CHAPTER 34 — THE FRAGILITY OF SANITY
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The corridor ahead stretched dark and endless, like a road leading into an unknown abyss. Fine dust still swirled in the air from the collapse behind them, and occasionally the sound of small stones falling from the ceiling could be heard—a warning that this place was still unstable. Kyoichiiro walked in front, his light blue eyes remaining alert even though his body was beginning to tire. Beside him, Amura walked with equally steady steps, his sword still drawn, ready for use at any moment. Behind them, Aetheria followed with small steps, her hands still trembling, her eyes moving quickly to observe every shadow swaying on the walls.
Amura: (His voice low, almost a whisper, but clear in the corridor's silence) "We need to find a way out quickly. This place... isn't stable."
Kyoichiiro: (Not turning, his eyes still fixed ahead) "I know. But we can't run aimlessly. We could get lost even deeper."
Aetheria: (Her voice small, trembling) "I... I feel something. Ahead. Like... like there's a light."
Kyoichiiro stopped. He sharpened his gaze, trying to see through the thick darkness. And indeed—in the distance, there was light. Not a bright light, but a dim one, like an oil lamp nearly spent. A light unnatural in a place like this.
Kyoichiiro: "Let's see."
They walked more carefully, their footsteps almost silent on the dusty stone floor. The closer they got, the clearer the light became—and the clearer what surrounded it became. A room. A room larger than they had expected, with walls of old brick blackened with age, and inside it, there were objects.
Amura: (Stopping at the threshold, his eyes narrowing) "What is this...?"
The room was filled with old equipment—wooden tables that had rotted, rusted iron shelves full of glass bottles, some still containing dark liquids that couldn't be identified. In the corner of the room, there was a wooden chair with ropes hanging from it, like a chair used for something he didn't want to think about. On the walls hung various tools—knives, scissors, and other sharp objects whose purpose was not hard to guess.
Aetheria: (Covering her mouth with both hands, her voice barely audible) "This... what is this place...?"
Kyoichiiro: (Silent, his eyes moving quickly to observe every detail. There was something in this room—something that made his hair stand on end. Not because of the equipment, but because there was a feeling that they were being watched) "We shouldn't stay here."
Amura: (Also feeling it, his hand on his sword hilt clenching) "I agree. There's something here. Something wrong."
And at that moment, Kyoichiiro saw it.
On one of the shelves, among the dusty glass bottles, there was a doll. An old cloth doll, with fabric torn in several places, and a face that... was smiling. Not a friendly smile—a smile too wide, nearly torn at the corners, like a mouth cut too far. And beneath the doll's eyes, there were red lines—blood. Blood flowing from the doll's eyes, soaking its cloth cheeks, dripping onto the shelf below.
Amura: (His voice firm, panicked) "We're leaving. Now."
Kyoichiiro: (Still staring at the doll, unable to look away) "It's the same doll..."
Amura: (Grabbing Kyoichiiro's arm, pulling him) "I said we're leaving!"
They ran.
Kyoichiiro didn't know how long they ran—only that his legs kept moving, that his breath came in gasps, that behind them, something was following. Not the sound of footsteps, but another sound—the sound of cloth scraping against the stone floor, like a doll walking.
Aetheria: (While running, her voice breaking) "What... what is that...?"
Kyoichiiro: (Not answering. He just kept running, pulling Aetheria, following Amura who ran ahead of them)
The corridors were like a labyrinth—turn left, turn right, straight, turn again. And at every turn, Kyoichiiro felt that gaze—the gaze of the doll with the wide smile, the doll with bleeding eyes.
Finally, after passing through more corridors than they could count, they stopped at an intersection. Three paths. Left, right, and straight. All dark, all silent, all inviting the same fear.
Amura: (Breathless, his eyes moving quickly from one path to another) "Which way?"
Kyoichiiro: (Also breathless, but his eyes still calm) "I don't know."
Aetheria: (Her voice small, but there was something in it—something like a premonition) "The right one... the smell is strange. Like there are remnants of energy there."
Kyoichiiro: (Turning right) "Energy?"
Aetheria: (Nodding) "Yes. Like... like a trail. A trail of someone who passed through."
Amura: (After a moment, nodding) "We take the right. No time to hesitate."
They ran right—this time faster, because Aetheria activated her wind magic, giving an extra speed boost to their feet. Cold wind enveloped their bodies, making their steps lighter, faster, almost like floating.
The right corridor was longer than they had expected. The walls grew narrower, darker, damper. And in several places, Kyoichiiro saw scratches on the walls—scratches unlike ordinary ones, but like scratches from claws, from something trying to get out.
