Chapter 2
<47 days of hell>(1)
✧Hope✧
Genocide—a fate no one had faced before. Fate determines the future bestowed upon them. Hoshino, transported to an AU beyond infinity, found himself amidst a shattered reality where time and space danced an erratic tango. The world he once knew was a distant memory, replaced by a chaotic landscape where every step could unravel the fabric of existence itself.
As Hoshino navigated this new AU, he encountered beings that defied logic—monstrous entities born from the ruptures in reality. They lurked in the shadows, feeding on the instability that surrounded them. Each encounter tested Hoshino's resolve, forcing him to confront not only external threats but also the darkness within himself that had enabled his entry into this forbidden realm.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the aftermath of Hoshino's departure left a scarred planet struggling to survive. Immortal but purposeless, humanity faced existential crises as they grappled with the consequences of a timeline fractured beyond repair. Some sought solace in the remnants of civilization, clinging to hope amidst the ruins. Others succumbed to despair, their minds unable to reconcile the shattered reality they now inhabited.
[10%]
In the Hall of Judgement, a council of enigmatic beings debated the fate of Hoshino and the fractured timelines. They watched with keen interest as events unfolded across dimensions, their motives hidden behind veils of cosmic wisdom and unfathomable agendas.
Back in the unstable AU, Hoshino uncovered fragments of forgotten truths—whispers of ancient civilizations and cosmic entities that had shaped the multiverse itself. Each revelation brought him closer to understanding the nature of his existence and the role he inadvertently played in destabilizing reality.
[58%]
Driven by a relentless desire to restore balance, Hoshino embarked on a perilous journey to find the mythical Singularity—a nexus point rumored to hold the key to repairing the rifts in the multiverse. Guided by fragments of memories and cryptic messages left by those who came before him, he navigated through surreal landscapes where time flowed like a river with no banks.
As he ventured deeper into the heart of the AU, Hoshino encountered allies and adversaries alike—beings whose motives were as enigmatic as the universe itself. Some sought to aid him in his quest, recognizing the dire consequences of an unchecked timeline collapse. Others opposed him, viewing his presence as a threat to their own existence within the fractured reality.
[78%]
With each step, Hoshino felt the weight of responsibility grow heavier. The fate of not just one world but countless realities hung in the balance, their interconnectedness forming a delicate web that trembled with every movement he made. He wrestled with moral dilemmas and existential questions, questioning whether his actions were driven by destiny or mere chance.
Back on Earth, the council in the Hall of Judgement observed the unfolding events with increasing concern. The instability in the AU sent ripples across dimensions, threatening to engulf neighboring realities in the chaos that had consumed Hoshino's world. They deliberated on the necessity of intervention, weighing the risks of direct interference against the potential catastrophic outcomes of allowing the timeline collapse to spread unchecked.
Amidst the turmoil, a glimmer of hope emerged—a prophecy buried deep within the annals of time foretold of a chosen one who would wield the Singularity and restore harmony to the multiverse. Whether Hoshino was this prophesied savior or unwitting catalyst remained uncertain, but his journey had become intertwined with the fate of existence itself.
[90%]
In the depths of the AU, Hoshino finally reached the Singularity—a cosmic convergence point pulsating with unimaginable power. Here, amidst the swirling energies of creation and destruction, he faced his ultimate test. The Singularity beckoned, its presence a beacon of hope amidst the darkness that threatened to consume everything.
With trembling hands and a heart heavy with the weight of his choices, Hoshino made his decision. He reached out, touching the Singularity and channeling its energies with a resolve born from desperation and determination. The fabric of reality quivered as the Singularity responded to his touch, weaving threads of possibility into a tapestry of renewed existence.
Across the multiverse, timelines stabilized, rifts closed, and order was restored where chaos had once reigned supreme. The council in the Hall of Judgement watched in awe as the cataclysmic events of the AU subsided, replaced by a newfound equilibrium that resonated across dimensions.
Hoshino, now a figure of myth and legend, returned to Earth as a changed being. The memories of his journey remained etched in his soul, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the boundless potential of existence itself. As he gazed upon the reconstructed world, he knew that his quest was far from over.
