---

---

The previous chapter may be worth reading first if you have not already done so. To access the previous chapter, click the button below.

---

Chapter 16

The Swarm In The Tower

Several boxes lay strewn about the battered façade of the Spook House. Much of the ornate wood was splintered or riddled with bullets, and the railing over the upper loft had been reduced to jagged spikes of varying lengths. The once grand counter now stood as a mangled specter, with large chunks missing from its top. Shiori was unboxing brand-new glasses for the freshly replaced wall rack when he heard a knock at the door.

An older man with slicked black hair and glasses entered the building. “Master Kinjo, am I interrupting you?” he asked.

Shiori rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You’ve come to finish me off too, Sir Okabe?”

“Hardly,” the man replied, surveying the damage. “Though it appears to have been a fair, challenging scrap. It’s a shame you’re doing all this alone. Where are your employees?” He cautiously navigated the tarnished wooden floor, avoiding broken slats.

Grumbling, Shiori set down a glass. “Afraid they’ll blow their heads off, I suppose. Probably that or the bombs. I didn’t have the chance to call them up and tell them the war is over.” He glanced at Okabe as he approached a stool and warned him, “My royal guard is still here.”

“Well, I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor,” Okabe said. “Due to time constraints, I’ll keep this brief. I have a message from Empress Kyo.”

Shiori chuckled. “She’s calling herself Empress now? Ah, so that explains it. The Okabe family didn’t seat her or dedicate her, but then she killed most of the superior nobles, so what more could be expected? Sure, she’s Empress, all right—no one left to crown her, so she crowns herself.” He scrutinized Okabe. “So, it was Kyo who killed the others,” he mused. Her youth made it unlikely, but the man’s eyes betrayed the truth: Kyo was behind these violent events.

“You’re aware that the situation between you and the Okabe clan could escalate. I’d hate for it to happen, but if the meddling in our affairs continues, we’ll have no choice.”

“Affairs? What affairs?” Shiori challenged.

“You know exactly what I mean. You seem well-informed about our internal workings. I doubt I need to remind you that spying is a capital crime. We have our suspicions about other subjects. Your silly hologram game has caused our clan an economic nightmare. You’ve been warned.” Okabe turned to leave, but Shiori acted quickly.

Seizing the man’s shoulder, Shiori yanked him face-to-face. “Kyo screwed up. You’re shooting blind. I didn’t deceive the people for who knows how long. You should never have tried to kill me. One call to my clan, and an international war breaks out. If that’s not enough to get Kyo’s attention, maybe this will: Natsukawa’s crimes would be a public embarrassment if they were exposed. Now, get lost. Go lick your master’s boots like a dog.”

Okabe wrenched himself free from Shiori’s grip, smoothing his collar as he looked at Shiori one last time. As he exited through the front doors, he reiterated his warning: “You’ve been warned.”

“Sis!” Jasper cried out, bursting into the room. Apricot, curled up on the couch in her living room, looked up from the sci-fi movie she had been engrossed in for the past few hours. A blanket draped over her provided warmth and comfort. “Look outside!”

Apricot turned her head to see a sea of black swallowing the once blue sky. She pushed the blanket aside and rose to get a better view from the window. “What do you think it is?”

Even a complete cloud cover wouldn’t trigger the streetlights to turn on, yet they were glowing. This was something different. In the distance, the darkness merged into inky smudges that stretched across the sky. Beyond the city limits, blue skies still prevailed. Apricot recalled a documentary she’d seen—when locusts swarmed for food in the wilderness, something similar occurred. “Apricot!” Jasper’s shout jolted her from her thoughts. But this wasn’t the wilderness, and there were no locusts.

“Jasper, stay inside,” she instructed as she walked to the front door. Opening it, she discovered that the ominous sight was indeed an insect swarm. Its cacophonous buzzing resembled rolling thunder or a heavy engine idling. “What in the world?” she murmured, returning inside and shutting the door. Jasper gazed at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Are all the windows closed?” He squinted at her and nodded. “Good. Let’s see what the news has to say about this.”

The siblings settled on the couch, a news report playing in the background. Normally, an event like this would prompt an alert from the authorities, but every station seemed preoccupied with other topics. The absence of recent news reports on the subject wasn’t subtle. Apricot suspected a media blackout, with severe consequences for any journalist or outlet that dared cover the story.

A buzzing sound startled her, and she glimpsed a monstrous image clinging to her side. She let out a small yelp before realizing it was her phone. Picking it up, she saw that Shiori was calling. “Hey,” she answered.