Amura: (While running, his voice firm) "We're almost there. I can feel it."
Kyoichiiro: (Not answering. He just kept running, his eyes still fixed ahead)
And then, after about ten minutes of running—or perhaps more, it was hard to measure time in a place as dark as this—they heard something. The sound of footsteps. Many footsteps. Running. Approaching.
Kyoichiiro: (Stopping abruptly, his hand raised to signal) "Quiet."
They stopped. They listened. The footsteps grew closer, faster, like someone being chased by something.
Aetheria: (Whispering, her voice trembling) "There's... someone coming..."
Amura: (His sword drawn, his red eyes—Crimson Iris—burning with intensity) "Get ready."
The shadow emerged from the darkness—not a large shadow, but a small one. The shadow of a little girl. A girl with tangled long hair, with torn clothes, with a face full of fear. She ran toward them, her large, dark eyes full of panic.
Little Girl: (Her voice breathless, barely audible) "Help... please help..."
She ran toward Kyoichiiro and hugged him—hugged him tightly, like she was holding onto the only thing that could save her. Kyoichiiro was startled, but he didn't push the girl away. He just stood there, his hands raised, confused.
Kyoichiiro: (His voice flat, but with confusion in it) "Who are you? What's wrong?"
Little Girl: (Still hugging him, her voice trembling) "I... I don't have much time... I have to... I have to tell you..."
Kyoichiiro: (Bending slightly, trying to look at the girl's face) "Tell me what?"
Little Girl: (Lifting her head—her dark eyes met Kyoichiiro's light blue eyes, and there was something there, something he couldn't explain) "You have to... get out of here... before... before—"
And at that moment, the girl's head exploded.
Not exploding like a bomb—exploding like an overripe fruit, like something bursting from within. Blood and chunks of flesh flew in all directions, hitting Kyoichiiro's face, hitting his clothes, hitting the floor around him.
Kyoichiiro: (Silent. Not moving. Not breathing. His eyes empty, staring at the girl's body still standing before him—the headless body, still hugging him) "What... what..."
Aetheria: (Screaming—not a loud scream, but a scream caught in her throat, like a sound that couldn't escape because she was too frightened) "KYOICHIRO-SAN—!"
Amura: (Also startled, but he quickly moved, approaching Kyoichiiro) "Kyoichiiro! Get away from there!"
Kyoichiiro didn't move. He just stood there, with blood and chunks of flesh on his face, with the little girl's body still standing before him—the headless body still hugging him, its arms still wrapped around his waist.
Kyoichiiro: (Whispering, his voice hollow) "She... died... she died right in front of me..."
Amura: (Grabbing Kyoichiiro's shoulder, pulling him away from the body) "Kyoichiiro! Wake up!"
Kyoichiiro released the girl's hug—or rather, released himself from the girl's hug. The headless body fell to the floor with a soft thud, and Kyoichiiro could only stare at it, his eyes still empty.
Kyoichiiro: (His voice still hollow) "Her head... exploded... just like that..."
Amura: (Holding Kyoichiiro's face, forcing him to look) "Kyoichiiro! Look at me! I'm here! We're still here!"
Kyoichiiro looked at Amura. His light blue eyes—usually sharp, usually calculating—were now empty. Hollow. As if something had died inside them.
Kyoichiiro: (Whispering) "What... what does this mean...?"
And at that moment, his head exploded.
Not exploding like a bomb—exploding like an overripe fruit, like something bursting from within. Blood and chunks of flesh flew in all directions, and his body fell to the floor, motionless.
Aetheria: (Screaming—truly screaming this time, her voice shattering the corridor's silence) "KYOICHIRO-SAN—!"
Amura: (Also screaming, his hands reaching for Kyoichiiro's body) "Kyoichiiro! NO—!"
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And then, Kyoichiiro was aware.
He was aware that he was running. His legs were moving, his breath was ragged, and beside him, Amura and Aetheria were running with him. No blood. No headless body. No little girl. Only the dark corridor, and the three of them running.
Kyoichiiro: (Stopping abruptly, his body freezing in place. His eyes widened, his mind spinning) "What... what..."
Amura: (Also stopping, turning back in confusion) "Kyoichiiro? What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
Aetheria: (Also stopping, her face anxious) "Kyoichiiro-san? Are you alright?"
Kyoichiiro didn't answer. He just stood there, his breath ragged, his eyes still wide. He looked at his own hands—his clean hands, without blood. He looked at his own clothes—his clean clothes, without stains.