The echoes of his actions reverberated throughout the multiverse, a reminder that even in the face of insurmountable odds, hope could prevail. The AU, once a realm of chaos and despair, now stood as a testament to the transformative power of courage and determination.
[96%]
And so, Hoshino's journey continued—a beacon of light amidst the darkness, a vguardian of balance in a universe teetering on the brink of oblivion.
But that was way to delusional for the cosmics beings,a simple stepping point for that was to come.
『Fate is unavodiable.』
The atoms,molecules and all the particles from the microscopic and nonmicroscopic in air disapired,the sky turrened gary.
—「(Hope is a lie)」
That single voice echoed through the universe.
The time had stoped.
—beep
[The Genocide system is being activated]
[98%]
The....world..
[99%]
The world...
[100%]
Started moving in reverse.
[Completed]
The world had reverted back to start,looping back into time,all the things almost identical all things are the same the broken landacape expect for the familiar transulent cyan–blue window.
"What the helll!!!
This is...this is.....Why.......why........This is.....so......Perfect!!!!!!!! "
"wait....no!!!!!"
[ 「The instlization is complete」]
"wha....t?"
[The character details are being displayed]
Huh
*
Name: 『Hoshino』
SYSTEM: 『GENOCIDE』
RACE: 『HUMAN』
Personality: 『DECPTION』,『BROKEN』
Trait: 『???』
Level: 『1』
Stats:
Hp: 1
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Mentality: Unstable
Endurance: 20
Stamina: 10
Mana:10
Intelligence: ¿? ¿
Skills passive:
*
『FABRICATION 』
[Your words can decive others esaily ]
[lvl:7]「Pasaive」
『LIER 』
[Your lies are easily believable by others]
[Lvl:7]「passive」
『MANIPULATER』
[By manipulating countless people you unlocked this skill,while locking at somone you can see what they are thinking]
[Lvl:max]「acctive」「passive」
『COLD HERART 』
[By sealing away your emotions you have become immune to all empathy,emotions don't effect you and you can control them at your will]
[Lvl:Max]「passive」
『MASTER OF ALL 』
[You can weild all weapons,while holdings any weapon you feel like you've been mastering that weapon for eons]
[Lvl:max]「passive」
『FORESIGHT』
[You can see glimpse of the future.will make you feell immeasurable pain on use]
[Lvl:1]「acctive」「passive」
『SOWRDMASTER』
[You have a underatanding of all the sowrd style in the multiverse]
[Lvl:max]「passive」
『 PRODIGY 』
[You are born a prodigy among geniuses,you can learn evrthing with low effort.'with limited hardwork talent is all that matters']
[Lvl:max]「passive」
『omnipoint LEARNING 』
[While others were playing i was reading, while others were figthing i was reading, while others were dying i waa reading and while the world was ending i was reading, learning everything in the world.you can memorize everything with just one look,all the worlds secrets are in your barin]
[Max lvl:10] [Level up to unlock the knowlagde in you]
[Lvl:1]「passive」
『MAGIC MASTER 』
[Your understanding of magic is far greater than anyone]
[Lvl:max]「passive」
『mana master』
[Your mana perciparation is far supireir than any entity in the world]
[Lvl:max]「passive」
『magic resistance 』
[You have a 70% resistance to magic attacks]
[Lvl:max]「passive」
『physical resistance』
[You have a 70% resistance to physical attacks]
[Lvl:max]「passive」
『Mental reisstance』
[You have a 70% resistance to mental attacks]
[Lvl:max]「passive」
*
Skills:
[『Ice magic』『fire magic』『earth magic』『water magic』『Wind magic』『starlight magic』『solar magic』『plant magic』『blood magic』『space magic』『lunar magic』『garvity magic』『void magic』『Time magic』『fusion magic』]「locked」
『Domain』
[███████████]
[██]「█」
『Scenario』
[Missions]
「Kill one organism to began the journey of genocide 」
[Reward]
「1x insanity point 」
[When completing a senario you will get x1 insanity point.those insanity point can be used to buy all things in the shop]
So your saying that i have the power of system just like in a game
[Yes]
....what the hell is going on?