“You busy tonight?” Shiori inquired.

“You asking for a date?” Apricot teased.

“Heh, you wish I was that lonely. Nah, I’m sure you saw the sky. Well, it’s centered on one of the towers owned by the Okabe. I figured we should check it out. You in?” Shiori explained.

Apricot glanced at Jasper. “You’re not asking, are you?”

“No, I’m really not. Cortez is slated to be our navigator. For once, he’s useful. We’ll meet up in about three hours. Can you be here by then?” Shiori asked.

“Yeah, if I must.” Apricot ended the call.

“Was that Sato?” Jasper inquired.

“Another friend—my boss, actually. Hey Jasper, I have to go out. So you stay inside,” Apricot instructed.

“Again!?” Jasper groaned. “I thought we were going to hang out while Mom and Dad were gone.”

“Something came up, and I’ve got to work. Don’t worry, though. We’ll have lots of fun soon. Tell you what: I’ll buy you a model if you don’t pout.”

Jasper pursed his lips and bobbed his head. “Okay, that’s fair.”

“Even with this stupid mask on, it smells so horrible down here!” Apricot lamented, her voice echoing through the dim tunnel. Shiori trailed behind her, his face obscured by a gas mask. They were knee-deep in mucky sewage, their way lit only by the beams of their headlamps.

Cortez, gripping a Western-style sword, led the group. “Hmm, yeah, who came up with this?”

“Tis mine, I got it from my lovely Apricot. It’s not your first time under the city, is it?” Shiori chuckled. As they trudged through the thick, putrid waters, Apricot’s muffled growl could be heard beneath her breath. “Well, how else were we going to get past the barricades? Every SDP officer and news outlet is running the circus. This is probably the best plan. Thank goodness Hajarl had those extra radiation suits. If I do say so myself, I think they work quite well as sewer suits.” Shiori said cheerfully. “However, stop complaining. The ladder into the building is right there.”

Cortez directed his light toward a ladder leading up to an ominous grate. “These bags weigh a ton. What the hell is inside them?” His body ached from carrying the heavy backpacks.

“Torches, well, improvised torches,” Shiori explained as he reached for the ladder’s rungs.

Upon seeing the bagless prince ascending the ladder, Cortez yelled, “Where are your bags? Can you believe this guy?” He said, turning to Apricot.

Apricot raised her hands to her chest, fidgeting. “Well, actually,” she said, turning to the side to reveal that she, too, had no bags with her.

“What the hell? Why am I the only one with bags?”

Shiori called down from the top, “I’m injured, and she’s useful. Makes perfect sense to me.”

“Screw you, man,” Cortez retorted.

Apricot was motioned upward by Cortez, but she laughed and shook her head. “You’re not looking up at my butt.”

“Well, shit, there’s nothing to look at anyway in these baggy things,” Cortez grumbled, grabbing the ladder. “Well, excuse me for being polite.” Tossing the bag out of the hole, Cortez crawled from the dark abyss into the open basement of what appeared to be a warehouse. Shiori shook his blond hair free of the suit as he peeled it from his skin. Lowering his hand into the dark, Cortez helped Apricot up.

Relieved to be free of the suit, Apricot asked, “Do you hear that?” Cortez looked around, and they both noticed a low droning echoing through the building.

Shiori was already rummaging through a bag, retrieving a gas canister and attaching it to a hose. “Here,” he said, tossing the canister to Cortez.

“Whoa!” shouted Cortez as he caught it with the tips of his fingers. “That’s dangerous!”

“You caught it; we’re fine,” Shiori laughed. “Even if you didn’t, I’m sure it wouldn’t blow up.” He reached inside the bag and pulled out a pipe attached to a hose. Turning the knob slightly, he placed the canister on his side and pressed a button to ignite the end of the torch. “Alright,” he readjusted the torch until it was a nice thin beam. “Now, this will deal with any critters we come across.” He pointed to the other trigger. “This will shoot out a spray of mixed chemicals. All you need to know is, if you spray it, it spits fire.”

“But if it’s a phantom we’re after, the torch won’t help us much,” Apricot pointed out.

Shiori nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but I’m thinking the swarms of bugs on the upper floors have more to do with real-life bugs than the phantom itself. Also, we don’t know for sure. We’ll see. Perhaps they’ll be burned by fire. I’ve never done it myself.”

Cortez looked down skeptically. “I’m not about to light fires just to kill a few bugs.”

