Chapter Text
Huff, huff, huff.
How long had he been running for? It couldn't have been more than a few minutes but to his shaking legs it felt far longer. Sharp thorns snagged on his clothing as he burst through walls of tangled bushes, their pinprick points scraping across the skin of his hands and face. He was definitely lost now and barreling deeper into the thicket wasn't helping but he couldn't stop running. Over the sound of his ragged breathing he heard something crashing through the trees with great force parallel to where he was. The bulky figure was impossible to make out through the twisted trunks thanks to the unnatural blanket of darkness chucked over the area and the fact that his vision was only half in focus, but he knew it was there, hunting him relentlessly. Distracted for a second he forgot about his feet and was sent hurdling to the ground by a knotted root peeking through the soft earth, his body now covered by the obtrusive foliage. Clamping his hand over his mouth he tried desperately to hush his heavy breathing. If it found him now he would be dead for sure. Heart ramming against his rib cage he listened intently. The crashing sounds continue to tear through the treeline, it seems it lost track of him... for now.
Closing his eyes he lay there in the cold mud, breathless and aching. How had he gotten into this situation? This hadn't been part of the plan.
-----
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The ever present heartbeat of the Kujou mansion steadily echoed throughout the empty dark hallways, rebounding off the walls. Standing guard at the stairway's landing the decorated and aged face of the ornate grandfather clock gazed down indifferently upon the currently empty lobby as it did everyday. Juxtaposed to the mansion's somber interior outside bright sun rays filtered through the budding new green leaves peeking out from the trees scattered across the grounds and birds chirped away as they went about building their nests to welcome their new young. It was such a pleasant morning that Kazuo Yashiki found himself considering readjusting his sleep schedule if this is what was waiting for him, but he could feel the weight of waking up so early pushing on his eyelids so that thought was short-lived. Taking a long sip of the fresh brew cupped in his hands he spotted movement by the kitchen doorway.
"Good morning, I didn't think you would be up so early."
"If I had a choice I would copy you and lie in until noon but my side is killing me, makes it hard to sleep so pass me some coffee, would you?"
With a casual shrug Satoru Mashita sat himself down at the large oak table and pressed a hand to his waist. He looked as stoic as always but it was apparent his injuries from the night before were causing him terrible discomfort.
"After this I'll take you to a hospital so you can get a check-up." Yashiki placed a mug of piping hot black coffee down in front of him and took a seat. "And get those wounds dressed properly."
He couldn't speak on the condition of the one wrapped around his waist but the bandages he had amateurishly dressed Mashita's arm with were messy and loosening.
"Heh, I think you did a great job, but how will I explain these strange injuries without sounding suspicious?"
"Good point... ah! I'll see if Daimon's got any available appointment slots. If it's him we won't need to worry about explaining."
The smirk on Mashita's face faltered slightly. "You're still in contact with that guy, huh?"
"Yes, although it's not like we chat frequently or anything. I could try giving him a call?"
It was more a case of Daimon and Hiroo keeping him in the loop with the developments regarding the underground bunker - although Hiroo preferred to use him as a means of venting any complaints she had about work or Banshee Itou or just everything in general.
Mashita waved his hand dismissively. "Do it later. I'm in no rush."
"You could try to be a bit more concerned for your own well-being." Yashiki shook his head, wanting to persuade him but he knew how stubborn Mashita was, it would be like trying to force conversation from a statue; on the topic of conversation he recalled the one they had last night concerning Mashita's reason for being at H hospital and his earnest promise to divulge any information he needed to. An opportunity like this was rare but Yashiki's groggy brain struggled to formulate any questions, what did he even want to know? And would Mashita actually be comfortable talking about his work? He did promise but...
Gingerly Yashiki brushed his fingertips across his lips.
"Your face is red, what's wrong?"
"Nothing! I'm fine!"
Taking a long swig of his coffee Yashiki composed himself before speaking up and testing the waters.
"So, your investigation into those several missing persons led you to H hospital, right?"
