"What do I do? What do I do...? She's gone! Where is she...?! We need to look for her! We need to look for her immediately!"
Rowan's panicked shouts echoed through the empty space, his eyes darting in every direction. He looked nothing like he had moments ago, his face pale, his voice unsteady as he rushed toward me.
"Seth! Seth...! Help me find my sister! We need to look around! We need to—"
"Your sister is likely fine."
I answered calmly, speaking over Rowan.
"We're currently inside a Gate."
Rowan's lips pressed shut, and he came to a halt, staring at me. The silence that followed felt heavy, his gaze unsettling as it lingered. Then Zoey's voice broke through.
"How do you know that? How do you know that we're inside a Gate?"
"Think about it," I replied calmly, glancing around. "How can so many people disappear at once? Without warning? How is it possible that we have no signal with the outside world? It's obvious... we're inside a Gate."
"That makes no sense. Do you think Gates can just spawn randomly like this? That makes absolutely no sense."
"...But a Gate is the only way to explain the current situation."
In truth, I didn't know what had happened to Rowan's sister. However, as things stood, I couldn't afford to have Rowan in his current state.
'Things are already bad enough with Zoey acting like this. If I lose Rowan too, things are going to get a lot more difficult for me.'
I couldn't afford that.
"That's why I believe that your sister is safe."
I pressed my hand onto Rowan's shoulder, making sure to look at him straight.
"The most important thing right now is getting out of this place. Once we're out, I'm sure we'll find a way to see your sister."
I then turned my attention towards Zoey.
"I'm sure you understand how serious our situation is. If you have questions, we can deal with them later. For now, we need to focus on getting out of here. This isn't the time to panic or turn on each other."
"...."
Zoey remained quiet, but I took her silence as tacit agreement. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief as I scanned my surroundings.
The place was completely deserted, not a single sign of life anywhere. The lights above flickered unsteadily, casting shifting shadows across the floor. The benches stretched long, warped silhouettes that curled and twisted at odd angles, making the empty space feel even more distorted and uneasy.
'Judging from the quest description, this is most likely an artificial Gate, one created by the one I was just speaking to. That means my earlier assumption was right... I'm not the only one with a system.'
Honestly, I wasn't surprised by the current situation.
I had long suspected I wasn't the only one with access to the system, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I became a target. The fact that I was a game designer wouldn't go unnoticed by those paying attention, and with my fame reaching a global scale, this situation was almost inevitable.
'...But I'm surprised they're connected to that strange cult. And instead of dealing with me directly, he just threw me into a Gate. I'm sure that there are faster and more efficient ways to deal with me. Why...? Why would he do that? Is he just playing with me, or...?'
Ah.
Suddenly, it hit me.
The answer was so obvious that it only just crossed my mind.
'He's wary.'
Right, he was wary of me.
He didn't show it, but he was certainly wary of me.
And it wasn't like I couldn't understand why. On paper, my record made me look like a monster. Not just the Congress, but Malovia too. What I had shown back then had probably exaggerated my strength in their eyes.
That...
I could play with that.
"Where do you... think we should go?"
With Rowan having calmed down a little, he began looking around. Keeping my knife hidden, I scanned the area as well, finding nothing around us. With nothing there, the answer was obvious.
"We find the exit."
The goal of the scenario was to escape.
That was one of the first rules of the Gate. An exit existed, and we just had to find it to escape.
The real question was, 'Is the exit downstairs going to be the real exit or is the exit hidden?'
Honestly, there was no way to know with the information I had. Because of that, our best option was to head for the main exit we were familiar with.
"Let's go."
I led the way, heading toward the elevators. Rowan followed close behind, with Zoey just a step behind him. The echo of our footsteps rang out in every direction, bouncing off the walls and growing louder with each step, until it felt like the sound was pressing in on my mind.
Trying my best to ignore the sound, I moved through the dim corridors, my eyes scanning the area as I kept a firm grip on the knife. As we walked, my gaze kept drifting toward the walls, where several newspaper articles had been pinned up, their edges curling slightly under the flickering light.
