#seven mysteries

[mitsukanedaily]

They didn't interact but were always on the same page ! - ☘️

[thelunarfairy]

Akane yourishiro has the key 🗝️ why doesn't he destroy it isn't he the protector of the present

Because the owner of the key is number one, he and Yashiro are the only ones who can destroy Yorishiro.

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 48: The Seven Mysteries of Nagatsuki Academy

''As these wavering letters, entrusted with my thoughts of you, and yet, ever failing to reach you, go twisting and fluttering up into distant space, becoming stars; their lights ache my heart. One day, the soles of my firmly-planted feet will eventually come to falter. I reminisce about the times when you were there to extend your hand to me. Even when I try and gather these specks of sparkling stardust, my tears gush out and out and out, till I feel as if about to vanish. Breaching through the gaps in the tight clasp of my fingers, and falling upon my chest and down, the fragments from that promise, that someday fell apart crumbling, now form a ring.''

– Hoshikuzu no Ring (The Ring of Stardust) by Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

xXxXxXx

They were running as fast as possible through the hallways of the school, the dark clouds and the constant rain painting a grim picture of their own faith. They gasped as they ran up the stairs, feeling fatigue, but they needed to keep running. The pair was a teenage girl attending this school and her ARNav partner, a female anthropomorphic white mouse, and they were both running away from the entity that was chasing them.

This was supposed to be an innocent exploration of the school at night with their friends – how was it possible for it to go so wrong?

''Mayu, this way!''

Immy, Mayu's ARNav partner, grabbed her hand and dragged her into the bathroom, hiding in the last stall. Both sat down on the toilet lid, with Mayu lifting her feet and placing Immy in her lap so their pursuer wouldn't notice that they were inside. Both Mayu and Immy placed their hands over their mouth as they heard shuffling outside, their eyes widening in horror. The corpse-like entity was inside the bathroom, slowly dragging its feet. Mayu and Immy cried out when it suddenly slammed the door to the stall closest to the entrance open, both crying as they still kept their hands over their mouth, hoping for the entity to go away. But, it didn't. Not only had it caught all of their friends, but now it would also catch them. Both Mayu and Immy gasped as they heard the door next to them slam open, praying that the corpse would go away, their eyes filled with tears.

Then, things went quiet. Mayu and Immy's eyes were filled with despair when the corpse opened their door, revealing a grotesque shape in the darkness. The corpse had half of its body flayed, revealing its muscles, ribcage and inner organs, which were oozing fluids and blood, leaving the two trembling in fear. Then, the corpse reached out for them.

''KYAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!''

xXx

Sonic took a deep breath, having taken a nap on the couch at the Taylor Workshop. Well, it wasn't much of a nap as his ear would twitch from time to time as he listened to the conversation Team Neos had, mainly with Lucas informing them about the ongoing events.

''People are still talking about ARMS and the Irregulars, although I guess that's not surprising since it's been only a few days since the reveal,'' Lucas said, having kept an eye on what kind of information was floating online. ''New rumors did pop up about SASDF trying to cover for them.''

''They won't let ARMS get away with what they had done so easily, right?'' Amy asked. Lucas shrugged.

''I don't know. But, they haven't been bothering us so far,'' he said.

''I guess we did everything we could,'' Silver said. ''At least we won't get targeted by them.''

''Speaking of which, where are Touka and Shadow?'' Lily asked. ''You'd think they'd show up by now.''

''Maybe they're busy with something else,'' Tails suggested.

''Or they're off brooding,'' Sonic said, his eyes still clossed and a sly grin on his expression as he waved with his hand casually.

''That's quite an ignorant assumption you made.''

Sonic suddenly fell off the couch, having been startled by Shadow who literally appeared out of nowhere right behind him, having warped into the workshop. Touka, on the other hand, had entered the room through the front door.

''Geez, Shads, don't scare me like that!'' Sonic got on his feet, rubbing his elbow as he landed on it, while Shadow's expression showed remained impassive.

''We kinda thought you wouldn't even appear,'' Lucas said, looking from Shadow towards Touka.

''In our defense, we got some surprising news this morning and we've been talking to Kisaki about it,'' Touka replied.

''What news?'' Warren asked, with everyone in the room being curious now. Touka tapped on her AR Visor, revealing a holographic screen that featured an e-mail.

''I got an e-mail this morning and it says that I've been finally accepted as a student and that I'll be going to school…'' she replied, only to be met with surprised looks from all of the human teenagers inside the room.

''What?!''

This was immediately followed by questions, with Lucas, Warren, Minami, Makoto and Lily talking over each other, to the point of Touka having to calm them down. ''Hey, wait, I can't answer all of the questions like this!''

While the humans in the room were excited for Touka, the ARNavs remained confused. Well, all of them aside from Shadow. Sonic placed his arms behind his head, saying loudly, ''I wonder why is everyone so excited about Touka going to school.''

''Touka and I had learned from our conversation with Kisaki that ARMS had actually forbidden her to enroll Touka into a public school. I suppose they wanted to make sure that there will be little to no questioning if they ever force her to join the ARMS,'' Shadow explained.

''Considering how ARMS operates, that would make sense,'' Knuckles said.

''That's why this e-mail is proof that ARMS is giving up on both me and Shadow, and they won't bother us again,'' Touka added, pointing at the holographic screen before her.

''But, didn't school start like more than two months ago? I'm surprised that you got an acceptance letter just like that,'' Makoto said.

''It is possible that ARMS had a hand in it. It's just a bit of speculation, but maybe SASDF saw my file in the ARMS systems and forced them to contact the school to allow me to enroll into it, even if it's past the deadline,'' Touka replied.

