Time's Secret Wardrobe

final bell chimed, laughter and footsteps echoed through the hallways, students eager to escape into the freedom of after-s

or, adjusting the sapphire earring on her left lobe. The delicate jewel ca

he student council since her first year, top of her class, heir to the Kanzuki conglomerate, and blessed wit

tion is of

of the room, his hoodie drawn up around his face. He hadn't meant to be there. He had come in earlier, deliv

behind the large leather chair. And Kaito-timid, awkward, and cursed with a

gan changing her earrings and humming softly, it had felt impossible to i

them, revealing a hidden panel inside the cabinet. She reached in and pulled out a pair of peculiar earrings-black teard

t his imagination, or

he strange earr

ulb above

a heartbeat-smiled a b

Kaito's ears, and a pulse of invisible

-sil

em, Arisa was fac

eath c

ve seen him. She

ferent from the bright warmth she wore in public. Her smi

't be here,

I didn't mean to-! I came to dr

w the e

ven know w

eels made no sound on the poli

y. "I won't tell

d, as though amused.

snapped h

om dis

ruck from all sides. Light spun into darkness, and the sense of gravity-of

Kaito found himself standing in the ha

ed. Everything

no

d dipped lower, but not by much. The hallway was still bathed in

looke

ox of science equipment. The sa

't drea

one back

______

didn't speak, barely breathed. He didn't know what scared him more, the strange, otherworldly earrings or the e

e those

risa Kanz

nding at the memory of her reflection moving out of sync. It made his skin crawl. He grabbed his ph

th

loved her. No scandals, no controversies

new he hadn't ima

the stairs like a queen surveying her kingdom, offering smiles and polite no

hing had

books. He didn't make eye contact. But his ears st

elegant. "Don't forget, council elections are

dents c

kept w

__________

om at all costs. But curiosity was a cruel master. Every time he blinked, he saw those

aranoia. No

d noticin

ched her left ea

council room without c

ors that weren't

ought he could do anything about it, but somet

_

Entry #1:

Not seconds. Whole minutes. Maybe more. It didn

_

2: The

Not in a literal sense, but the air changed when s

_

Arisa's

she knew I didn't belong there. And she di

_

ook and stared

r end of the school rooftop, away from the usual couples and loners w

al p

s only one w

o see her d

_______

pply room adjacent to the council chamber early, long before Arisa arrived. The supply clos

wai

poun

PM, Aris

on

the door.

pened the hidden panel, and p

ito noticed s

isa seemed to stiffen, as though preparing herself for something sacred or

ke before, re

ime, Kaito

cord on h

aito clutched the phone to his chest, prayi

h

kne

le

n

bli

stood outside t

in

e in

reco

eath and check

as t

distorted,

onto his face, equal pa

ad p

when he saw somethin

rrings, Arisa had turned.

he'd

into t

t at