Catching a glimpse of the articles, my steps slowed down.
Breaking —
[Seth Thorne! Super Rookie that conquered the demon of Malovia! Who is he and how did he rise to such levels?]
Breaking — [Unprecedented Rank! Seth Thorne ranks in the top 100 in the new rankings!]
Breaking— [New MVP for the World Congress! The meteoric rise of Seth Thorne. Just who is he, and how did he appear from out of nowhere? Is there a secret to his rise?]
The articles...
They were all about me.
'Just what sort of game is he playing?'
Was he trying to throw me off my game with some mind games? Was this what he was trying to do?
'...No, it doesn't feel like this is the case.'
Was he really just my fan?
'No, I doubt this is the case either...'
Then?
"We're at the elevators."
Zoey's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I lifted my head to look ahead. Sure enough, several elevators stood lined up in the distance, their metal doors dull under the flickering lights above.
The weak glow cast uneven shadows along the floor, making the area feel strangely confined despite its openness.
I glanced around once more, searching for any sign of movement, but there was nothing, just the same empty silence pressing in from all sides. I pursed my lips, my throat feeling drier than ever, and stepped forward, raising my hand toward the call button.
I half-expected something to happen, some hidden mechanism or sudden resistance, but I was able to press the button without any problem. It gave way too easily beneath my finger, almost disappointingly so.
Even more intriguing was the fact that the elevators actually worked. Shortly after pressing the button, I heard the soft hum of the cables stirring to life, the faint metallic groan echoing through the shaft.
Turning my head, I glanced toward Zoey and Rowan. Both stood rigid, their eyes fixed on the display above the doors, watching the numbers shift as the elevator crept closer.
One, two, three...
The elevator kept climbing. With each passing floor, the air seemed to tighten, like something was waiting for us on the other side of the doors. I said nothing. Just stood there, bracing myself, eyes fixed on the numbers as they crept higher.
And soon—
Ding!
The elevator came to a stop. After which, the doors slid open slowly, dragging out the moment, while the lights above us flickered with a faint, unsteady pulse.
But the moment the doors slid open, I was met with a completely empty elevator. The polished interior reflected my image back at me, my own gaze staring straight into mine.
Thinking back to my experiences with mirrors, a sense of unease crept in almost instantly, and I grew wary.
'Damn mirrors.'
Still, I stepped forward, my hand tightening around the knife, but I felt nothing out of the ordinary. Even so, I stayed on edge as I entered the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. The others followed in behind me.
"I don't feel anything..."
"Me too, but it feels too easy. I'm not getting a good feeling about this. Should we just take the stairs?"
At Zoey's suggestion, we all paused.
However, thinking it over carefully, elevator or stairs, what was the difference? If something was going to happen here, it was probably going to happen there.
"Maybe we should just jump out the window."
At my suggestion, I got weird stares from both Rowan and Zoey.
"...Let's just take the elevator. Remain alert."
In the end, perhaps realizing that taking the elevator or the stairs wouldn't make much difference, Zoey stepped inside as the doors slid shut. A stifling silence followed as the elevator began to descend, the low hum of the cables echoing faintly from above.
At first, everything seemed normal.
Our gazes remained fixed on the monitor above the doors, watching as the numbers ticked down one by one. The steady motion of the elevator felt almost reassuring, the only sign that anything was still functioning in this place.
But just as we reached the fifth floor—
Flick!
The lights in the elevator cut out, plunging the entire chamber into deep darkness. It happened in an instant, so fast it felt like the span of a single blink. One moment, there was light; the next, there was nothing.
The hum of the elevator continued, the only thing anchoring me as the darkness pressed in.
Then, just as suddenly, the lights flickered back on.
Flick!
"....."
The space looked exactly the same.
Except it wasn't.
The quiet hum lingered as I slowly turned my head to the right, then to the left, only to realize that both of them were gone.
Ding!
