I knew I had to go back inside.
Despite the terror gripping my heart, my love for Hina and the desire to save her were stronger.
I couldn't leave her in that state, even if she couldn't distinguish between friends and foes, not even me.
I had a strange feeling in my heart, a sense of danger that was telling me that Hina wouldn't have recognized me.
A part of me wanted to meet her, another part wanted to go home and wait.
Before Sakura ran away with my friend, I gently asked a favor:
"Sakura, keep Naomi safe. I have to go back in," I said with determination in my voice.
Sakura looked at me incredulously.
"Are you crazy? Hina will kill you! She's not herself anymore!"
I shook my head. "I have to do it. I have to try to save her."
That was our dialogue before she ran away and before I removed the wooden beam.
With my heart pounding, I reopened the door and ventured back into the darkness.
The flickering lights cast menacing shadows on the blood-stained walls.
The silence was broken only by my footsteps and the frantic beating of my heart.
I saw a trail of blood continuing down the main hallway up to the second floor.
A bad feeling started to form in my heart.
Maybe Hina dragged her victim's body up there…
I swallowed some saliva and started to walk.
As I moved deeper into the building, the air grew heavier, filled with a metallic tang that clung to my senses.
The scent of blood and the sight of all the dead bodies on the floor were enough to scare my soul.
I wanted to go out and wait for Hina's return, but my determination was telling me to go deeper.
Each step I took seemed to echo unnaturally loud, as if the very walls were amplifying my presence, mocking my attempt to move quietly.
The shadows around me twisted and stretched, taking on sinister shapes that seemed to reach out, trying to pull me into the darkness.
I kept following the tray of blood.
That was the only hint that I could have.
But suddenly, I heard the sound of a sinister laugh coming from the second floor.
Every now and then, I heard strange sounds, like those of someone exerting intense effort, similar to an athlete lifting weights…
"AH! RAAAGH! HAHAHAHAH" that was what I heard.
With every step I took, the sound was getting terrifyingly louder and I swallowed some saliva.
My breath came in shallow with ragged gasps.
Fear coursed through my veins, making my muscles tense and my skin prickle.
I could feel sweat trickling down my back, cold and clammy.
Every creak of the floorboards, every distant drip of water made me jump, my heart leaping into my throat.
Then I heard it again.
A chilling, malevolent laugh that echoed through the corridors.
That time it was louder and clearer.
But it had the feeling of someone who was "happy".
It's pretty hard to explain.
I then realized that it was Hina's voice, but distorted, filled with a madness that sent shivers down my spine.
The sound bounced off the walls, coming from all directions at once, making it impossible to pinpoint her exact location.
The trail of blood became more evident and I kept following it until I found myself on the first floor.
The scenery was still the same of when I walked out, but at the same time, the atmosphere was more terrifying.
"Hina," I whispered, more to myself than in an attempt to call out to her.
My voice sounded small and fragile in the oppressive silence.
It seemed like she didn't listen because the laughter intensified.
I followed the sound of her laughter, my legs feeling like lead.
Each step was a struggle, my body screaming at me to turn back, to flee from the danger that lay ahead.
But I pushed on, driven by a desperate hope that I could reach her, that I could bring her back.
Memories of my beautiful moments with Hina came in my mind, reminding me that I really loved that sweet side of her.
I wanted to save her and my friends.
That's why I wanted to see her.
The hallways seemed to stretch endlessly, each corner I turned revealing more of the same—flickering lights, bloodstains, and the pervasive sense of dread.
The laughter grew louder, more manic, as I drew closer.
I could almost feel her presence, a dark force that seemed to pulse with anger and sorrow.
It was like Hina was everywhere, looking me from every single corner of the building.
I reached a staircase and hesitated, looking up at the shadowy steps.
The laughter was louder now, coming from above.
I steeled myself and began to walk up the staircase, the creaking steps protesting under my weight.
Each step felt like it took an eternity, my mind racing with images of what I might find at the top.
Then, I was finally on the second floor.
The blood tray led to a classroom that was at the end of the main corridor after the stairs.
I took a deep breath and started to walk again towards the source of the sounds.
When I reached the end of the corridor, the laughter stopped abruptly, leaving a deafening silence in its wake.
It was like she heard me coming.
My heart pounded in my ears, the sudden quiet more terrifying than the noise had been.
My senses and my soul were all tingling, screaming me to run away to safety.
I was still in time and despite the will of survive, I knew that I needed to see Hina.
I stood there, frozen, straining to hear any sign of movement.
The door was slightly opened and it seemed like there was no light in it.
I took a deep breath and swallowed some saliva, with fear devouring my heart.
I slowly moved my hand towards the door surface to open it.
I could feel the cold sensation of the old wooden door in my hand.
My arm was shaking along with my soul but I took another deep breath and opened it.