✧
After thinking for a while,he looked around himself and noticed that the place he was different from the place he was before the genocide system started or before started saving the broken AU.
His anitail plan was to reach the saving point and chose the second option which no one knew existed,only he knew with help of the race he had chosen was 『broken』which allows him to
While he was thinking that a scarlet system window
—『Broken』
[Effect]
You are naturally bron a deeprsed person,you will fell 100% more emotions when you get heart by someone emotionly.effects are further amplified by 500% more when being heart broken.
「After each number of time your heart is broken you will receive from the number of times:truma received,mental state,rejected, suicide attempt.....
「 Truman recived:total135 times」
Depression state:immeasurable
,affectionate deprived:60%
Suicidal attempts:653
[You have learned the secrets of world]
While i have all the knowledge of this world i can do anyth i n g.
Wa i t w# a #ts happ— huh– @&#%%#
[Error#8273]. {82726}
[Error!]
[Error! Error!
Error!
[You have know about the truths of —]
[You know to much!]
[ You have died! ]
[Your barin can't handle this much information ]
[Cause of death:Information overload]
[Warning!The system as malfunctioned during the overload of information]
[The system will now reset]
[Resetting the world!]
[1%]
.
.
.
[100%]
[System reset completed successful—]
[Error! due to the extensive amount of data the system can't function ]
[Error!]
[Errror!Trying t o fi x t he anyo m l y]
[Error!]
[Failed!]
[Errror!T r yi n g t o fi x t he anyo m l y]
[Fa!led]|
[Err—! memories are being erased ]
[Fixing th—
[Imaginry Infinity level threat dected!]
[ Warning!If error not fixed the—
Reality will be merged]
[You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][Yo u have died!][You have died!][You hav e died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have di ed!][You have died!][You h ave died!][You have d ied!][You h ave died!][You ha ve die d!][You have died!][You h.ave died!][You have died!][You have died!][You ha ve d ied!][Yo! have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You ha ve di ed!][You have died!][You have d ied!][Yo u have died!][You have died!][You have died!][You ha ve died!][You have died!][You have died!][You have died !][You have died!][You have died!] [You have died!][You have died!][You ha ve died!][You have died!][You ha! ve died!]
[ Y O U H A V E D I E D ! ]
[Error!]
[[[ Error! A.c.t <47 days of hell > is starting! Error!]]]
✧
[■]
「Day 5」
Yesterday my mother died with my entire family in a car accident and...
I am very sad about it.
「Day 14」
I don't know what to do anymore my family is gone
andi don't have anywere to sleep anymore. Maybe my relatives will take care of me.
「Day 16」
Why?Why? Just why? They dinit even look me in the and refused to let me stay there why,becuse am i useless to you or will you just die after taking me in. And guse what when i told they this they avoided my eye contact and closed the door on me. I see hat's how it is huh.
「Day 20」
When i got nowehere to go,all my realtives trunnned me away precisely saying that i am nussiance.
I see.i am not wanted,that's it no one needs me,no one cares about me,i am just a nobody amoung nobodys. maybe I'll just die in a dark ally way or jump of a building.even if i die no one will notice.surely someday i will die in a dark space where no one knows,where no one can remeber,where no one can see me.its better of dying than lving like this.
I thought about it again and again but the moment i chose to die,a certain thought fills my mind,someday maybe i will be needed,somone will care about me.
I hope that day comes soon.
「Day 30」
You know what's really ironic about life is when you don't want to lose something and you do all the things you can do in your prowess to stop it but you end up losing them anyways.
Life is full of suprises.
Nothing ever gose as plan in this ascurseded world.
You don't when you'll lose someone.
Yesterday they were with you,your family, freinds,your loved ones smiling,happy,filled with joy maybe sometimes even sad,scared or even depressing but no matter how sad it was in my heart, my heart i was filled with happines.
But today no ones [there.no](http://there.no/) one,i....am all
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⟨alone⟩
「Day 40」
I don't know what to do anymore,i can't take it anymore i been hungry for the last fourty days.