''Wait, what do you mean 'school started more than two months ago'?'' Sonic interrupted, his hands placed on his hips. ''I didn't see any of you going to school.''

''That's because we're not obligated to be at the school building for classes. The school system had actually changed a lot over the past ten years,'' Lucas explained, only to get a confused look from Sonic. ''I suppose I should first explain how the school system in Starpoint Area works. I don't know about other countries, but the school year here starts in April and ends in March of the following year, and we have three semesters. We have 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high school and 3 years of senior high school or vocational school depending on if we want to continue to college and university or enter a trade.''

''That still doesn't explain why I never saw you attending any of your classes,'' Sonic pointed out.

''That's because you're on your daily run whenever I'm attending classes,'' Lucas replied, with Sonic raising an eyebrow. ''As per the new rules, students who enter senior high school are no longer obligated to go to classes in person thanks to the AR Field technology. Instead, they can listen to their classes at home via an AR Field that simulates a classroom environment, and any homework or other projects can be handed in via e-mail. This allows students to have a more flexible schedule to pursue other interests.''

''We still have to go to school in person for other activities, though,'' Warren added. ''For example, the opening ceremonies at the start of each semester, health check-ups, school field trips, extracuricular and club activities, cultural festivals and, most importantly, midterm exams.''

''Our school was actually supposed to have the midterm exam for the first semester last week, but some idiot hacked into the school system and messed things up, so the exams were scheduled to take place next week,'' Lucas explained, sighing. ''I'll be honest, I'm actually glad that this happened last week, because we had been dealing with all that ARMS stuff.''

''Wait, is that where you two went the last week?'' Amy asked, turning to Minami and Makoto. ''You had your midterm exams?''

Minami and Makoto nodded. Silver gave them a confused look.

''Why didn't you tell us anything?'' he asked.

''We had figured that it would be better to not stress you out with our personal obligations,'' Minami replied. ''As a matter of fact, we should be getting the results soon.''

''Well, having a private tutor and being homeschooled, I don't have to deal with exam weeks like you do,'' Lily said. ''But, I am curious about which schools you guys are going to.''

''Minami and I are first year students at Nagatsuki Academy Senior High School in Westoru, and we are in the same class,'' Makoto replied.

''Right, and being a student at senior high school is a huge change from being a student at junior high school. As Lucas had mentioned, with the AR Field system implemented, we have a lot more free time since the lessons are compressed and we can choose when to attend them,'' Minami said, turning around. ''What about you Touka?''

''Let's see…'' Touka glanced back at the e-mail, reading through it. ''It says that I'll be enrolled as a second year student at Hazuki Academy Senior High School, located in Eas.''

''Wait, seriously?'' Lucas exclaimed, him and Warren giving Touka surprised looks.

''Uh, that's what it says… Why?'' Touka replied.

''That's because Lucas and I are also second year students at Hazuki Academy,'' Warren said. ''As a matter of fact, we're also classmates.''

''I guess that means that you could also show Touka around the school,'' Tails said, with Warren and Lucas nodding.

''Wait a second, does this mean that I will also have to write the midterm exams next week?'' Touka suddenly asked, looking quite displeased.

''Would they even let you write those exams? I mean, you just got your acceptance letter,'' Silver pointed out.

''I guess I'll find that out tomorrow. I had been asked to pick up my school uniform today and then come to school to have a conversation with the principal tomorrow,'' Touka explained.

''If that's so… Then how about we engage in a little school tradition?'' Minami said, a sly smirk spreading on her lips. For some reason, everyone in the room got a bad feeling. ''We will meet up tomorrow just before midnight at Nagatsuki Academy.''

''Minami, don't tell me that you'll…'' Makoto trailed off, suddenly looking quite uncomfortable.

''What's wrong?'' Silver asked, looking from Makoto to Minami.

''I think it would be time to finally investigate the The Seven Mysteries of Nagatsuki Academy,'' Minami said with a smirk.

''What's that?'' Knuckles asked, taking note of the fact that Makoto and Amy seemed to have an idea what Minami was talking about. Minami's expression suddenly turned quite sinister, a smirk spreading on her lips.

''The Seven Mysteries of Nagatsuki Academy are a collection of rumors about supernatural events that have been reported to occur in the school by students who have explored it after hours,'' Minami explained, drawing everyone's attention, and held up one finger. ''The first mystery are The Thirteen Steps. There is a rumor that the school staircases only have twelve steps, but if someone were to walk on the staircase late at night, a thirteenth step would appear, and if you step on it, you will vanish from this reality.''

Minami then held up two fingers. ''The second mystery is that of The Cherry Blossoms of Blood. There is a rumor about a body having been buried beneath the tree that is in the middle of the school's inner yard, and that body's blood is what dies the cherry blossoms pink. If you dare to walk around the tree at night counterclockwise seven times, all of the cherry blossoms will suddenly fall off and turn blood red and the spirit of the person who had been buried beneath it will appear and possess your body.''

Minami then held up three fingers. ''The third mystery is that of The Self-Playing Piano. There is a rumor that if you walk past the music room at night, you will hear the piano being played, but when you enter the classroom, there is no one inside to play it.''

Minami then held up four fingers. ''The fourth mystery is that of The Blood in The Sink. There is a rumor that, if you open the tap at night in the science lab, instead of water, blood will come out gushing instead.''

Minami then held up five fingers. ''The fifth mystery is that of The Mirror to The Other World. The rumor says that if you stand in front of the mirror on the third floor and look at yourself for 60 seconds, you will see a dark, tall figure standing behind you and reach out for you. If you acknowledge the figure in any way, it will grab you and pull you into the mirror to the other world.''

