the shaman way

Cyrus and Viora went to their respective lockers to grab their backpacks—lockers that, much to Cyrus' distress and Viora's joy, were right next to each other. You might expect the overly enthusiastic and cocky young girl to chat with Cyrus energetically, but instead, she packed her things in silence. Cyrus stole a quick glance at her before retrieving some "necessities" he'd forgotten in his locker. Without another word, he headed outside the school toward the bus.

Viora's heart was pounding heavily. Even though she wanted to prove herself to Cyrus, her hands trembled as she clutched her backpack tightly, sweat beading on her forehead. Just then, Umeboshi popped out from her locker, leaning casually against the door as he spoke.

"Can't you hurry up? You're so slow, people are saying all kinds of bad stuff about you. It's kinda embarrassing hearing all that gossip," he said with a smirk. "You should stand up for yourself—like, I don't know, beat them into a bloody pulp or something. That's what I used to do!" He shrugged nonchalantly, still half-inside her locker.

"As if I'd ever do something like that—silly!" she said with a huff, slamming her locker door shut on him, even though she knew full well he wasn't corporeal.

She walked outside the school, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, while Umeboshi trailed behind her, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his black leather jacket.

"It was just a proposition, don't get mad," he said with a smirk.

As Viora took her first step onto the bus, she noticed the driver didn't even acknowledge her presence. Looking down the aisle, she saw several teachers from different classes seated at the front. The math teacher sat in the first seat on the right, while others occupied the rows on either side of the aisle.

The math teacher let out a tired sigh and said, "Finally, we're all here. Viora, take a seat, and as soon as you do, we're ready to go."

Viora simply nodded and replied softly, "Okay."

She walked down the aisle, feeling the brief side glances people gave her. A tiny part of her hoped someone might call out:

"Oh, Viora, sit next to me!"

or

"Viora, I saved you a seat!"

or even

"You can sit here if you want."

But, of course, none of that ever happened. She'd never had real friends. Sure, she'd had "friends" in the past, if you could even call them that. Their so-called friendship was as fake as the word fake itself—relationships born purely out of circumstance, nothing more than the shared obligation of tolerating each other every week.

As Viora continued walking down the aisle, she could hear snippets of whispered gossip. The main topic was probably her—she was used to it by now. Reaching the end of the bus, her eyes landed on a seat with only one occupant: a pale boy with brown hair and brown eyes, gazing silently out the window.

She stood there for a few seconds, hesitating, before sliding into the seat next to him. Once seated, she couldn't help but glance at him, her gaze lingering as she quietly observed him.

Noticing the girl staring at him, the boy let out a sigh and asked, "What now?"

She quickly turned her head away, pulling her hoodie over her head and slumping forward, her face hidden. In a quiet voice, she mumbled, "Thanks for saving a seat for me. No one's ever done that before."

The boy blinked in surprise, then turned back to the window. "What are you talking about? It was the last seat available, so of course it was empty. Besides, no one wanted to sit here anyway."

Still resting her head on the seat in front of her, she replied in a low voice, "You're probably right."

They didn't say anything more after that. The boy stared out the window, but one thought lingered in his mind:

"Probably?"

The sound of the engine starting filled the bus, and soon it began to move. It quickly pulled out of the school parking lot and onto the street. As the bus gained speed, Cyrus glanced out the window, watching the school grow smaller and smaller in the distance until it was nearly out of sight.

***

It had been 20 minutes since the bus started, and somehow, Viora had ended up falling asleep. Her neck ached as she lifted her head, glancing to her right. Cyrus was still staring out the window, his expression serious.

She turned to her left, her gaze settling on a particular scene.

"Goddamn, it's cold in here!" a student to her left said, shivering.

The student sitting next to him nodded, adding, "Yeah, it's a bit chilly."

Then a male student from the seat in front turned around, glancing back at them. "Nah, I think you guys just caught a cold. It feels perfectly warm to me!"

All three of them were completely unaware that the source of the cold was Umeboshi, a manchild thug spirit, who was sleeping in the same spot as one of the students. Of course, their bodies didn't come into contact, as he wasn't physical, but that didn't change the fact that Umeboshi emanated an intense chill.