The elevator stopped.
Turning my head, the doors slowly opened as I muttered, "Maybe we should've taken the stairs..."
-x-X-x-
A long, dark corridor greeted me the moment the doors slid open. A wave of cool air drifted in, brushing against my skin and raising a faint chill as it passed. The dim lighting barely reached the far end, leaving most of the hallway swallowed in shadow.
I paused at the threshold, my eyes moving slowly to the right, then to the left, scanning the empty stretch as the silence settled in once more.
'Separating the group members and leaving them alone. Common scare tactic.'
A part of me felt uneasy, but at the same time, I couldn't help but analyze every little detail about the situation. Aware of the fact that this was an artificial gate, I didn't feel very scared.
More than anything, I was curious.
'A learning opportunity.'
Yes, this was a good learning opportunity for me.
Still new to this whole 'Gate Creation' thing, I wanted to see how this 'fan' of mine presented his Gate.
Step—!
Taking a step forward, the sound of my foot hitting the ground echoed sharply, bouncing off the walls and carrying farther than it should have. The noise lingered, repeating itself in faint layers as the dim lights above flickered, casting an unsteady glow over the corridor.
'...I still don't feel any presence.'
Nevertheless, the goal was to escape.
I needed to find an exit.
Thankfully, I wasn't at a complete loss as I reached forward as the Realmwalker's hand appeared from beneath, handing me a familiar compass.
Grasping the compass, I closed my eyes and muttered inside my mind, 'Help me find the exit.'
When I opened my eyes again, the compass had already started to move. It spun around several times before stopping right ahead.
'...So I just have to walk straight?'
I decided to follow the direction it was pointing at.
Of course, I made sure to stay cautious. I knew the compass wasn't entirely reliable. Most of the time, it pointed me in the right direction, but there were moments when it didn't, and I had to be ready for that.
Step. Step—!
The echo of my footsteps carried down the hallway, each step repeating and overlapping as it bounced off the walls. I kept moving through the long corridor, my eyes sweeping across the surroundings, lingering on every shadow and corner as I stayed on guard.
But despite walking like this for the next couple of minutes, nothing absurd occurred. The corridor just seemed to stretch infinitely.
The more it was like this, the more my frown deepened.
Eventually, I came to a stop.
'Is it just never going to stop? An infinite corridor of sorts?'
No...
That seemed a little too simple.
There was certainly more to it, and as I continued to look around, I still found there to be nothing out of the ordinary.
'Hmm. So you're stripping all semblance of control from me and making me move at your own rhythm... This is certainly something I should take note of when creating my own Gate.'
I was learning a lot.
Perhaps, this entire situation wasn't too bad.
Keeping the compass in hand, I continued ahead.
The sound of my steps continued to bounce in all directions as I followed the compass, each echo layering over the last until it became difficult to tell where the original sound came from.
The corridor stretched endlessly ahead.
Time began to blur, seconds slipping into minutes, the steady echo of my movement becoming almost rhythmic.
The longer I walked, the more it felt like the path had no end.
And just as I was about to stop again, something changed. With a sudden flick
, the lights above flared to life, a harsh brightness flooding the corridor and blinding me instantly.
My vision washed out to white, my eyes stinging as I instinctively narrowed them, trying to adjust. Before I could even make sense of what had just happened, the silence was shattered.
Numerous shouts rang out ahead, overlapping and somewhat urgent, followed by the frantic sound of footsteps rushing across the floor.
'What? What's going on...?'
I tensed, getting ready for anything as I forced my eyes open.
But what greeted my sight was completely unexpected. Standing at the entrance of a large hall, I saw nurses moving in every direction, their voices sharp as they barked orders. Patients were being rushed across the space, some supported, others carried, as the entire area buzzed with frantic activity.
"I need help over here!"
"There's a need for blood transfusion over here!"
"Quick! Quick! This patient needs some help!"
Looking around, I found myself at a loss, but soon I saw one of the nurses head in my direction as she shouted, "Doctor! Doctor!"