I want to give up but
『I belive there's still hope』
「Day 48」
After 1,128 hours or 47 days being hungry on the brim of dying someone strange 'uncle' found me and took into a place which was an orphange.
『I hope this place doset break my hopes 』
「Day 47」
⟮Something is wrong with this place⟯
You have died]
「Day 48」
After being taken in by the orphanage, I finally had a meal—my first in forty-seven days. I finally got to eat! After all that suffering, thmoment feels like pure happiness, maybe the only real happiness I've ever known.
[You have died]
「Day 6」
I dont know what to do anymore my parents are gone,i don't what to do any mor—... Why do i fell like i felt i been through this?
「Day 5」
Hoshino thought,What will happen to me now.
Day 6
After a long period of crying he finaly got up and went 'home'
[You have died]
「Day 5」
Ahhhh,i don't get it but why dose it feel so familiar,i don't know.
Lets just hope its my own nonsocial fellings
「Day 15」
I am now at the orphanage. I don't know why, but something feels deeply wrong here, a strange eeriness that prickles at my nerves. I can't shake this feeling, the same haunting sense I had the day my parents died.
「Day 17」
On any other morning, she would have gone about her routine at the orphanage without a second thought. Today was supposed to be no different. She walked briskly down the narrow, dim hallway, pushing the heavy wooden door open with a familiar cheerfulness.
"Hoshino, time to wake—" Her words fell dead on her lips, strangled by the sight before her. "Oh… Hoshi… no…?"
She froze, her voice barely a whisper, the warmth of her morning routine drowned by a deep, chilling horror. Lying sprawled across the floor was the body of Hoshino, her bright-eyed ward—a figure now unrecognizable, his once-lively face frozen in an expression of horror. Her mind clawed to reject what her eyes were seeing, to shield her from the nightmare before her. But the sheer horror of the scene was undeniable.
"Hoshino!?" She stumbled back, her hand pressing hard against her mouth to muffle the scream building in her throat. Finally, it broke free—a raw, piercing sound that echoed in the silent orphanage. "Kyaaaaaa!"
Her steps faltered; she staggered back, and ran as fast as she could, but mysteriously dispared somewhere.
The room was empty, yet far from empty. In the center, a small bed was splattered with blood, the bedding soaked through with dark, rust-colored stains. The walls, once pale, were marred with streaks of dark, dried blood, running in frozen rivulets up toward the ceiling as if the room itself had bled. A cheap wall clock ticked away, utterly indifferent, each second mocking the stillness of the figure lying lifeless on the floor.
Suspended from the ceiling light, swaying gently in the draft of the broken window, was Hoshino's severed head. His face, once so full of life and curiosity, was twisted in a grimace of final horror. His eyes, glassy and vacant, stared into the dark ceiling above, and his mouth was open, frozen in a final scream he could never finish.
Blood pooled on the floor, seeping into the wooden boards, and deep, jagged scars marred his torso, carved into his flesh with chilling precision. His chest cavity lay hollow, emptied. Where once a heart beat, there was only an empty void, and along the windowsill lay his heart, discarded like some worthless trinket. The remnants of his intestines and stomach glistened in the cold light, strewn about like pieces of unwanted debris.
Small, shadowy figures, hunched over Hoshino's remains, gnawing and tearing at his flesh with a ravenous hunger that defied human comprehension. Monsters, or some twisted mockery of life. Their forms flickered, as if they struggled to maintain coherence in the dim room, constantly shifting and warping with every passing second. They were pale, their sickly flesh stretched tight over grotesquely elongated limbs that ended in clawed hands slick with blood. What passed for faces were merely empty, hollow voids, eyeless yet somehow watching, sensing, and filled with a hunger that seemed endless. Their mouths—if they could be called that—were filled with jagged, needle-like teeth, biting and tearing through Hoshino's remains as a twisted chittering sound echoed through the room.
A faint line of text flickered across the room, only visible to few with keen eyesight:
[ You have died ]
「Day —」
The sky looms gray, thick with clouds, smothering any hope of sunlight. The air is bitter, as frigid as ever, with frost creeping over every inch of the landscape like an iron grip that will never let go. The world lies frozen, unmoved. Static.
