Renji stood frozen in front of the bookshelf.
The wall had just… moved.
A narrow opening revealed itself behind it—dark, silent, unnatural.
"…What is this?" he whispered.
A secret door… inside Akira's house?
His heart began to beat faster.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then curiosity took over.
"…Let's see what this is."
He stepped inside.
Darkness swallowed him instantly.
Renji stretched his hand across the wall, searching blindly.
"Where's the light…?"
His fingers brushed against something.
A button.
He pressed it.
Click.
Lights flickered on.
A long underground tunnel appeared before him.
Renji's eyes widened.
"…What the hell…?"
The tunnel stretched deep into the darkness, as if it had no end.
For a second, he thought about turning back.
But instead…
He started walking.
Each step echoed.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
The air felt heavy. Cold.
Unfamiliar.
At the end of the tunnel, another door stood.
Renji stopped in front of it.
"…There's another room?"
He swallowed nervously.
"…Alright… let's check this too."
He pushed the door open.
Creaaaak…
And then—
He froze.
His eyes widened in horror.
Inside the room were iron bars.
Cages.
Chains.
People.
Dozens of them.
Weak. Broken. Terrified.
Slowly…
Every single one of them turned their heads toward Renji.
"Help me…"
"Please… help…"
"I'm not a killer…"
"I didn't do anything…"
Their voices overlapped.
Desperate.
Echoing.
Renji stumbled back.
"…No… what the hell is this…?"
His breathing became uneven.
"These people… why are they here…?"
Then a thought hit him.
Sudden.
Terrifying.
"Akira…"
Renji's hands started shaking.
"Akira is trying to find his father's killers…"
His eyes widened even more.
"…Don't tell me…"
"…He captured them?"
RING… RING…
Renji flinched.
His phone was ringing.
"…What now?!"
He quickly pulled it out.
The name on the screen made his heart drop.
Akira.
Renji answered.
"H-Hello…?"
Akira's calm voice came through.
"Hey, Renji. I'm on my way home."
Renji froze.
"The shop was closed, so I went somewhere else," Akira continued.
"I bought lunch. I'll be there soon."
Renji forced his voice to stay normal.
"O-Okay… I'm really hungry anyway."
There was a short pause.
"…You sound strange," Akira said.
Renji's grip tightened on the phone.
"N-No, I'm fine."
Another pause.
"…Alright," Akira replied.
"I'm coming."
The call ended.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Renji looked back at the prisoners.
They were still staring at him.
Not begging anymore.
Just… watching.
"I need to get out of here…"
He quickly shut the door.
Ran through the tunnel.
Turned off the lights.
Closed the hidden entrance behind the bookshelf.
His breathing was fast.
His mind was racing.
"I shouldn't be here… I need to leave…"
He turned—
Click.
The front door opened.
Renji froze.
Akira stepped inside.
Calm.
Expressionless.
Their eyes met.
"…You're back already," Akira said quietly.
Renji couldn't move.
And in that moment—
He realized something terrifying.