Her hands were dirtied with blood as she pointed towards a certain room.
"We need your help quickly!"
Me...?
I looked around before suddenly looking down.
The moment I did, my brow rose.
'When did my outfit change?'
Not only was I wearing a pair of latex gloves, but I was also wearing a blue surgeon's outfit. Lifting my head to stare at the nurse again, I instantly understood.
The true scenario...
It had finally started.
"Doctor, let's hurry!"
All of a sudden, the nurse grabbed me firmly by the arm and dragged me ahead. I didn't resist her grip and followed her hastily into another room. It wasn't because I wanted to, but when I looked down at the compass in my hand, it pointed in the direction of where the nurse was bringing me.
'Is the key to the exit located there, or is this a trap?'
Honestly, I didn't know, but I knew that I had to play along for now.
A sharp, metallic smell of blood hung in the air the moment I entered the room, mixed with the harsh scent of alcohol.
The moment I entered the room, several nurses greeted me as rows of curtains came into view, behind which I could hear faint moans and groans.
Swooosh—!
The moment the curtains were drawn, a patient appeared before my eyes, their face pale as blood seeped from every part of their body, and a lot of blood leaked from their stomach area.
"...He needs a blood transfusion. Quickly do it."
Before I knew it, the words flowed out of my mouth on their own.
At the same time, I sat down on the stool and started to examine the patient.
"Severe abdominal trauma... massive hemorrhaging. If we don't stabilize him now, he won't last five minutes."
Once again, I was left surprised by the words coming out of my mouth. It was as if I had suddenly become a seasoned doctor, instantly knowing what the patient was experiencing.
Extending my hand, the nurse placed a scalpel into my palm.
I glanced down at it.
The metal was spotless, freshly sanitized, before raising it in front of me. Its sharp edge glinted under the harsh lights above as I steadied my grip, then lowered my gaze to the patient lying below.
I still didn't know what was going on, nor how this was related to me leaving, but I remained in a detached state of observation as I lowered the scalpel and cut into the patient's stomach.
Only that...
"———!"
The moment the scalpel touched the patient's stomach, a sharp, almost unbearable pain flared at the exact point I had cut.
But... on my body.
The patient groaned, but when I looked down at my own body, my gaze fixed on the red spot blooming in the exact place I had cut on the patient.
'Oh...'
This wasn't good.
"Doctor."
Suddenly, a hand clamped around my wrist. When I turned my head, I found numerous gazes fixed on me, their wide, unmoving smiles enough to unsettle anyone, as one of the nurses slowly tilted their head, watching me as the corner of their eyes squinted.
"...Please get on with the surgery. There's not much time left. If they bleed out, they'll die."
-x-X-x-
This was fucked up.
This was beyond fucked up.
Staring at the numerous nurses watching me with smiles on their faces and the groaning patient before me, realization began to settle in. The pieces fell into place one by one, and with them came a creeping sense of dread as I finally understood what this scenario was about.
'I need to treat the patients, but every action I take will be reflected on me. I'll suffer the same pain, and if anything goes wrong, I'll die alongside them. The only way to survive is to not mess up the surgery.'
I could already feel the sweat forming at the side of my face as I sucked in a cold breath, trying my best to keep calm.
Turning my head to stare at the nurses, I thought about directly beating them into submission, but I knew that the person who deemed himself to be my 'big fan' wouldn't just let that happen.
He was wary of my strength and most likely had countermeasures.
'Does this mean that I have no choice but to take care of the patients?'
"Doctor..."
A soft whisper entered my ear, pulling my attention away as the corners of the nurse's eyes curled even further, her expression tightening into something deeply unsettling.
"...You need to hurry, doctor. I understand that you're tired, but you must treat them."
She then turned towards the nearby clock.
"It's currently 6 p.m. Your shift ends at ten. Just hold out for the next four hours, alright? You can rest after that."
'That's it. I think I've found a way to leave this place.'
I needed to take care of the patients for the next several hours.