How long can I keep doing this?
No, I don't have to keep doing this anymore. I could stop. I could let go, end this—step away. But if I did, everything would be meaningless, rendered void by my own hand. And yet, even if I were to end it, nothing would change. Nothing would matter. This world, this reality, would still repeat, dragging me back through the cycle no matter how much I wished otherwise.
[Time remaining: 10 seconds]
I can still feel it… the weight of the cycle. The pull of something greater, something unshakable. Somewhere deep down, I hoped it would disappear, that I'd wake to find this endless cycle broken, shattered, gone. A pointless dream, but one I cling to all the same.
But that hope is dead, crushed under the icy grip of inevitability.
[Time remaining: 0 seconds]
[Initializing a new world-line]
[Searching for viable instance...]
[World-line Number 72,593 located]
[Checking world-line parameters...]
... ... ...
[World-line 72,593 information]
[World Rank: D]
[Difficulty setting: Immersible]
[Error! Cannot proceed]
Nothing changes. No matter how many times I restart, the outcome is always the same. This cursed loop pulls me through the dark corridors of countless worlds—yet each is a mirror of the last. Every world, every line, is a prison, keeping me confined. Each "new" cycle just another layer of the same nightmare.
And I'm starting to forget what came before.
[You have died]
「Day 15」
–Claasifed information.
"What's this?" Hoshino thought, looking at the strange file placed on the director's table.
"What the hell are you looking at, you brat!" an old voice rang out. Hoshino looked for the source and found a middle-aged man in his 60s returning from whatever he was doing.
"Nothing," Hoshino replied.
The director, now getting ready to sit in his chair, looked at Hoshino with disbelief for a while. He dismissed it as nothing and sat down.
After a few minutes, the director asked a question. "Name?"
"Hoshino," he replied nonchalantly.
Hearing Hoshino's answer, the director wrote it on an empty sheet of A4 paper.
"Where did you live before?" the director asked another question.
"I don't know," Hoshino replied weakly.
The director gazed at Hoshino for a bit and muttered, "Amnesia?"
The director asked Hoshino for more information, but Hoshino kept repeating, "I don't know." The director, who was about to lose his temper, asked another question, but Hoshino's reply didn't change. The director snapped. He stood still, clenched his fists, ready to hit the boy, but a maid working at the orphanage, cleaning near the door, saw the director ready to strike a child. The maid quickly rushed over and grabbed the director's hand.
Seeing the lowly maid touch his hand made the director even angrier, and he slapped her.
"Get away from me, you pest!"
The infuriated director forgot about Hoshino and started beating the maid with his fists until he was satisfied.
Hoshino watched the maid getting beaten up with hollow eyes.
Hoshino never really understood what others felt or thought. Even if he tried to understand them, it became too sophisticated to comprehend. If he tried harder, it would cause a headache and make him go insane. So, naturally, he wouldn't understand the maid's sorrow, but surprisingly, he grasped the despair she was feeling. He even had a sudden urge to help her, but he knew too well that if he recklessly tried to interfere, he would undoubtedly be kicked out.
The director finished beating the maid, looked at Hoshino, and clicked his tongue, saying, "What are you looking at, brat? Get the hell out of here!"
Hearing the director's words, Hoshino started to walk away but stopped at the door, remembering that he didn't know the way to his room. He turned around and saw the furious director, then turned back. He didn't want to deal with him.
The maid, half-dead, got up, apologized, bowed down, and begged for forgiveness. The director dismissed the maid as if it had absolutely nothing to do with him.
The maid left—at least she tried to—but saw the kid she had saved struggling to find his way out in the corridor. She approached Hoshino and guided him to his room.
Hoshino, who received help from the maid, thanked her, or at least he tried to, but due to his introverted nature, he kept stuttering.
The maid, seeing Hoshino struggle to say thank you, chuckled and asked him his name with hand signs because, for specific reasons, she couldn't talk.
"Hoshino," replied Hoshino, who strangely understood.
The maid, hearing his name, gave a slight nod and left.
