Chapter 5: Trick Or Dead (II)
Ren opened his eyes once again, only to be greeted by the same ceiling, the same worn-out cracks in the plaster that had become so painfully familiar. The room felt suffocating, as though the walls themselves were closing in on him. Outside, the soft chirping of birds drifted in, but even that peaceful sound grated on his nerves.
This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Witchcraft. The thought hit him like a wave, and panic surged through his chest. There was no other explanation. Why else would he keep waking up to the same scene, over and over?
Had he died? That was the only answer that made sense. He had jumped from the building, his body too fragile to withstand the impact. His face had smashed against the jagged rocks below, and the last thing he remembered before his world went black was the sharp crack of his neck breaking.
He had died.
But then, why was he here? Why was he trapped in this cursed loop, doomed to relive the moment of his death endlessly?
Questions tore through his mind, leaving him breathless. He had to find a way out, to escape whatever dark force had bound him to this place.
Just then, the sound of Akira's voice filtered through the walls. It was like a sickening ringtone now, familiar and haunting. She was out there, preparing for another round of his misery.
No. He couldn't go through this again. Not this time.
With desperation driving him, Ren scrambled to his feet and ran to the window. He didn't think—he just acted, throwing caution to the wind. Without hesitation, he jumped.
The world blurred around him as he fell. He forced himself to land lightly, making sure not to stumble. When his feet finally touched the ground, he looked around the small compound.
He had to escape. There had to be a way out.
It didn't take long to find the exit—a gap in the crumbling stone wall, barely noticeable but wide enough for him to slip through. The sight of it made him feel both hopeful and confused. This was a place frozen in time, like something out of a forgotten era. But Ren pushed the thought away; there was no time for questions.
He moved quickly, his body moving as if on autopilot, his breath quickening. But just as he neared the exit, a sharp pain stabbed into his arm, sending him stumbling backward.
Ren cried out, his eyes widening in horror as he looked down at his left arm. A burn, deep and raw, had seared into his skin. Steam rose from the wound, and blood mixed with the vapor. The pain was intense, but he couldn't scream. He had to stay silent, avoid drawing attention.
The walls. They had done this. The moment he tried to leave, they retaliated, as if some force within them had decided to keep him locked inside.
"What is this?!" His mind screamed. The questions came faster now, louder than ever before. His heart pounded in his chest, but no answers came.
Then, he heard her.
A voice so familiar, it made his stomach drop.
"I had a guess," Akane said, her voice smooth and cold, cutting through his panic like a knife.
Ren spun around, his breath catching in his throat. There she was, standing just a few feet away, her eyes gleaming with a knowing malice. Her posture was relaxed, almost playful, but the smile on her face sent a chill through his body.
"You're a ghoul, aren't you now?"
Tears welled up in Ren's eyes as he looked at Akane, her words hitting him harder than any physical blow. A part of him wanted to run, to escape this nightmare once and for all, but deep down, he knew it was useless. There was no escape.
Akane began walking toward him, each step deliberate, as though she were savoring the moment. She wore a short yellow dress that seemed oddly out of place, but her smile was dark, twisted. The more she moved, the smaller Ren felt, as though he were being swallowed by the overwhelming presence she exuded.
She stopped before him, her gaze never leaving his. Slowly, she knelt down in front of him, her eyes dancing with something dark and unsettling. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, her fingers cold as they traced his tear-streaked cheek. The sensation made Ren shiver, but he couldn't move. His body felt like stone, paralyzed by the weight of her gaze.
Akane's smirk deepened as she stared at him, her crimson eyes gleaming with cruel delight. Ren's body trembled under her touch as her cold fingers slid across his tear-streaked cheek, tracing the paths carved by his fear. The gesture was unnervingly slow, almost gentle, as though mocking his helplessness.
She leaned closer, her breath warm against his skin. Ren flinched, but he couldn't move. He could only watch in horrified disbelief as her tongue flicked out, trailing along the curve of his cheek where his tears still lingered. The sensation was both shocking and surreal—soft and invasive all at once. She stopped just shy of his brow, her lips curling into a satisfied grin.
"Salty," she murmured, her voice dripping with mockery. Her eyes bore into his, as if savoring the terror that radiated from him. The act wasn't just unsettling; it was a clear assertion of dominance. She wasn't just playing with him—she was reminding him, with every deliberate movement, of the power she held over his fate.
"There's no escape for you," Akane murmured, her voice soft, almost pitying. The cruelty in her words, however, was undeniable. Her gaze shifted downward, tracing the lines of his body.
Ren's heart skipped a beat as he glanced down. The familiar, terrifying sight of a small penknife protruding from his abdomen flashed before his eyes. The same knife. The same wound.
His blood spilled onto the ground, dark and thick, staining the grass beneath him. Pain lanced through his body, sharp and blinding. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath, but the world was closing in on him.
He screamed, but the sound was strangled, lost in the empty space around him. His vision blurred, and the darkness crept closer, suffocating him.
---
Ren's eyes fluttered open again, but this time, it was different. The ceiling above him looked the same, but the weight of his emotions was heavier. He sat up slowly, tears already streaming down his face.
"I can't do this," he whispered to himself, his voice breaking. "I can't keep dying like this."
The weight of the loop crushed him. He had died so many times now, each death more painful than the last. Each time, he was forced to witness his own destruction, and it was breaking him piece by piece.
The memories of each death, each moment of agony, haunted him. It wasn't just the physical pain—it was the helplessness, the fear, the inevitability of it all. He had no control. No way out.
Ren buried his face in his hands, his body trembling with the weight of his emotions. He wanted to scream, to let it all out, but the pain of the endless cycle was unbearable.
He had already lost count of how many times he had been trapped in this cycle. How many times he had woken up in this cursed room, only to face the same fate again and again.
And now, Akane's voice echoed through the door, snapping him back to reality.
She opened the door slowly, her crimson eyes locking onto his with an unsettling calmness. Ren froze.
"Please…" His voice was barely above a whisper. "Please don't kill me again. I'll do anything. Just don't hurt me."
Akane stopped in her tracks, her expression unreadable. "Huh?" she asked, her tone confused. "What are you talking about?"
Ren's eyes were wide with fear. "Please… I beg you. I don't want to die again. I can't take it."
Akane tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharp. "What's going on here?"
---
A few minutes later, Ren found himself sitting across from Akane, his mind still reeling from the conversation. He watched her closely, noting how she seemed to be deep in thought, her fingers tracing her chin as she processed his words.
He had told her everything—the encounter with the symbiotic ghoul, how he had been possessed by it, how it had changed him. It made sense now—he was no longer entirely human. His body had reacted to the ghoul sensor talisman, his wounds had healed, and his vision had improved. All signs pointed to him being something other than human.
"And how are you suddenly so sure that you've been possessed by a ghoul?" Akane asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ren hesitated, his mind scrambling for words. He wanted to tell her that she had stabbed him twice, that she had repeated the accusations over and over, but there was no evidence to support it.
"I just think I'm being realistic," he said softly.
Akane sighed, her expression unreadable. "I knew you were a ghoul, that's why I brought you here. What I didn't know was that you were possessed." Her eyes darkened as she continued, "I thought that ghoul would die without leaving any traces."
"What can we do now?" Ren asked urgently, his voice filled with desperation. Whatever was inside him, he didn't want it.
"Nothing," Akane said flatly, her gaze unwavering. "It's impossible to exorcize a symbiote."
Ren's heart sank as he realized the full weight of her words. There was no way out.