However...
'That's easier said than done.'
Hiding the bitterness welling up inside me, I looked from the patient to my own body as blood continued to stain my clothes, the pain still radiating from the spot where I had cut.
I knew that if I kept dragging things out, I'd bleed out.
I had to act now.
As my hands moved again, I pressed firmly against the bleeding point, trying to stem the flow. At the same time, a heavy pressure mirrored itself on my own body, the sudden weight forcing a small flinch as the pain pulsed through me in sync.
"—!"
Biting my lip, I tried not to pay any attention to the pain as I called out, "Suction."
The nurse beside me moved, bringing the suction close as it quietly drew the blood away from the wound, clearing my view as the metallic scent lingered in the air.
Grabbing the scapel, I moved my hand and started to cut the wound open.
A sharp, burning line split across my own abdomen.
My breath came to a sudden stop, my body instinctively trying to recoil, but my hand didn't stop. It couldn't stop.
If I stopped—
I'd die.
The thought anchored me just enough to keep moving, dragging the blade lower, opening him further as warmth spilled out, spilling all over my hands as I felt my clothes start to stain with even more blood.
My movements came to an abrupt stop, my eyes widening at the large spill spreading across my clothes. That... it felt as though something was bursting out of my own body. But the moment I froze, a hand clamped down onto mine.
"Doctor."
Alongside the grip, an eerie, almost hoarse voice sounded.
"Don't stop, doctor. You can't stop now.'
The grip tightened, and I swallowed.
'Keep going. I need to keep going.'
I looked down at the patient once more.
I had never done surgery before, but I knew exactly what I had to do. From the moment I became a doctor, the information just flowed into my mind.
My hand moved down once more, cutting into the body.
I swallowed hard, my vision flickering for a second as black spots crept into the edges.
"...Suction," I managed again, my voice tighter this time.
The tube slid in, pulling the blood away in steady, wet sounds, clearing just enough for me to see what I had done.
What I had to deal with.
There was so much blood.
It kept coming, pooling, obscuring everything, as if the body itself was refusing to let me see anything that lay inside.
'Shit.'
My hand moved without thinking, slipping past the incision, pushing deeper inside.
I shuddered, a matching sensation rippling through my own body as if an invisible hand was reaching inside me, probing and shifting my organs. The invasive feeling made my toes curl, a cold wave of discomfort tightening through me as I struggled to stay steady.
Warmth continued to spill over my hands as the suction steadily drew the blood away, the wet, slick sound spreading in the air.
Squelch—!
I carefully pried the organs aside, feeling that same unsettling movement echo within my own body, and forced myself to focus as I searched for the source of the internal bleeding hidden beneath the mess.
The more I looked, the heavier my breathing became, each breath growing uneven as a dull ringing began to fill my ears. My vision wavered at the edges, my mind turning increasingly lightheaded.
I was losing a lot of blood, and as things stood, I was dangerously close to passing out.
Fully aware of my situation, my hands began to move faster, pushing the organs aside and reaching deeper as the sensations echoed through my own body.
I felt everything, every movement, every intrusion, as if I were both the one operating and the one being cut open.
Clenching my teeth, I lowered my head further, desperately searching for the source of the internal bleeding as the steady ticking of the clock echoed in my ears. Then, as my vision strained against the haze, my eyes suddenly lit up at what I found.
'Found it...!'
"Clamp."
I called out, and the nurse beside me quickly handed over a clamp. Without hesitation, I pushed it down into the body, the cold metal sensation echoing through my own organs as I secured it around the vessel I had spotted.
The instant it locked in place, a jolt shot through me, like a thousand electric bolts coursing down my body all at once.
"——!"
In shock, I let go of the clamp.
Beeep! Beeep! Beeep! Beeep! Beeep!
The loud beep of the cardiogram echoed sharply through the room as the body before me convulsed, jerking under the harsh lights.
"Uekh!"
I, too, started to convulse, losing complete control of my body as the world around me spun.