“Did you see it from outside, or did you forget? The sky is black with swarms around this building,” Shiori reminded him as he began walking down the hall. “Suit yourself, though. I’m about to search the upper floors. Cortez, get familiar with the basement. Apricot, you cover the lower floors. We’ll keep heading up after. If anyone has an issue, send a text.” Shiori disappeared into the darkness with a silver stave slung over his shoulder.

“Like I’m taking orders from him. Come on, let’s stick together, Apricot,” Cortez suggested.

“Actually, I like the idea of covering ground fast,” Apricot said, heading towards a large metal staircase.

“Sure, let’s do that. Let’s split up and get messed up one by one. Just like in the horror movies. Tcha’, damn,” Cortez muttered, drawing his pistol from his side and holding the firearm close to him.

Shiori crunched into the crusty shell of another bug as he walked across the insect-infested floor. The dimly lit corridor seemed to come alive as countless insects crawled along the walls. “PSHHHH!” the torch hissed, setting several insects ablaze. Shiori’s relaxed expression morphed into one of stoic contemplation.

Entering a large office filled with cubicles, the loud humming grew even more intense. The floor’s texture changed from carpet to a black and white checkerboard pattern made of stone. “Mmmmm, I didn’t even realize so many insects existed in this city,” Shiori commented, surveying the hazy room teeming with crawling creatures. From somewhere in the dark, he heard a low, beetle-like screech. Shiori thought to himself, “That sound is from something much larger than a bug. Good, I found you,” he said, lowering his rod. A jingle emanated from the rings on the end of the rod. “And you’re not alone. Maybe an initiation?”

Despite the darkness, two large, glowing red eyes caught his attention, reminiscent of a fly’s eyes. The creature hung from the edge of a cubicle, suspended by its clawed toes. In the flicker of firelight, its thin body glistened like a green jewel. Two large mantis claws adorned its back, while four humanoid arms with long fingers extended from its sides. Each of the creature’s four mandibles twitched with anticipation.

Slowly, Shiori approached the creature, holding up his staff. Inside his head, a searing whisper greeted him, “Fool. Did you come here to die? There are three of you. Where are your friends? They’ll make good meals.” The words resonated in his head like a painful migraine.

“So you’re telepathic. Wish Junko was here,” Shiori said, lunging at the creature with his rod. “Nice trick!” he shouted, slamming his weapon into the insect. The creature blocked the blow with its mantis-like arm. Watching it push off his silver rod, Shiori’s eyes widened. “What are you?! I’ve never met a phantom able to touch silver!”

The creature’s voice echoed in Shiori’s head once more. “I see. You are like him? Phantoms. Kikikikiki!” it cackled. “I am not a phantom but rather a spirit summoned by an agonizing cry! A young girl was slain above, calling out for a god to save her. None answered, so a devil has answered, and I intend to fulfill her final prayer, a curse. Sadly for me, the one who slew her has passed. Still, her blood cries out for vengeance against all the nobles. I have no toil with the blood of a Kinjo; it is the Okabe’s blood I seek.”

Shiori clutched the rod nervously, replying, “Serves them right.” The creature bent down to Shiori’s level, stretching out its head. He felt the warmth and foul odor of its breath wash over his cheek. “I will leave you to your oath.”

Shiori dove backward, narrowly avoiding the creature’s swift strike as it swung its sharp claw at his chest. “I’ve never promised to let you go,” it declared. “I am going to kill you just for the fun of it!” The creature jumped off the cubicle wall onto the ground. Standing at its full height, it towered over Shiori, its scythes rubbing together to create a metallic scraping sound.

Shiori’s heart pounded in his chest as he faced the towering creature. Its scythes continued to scrape together, creating an unnerving symphony of metallic friction. He gripped his silver rod tightly, his knuckles turning white. The air between them seemed to thicken with tension.

Without warning, the creature lunged forward, its scythes slashing through the air with deadly precision. Shiori parried the attack with his silver rod, the metal clashing and sending sparks flying. The two adversaries exchanged a flurry of blows, each maneuvering with agility and skill. Shiori’s thoughts raced as he struggled to keep up with the creature’s relentless assault.

Apricot’s nerves twitched as she walked the dark halls alone under the drone of the buzzing insects. Her gaze darted at every slight noise as she clutched the hilt of her sword, ready to strike at any moment. The unsettling idea that this phenomenon might be caused by a phantom controlling other entities consumed her thoughts. Could this one see through the insects’ eyes? She shuddered.