Minami then held up six fingers. ''The sixth mystery is that of The Roaming Anatomical Model. The rumor says that, at night the anatomical model in the science lab comes to life and roams through the school, its appearance being that of a walking corpse. If the anatomical model catches you, it will make you part of itself.''

Minami then held up seven fingers. ''The seventh and final mystery is that of The Old Building. The rumor says that, if you go to the old part of the school and enter the room on the top floor that had been closed off for the students after you witness all of the other mysteries, a person looking just like you will appear before you. That person is a demon and it will take your soul, sending it to Hell, and the demon will then take your place in this world.''

Minami then observed her friends' reactions. Some looked disturbed or even freaked out, mainly Makoto, but some didn't look too fazed. She then grinned. ''That's what we'll be doing tomorrow.''

''I don't know about that…'' Lucas started, having taken note of the fact that this little adventure could go easily wrong.

''Are those rumors really true?'' Sonic suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow. While the mysteries did sound quite disturbing, he wasn't someone who'd get scared so easily and felt rather curious and excited for another adventure.

Shadow, on the other hand, scoffed. ''Those are just stories made up to scare students from going to school at night.''

''Don't tell me that you are afraid of the rumors,'' Minami said, glancing specifically at Sonic and Shadow. Both hedgehogs looked irked.

''We're not afraid of anything!'' Sonic and Shadow shouted in unison, both exchanging looks of surprise when they realized what happened. Minami clapped her hands.

''Great, then I'll see you all tomorrow at school,'' she said, looking at the rest of the group and taking note of Makoto's uncomfortable expression. He was not looking foward to this for a good reason, and all Minami could do was to offer him an apologetic look.

xXx

Sonic hummed in thought, looking at the maroon armband on his right arm, then glancing back at Lucas. The teenager was actually dressed, along with Warren, in the Hazuki Academy male school uniform, which consisted of a white button-up shirt, a maroon tie, a maroon blazer, dark blue trousers and black shoes. On the right side was a chest pocket with the school's crest, a pink lotus flower in bloom, printed on it. The very same school crest was also printed on the armbands both Sonic and Tails were wearing.

''Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that we'll be showing Touka and Shadow around, or the fact that we'll be having exam week soon, I wouldn't be returning to the school building at all,'' Lucas said, scratching his head, then glanced at the two Irregulars. ''You guys didn't have to come along. You could've just waited at the workshop.''

''We were both curious about what your school looks like,'' Sonic said, placing his hands behind his head. ''Besides, the armbands are kind of cool.''

Lucas smirked, taking note how he and Warren had explained to Sonic and Tails that, while outside school they weren't required to wear their school uniform, they were still obligated to wear school uniforms whenever they were attending some kind of activity inside school grounds. As for the armbands the two were wearing, they explained that every ARNav who is the partner of a student needed to wear an armband with the school crest on as a way to distinguish them from other ARNavs that were members of the school staff or outsiders visiting the school.

''Our principal always said that we should be proud to wear our school uniform, but I think they make us wear these so they know which school a student belongs to if they decide to play hooky,'' Lucas added in a deadpan tone, causing Sonic and Tails to snort in amusement.

''I doubt that's the case, but it certainly makes sense,'' Warren said with an amused look on his expression, only to look up. ''Oh, there they are!''

Touka and Shadow approached their teammates, with Shadow wearing the same armband on his left arm, while Touka was wearing the female school uniform, which consisted of a white button-up shirt, a maroon ribbon tied underneath the collar, a maroon blazer, a dark blue skirt and black stockings that reached just below her knees and black shoes.

''Sorry, Touka, but you have to wear the AR Visor around your neck, not on the top of the head,'' Lucas said, with Touka pulling the goggles down.

''I guess that a school rule, right?'' she said, with Lucas and Warren nodding and the group walking into the school yard.

''After AR Visors became widespread, they were added to the dress code and wearing them on your head is considered to be improper, even if it's obvious that everyone outside school wears them however they want,'' Warren explained.

''Hmph, this isn't even your first day at school and you almost broke a rule,'' Shadow commented, giving Touka a complacent look. Touka shoot him a glare.

''I told you already, I'll be fine. I'm still figuring things out,'' she replied. Sonic and Tails exchanged silent glances, figuring the two had probably another sibling banter on their way here.

''You should be glad that ARNavs are exempt from that rule, because the vice principal was itching last year to force ARNavs to comply with the same dress code as the students. Fortunately, that got shot down,'' Warren added, then pointed up the staircase. ''Anyway, the principal's office is this on this floor.''

''No one's here…'' Sonic muttered, taking note of the empty hallways.

''It's possible that we arrived when everyone's having classes,'' Tails pointed out.

''You're right. Despite the AR tech, some students still go to school for lessons in-person. It really depends on the student whether they prefer a classic schedule or the new approach,'' Lucas replied, with the group arriving at an office. ''Just knock on the door, the principal should be inside.''

Touka took a deep breath, with her knocking on the door and entering the office together with Shadow. Lucas, Sonic, Warren and Tails were left waiting outside, with Sonic deciding to just walk up and down the long corridor, being a bit bored after the first two minutes of waiting. However, he wanted to explore the school with his friends rather than go out on his own. It took around 20 minutes, but Touka and Shadow eventually walked out, with Touka holding an AR Field device that would allow her to attend her lessons without being at school.

''How did it go?'' Lucas asked, taking note of Touka's slightly annoyed look.

''Well, the principal explained to me that I instead of attending midterm exams, I would be given admission exams instead to make sure that I wasn't behind my classmates since I was being homeschooled,'' Touka said, pouting.

''You said that you wanted a normal life. Being a student at school has certain expectations,'' Shadow pointed out, still smirking when Touka kept pouting.

''Yeah, I know…'' she grumbled. ''He also told me that I'd be assigned to Class 2-B.''

