.
"Stop it!" Yuki shouted, her voice cracking with frustration, hands trembling from the tension in the room.
Mary lowered her head, her mischievous grin fading into a sheepish frown. "Sowwy…" she muttered quietly.
BOOM!
Without warning, a massive explosion ripped through the air, shaking the walls and rattling the floor beneath their feet.
Yuki and Mary burst out of the house, their hearts pounding. In the very center of the small cluster of treehouses and ground-level homes, a gigantic egg loomed.
It wasn't like any ordinary egg they had ever seen — no delicate chicken shell, no smooth serpent casing. This was a colossal, translucent orb.
Inside, layers of gelatinous membrane encased a murky shadow, a twisted, writhing form that moved with disturbing purpose. It spun slowly, then thumped against the shell with sudden, jerky motions, as if testing the limits of its confinement. The faint, wet sloshing sound of its movements echoed eerily, sending a shiver down both girls' spines. For a moment, neither of them could speak, frozen in awe and fear before the strange, otherworldly life contained within that shimmering prison.
"C-c-cataclyst…" Yuki muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes remained glued to the enormous egg, her chest tightening with disbelief and fear.
"What do we do…?" Mary asked, her usual teasing tone gone, replaced by genuine apprehension. Her eyes darted nervously between the houses and the monstrous orb, and for the first time, her playful grin was absent.
"We need help…" Yuki said, her voice steadying with determination, though a faint tremor betrayed her worry.
"From who…?" Mary asked, biting her lip.
"Stay here. I'm going to get… Kai and Mei," Yuki replied, her gaze hardening.
Yuki raised her hand, closing her eyes as she focused every ounce of her energy. The air around her shimmered and warped, forming a small, pulsating yellow bubble that radiated warmth and light. With a soft whoosh, the world around her blurred — and then she vanished.
Moments later, she reappeared in the quiet of a safe house. Relief was short-lived. WHAP! A sharp hit struck her neck, sending her stumbling backwards.
Yuki hit the floor, clutching her neck instinctively, a small groan escaping her lips. "I knew something like this would happen…" she thought, her chest tightening with a mix of annoyance and resignation.
Mei's fingers tangled in Yuki's hair, yanking her head up sharply. "I can't believe you decided to show up… after killing my brother…" she hissed, teeth clenched, eyes blazing with fury. Her grip was firm, unyielding, leaving no doubt about the storm simmering beneath her composed exterior.
Yuki swallowed hard, her throat tight. "I… I need your help…" she managed to gasp, careful not to move her head too much.
"Now you're asking for help? I'll give you some help!" Mei snapped, her fist rising with deadly intent. The air around her seemed to thrum with the weight of her anger, ready to explode at any second.
Before her strike could land, Kai stepped in, his hand gripping hers firmly. The force of his hold was enough to stop her mid-motion, and she froze, teeth bared but restrained.
"Let's hear her out first…" he said, his voice calm but firm.
Reluctantly, Mei released her grip on Yuki, stepping back a pace, her fists still clenched and eyes narrowing with suspicion and barely restrained frustration.
Yuki swallowed hard, drawing in a deep, steadying breath. Her chest heaved as she pushed through the lingering pain in her neck and the fear that had gripped her moments before. From the floor, she raised her voice.
"Calamity… has appeared in the Organization!" she shouted. Her eyes locked onto Mei and Kai, pleading and commanding at once.
The brother and sister exchanged a measured glance, the weight of Yuki's words hanging heavily in the air.
"And what do we have to do with that?" Kai asked, his tone calm but edged with suspicion, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Please!" Yuki cried, her voice cracking with desperation. She struggled to rise to her knees, then crawled forward toward them, the floor rough beneath her hands. "I'll do anything!" she yelled, her plea echoing through the room, raw and urgent.
Kai and Mei exchanged a quick, knowing glance, the corner of their lips twitching into faint smiles.
"Anything?" Kai asked, his voice calm but carrying a subtle challenge, as if testing how far Yuki would go.
"Yes!" Yuki shouted without hesitation, her eyes blazing with urgency.
Mei studied her for a long moment, tilting her head slightly, her sharp eyes scanning every flicker of expression. Finally, she spoke, her voice low and laced with curiosity. "Why are you so desperate?"
"The Organization… it's my home! I grew up there, and everything I care about is there… I-I don't know what I'd do if something happened to it… Please!" Yuki cried, her voice breaking as she reached out, clutching Kai's hand with all the desperation she could muster. Her eyes shone with earnest fear and determination, every fiber of her being pleading for him to understand just how much was at stake.
Kai's eyes flashed with determination as a grin spread across his face. "Alright… let's go see this Calamity!" he exclaimed.