"Yeah, that's right." Mashita nodded. "All the information I had collected beforehand pointed towards that hospital, it was just by chance that Shou kid was there. I told him not to get involved but of course he never listens."
So it had just been pure coincidence that Shou had got caught up in the situation at H hospital, which seemed to be a running theme for him but at the same time it was reassuring to know he wasn't actively getting himself into trouble.
"Did you find what you were looking for there?"
"Mm-hm, the names of most of the missing matched up with patient records so that confirms that they checked into that hospital before they went missing. Now I need to figure where those who weren't recorded fit into all this and if there's some sort of underlying connection between them all."
It sounded like Mashita was thinking out loud as opposed to answering the question but Yashiki nodded along.
"... I know that it's none of my business but why didn't you want me to know about H hospital? Did you think I'd get in the way?"
Scratching his neck Mashita took a swig of coffee.
"No, it wasn't that, I didn't want you getting caught up something dangerous for no reason again... but on a side note how did you know that's where I went? You never told me last night."
"Ah, that's one of the things I wanted to tell you about. When you left the mansion last night with Shou you left a data sheet behind with a few vague details on it, Moe told me about the ghost doctor then Christie filled me in on the rest."
"Her, huh?"
Yashiki passed on what Christie had told him during their phone call. It pretty much aligned with what Mashita read in the journal Shou had found: a gifted doctor who's deformity caused him to develop paranoia, which in turn led to him killing off patients and stealing their organs in order to pay for extortionately priced plastic surgery, however he soon began to attract suspicion from his peers and in a frenzied effort to destroy some incriminating evidence the doctor had accidentally started a fire in the west wing of the hospital which claimed both his and his accomplice's life.
"So he and a nurse burned to death in the west wing, that explains some stuff."
"That's not all." Yashiki continued. "During the investigation there were rumors that the doctor was involved with a cult."
Whispers among his colleges had speculated he was actually collecting organs to offer as tribute to some demonic creature or to use as ingredients to summon one out at a small plot of land he owned in the city. It all sounded ludicrous coming from people in the medical field which was probably why the investigators (unprofessionally) didn't follow up on any other aspect of the doctor's private life except the parts they needed to close the case, however what was even more surprising was that the higher-ups at various big name media outlets practically ordered their reporters to ignore or omit any mentions of cult involvement despite the buzz it could draw.
"They were probably involved with this apparent cult as well." Mashita shrugged nonchalantly.
"What?"
"It's always the same story. Those in power like to get tangled up in obscene, debauch groups but if that information got out then they and their reputation would be ruined so they have to do whatever it takes to avoid detection. But the good doctor being a part of that cult... that sounds about right. So, what else did you want to tell me?"
Right, that was the simple part.
Now he had to try and put into words what he had experienced after ending his conversation with Christie.
"And that's all I know."
"Wow. I can't believe something that outlandish happened in this city and I had no idea."
"Don't forget that the coverage was minimal and bare bones, had the full story been put out there then I guarantee even you would have heard it. Oh, sorry. One second."
Soft mumbling came from Christie's side of the call. "I'm sorry Yashiki, I have to go now. I hope I was able to help, although I know that detective will be anything but grateful."
"No no, It's fine. I'm sorry for keeping you. Goodnight, Christie. Take care."
"You too. Goodbye for now."
A soft click signaled the end of the call, leaving Yashiki once again alone in the tomb-like silence of his home, washed in the subtle light of his desk lamp. Christie had definitely been the best choice for acquiring information but now he wasn't sure what to do with it, and that just left him even more perplexed. That nagging notion nibbling at the back of his mind wasn't satisfied and continued to frustrate him, what was this force that compelled him to ponder over H hospital? It had nothing to do with him, he had never been there nor heard of it before, so why? It made no sense.
Distracted by his repeating thoughts Yashiki didn't realize his arm had knocked one of the piles of haphazardly stacked books into the floor as he stretched until the loud thumps startled him.
