A Spooky Story

It took me quite a while to figure out how to properly shade the next few pages. They got really dark, but I hope you can see everything clearly enough. (Of course the darkness is also there to hide parts of the imagery and make the whole thing a bit creepier...)

I wondered if I should obscure the characters completely, but in the end, I decided against it. But I still wanted them to be somewhat stylized, so I made them shadowy and gave them glowing eyes in different shapes which reflect their personality a bit (like Misha's mischievous gaze).

There is one thing you have to keep in mind with Shiori's little tale: She doesn't willfully lie and truly tells Taku everything to the best of her ability, but she wasn't there and she never talked to any of the people involved personally. Her entire knowledge on the Sayagimori Incident comes from one or two news reports and some rumors flying around at school. Thus, the story she tells might not be entirely correct...

Comic transcript

Shiori starts the story of the 'Sayagimori Incident'.

Shiori: "Okay, let's see... The occult club was a tiny place, hidden away in a corner of the upper floors."

The door of the club room can be seen, decorated with a magic circle, two seals and a plush bat hanging from the sign.

Shiori: "Even during its best times, the club never had more than a handful of members. That didn't change until the end."

The five people from the photo are shown, each of them a shadowy silhouette with glowy eyes.

Shiori: "Not only had it a reputation for often causing trouble, it also had an ongoing rivalry with the folklore club."

A 'Keep Out' caution tape, lots of rubble and a dark liquid symbolize the 'trouble' Shiori is talking about. The confident girl from the photo can be seen glaring up to a taller boy with crossed arms.