''That means that we'll be classmates,'' Lucas said.

''Did the principal tell you how you ended up here?'' Sonic asked.

''No, he didn't, but he had implied that Touka had been recommended to attend school and this one was chosen for her,'' Shadow explained.

''I guess our theory about ARMS setting this up might be true,'' Tails said.

''Okay, I'm sure we can talk about this later. We should leave-'' Lucas and Warren suddenly froze when they heard the door to the office opening.

''Oh, Mr. Kinomoto, Mr. Taylor! I'm surprised to see you here!''

Lucas and Warren were startled when they felt hands on their shoulders, turning around with a rather nervous look on their expressions, only to see an older man in a suit smiling at them.

''Hello, Principal Futame,'' Lucas said, trying to smile back, but frankly just wanted to get as far away from the principal as possible.

''Have you two finally decided to join the Science and Cooking Club? The students there have been asking about both of you, especially since you score high in science and home economics respectively,'' Futame told the two, still smiling and completely unaware of Lucas and Warren's mood.

''Actually, we were here to show Touka around the school,'' Warren said, sweatdropping as he quickly pointed at Touka, who was confused about the situation just as much as Sonic, Tails and Shadow.

''Is that so? Then, you could show Miss Kageura our school clubs. Perhaps, she would want to join one. Do you have any special interests?'' Futama asked.

''Is there any club that focuses on hoverboard racing?'' Touka asked hopefully. Futama's expression changed, his brow furrowing.

''Unfortunately, this school doesn't endorse such brutal sport,'' Futama replied, but then gave Touka a kind smile. ''However, if you're interested in sports, our Sports Club has a large variety of traditional sports activities to offer, ranging from volleyball to swimming.''

Touka's eyes narrowed and she shook her head. ''No, I don't think-''

''Please, give it some time. I'm sure you'll find something for yourself,'' Futama interrupted her, his perpetual grin making Touka feeling uncomfortable. He then placed his hands on his back and walked away. ''Have a good day and don't forget about the exams next week!''

''What's his problem?'' Sonic asked in a hushed tone the moment the principal was out of sight. Lucas just motioned the rest of the group to follow him.

''Principal Futama wants our school to be the top school in Neos City, but considering how Shiwasu Academy always places first place in academics, he decided that Hazuki Academy should take top place when it comes to club activities, school competitions and extracurriculars, which is why he tells every student to attend a school club,'' Lucas explained.

''Is Shiwasu Academy really that good?'' Tails asked, glancing at Warren who nodded.

''It is. It's a private school that only accepts students with top scores in entrance exams and is very strict about who can enter it. Those who graduate from it are considered the best of the best when it comes to academics,'' Warren explained, giving the group a sheepish grin. ''As a matter of fact, Shiwasu Academy was also one of the schools I could pick and enroll into.''

''But, you didn't,'' Tails pointed out.

''Right, but that's because Lucas and I wanted to attend the same school,'' Warren admitted. ''That, and I heard that Shiwasu Academy is highly competitive, and I didn't feel like I wanted to deal with all that stress.''

''I think you made the right decision,'' Sonic told him. ''Do you guys know anyone from Shiwasu Academy?''

Both Lucas and Warren hummed in thought, then shook their heads, with Lucas replying. ''No, I don't think we do.''

xXx

''Achoo!'' Ferra sneezed, feeling slightly irritated. ''Why do I feel like someone's talking about me behind my back?''

She turned around, only to see Orbot and Cubot standing behind her. The two robots exchanged confused expressions, with Cubot scratching his head. ''But, we didn't say anything.''

Ferra sighed. ''That's something people say whenever they sneeze suddenly.''

''Oh… Do you need any assistance with your assignment? You've been working on this the past few days,'' Orbot asked, pointing at the laptop Ferra was typing on. Ferra rose an eyebrow.

''Is this an excuse for you two to slack on your actual job?'' she asked, with Orbot and Cubot suddenly looking quite nervous. It didn't help that Metal Sonic, who was standing behind them, glared at the two.

''Well, if you don't need any help, we'll be going,'' Orbot said. The two quickly left, with Ferra leaning back and taking a deep sigh.

''You know, it kinda sucks that, despite working at the 'Tamago Corporation','' Ferra started, making quotation marks with her fingers. ''I still have to do schoolwork.''

'You're still not done with exams?' Metal Sonic asked.

''Actually, I'm done with them, but our school just loves to give us unnecessary projects to make sure we stay productive,'' Ferra said, frowning.

She was a second year student at Shiwasu Academy Private Senior High School, located in Sentoraru, and her parents loved to brag about her accomplishment to anyone who was willing to listen. However, Ferra herself considered being at that school quite bothersome. The high standards were nothing new, since she was used to dealing with that at home, but it was emotionally and mentally exhausting because of other reasons. Ferra had taken note how students at her school were often pitted against each other in order to outdo themselves when it came to their exam scores, and not many people had the freedom to be just friends or form some kind of meaningful connection.

''It is as if you walked into a school full of zombies,'' Ferra concluded, with Metal Sonic nodding along, well aware of the challenges she had to deal with.

xXx

''So, I understand why Warren is being great at science, but how did you end up being top at home economics?'' Touka asked Lucas with a sly grin on her lips. Lucas just sighed in response.

''Well, it helps that I've been living on my own for a few years, so I would know a lot about domestic stuff, especially cooking,'' he explained. ''Not to mention, some of our classmates don't consider home economics to be really important, so they bother only with the bare minimum.''

''Huh, aren't they…'' Tails trailed off, drawing everyone's attention towards a student and ARNav as they exited a classroom labeled 2-A.

''Chase? Jet?''