Hoshino, seeing the maid leave, sat on the bed and viewed the file he had picked up from the office.
After a bit of contemplation, he opened up the file and flipped up the cover.
–Classified information.
He filped up another page.
–Warning! Do not open!
Hoshino saw a bunch of warning signs on the first page saying "don't open." Another page flipped, and there were more warnings, but Hoshino kept flipping pages. The warnings continued increasing, and the text became distorted. On the 20th page, Hoshino saw something very strange: text distorted and colored in red and blue.
–Co nti n ue At Y our o w n ris k!
Hoshino pondered for a moment whether to continue or not. He glanced at the clock and saw it was past noon. Deciding he might never get another chance like this, he flipped to the next page.
–Entry no.■
Entity-■
Threat-■
■O■■E■
■-1 6■ ■■8267
Hoshino saw a bunch of distorted text, which was blocked by something that he couldn't describe. He flipped another page; it contained strange letters. He flipped another page; he saw some strange symbols. He kept flipping pages until he saw something he could read at the end of the file.
-R u n ning, hi di ng,t al kin g,won't w or k j u s t nev r s a y it s na me,he w o n't bo t her you,yo u h a ve t o bu r n t his a fter see ing th is,h e is ve r y sensitive abo ut h i s inform ation, i f y o u s kiped p ast the wa rnings,i t will hunt un til yo #r soul brea ks.
Hoshino raeding the distorted text,fliped the page again.
It s al ready to l ate.
Keter! will hunt you!
He will not leave you.
Until he hunts his prey he won't stop!
Remember! Keter! will! Always! Be! Around! You!
Hoshino, after reading the heavily distorted text hued red and blue, flipped the page and found that he had read all of the file. Hoshino, now covered in sweat, checked the time and it was past midnight. He got up and walked towards the director's office to return the file. After walking for a few seconds, he arrived in front of the door. The door was slightly open, but enough for him to walk through. Hoshino arrived in front of the director's table, which was illuminated by the moonlight, and placed the file where it was before. Hoshino, after returning the file to where it belonged, tried to leave but was soon mesmerized by the moon outside the window. He got closer to the window and saw the moon for a bit, then walked towards his room. He, who strangely remembered the way towards his room, soon arrived and got ready to sleep. But he checked the time one last time; it was still midnight, which confused Hoshino, but he decided not to think about it too much and went to sleep.
Hoshino hadn't noticed that he'd been standing at the window, staring out, for over fifteen days. Nor had he realized the unsettling truth: the number of children here had quietly dwindled to half.
「Day 30」
『Entry:1』
└The longer you hide, the easier it is for it to find you.
「Day 31」
『Entry:1』
└Researchers investigating the entity carefully observed its actions and behavior. Their findings were compiled into a detailed report and sent to the foundation. But by the time the report reached its destination, the researchers had disappeared, leaving behind only the file that held the entity's secrets.
「Day 32」
『Entry:2』
└ Days later, the foundation discovered the researchers' grotesque bodies scattered throughout the abandoned research site. Organs were missing, their bodies torn apart. Shaken, the foundation retrieved the remains and transferred them to a secondary facility, hoping to find answers.
「Day 33」
『Entry:3』
└During the examination, several disturbing details surfaced:
• The victims appeared to have been partially consumed.
• Organs had been carefully removed from each body.
• Heads had been severed cleanly from their torsos.
• Blood was splattered in wide arcs, covering the walls and floors.
• The bodies emitted strange electromagnetic waves, interfering with nearby technology.
• Curiously, all other organisms near the site had vanished—only the victims remained.
「Day 34」
『Entry:4』
└The foundation continued its investigation, pressing on despite the danger. A few staff members attempted to read the file's contents, but each met the same horrific fate as the researchers who had compiled it.
「Day 35」
『Entry:5』
└ Suspecting the file itself was the cause, the foundation sealed it in a reinforced container designed to contain unknown energies, hoping to avoid further casualties.
「Day 36」
『Entry:6』
└Efforts to study the bodies further failed, as the electromagnetic interference disabled all electronic equipment, and the bodies decayed entirely within days. Attempts to transcribe the file onto a regular sheet proved futile—each time, the writing distorted and faded into incomprehensibility.