Kyoichiiro: (Whispering, his voice trembling) "What... what happened...?"
Amura: (Approaching, his voice softer) "Kyoichiiro, you look pale. What's wrong?"
Kyoichiiro: (Still staring at his hands, his voice hollow) "I... I saw something. A little girl. She came to me. She hugged me. And then..."
He stopped. Couldn't continue.
Aetheria: (Her voice small, anxious) "And then what, Kyoichiiro-san?"
Kyoichiiro: (Lifting his head, looking at them with still-empty eyes) "Her head exploded. Right in front of me. Blood... chunks of flesh... all over my face. And then..."
He stopped again. Bit his lip.
Kyoichiiro: (Continuing, his voice softer) "And then my head exploded too."
Amura: (Silent, his eyes narrowing) "Kyoichiiro... are you sure that happened?"
Kyoichiiro: (Shaking his head, but not sure) "I... I don't know. I remember it all clearly. But now... now we're running. No little girl. No blood. Just the three of us."
Aetheria: (Approaching, her hand touching Kyoichiiro's arm gently) "Kyoichiiro-san... maybe you're just... too tired. We're all tired. It could be a hallucination."
Kyoichiiro: (Looking at Aetheria—looking at her hand touching his arm) "Hallucination...?"
Amura: (Nodding, his voice more reassuring) "Yes. We've been in this place too long. The air here isn't healthy. And after everything we've been through... it's natural for your mind to start playing tricks."
Kyoichiiro didn't answer. He just stood there, his hands still trembling, his mind still spinning.
A hallucination? he thought. But it felt so real. The blood was warm on my skin. I could feel the weight of the girl's body when she hugged me. I could hear the sound of the explosion.
He raised his hand, staring at his own palm. Still clean. Still without blood.
Kyoichiiro: (To himself) What is real? What isn't?
Amura: (His voice firmer) "We need to keep moving. We can't stop here."
Kyoichiiro: (Nodding, though his eyes were still empty) "Yes. Let's continue."
They began walking again—not running, but walking quickly, with steady steps. Kyoichiiro remained silent, his mind still spinning, trying to understand what he had just experienced. Amura walked beside him, occasionally glancing at him with an unreadable expression. Aetheria walked behind them, still trembling, but still following.
Amura: (After a moment, his voice soft) "Kyoichiiro... are you sure you're okay?"
Kyoichiiro: (Not turning) "I don't know. But I can't stop. We have to get out of here."
Amura: (Nodding) "We'll get out. I promise."
They kept walking. The corridors they passed grew darker, colder, more unfriendly. Dust swirled in the air, and occasionally the sound of dripping water could be heard in the distance—steady drops, like a clock counting down their time.
Kyoichiiro tried to focus. Maybe it was just a hallucination. Maybe my mind is playing tricks because of exhaustion. But why did it feel so real? Why can I still feel the weight of that girl's body in my arms? Why can I still feel the warm blood on my face?
He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. Focus. We need to get out of here.
But then, he heard it again.
The sound of footsteps. Many footsteps. Running. Approaching.
Kyoichiiro: (Stopping, his eyes widening) "Footsteps...?"
Amura: (Also stopping, turning) "What?"
Kyoichiiro: (Not answering. He swallowed hard, his throat dry) "You... you don't hear it?"
Amura: (Listening—he heard nothing) "I don't hear anything."
Aetheria: (Also listening, shaking her head) "I don't hear anything either, Kyoichiiro-san."
Kyoichiiro remained silent. His light blue eyes—usually sharp, usually calculating—were now wide. He could hear that sound clearly. Closer. Faster. Like someone being chased by something.
And then, he remembered. He remembered the little girl. He remembered her hug. He remembered the explosion. He remembered the warm blood on his face.
His mouth opened. His eyes widened.
Kyoichiiro: (Whispering, his voice barely audible) "What... could it be...?"
And sure enough.
From the darkness ahead, the shadow appeared. The same little girl. Long tangled hair. Torn clothes. A face full of fear. She ran toward them, her large, dark eyes full of panic.
Little Girl: (Her voice breathless, barely audible) "Help... please help..."
Kyoichiiro didn't move. Couldn't move. His legs felt rooted to the floor, like tree roots that couldn't be pulled out. He could only stand there, staring at the little girl running toward him, his heart pounding and his mind spinning.
It's happening again, he thought. It's happening again. The same girl. The same words. Everything the same.
The girl approached. Closer. And when she reached Kyoichiiro, she didn't hug him. She just stood before him, her dark eyes staring into Kyoichiiro's light blue eyes, her mouth open to say something—