“Apricot?” She let out a shriek as the voice startled her. Her chest grew heavy as she turned her head to see Sato standing with a camera in hand. “Hey, sorry about scaring you like that. Wow, never thought I would see you here. What’s with the weird clothes? You look like a ninja.” He laughed.

Her heart raced. She had been found out. She had to play it cool. After all, she did not know if she had raised suspicion yet. “Oh, my goodness! Sato! You scared the hell out of me. This place is creepy as it is.”

“Oh, excuse me. I just happened to see a dark figure walking down the hall with a sword. What the heck is with all that stuff, anyway?” Sato asked. She could barely make out his perplexed face in the dim glow of the emergency lights.

Apricot nodded her head. “Yeah, I guess this would look kind of weird. It was an old costume I had. Heh, figured the bugs couldn’t crawl down something so tight. The sword, well, I didn’t want to get mugged in here. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. I know I’m a little paranoid, but I figured it was better than being at someone’s mercy.”

Sato gave a suspicious nod of agreement, though she could tell he found her response strange. A nervous sigh escaped her lips. “Well, ah, I guess I can kind of understand that after all you’ve been through.” Sato took a step forward. “Still, why are you here? How did you get in?”

“I’m investigating the infestation. I wanted a closer look,” Apricot replied, hoping her ruse would escape suspicion. “How did you get in?”

“Yeah, well, I’m kind of here for the same reason. I sneaked past the police. You know this place is under lockdown right now. The police aren’t even coming in. Actually, from what I hear, there are still people trapped in the building. They have strict orders not to enter, though.”

“That’s kind of scary to think about. I hope they turn up. Seems like we both have the same idea,” Apricot laughed. Suddenly, she felt a vibration against her leg. Her eyes widened instinctually. She immediately concealed her reflexive action by adopting a dull expression. One of the guys must have spotted something. “Hey, Sato, I, uh, I got to run.”

Sato shook his head. “I’m not letting you walk around here alone. It could be dangerous. We should stick together.”

The vibration started again. “Really, Sato, I’m fine.”

“I insist,” Sato replied firmly. “I would die of guilt if anything happened to you.” Apricot pursed her lips slightly, blowing a puff of air. “What?” Sato asked.

“I don’t need you to babysit me. I’m fine on my own,” Apricot said. Sato’s expression told her he wasn’t having any of that. “I have to run,” she said to herself, not really wanting to. “Well, Sato. Tell you what. I’ll let you follow me if you can keep up.” She laughed before disappearing into the shadows of the halls.

“Wait!” Her leg started vibrating again as she took random corners down the hall. “Apricot!” Sato shouted as she turned each corner. After twisting and turning in the halls, she arrived at the stairs.

After continuing up and getting on another fire escape, she assumed that Sato was lost. The buzzing of bugs could be heard in the pitch blackness. The surrounding buzz grew stronger as she proceeded up the fire escape. “Thrack!” It was as if a rock had fallen on her. As she raised her hand to her cheek, Apricot could feel a red irritation beginning to form. “Thwack!” Another, then another, and yet another. She was being pelted by a variety of flying insects. As she looked around in the storm, she felt like she was in a movie. Absolute madness. Her heart pounded at the sight of the flashing lights of the police and the crowds growing, motivating her to run faster.

The razor claws of the insects clashed with the metal of Shiori’s segmented staff. Shiori blocked blow after blow from the mantis monster while alternating between her arms. Rotating the staff, Shiori saw his chance after the next block. Overextending the top segment of his staff, he clubbed the creature in the side of the head, causing it to stumble backward.

When the staff whirled towards the creature’s feet, it leaped out of the way flapping its four wings. In a flash, Shiori retracted, and the segments flew back into his hand just in time to block a strike aimed at his side. It was remarkable how far the monster reached, he noted. Although he moved quickly, Shiori felt his stamina ebbing away quickly.

Shiori leaped back, extending out his arm from the chain of his staff so that it was aimed directly at the creature’s head. When the monster whipped its arm, several pieces of its carapace flew into the air, knocking the bludgeon to the ground.

Shiori spun the silver rod around his body and unleashed a crushing blow on the insect. The creature stumbled backward with every strike. He forced the monster into a cubicle, the artificial wall tumbled over into a slope over a desk.

Despite Shiori’s best efforts, the creature grabbed the rod, pulling her closer. Within range of the scythe, Shiori dodged left and right as the blades stabbed at his body. The rod was released when Shiori kicked the animal in its abdomen. A shriek erupted as Shiori withdrew his kick, and blood poured from its side. Seeing the creature stagger, Shiori pulled the rod from its grasp.