The two people in question looked up, genuinely stunned to see their rivals here. Lucas stepped up, asking, ''What are you doing here?''

''I've been talking to the teacher about the exam next week and whether it was possible to postpone it because of a competition, but I was told to not even think about skipping it,'' Chase said, groaning in irritation. Meanwhile, Jet approached Sonic, giving him a smug look.

''I haven't seen you anywhere near the Solar Stadium. I guess The Fastest Thing Alive might not be all that interested in defending his title,'' Jet said, with Sonic just giving him an annoyed look.

''I had been busy with other stuff, but if you insist on it, we could do another race,'' Sonic told him, but to his surprise, Jet waved him off.

''Unless you plan on to participate in the upcoming competition, I'm not interested. Although, beating you might be a good practice for my victory lap,'' Jet said, his speech striking a nerve with Sonic. As he and Chase walked away, Tails and Shadow stepped next to the hedgehog.

''This guy has an ego the size of the Solar Stadium if you ask me,'' Sonic said.

''I'm certain that you'll get a chance to humble him,'' Shadow said.

''Besides, we have a different adventure to look forward to,'' Tails added, with Sonic nodding agreement.

xXx

''The gate's closed. How do we…?'' Silver trailed off when Minami suddenly just climbed over the school gate and motioned to the group to follow her. It was late in the night, with Team Neos entering the front yard of Nagatsuki Academy, curious to see if those Seven Mysteries were true or not. The last ones to enter were Makoto and Silver, with Silver taking note of his partner's discomfort. ''Makoto, are you okay? You look pale.''

''I… I don't know… I really don't like this stuff,'' Makoto replied.

''You don't have to be afraid. If something happens, I'll be here to protect you,'' Silver replied, giving him a confident look. Makoto smiled back in response, but a pit in his stomach remained.

''So, the first mystery are The Thirteen Steps,'' Lily said as they stood in front of the main entrance to the school, looking at the staircase. ''Are we all going to count them?''

''There should actually be eleven steps,'' Amy suddenly said, surprising everyone. ''Minami and I went to school this afternoon to count them for tonight.''

''Okay, but didn't you also say that the number of stairs changes during the night?'' Tails asked, turning to Minami.

''Yeah, but even if I am a huge believer in the supernatural, I want to be sure that I have some actual evidence,'' Minami said, walking over to the steps and starting to count in her head. She was about to reach the top step, when she suddenly stopped and turned around. ''Hey, Amy, did we count the top step?''

''I think that we did. Why?'' Amy rose an eyebrow.

''Because I counted twelve steps here,'' Minami replied. This confused the group, with the rest of Team Neos also decided to count the steps, with all of them reaching the same number.

''Twelve steps… Maybe you guys counted wrong?'' Knuckles suggested. Minami and Amy exchanged unsure glances, then shrugged.

''I'm sure that I counted eleven, but I guess that's also possible. In any case, I guess we can debunk The Thirteen Steps mystery, since we all counted and there aren't thirteen steps nor did we vanish,'' Minami said, leading the group inside the school.

''So, which mystery is next?'' Warren asked.

''We'll go check the cherry blossom tree at the inner yard. This way,'' Minami said, pointing down a corridor. ''Someone has to walk around it seven times counterclockwise and if we did it right, the cherry blossoms should turn blood red and a spirit will appear.''

Makoto hugged himself, shivering. ''I hope that that won't be the case. I did some research and there was no report of a body being buried there.''

''Then, there is nothing you should be afraid of,'' Minami said, trying to cheer him up, but Makoto wasn't conviced.

''Easy for you to say. You aren't the one who worries about this kind of stuff,'' he replied, leaving the rest of the group wondering.

Once they were inside the inner yard, they were met with a beautiful cherry blossom tree, still in bloom. Warren narrowed his eyes. ''Okay, this doesn't make sense. I'm sure that cherry blossom season has passed weeks ago and that the tree should be barren.''

''True, but I've read that some cherry blossom trees can bloom for way longer. Still, this does feel unusual,'' Tails said, turning to the rest of the group. ''So, who…?''

Suddenly, a blue blur sped past them and went around the tree and stopped, revealing Sonic as he looked around for the mystery to happen. He turned back to his friends, shrugging. ''I don't see any bloody cherry blossoms. Did I do something wrong?''

Touka giggled. ''Maybe you were too fast for the spirit to realize what was going on.''

''Or the mystery is just another rumor students came up with to scare each other,'' Shadow said in a deadpan tone. ''Take your pick.''

''I guess we should move on,'' Minami said, pointing towards a corridor. ''The Self-Playing Piano is next and the music room is on the upper floor. Let's go.''

Team Neos left the inner yard, going towards the music room, but what no one had noticed was that all of the cherry blossoms on the tree had suddenly vanished, as if they were never there. Instead, they went up a floor, and to their surprise, they did hear faint piano music playing in one of the classrooms. Makoto froze, but the rest of the group immediately ran towards the sound, Sonic being the first to open the door and enter it. However, once the rest of the group followed inside, the music stopped.

''I saw it playing just as you guys entered,'' Sonic told his friends, pointing at the piano. The group walked up to it to investigate it.

''Isn't that one of those modern electric pianos? They have those things at our school and one can set them up to play on their own,'' Lucas pointed out.

''I guess that makes sense,'' Lily said. Makoto, who peered into the room, felt his heart racing, placing his hand over his chest. Lily then looked around. ''So, what do we vote on? Was this supernatural or a set up?''

''I'd prefer it to be a set up,'' Makoto said, slowly walking inside. Warren and Tails were already examining the piano.

''It doesn't look like it had been set up to me,'' Tails said, taking note of the unnerved looks his friends gave him. ''However, one could also use an AR Visor to control it.''