Luckily, I remembered that I had the flashlight from my phone.
I took my phone out from my pocket and turned the light on.
Then, I took a deep breath, gathered some courage and opened the door.
I rapidly broke in and pointed the flashlight around the corners.
"Hina…!" I exclaimed.
But there was no response.
I took a look around and the class was empty.
I was confused, not understanding why.
But when I pointed the flashlight on the floor, I found other dead bodies and another trail of blood leading to the wall.
"What the…" I said to myself.
I walked closer to it and placed a hand on the wall.
Then, I put some more force into it and… a secret door opened.
I didn't expect this, so I fell down on the other side while dropping my phone on the ground.
I found myself on the floor in a secret place.
It was a room… there was a single but weak led light on the ceiling, illuminating everything, and candles all around the room.
On the wall there were several paintings made of red.
Most of them were words like "Liar, disgusting, Killer, parentless, useless… death."
They were written with a strange font.
After that, I stood up and started to walk to another door that was on my left.
The tray of blood continued.
My feelings turned off completely.
I was feeling so much fear that it seemed like I wasn't feeling it at all, like I accepted my fate.
With a sigh, I slowly walked towards the door and slowly opened it.
Then, I saw her.
My eyes widened in terror.
Hina stood at the middle of the room , her back to me.
Her long hair was disheveled, and her clothes were stained with blood.
She was sitting on top of the boss' corpse.
Hina had her knife in her hands and a psychopath expression printed all over her face.
I saw her stabbing repeatedly the dead body of the boss.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAH! DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD HURT ME AND MY LOVE!!?!"
That's what she was saying , with a crazy tone of voice, while still stabbing the dead body.
The boss' face and body were totally disfigured, with his belly ripped open and some organs even spilling out.
My eyes were open wide from a mix of disgust and fear, but I knew that I had to move on.
Hina had a mix of anger and… arousal while doing what she was doing.
The expression on her face told me that she was enjoying what she was doing.
Then, she suddenly stopped and stood perfectly still with her knife in the air, like a statue, her head slightly tilted as if listening for something.
She then put her knife down and started sniffing the air.
"That scent… is… familiar." She said while her expression changed to an empty and sad one.
Hina then started to look around , like she was searching the origin of the scent.
That was my moment.
She noticed my presence and if she discovered me, she surely would've done something horrible.
"Hina," I called out softly, taking a cautious step forward, with fear echoing in my soul.
At the sound of my voice , Hina's body twitched.
She turned slowly towards, her eyes wild and unfocused.
Her face was twisted in a empty and murderous expression , but then she changed into grotesque smile, one that sent a jolt of fear through me.
I wanted to run, to escape the horror before me, but I forced myself to stay, to reach out to her.
"It's me, Kai," I said, my voice trembling. "I'm here to help you."
For a moment, she just stared at me, as if trying to comprehend my words.
Then, with a guttural scream, she lunged at me.
I barely managed to parry the blow, falling to the ground with Hina on top of me.
The pain of her nails digging into my skin was sharp and immediate, but I didn't retaliate with violence.
Hina's eyes were red just like the blood.
She didn't recognize me and she wasn't herself… she was in the middle of a psychopath and murderous crisis.
But , I could feel that she was trying to restrain herself.
"Hina, it's me… Kai," I said, my voice breaking.
Hina continued to attack, her eyes devoid of recognition.
Without noticing, my body parried all of her blows, like it was being moved automatically by a hidden force.
Then, Hina tried to dig her nails into me, but I managed to stop her.
She way too strong and I couldn't resist her anymore.
"H-Hina!! It's me!! Your boyfriend Kai!!!" I exclaimed with a loud and desperate scream.
Then, as if by magic, something changed.
Her hands, which were about to dig into my flesh, stopped.
A glimmer of awareness crossed her eyes.
"Kai…" Hina murmured, her voice shifting from furious to confused.
Her eyes lost the bloody red shade and returned to her natural color.
Hina's force stopped and she retreated her hands.
She stared at me for some seconds before her eyes widened in sadness.
I looked into her eyes, my face marked by pain and hope.
"Yes, it's me. I'm here for you." I said with a lovingly voice , while gently caressing her cheek.
Tears began to stream down Hina's face, and her rage vanished, replaced by deep remorse. "Kai-Kun… what…What have I done…? Hina whispered with a broken voice.
It seemed like I was right.
Hina returned to her normal self.
The murderer that was about to kill me some moments ago disappeared immediately, replaced by the genuine girl who claimed to love me deeply…
I smiled warmly at her and kept caressing her cheek…
"It's okay now, Hina. I'm here." I said while looking at her with an intense feeling of love.
She then cried loudly and buried her head on my chest, sobbing.
"I'm so sorry , Kai…" she said while crying…