Danganronpa: Beta Memories

Bound by Despair...

Hajime found himself staring at the giant walls in front of him. Gundham, Fuyuhiko, and Kazuichi he received word that the Maze floor was open for exploration. Monokuma enticed them with a little incentive: the first person to solve the Maze and beat the Final Dead Room will receive a surprise. Of course, Kazuichi started pushing the other guys to go with them.

"Why are you so interested in this stupid thing anyway?" Fuyuhiko asked. "I mean, for all we know, it could be a trap."

"Who cares? For all we know, it could be a way out of here." Kazuichi explained.

"You're so pathetic." Gundham shook his head in disgust before heading back to the elevator. "Waste your time all you want. I refuse to participate."

"FINE!" Kazuichi stormed into the maze. "I'll be the best player and I'LL be the hero of this story!"

"Unlikely." Fuyuhiko muttered before taking a seat on a couch. Hajime joined him, having nothing better to do. While he was curious, there was a huge risk of going through. "Oy, Hajime. You haven't see Peko this morning, have you?"

"No. Now that you mention it, none of the girls showed up to breakfast." Hajime replied, concern weighing heavily on his head. "I hope everything is okay."

"It better." Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. "I swear, that bear is going to get it if-"

"I wouldn't recommend it." Gundham interrupted. Both Hajime and Fuyuhiko jumped up scared. "Remember about Nekomaru."

"The hell did you come from?" Fuyuhiko growled, grasping his hurt arm.

"It would appear that it is entirely empty in the Tower. Boredom is not an option for me, so I shall join you two in conversation." Hajime took the ottoman as Gundham took his spot. In the distance, they could hear Kazuichi cursing as he was trying to solve his way out.

"Do you think we should help him?" Hajime asked, to which both boys shook their heads no.

"OH! I GOT IT!" Kazuichi screamed before the sound of a button click emerged. The room immediately began to shake and the walls began to descend. "I knew I can do it!"

"That's great and all...but you still have the Final Dead Room." Fuyuhiko sighed.

"Uh...Of course I knew that! I am just letting you guys know! All the hard work has been done and over with." Kazuichi tried to cover up his embarrassment with a cool smile.

"Right..."

"Anyways, I guess it is time for the Final Dead Room." The Ultimate Mechanic inched his way to the door.

"What are you so afraid of?" Gundham snapped at him.

"Nothing!" Kazuichi cried before gaining his composure. "I am just...preparing for the worst, you know?"

None of the others fell for it, but kept their faces neutral. Kazuichi saw that as a threat and barged right in the door. A few minutes later, a loud buzz was heard followed by an automatic voice: "YOU HAVE FAILED THE DEAD ROOM. PLEASE WAIT 24 HOURS BEFORE RETRYING."

The door opened with Kazuichi running out, panting. "Oh Jesus! That was the horrifying experience of my life."

"Stop being such a wuss." Fuyuhiko said as he reached for the door. He jiggled the doorknob to no avail. It was locked. "Are you kidding me? Do we really have to wait a WHOLE DAY?"

"I would assume since the maze was defeated so easily, Monokuma must've made this more difficult." Gundham explained.

"Well, that's just peachy." Fuyuhiko huffed, leading the other boys out of the floor. "This is got to be the least scary thing the bear has done."

Hajime remained silent, his eyes focused on the door. 'What the hell did Kazuichi see?'
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Meanwhile, Nagito sat alone in his room. He was silent, still as a rock, but not dead. For some reason, his thoughts plagued him with visions of another life. This life saw himself being reckless in his quest for hope.

Vision:
He saw a city engulfed in darkness and where blood covered the streets. So many Monokumas invade peaceful homes, killing all in sight. Only he survived: a man in chains. Any survivors had already escaped the city or so he thought.

A man with a dark suit and flowing dark hair crossed paths with him. His red eyes burned deep in his soul. His face was pale and emotionless with specks of blood across.

"Are you still alive?" The man spoke in disgust. "I would figure that they would kill them off first."

Nagito could feel himself laughing and speaking, but he had no control. "Nonsense! After all, we are the reason that this is happening now!"

"It doesn't matter. A slave like you shouldn't exist." The man spat out as he walked away. Nagito could laugh as he placed his hands on his head. He could feel piercing fingernails coming from his left arm. Sure enough, when he looked, it wasn't his real arm. It was a woman's arm with long red painted fingernails. Her laugh echoed in his mind as he joined in.

Vision end.

"Nagito?" A sweet voice brought him back to the light. He opened his eyes and Chiaki was waiting for him. "I got your medicine."

"Oh...thank you." He said quietly as he took the cup and swallowed them without any water. "With any luck, I will be able to get out of here tomorrow."

Chiaki beamed happily. "I am so relieved. There is so much I need to tell you...but I'll let you rest."

Nagito nodded as he laid down. Chiaki closed the door behind her after turning off the light. Returning to her room, she couldn't help but ponder in fear. What she and the girls saw was too horrible to describe in words. It felt like a conspiracy; something bigger than just a school field trip turned killing game.
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To be continued...