''So, the first two mysteries were a bust and the third one is a maybe. This is getting disappointing,'' Minami said, sighing. ''We should check the science lab next for The Blood in The Sink mystery. The science lab is down the corridor, so we can check it out before moving to the third floor.''

Team Neos then made their move towards the science lab, with Silver being the last to leave. Just as he closed the door, his ears twitched when he heard music and he instinctively used his psychokinesis to slam open the door. However, the moment the opened it, the music stopped.

''Silver, what's wrong?'' Makoto asked, with everyone turning to their friend.

''I heard the piano playing again,'' Silver told them, looking quite alarmed. Minami rushed forward, looking inside the room, but there was no one there. She then closed it, waiting in front of the door for a moment, but nothing happened.

''Is it possible that the piano is broken and just plays randomly?'' Touka suggested.

''Why would it stop playing when Silver opened the door?'' Knuckles asked.

''The piano was still playing when Sonic entered the room and it stopped when we joined him,'' Shadow pointed out.

''Okay, now that's kinda creepy,'' Amy said.

''I think that we should just get over with this and go back home,'' Makoto said, walking away. Team Neos followed him towards the science room, which had several sinks. They stopped, wondering who'd open the tap, only for Minami to walk up to the closest sink.

''Let's see…'' she muttered in anticipation, only for her expression to falter. ''It's just water.''

''I guess that means that another mystery has been debunked,'' Amy said. Makoto, on the other hand, looked relieved. As the group talked about it, Shadow stepped away from the group for a moment and went to check another sink where he opened the tap, expecting water to flow as well.

His eyes widened in horror when instead, he saw a dark red liquid staining the bottom of the sink and stepped back, with the scent of copper feeling the air.

''Shadow, what-'' Sonic turned around, now alarmed when he saw blood gushing out of the tap. There were gasps of shock among the group when they also saw the blood, with Minami being the one to walk over to it and stick her hand under the tap.

''Minami, what are you doing?'' Amy half-shouted, with Minami holding up her hand, only to show that it was completely clean.

''I'm not sure what this is, but if this were actual blood, my hand would be red,'' Minami pointed out. Makoto leaned against the wall.

''What the hell is that?'' he asked, now quite pale in his face. Minami closed the tap, and as she and Shadow peered into the sink, all of the blood had suddenly vanished.

''It's gone,'' Minami informed them, with the group, all besides Makoto, gathered around her. Lucas attempted to open the same tap again, but all that came out was water.

''Now, that's disturbing,'' Lily commented, feeling a chill flow down her spine. ''Somebody has be playing a prank on us.''

''That wasn't real blood, was it? It wouldn't have just disappeared if it was real,'' Amy said, feeling just as disturbed as the rest of her friends.

''Honestly, I don't know. I mean, I felt it on my skin and I could smell it, but when I lifted my hand up, it was gone,'' Minami said.

''C-Could we just move on? We still have three mysteries left…'' Makoto said, drawing everyone's attention.

''Makoto, are you okay? You look really sick,'' Silver asked, worried about his partner.

''Well… I do feel a little sick…'' Makoto admitted, with Minami walking up to him.

''You know that you didn't have to come along if you felt this bad,'' she told him, a look of guilt gracing her expression.

''Yeah, but you know that I would come along with you regardless of my own fears,'' Makoto replied, sounding a bit more determined. He then looked past her, taking note of the worried looks his friends gave him. ''The truth is, I have a fear of ghosts and haunted places, and it makes me sick to the point of almost fainting.''

''Then, why did you come along?'' Lucas asked.

''Because someone needs to keep an eye on Minami. I don't want to let her roam around at a haunted place by herself, and in this case, I had figured it wouldn't be so bad if there's a larger group of people than just the two of us,'' Makoto explained. ''Please, don't worry about me. I'll be with you until the end.''

''Okay, but if things get really bad, we'll cut this investigation off and go home,'' Lucas said, his tone now a bit more assertive. Even though Minami was leading this investigation, he was still the leader and needed to make sure everyone would be fine. Makoto just nodded, with the group quickly leaving the science lab.

''The next mystery is The Mirror to The Other World,'' Minami said, leading them to the third floor. ''Does anyone want to volunteer to look at it?''

''I thought you'd be the one to do that,'' Touka said. Minami cracked a smile.

''Yeah, but I had figured someone else would also want to try it out,'' she said. They reached the third floor, finding a full-length mirror at the end of the staircase and stepped in front of it. ''Honestly, this is one of the mysteries I feel like it has an actual explanation. I have read that if you stare in a mirror long enough while standing in the darkness, your brain will make stuff up, which is why people believe they see faces or figures in it.''

''Does that also include a figure that will grab you through the mirror?'' Sonic asked. Minami shook her head, with Knuckles suddenly stepping up.

''If a figure tries to grab someone, I'll just punch it. If it can touch us, we can touch it and beat it up,'' Knuckles pointed out.

''Well,… I guess that makes sense,'' Tails said.

''Okay, I want to try it out,'' Sonic said, stepping in front of the mirror, but only 15 seconds passed when he suddenly turned around. ''I don't see anything.''

''That's because you hadn't looked in the mirror long enough,'' Shadow pointed out, pressing his hand against his forehead in exasperation. He then glanced at Sonic. ''I doubt you'll be patient enough to summon anything through that mirror.''

''Heh, I guess you're right,'' Sonic said, only for his heart to skip a beat when he suddenly heard steps echoing through the empty school. His ear twitched and he looked around. ''Guys, did you hear that?''

''What?'' Lucas asked, only for him to also hear the steps, followed by a low moan. ''What the-?''