Both scythes collided with Shiori’s rods, knocking him back a step. As the blades bit into Shiori’s rod, the power was so great he fell to his knees. As Shiori rose to take another step back, he blocked another pair of blades as he slipped out from the attack. A tide of battle raged between the two, trading blows rapidly without an end in sight.

The creature’s razor scythe slashed through the sheetrock as Shiori rolled aside a wall. It scraped down on the wall as Shiori retreated, leaving a deep fissure in the white wall. Snapping the ignition switch off the handle of the torch, he turned the gas all the way on. An explosion of flame erupted from the nozzle at the same time as the monster pulled his arm from the wall. A scream of agony was emitted by the insect as it was engulfed in flames. After removing the strap from the makeshift flamethrower, Shiori swung the canister at the target, causing it to strike with all the force of a bowling ball. The canister exploded in a blast of billowing flames, igniting the atmosphere around it immediately.

Thousands of insects scurried from the heat as the walls glowed, moving and changing shape. The creature leaned against the ground, groaning. Its shadow appeared to rise to its feet, a portion of its body blown open and its wings mangled. A powerful roar shook the ground as it turned to charge forward, diving through the flames.

“Shiori!” Apricot screamed from the shadows as she drew her sword. With long slimy ends, the creature’s cracked carapace slid off its body. Despite being burned and bleeding, the creature crashed into Shiori, knocking him to the ground. It raised its head to snap at his face, only to bite down on his rod. The creature continued to push as its three semi-functional mandibles cut at his face. Seeing the creature dive off Shiori, Apricot lunged toward the open air. As it broke free, its body rotated to dive directly at Apricot.

The beast was struck in the ribs as she evaded. A painful shock traveled through her arm when her blade bounced off its carapace. Watching Apricot stand against the monster, Shiori struggled to stand up with the rod raised. The red eyes of the creature shone through the smoky darkness as it turned back toward Apricot. “How is that possible?” she exclaimed. “The silver did not hurt it!” Apricot screamed in her mind. When the reality of the situation dawned on her, she was terrified. Huffing, the creature squirted dark fluid from its open wound.

As Shiori smashed the creature’s eye with a wet pop, Apricot felt the wind of Shiori’s segmented rod fly past her face. A thick, inky layer of gore painted Apricot’s skin with the juices it contained. Following that, he jabbed the other end of his staff inside the creature’s chest; the rings pressing through a gap in its natural armor. Apricot, escaping her shock, leapt in and attacked the creature’s mouth, its fist slamming into her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her, as Shiori blocked the remaining scythe’s attack aimed at him.

Apricot rolled backward, landing on her back. The room started to rain as the sprinklers hissed. A scream emanated from her as she lunged at the creature again, stabbing it in the throat. The creature was thrown over Shiori’s shoulder as he wrapped the segmented rod around its neck. The blade was ripped free by Apricot mid-swing, and the insect’s upper body collapsed. As everything around it disintegrated, its legs twitched and its circulatory system fell to the ground.

Shiori turned around and walked away from the sight. Her stomach lurched, and Apricot pushed up against the wall. As she vomited, a torrent of water splashed at her feet. With an exaggerated huff, Shiori turned his head toward her. “Took you long enough.”

Apricot stared down at her vomit. Rice and fish were clearly visible in it. Another convulsion hit her and she turned her head to feel her chest pound. “It’s alive. It was alive,” she said before puking again. “What is that?” She cried in a panic.

It dematerialized into a purple flame, floated before the two, then disappeared from the building. Taking flight after the wisp as the razor wings of the insects collided with Apricot’s skin, she let out a scream and fell to her knees.

“We need to leave now,” Shiori said.

Apricot looked around. “Where is Cortez?”

“I would like to know that myself,” Shiori said. “Then again, I really couldn’t care less. He is exactly who I expected him to be.”

“Shiori, I am scared… someone saw me and they know me.” Shiori’s gaze shifted uncomfortably toward Apricot’s eyes. She could feel the fear that was shared.

“Looks like all our masks are being removed. Does it chill you to the bone?” Shiori asked, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness.

Apricot swallowed hard, nodding. “What do we do now?”

“We need to find the others and get out of here. We’ll figure out the rest later. Right now, we need to survive,” Shiori said, his voice firm and determined.

---

The next chapter is waiting for you, why not read it? Just click the button below to go to the next chapter.

---

If you enjoyed the story, please like it and subscribe to my page to get notified as soon as I post anything new.

Do you have a comment about my work? Share it with me below.