「Day 37」
『Entry:7』
└The foundation branch responsible for investigating the file vanished. All that remained was a twisted, cursed file—one that claimed the life of anyone who read it to completion.
「Day 38」
『Entry:8』
└Headquarters received urgent reports of the cursed file. An investigative team was dispatched with a singular mission: destroy the file completely.
「Day 39」
『Entry:9』
└Klein knew he was taking a risk when he signed up for the foundation. At twenty years old, he was one of the youngest agents, driven by an intense urge to save lives. Despite the eerie task before him, he couldn't have imagined turning it down. This was his first major assignment, a mission that seemed straightforward: destroy a cursed file. But the foundation had been secretive, providing only glimpses into the file's bloody history.
The situation's gravity hit him when he was joined by his teammates. Jiro, an investigator in his forties with an impeccable record, had seen more than enough horror in his years. Known for his cool-headed approach, he seemed unfazed, though Klein sensed a tension beneath his calm exterior.
Then there was Maya, the analyst assigned to document every detail of the mission. She was a sharp-minded woman in her thirties, known for solving complex cases through her analytical mind. Her usual confidence faltered as they approached the abandoned facility, where eerie silence and stale air pressed heavily against them.
They walked in tandem through the desolate corridors, Klein gripping the flashlight tightly. Flickering shadows played tricks on his eyes, casting shapes that seemed to lurch with each step. "Just stay focused," Jiro said, his voice a reassuring presence. "This is just another job."
But Maya's voice wavered slightly as she answered, "We've heard what happened to the others. This file…it's different."
Klein nodded, a shiver running down his spine. The foundation's order had been crystal clear: retrieve the file, then destroy it, without reading so much as a word. They pressed forward, eventually reaching the containment room where the file lay hidden inside a thick glass case, encased with layers of steel.
A soft, oppressive hum filled the room as Klein approached the case, his hand resting on the latch. "Ready?" he whispered, glancing back at his teammates.
Jiro nodded, a faint smile flickering across his lips, and Maya offered a brief nod of encouragement. With a deep breath, Klein lifted the case's lid. The air felt immediately colder, almost as if it recoiled from the file inside. Shadows seemed to creep along the walls, drawn toward the open case.
Klein placed the file on a metal table, and they prepared to burn it. But just as Maya lit the torch, the lights flickered. For a moment, everything fell into darkness. The silence pressed in around them, thicker than before, broken only by their nervous breaths.
From the pitch-black void, an overwhelming sense of dread settled over them. Klein couldn't explain it—he just knew something was there. The oppressive presence seemed to move closer, shifting in unseen ways.
"Maya…" Klein whispered, unable to shake the fear clawing up his spine. But before he could finish, a low growl filled the room, and the torchlight died out completely.
They were plunged into utter darkness.
「Day 40」
『Entry:10』
└The foundation's cleanup team arrived at dawn, finding the remains of Klein, Jiro, and Maya. Their bodies lay scattered in the same horrifying pattern as the previous victims—organs removed, heads severed, blood staining the walls and floors. The cursed file was gone, nowhere to be found among the wreckage.
Technicians tried to capture the scene, but electromagnetic interference corrupted every recording, reducing the images to hazy, distorted shapes.
The foundation sealed off the facility indefinitely. The cursed file, they concluded, was too dangerous to pursue, but the question remained: What did it summon, and where was it now?
And so, in the depths of the foundation's darkest records, the final note about the cursed file remained:
"Do not seek what cannot be found."
「Day 41」
Hoshino opened his eyes to the same pale ceiling. The room was quiet and dull, his mind blank as he sat up. The file lay on the table beside him, as it always did, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything about it. He vaguely remembered opening it, maybe in a dream, or maybe here, though he couldn't remember when. It hardly mattered.
He moved toward the file, feeling nothing but a faint tug of obligation, like a task he couldn't avoid. Lifting the cover, he began flipping through the pages, skimming past shifting words like "cursed," "foundation," "entity," barely noticing them. The file was full of strange phrases, but they blurred together, becoming meaningless shapes on a page.