Sighing softly he knelt down and began to stack them on the desk once again, occasionally opening one and flicking through its contents. Each book covered a variety of subjects: from popular international urban legends like Wendigos and Chupacabras to obscure rituals such as the Higanbana chain, Eri's Forever Together charm and the KuroKami curse. Diligently studying aspects of curses and rituals and diving into the murky underbelly of the occult had certainly gifted him with extensive knowledge but what good was it if he didn't know how to utilize any of it.
Yashiki shook his head disdainfully. Sulking would do no good. Hold on, what was that? Laying buried beneath a few of the thick books the stained cover of a small notebook was only just visible. Picking it up Yashiki suddenly realised what he was holding - the tiny notebook he had fished off the rotting corpse of Fuyumi back in the canyon. He had held onto it assuming it would be necessary to corner her killer but in the end everything had played out spurred on by Nanamura's own delirium and a simple pendent, yet the notebook had found its way back home with him. Even though a good portion of time had passed since that event the pages of little book remained stuck together with viscera and various other dried fluids, keeping its contents locked away although combing through the secrets of a dead girl did not sit well with him.
"... Fuyumi, how did you get caught up in that mess?"
The question was spoke aloud to no one and he did not expect an answer. Gripping the notebook Yashiki began to rise to his feet when a blinding pain shot through his head followed by a shrieking ringing. He clutched his head with one hand and hunched over.
God, this hurt, what was happening?
A sea of trees slowly materialized from the murky darkness in front of his hazy eyes, gently illuminated by the moonlight. The scent of wet dirt wafted across his nostrils and off in the distance the caw of a bird echoed through the night air.
He was in... the woods? What?
"Hey! Is it okay if you wait here?" a peppy voice suddenly startled him.
That voice, he recognised it.
Popping into view was a smiling man with swept back blonde hair and brown eyes. A man he hadn't wanted to see again anytime soon.
Yuu Nanamura.
Or Yuya, whichever was his real name.
Panic bubbled in his chest.
His vision bobbed up and down.
"Great! I won't be long! Just wait right here, Fuyumi! Don't wander off, okay?"
Waving Nanamura energetically ran off into the woods, occasionally glancing back over his shoulder until he disappeared among the thicket.
Fuyumi?
Yashiki's frazzled, aching brain began to realise what was happening here.
This wasn't his first time experiencing the memories of the dead.
Fuyumi lingered in place for a moment, glancing at the sky and the woodland around her until something off between the trees seemingly caught her eye. Moving through the undergrowth with dainty steps brought her to what looked like a small rundown shrine nestled at the base of a thick tree. The paulownia wood was weather-worn and chipped, the pitiful thin layer of paint had flaked off and one of the lattice doors was missing completely, which allowed her to see inside. Lurking in the back of the alcove was a little statue - depicting what she couldn't tell because the statue was coated in damp moss, parts of it had eroded away and the lack of light hid it in shadow - but she could see that tiny dried wreaths of sweet pea flowers lay scattered around it. What a strange shrine. Reaching out to towards it her fingers were inches away when she heard rustling in the bushes beside her, followed by what sounded like a high-pitched giggle.
"Yuya...?" She called out, yet got no response. Then came another giggle, this a bit further away. Although he was merely a spectator Yashiki could tell that some invisible force was trying to lure Fuyumi further into the woods, which she began to comply to when a hand tightly gripped her wrist.
"Fuyumi!"
The wide, worried eyes of Nanamura came into view.
"Yuya? I was... I heard-"
"Geez, I told you not to wander off! You don't know what's in there." His eyes flicked to the sea of trees briefly then back to Fuyumi.
"But I'm sure I heard-"
"Fu-yu-mi! Geez, You really are scatterbrained!" Nanamura wagged his finger in time with his words. "That forest is really scary! If you went in there you'd never find your way out! That's what the Father told us!"
"Your father?"