The steps and the moaning was coming closer, and the group turned around, spotting a figure standing at the other end of the corridor. This figure shuffled towards them, revealing itself to be a walking corpse, with half of its body being flayed and revealing its flesh, bones and organs. A sudden sense of fear spread through the group, but it didn't last too long when Sonic and Knuckles stepped up.

''I guess that's The Roaming Anatomical Model,'' Sonic said, preparing himself to spin-dash right into it. ''Okay, I'll take care of-''

''Wait a second!'' Sonic was surprised when Lucas grabbed his shoulder. ''Sonic, you can't just attack the anatomical model. Those things are crazy expensive and I don't want to pay for the damages.''

''But, can you really call that an anatomical model?'' Sonic protested, pointing at the corpse-like figure before them.

''If we want to get to The Old Building mystery, we need to get past the anatomical model,'' Minami told them, only for said model to suddenly lunge at them. ''Run!''

The group split up, trying to find a way around the model without getting caught by it. They managed to give it the slip thanks to their sheer number, but when the model charged after them, Knuckles stopped and punched it right in the gut, sending it flying.

''Knuckles, didn't I just say-?'' Lucas started, only to get interrupted by Knuckles.

''The anatomical model had challenged us to a battle for life, and therefore it should expect some for of retaliation,'' he replied. Lucas heard giggling beside him, those being Touka and Lily, followed by Sonic giving Knuckles a thumbs up. He was glad that they found some humor in this, but he also hoped they'd be able to complete this investigation soon.

''We'll be soon there,'' Minami said, leading the group to the old part of the building, towards the top floor. ''There!''

She pointed at an old wooden door, which seemed had a note that said ''DO NOT ENTER'' plastered across it. Lily gave it an appraising look, adding in a sarcastic tone, ''Yeah, that will stop students from entering it.''

''So, the last mystery says that if we witnessed all of the other mysteries, a demon will appear and take our place. Should we enter?'' Amy asked.

''Considering how this was my idea, I should be the one to take the risk and enter it,'' Minami said, only to see Makoto shake his head.

''No, let's enter the room together. Whatever is inside, it won't be able to handle all of us,'' he said. He still didn't feel well, but he was determined not to let Minami be alone. ''Supernatural or not, we all know how to fight.''

''Makoto's right. We'll do this together,'' Silver said. With the rest of the group agreeing and opening the door. They entered an old, musty room filled with dust, and as the door closed behind them, they waited with bated breath.

Suddenly, a dark figure with glowing eyes appeared in the room, forcing all of the group into a fighting pose, only for the figure to start clapping, revealing herself to be a turquoise mink a ARNav with long hair, earrings and wearing a pink suit.

''Congratulations for coming this far,'' she said. ''I am Miss Relish.''

''Huh? What?'' Team Neos looked completely baffled by the ARNavs appearance. Relish smirked, placing her hands on her hips.

''I'm sure you have a lot of questions now. To explain things, I am a member of the school staff and the one responsible setting up The Seven Mysteries of Nagatsuki Academy, as well as keep an eye on the students who enter it at night,'' Relish explained.

''W-Wait, you set all of that up?'' Makoto asked.

''Indeed. I used the AR Field surrounding the school to set up any kind of mystery the students came up with and then observe them,'' Relish explained. She was met blank stares.

''Why?'' Lily asked, still stunned by the revelation.

''Nagatsuki Academy has a lot of rumors about supernatural events, and it is only natural for students to be curious and investigate those rumors. To make sure that no one gets injured, but students still have a creepy experience, the school staff agreed to take advantage of the AR Field technology to make all those rumors true, and I was selected to act as the operator,'' Relish explained. ''All those mysterious things that happened was stuff I had caused… and I was quite shocked to see you decided to actually fight back against the anatomical model. Most students would try to run and hide.''

''We didn't break it, did we?'' Lucas asked worriedly.

''No, you didn't,'' Relish responded. ''Besides, I would be responsible for any damages since I was the one using it.''

''What I don't understand is why would the school staff even go this far to recreate those rumors?'' Makoto asked.

''Call it a test of courage. You aren't the first nor the last students who decided to explore the school at night, and while it can be troublesome, I believe that having students face their fears can be beneficial, as long as they aren't in any danger. If any of you got seriously hurt, I would've stopped this investigation immediately,'' Relish explained.

''I see… Honestly, I have a fear of ghosts, but that still has to stop me from abandoning my friends,'' Makoto said. Relish just smiled kindly.

''Well, I hope you enjoyed your experience and please, keep this a secret. I want future generations to have some fun as well. As a matter of fact, I have overheard another group planning to come at 3AM here, so it would be better if you leave now so they won't see you,'' Relish told them.

''Okay, we'll leave,'' Lucas said, with Team Neos following him. Makoto was the last one behind, lingering as he turned his attention back to the mink ARNav.

''So, this school isn't haunted at all?'' he asked.

''Don't worry, dear. Any supposed haunting is just the result of the AR Field,'' Relish assured him. Makoto then smiled and followed his friends.

Team Neos was soon outside, climbing over the gate and talking about their experiences, coming to an agreement that this little adventure was quite exciting. As they were about to part ways, Makoto looked back one last time towards his school, spotting Relish waving at them, and he was about to wave back, when his eyes suddenly widened when he saw a dark figure behind the ARNav. He blinked, only for Relish and the figure to vanish from the window, and stopped walking, staring back at the building.

''Makoto, are you okay? What's wrong?'' Silver asked him. Makoto lowered his gaze in thought, then gave his partner a comforting smile.

''It's nothing. I guess I'm just seeing things.''

Links:

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

[derpyraccoon]

Made a plush based off @oobbbear seven mystery au!

Gonna finish moon tomorrow-

I know I already made earrings based off this au, but I needed to make dolls too! It's just such a good au!