The hum started again, low and insistent, like it always did. It grew louder, filling his mind, but he felt no need to resist. After flipping to the last page, he closed his eyes, and the world around him slipped away.
「Day 41」
Hoshino awoke, staring at the ceiling, his mind empty as he sat up and walked to the file. He opened it with a sense of dull familiarity, barely glancing at the words on the pages. The hum began, slowly filling the room, pressing in on him, but he didn't care. The pages blurred as he flipped through them, one after another. The darkness swallowed him, and he drifted into it without a second thought.
「Day 41」
Hoshino opened his eyes to the same dim ceiling. He stood up, walked to the file, and opened it. The hum started, growing louder as he flipped each page, his eyes sliding over the words without comprehension. When he reached the last page, he let the darkness take him again.
「Day 41」
The same ceiling, the same file. He didn't know how long he'd been doing this, but he didn't care. He opened the file, flipped through the pages, and felt the hum fill his mind. The words meant nothing to him, and he barely registered them as he reached the end.
「Day 41」
Hoshino sat up, feeling a vague, lingering emptiness as he stared at the file. He picked it up, feeling as though he'd done this countless times. As he opened it, something flickered at the edge of his mind, a faint sense of *déjà vu,* but he brushed it aside. The hum began, as always, swelling in the silence as he reached the final page.
「Day 41」
Hoshino opened his eyes, moving toward the file before he even thought to question it. His fingers flipped the pages mindlessly, his eyes sliding over the words. They were strange, familiar phrases—"cursed," "foundation," "entity." For a moment, he thought he'd seen these words somewhere before, but he couldn't bring himself to care enough to remember. The hum grew louder, filling the room with an oppressive weight, and he drifted back into darkness.
「Day 41」
The ceiling again. The file again. He felt numb, each movement automatic, each flip of the page a hollow gesture. But this time, something tugged at the edges of his mind—a faint recognition, like he'd lived this moment more than once. It was a strange feeling, one he couldn't quite grasp, but it lingered as he flipped through the pages.
The hum filled his head, as always, drowning out any thoughts, and he let the darkness take him once more.
「Day 41」
Hoshino awoke, staring blankly at the ceiling. He moved to the file, opened it, and flipped through the pages. He knew each word before he saw it, each phrase before he read it. Yet, there was an eerie familiarity that tugged at his thoughts, a nagging sense that this wasn't the first time he'd done this. But the thought was too faint to hold onto, fading as the hum grew, and he let the darkness envelop him.
「Day 41」
He opened his eyes, moving mechanically to the file. He could sense a pattern, something repeating, but he was too numb to fully grasp it. As he flipped through the file, the same hum filled his mind. It seemed louder now, almost as if it were taunting him, but he barely felt anything. The darkness closed in, and he surrendered to it.
「Day 41」
Hoshino opened his eyes, a hint of awareness finally flickering at the edges of his mind. He walked to the file, feeling an inexplicable sense of dread as he opened it. Each page felt hauntingly familiar, each word like a whisper from a memory just out of reach.
He stared at the word cursed as the hum began, louder and more oppressive than ever. A shiver ran through him as he realized he knew this file, knew this moment, as if he'd been here before. He tried to recall the last time he'd opened it, but his thoughts slipped away, lost in the rising hum.
And as the darkness began to close in once more, a single, chilling thought cut through his mind:
"I've done this before."
「Day ■」
Hoshino floated in the endless void, his gaze hollow as he drifted through the darkness, indifferent to the emptiness surrounding him. He felt no fear, no curiosity, only a dull acceptance, like he'd surrendered to whatever this was long ago. The stillness was absolute, wrapping him in a numb, unfeeling haze.
Then, something shimmered into existence before him, faint at first but sharpening as it flickered in and out of view. The words seemed to form out of nothing, twisting into translucent letters that hung in the air, half-formed and broken. Glowing in a muted red and blue, they pulsed rhythmically, almost like a heartbeat. But Hoshino merely stared, his face unreadable, his mind unmoved by the strange, distorted message before him.
[Quest: Kill Keter]