Nanamura froze for a second, looking like he had let slip something he shouldn't have but he quickly slapped that default charming smile on his face and grabbed Fuyumi's hand, dragging her along.
"Ahahaha, yeah! Now come on, let's go! Let's go!"
Stumbling behind him Fuyumi threw one more glance over her shoulder towards the little shrine, catching sight of a partially broken sign:
--dow's R-s-
That sign was the last thing shown to him as a white light slowly invaded the scenery and the screaming pain numbing his skull began to die down. Regaining his sense of self Yashiki found himself laying face down on the floor of his room, his body chilled by the cold sweat coating him. Still gripped in his trembling hand was that stained little notebook.
"It wasn't too long after that you came stumbling in half-dead."
Finishing his recap Yashiki swallowed the dregs of his coffee as a way to give Mashita a chance to speak yet he remained oddly silent. Perhaps he actually had nothing to say about this matter, but this silence pressured Yashiki to continue on.
"I think Fuyumi was trying to tell me to go to that place she was. There must be something she wants me to see, or something she wants me to do."
"What have I told you about keeping morbid souvenirs?" Mashita finally replied.
"Huh?"
"Tch, nevermind. More importantly why should she expect that of you? You've already done enough for her, outing her killer, helping her pass on and such."
"It might be that she... she..."
He trailed off, the words dissolving on his tongue as a new thought formed in his head.
Had Fuyumi actually moved on? If memories strong enough to be transmitted to him were still lingering in this world then was she not able to find rest yet? Since she and Nanamura's other unfortunate victims had saved his life at the canyon and it felt like Fuyumi was reaching out to him through that vision he couldn't help but feel responsible for them in some way; at the same time he couldn't shake the feeling that somehow all of this was connected: the canyon, H hospital. Fuyumi's memories and... him. There was some invisible thread tying them all together and he wanted to reach out and grab it.
"What's wrong?" Mashita leaned forward, a hint of concern on his face.
Gripping his empty mug Yashiki looked Mashita in the eye.
"... It's nothing, but listen - I know you must think this is something I shouldn't get too invested in but I don't want to ignore this. I can't just sit around and do nothing so I'm going to find that place Fuyumi showed me."
He wasn't asking for permission. He didn't need to, it's not like he was a child but at the same time he wanted to be honest with Mashita in order to prevent him from worrying and to hopefully avoid anymore situations where he had to rush in and save him. Readying a rebuttal Yashiki waited for the inevitable reality check. The other man rubbed his forehead, took a drink and sighed.
"Do you have any clue where to start looking for this apparently important place?"
"I just feel like- wait, you're not against it?"
"Trying to talk you out of doing something is a herculean task, besides I know that even if I do advise against it you'll just sneak off behind my back. So, you got any leads?"
That had been surprisingly easy but knowing that Mashita had his back on this was a huge relief.
"No, I don't have any at the moment but I think if I can gain access to more pages of Fuyumi's diary I might find some sort of clue. There's also that 'Father' character Nanamura referred to... he mentioned something like that at the canyon too, didn't he? That might be a lead we can follow up on..."
"You know, for someone who didn't want to be an investigator you sure are eager to go snooping around. Well, I'll start looking into it as well."
"No offense but I think looking for a location from a vision you didn't see might be impossible, even for someone with your talents."
"What, you giving up on me already? Like you said I'm skilled so just give me a few days."
Unflappable self-confidence was one of Mashita's more appealing yet contradictory off-putting traits but it wasn't unfounded - like he said, he was indeed skilled. Yashiki trusted that he would deliver on that statement.
"Alright, thank you. I'll do what I can on my end, too."
"It is certainly one of the stranger requests I've- ow, still hurts. Tch..."
Mashita had attempted to rise to his feet while speaking but was quickly seated again with a sharp hiss of pain and clutching his side.
It had slipped his mind momentarily but before either of them went hunting for this mystery area Mashita had to get those injuries seen to as soon as possible.
"Sit tight, I'm going to call Daimon."
"...fine."