[ariicandy]

if you do platonic stuff do u think u could do hanako who’s friend with a ghost who isn’t like bound to the school like they can just go anywhere they want and maybe their really nice too

Yup I can do platonic stuff!! I love tbhk request ppl who have amazing ideas 🫶🫶 Sorry for taking forever I’ve been really unmotivated to write so hopefully I can soon write better again for something I’ve had in mind to do since the end of last month

Note! 🎧 • Unmotivated work, might be ooc, Just overall seems rushed 😓 P.S my autocorrect is sooo annoying so sorry for the capitals on “to” and some others.

Platonic!! Hanako Who’s Friend Isn’t Bound To The School n Can Go Wherever

You not being bound to the school gives him a sense of relief, He doesnt want you to be stuck in a school or event anywhere against your own will. He does wishes he can roam the world or the stars with you, but he’s Stuck as one of the Seven mysteries of the school.

He loves to hear what you saw all round to tall builds To the smallest detail that doesn’t matter to most people but you two. Whenever you bring stuff from other places due to him not able to, he would shout in excitement from how mysterious it looks/feels. If it were an item he always wanted he would hug you a billion times and while saying thank you with some tears </3

He does always misses you whenever you go explore/not at the school. He has always been isolated for I forgot how long coughs , he just needs his friend that he hasn’t had for a whole while since he has been a mystery. Your someone He can finally trust and be funny with, like if you both been friends since day 1! All He wants is to see his cool friend and talk for hours like Kids do during the summer vacation.

Him being your friend and liking how nice you are really makes a impact on him. He hasn’t have someone be so nice to him from childhood, so you treating him the pleasure of kindness he hasn’t felt for a long time, he wants to cry and make it up to you for treating him like someone instead of using him like everyone else. He really enjoys you trying to take care of him and gifting him stuff, he hasn’t anyone generous like that. He wants to make it up to you but he can’t think of anything even if you say he doesn’t have to, he feels like he needs to so he usually asks Mr. Tsuchigomori for Help to give you something in return.

[amyyythestarry]

I have this little scrap TBHK au called New Blues, it’s a reincarnation au with a fem [Y/N].

It about [Y/N] going to Kamome Academy and meeting the main TBHK characters and ever so slowly figuring out why they look so familiar and about her past life, ect.

Also it’s kind of like School Bus Graveyard. They banish evil yokai to the far shore.

All of the seven mystery’s/supernaturals have their powers ( And they are still seven mysteries but of the far shore only ), had it ever since they were little. Akane was accidental ( The original ‘saving Aoi from death thing’ ), Mitsuba’s wish was granted by Tsukasa when they were 12.

Aoi, Nene and Sumire gain powers somewhere in between.

It’s not official or planned out all the way. I just thought of it last night and was like “Yeah this is good”.

Also first day of school was boring asf.

[ghostcorr]

Drawing the seven mysteries from tbhk, this is gonna be a long project

[hellsquills]

Something crucial to understand the Mystery Trio dynamic is that they each think they're the sanest (none of them are lol)

Stan, watching his brother and Fidds sharing crazy theories out loud: holy shit these two are real life mad scientists. Thank god I'm just a Normal Guy Ford, watching his brother and Fidds ramble non stop about robots, regular animals or fights: Moses, they really are at their dumbest when they interact. Thank god I'm the one with some common sense Fidds, watching the twins bicker and fight like kids: they really become children when they're together. Thank god I'm the adult here

[lesbianseaweed]

this was basically what happened, right?

[iamhereinthebg]

Old doodles and shitposts of the Clock keepers because I miss them everyday

[bisexualenbyblueberry]

is this anything

[tdpfangirl]

TDP S7 IMAGE

Still going crazy over this image!!! Season 7 is supposed to be DARK, but this image just gives me the happy feels....

[wodania]

“Be my dog, ser. The night’s alive with promise. We can howl together, and wake the very gods.”

prince daemon and ser duncan 🎻🌳

[derpyraccoon]

Moons done!

Look at em!

@oobbbear help, I'm obsessed with your au's!

[viserya-firstofhername]

Harry Collett for GRUMPY MAGAZINE, August 2024 A mad tea party

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5

[duchess-of-oldtown]

According to the way they adapted Fire and Blood in House of the Dragon, we can probably expect some changes in Dunk and Egg:

Dunk is actually the long lost son of Daemon Blackfyre and Dornish Daenerys Targaryen (y'know because EVERYONE has to have their parents explained)

Egg will not be loyal to Dunk, he'll be a total scumbag

Maekar DID kill Baelor on purpose.

Before Baelor dies he whispers that Egg should be King and Dunk must immediately be named a Kingsguard.

Aerion will commit like one actrocity and then get a redemption arc.

Bloodraven and Bittersteel are estranged lovers (this could work) and all this is a bitter divorce

Bloodraven gets his info by selling feet pics. The trees told him that's how Alicent did it.

Shiera Seastar DOES actually eat children and bathe in blood.

Daeron the Drunken will take so much fantasy cocaine/LSD that the whole thing was actually all an acid trip

Daemon II Blackfyre will not serve cunt or camp.

The Blackfyre Rebellion? All happened in one big miscommunication Trope.

The dragons aren't dead, they're actually just finding themselves in the wilderness, you know? They're just really getting into their earthy crunch side.

Maekar Targaryen will do nothing all season. Just serve face and say offensive shit

The Dornish will be an integral part of the season. You will only know about it because of Behind the Episode.

Valarr Targaryen is a socialist and that is why they killed him off.

The mastermind behind all the Targaryen deaths? Baby Walder Frey.

Who really stole the dragon egg at Whitewalls? Time Travelling Penny in disguise.