Viora, still watching the scene, let out a small chuckle. Suddenly, the bus came to a stop.

Then Cyrus, who was sitting next to her, murmured in a low voice, "About time."

The math teacher, who had been sitting at the front, stood up and turned to face the students.

"Alright, folks! We've finally arrived at Hell Ride Amusement Park!" she announced. "We're lucky today because the school has covered everyone's tickets, but food will be on your own dime. Once we get outside, you can form small groups. Understood?"

Most of the students responded in unison,

"Understood!"

All the students, in unison, began walking off the bus. Soon, no one was left in the vehicle. As Viora, Cyrus, and Umeboshi stepped onto the property of the amusement park, they immediately felt... nothing.

The park seemed completely ordinary, with nothing out of the ordinary to suggest any supernatural presence. But that only meant the spirit was hiding, which meant they'd have to stay on high alert.

Most of the students began forming small groups, as expected, leaving Cyrus and Viora on their own. Soon, it was just the two of them—three, if you counted the spirit.

"It sucks," she muttered to herself, staring at the amusement park.

The park was... enormous. Even for an amusement park, it was on a scale that seemed almost absurd. The towering roller coasters stretched high into the sky, so tall that they almost disappeared into the clouds. The ferris wheel was so massive it could be seen from miles away, its bright lights flashing like a beacon. Scattered around the park were massive pavilions, expansive water rides, and game booths, all crammed into every corner. The pathways were wide enough to fit crowds of people without them feeling crowded, yet it still felt like there was no end in sight.

For a park that was supposedly on the brink of bankruptcy, the sheer size and sprawling layout gave it a surreal, almost unnatural feeling, as if it had outgrown its ability to maintain itself.

All three of them stood there in silence until Umeboshi broke it.

"Man, stuff like this makes me think I wasted my life," he said, his voice tinged with amusement as he gazed at the ferris wheel in the distance. "I've never been to one of those before!"

Cyrus tightened his grip on his backpack, turning to look at Umeboshi with a serious expression.

"We're not here to play, Umeboshi," he said, his tone cold and firm. "We're here because there's a dangerous spirit in this park, and everyone here is at risk of losing their life. Don't forget, you've got a debt to repay."

He cast a sweeping glance over the entire amusement park, his gaze hardening as he took in the sprawling grounds.

Umeboshi let out a smirk, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Don't mistake me, Miravine," he said, his voice low and serious. "I'm only cooperating with you because of my code. But as soon as that debt is repaid... you'd better pray we don't meet again. Because if we do, I'll beat you up so hard you'll regret ever becoming a shaman."

He tightened his grip on his wooden staff as he spoke, the intensity in his words matching his actions.

Cyrus glanced at Umeboshi with indifference, his expression unchanging.

"You can try again if you want," he said coolly. "But the outcome will be the same as the first two times."

Viora, who had been silently watching the exchange, sighed and glanced between the two of them.

"Can you two stop being so mean to each other while I'm here?" she asked, her voice a mix of frustration and amusement. "So, what's the plan?"

Cyrus continued to gaze at the amusement park, his tone unwavering as he spoke.

"I had a plan, just not with you," he said, his eyes still fixed on the park. "I told you not to come because you knew what kind of spirit was here, and yet you still decided to show up. So just get out of my way. If things go south, leave as fast as you can."

Viora, also glancing at the park, spoke with determination.

"Sorry, I can't do that."

Cyrus sighed in frustration before muttering,

"Whatever... Umeboshi, come."

Cyrus began sprinting, not at full speed to avoid drawing unwanted attention, but still fast enough to cover ground quickly. Umeboshi followed closely behind, his voice rising in anger.

"Who told you to give me orders?!"

Meanwhile, Viora was left standing alone by the entrance of the amusement park, watching them go.

Viora clenched her fist with determination, her expression resolute.

"Well, time to prove him wrong…"

With that, she ran off in a different direction.

chapter twelve end