In that brief moment, I caught a glimpse of the nurses.
They were... all looking at me.
Smiling.
Clapping...?
Were they cheering? I didn't know, nor could I tell. In fact, my mind suddenly thought back to the information inside my mind. That... How could I even trust it? Was what I was doing even correct?
What if it wasn't?
"Haa... Haa!"
'No, no!'
Snapping out of it, I hastily turned back to the patient and reached for the clamp, bringing it down onto the wound. The moment I secured it, I glanced down through my hazy vision, trying to see if the bleeding had finally stopped.
'It did.'
Good. This was good.
"Suction. Suture."
As the nurse continued to suction the area, I began suturing, guiding the needle carefully across the vessel. Each pass sent a sharp, pricking sensation through my own body, the sudden pain forcing me to pause every so often.
But every time I did, the nurses would turn to me.
"Doctor...?"
I pushed through it, steadying my hands and making sure to secure the wound properly.
The entire process moved quickly, my mind doing its best to push past the pain as I finally pulled my hands away and examined the wound for any remaining bleeding. After confirming that the flow had stopped, I began closing it, carefully stitching the wound back up with steady and careful movements.
This part went just as quickly, and once I finished, I let go of the scalpel and tools, slumping down into the chair. My hand immediately went to my abdomen, clutching at it as the lingering pain from the entire ordeal throbbed through me.
"Haa... Haa..."
I felt exhausted, sweat streaking down the side of my face as I struggled to catch my breath. But not even a few seconds after finishing the surgery, one of the nurses straightened and stepped forward, their smiling face appearing right in front of me.
"Doctor..."
Her soft voice whispered into my ear.
"...Good job on the surgery. Let's get onto the next patient."
She giggled.
"There's still a lot of time left."
I checked the time.
It was still 6:30 P.M.
Tick. Tick—
Tick—
-x-X-x-
B
eep! Beep—!
The steady beep of the cardiogram had become something I could no longer ignore, yet somehow had grown used to, the constant rhythm acting as some sort of anchor as my hands moved on their own.
"....."
A faint tingling crept along the back of my scalp as I cut down, my spine straightening for a brief moment.
Guiding the knife downward, I cut through the flesh slowly and carefully, and with each motion, a sharp tingling spread along the right side of my head, making my vision flicker for a brief moment.
From time to time, I'd stop, my hand jerking in weird motions as I tried my best to keep myself focused.
"Doctor, please focus. This is a serious situation. You must remove the growth quickly. We can't let the brain be exposed for too long."
The nurse whispered to my ear, her hand reaching forward to suction away some of the blood alongside the clear cerebrospinal fluid.
"H-ha."
"Keep going."
Tick. Tick—
Tick!
As the steady ticking of the clock filtered into my ears, I steadied my knife, pausing for a brief moment as I stared at the throbbing piece of flesh before me.
The rhythmic flesh was almost hypnotic, the intricate web of veins and shifting paths drawing my gaze as I forced myself to focus, swallowing down the nausea rising in my throat and calming my churning stomach.
I thought I had grown used to gore, but it was clear that I had deluded myself into thinking so. Perhaps it was also because I felt it with each motion, but I felt something rise from deep within my stomach, threatening to spill at any second.
'...Hold it in. Hold it in.'
Clenching my teeth, I focused my attention on the 'growth' and started to cut it again. The procedure typically took several hours, but I didn't have much time.
Cutting down once more, I flinched as my right eye closed.
"Doctor..."
At the same time, I heard the familiar voice of the nurse.
"You don't have much time. Make sure to remove the growth and close up. We really need to hurry."
"I... need more time. The pat—"
"You have three minutes."
The nurse spoke again, but this time her voice was no longer distant. It was right beside me, close enough to brush against my skin, her breath grazing my right ear as I froze in place, a chill running down my spine.
"...Make sure you take care of it quickly. No rush."
I closed my eyes, trying my best not to drop everything at once and kill the nurse next to me. Of course, seeing that I was in the middle of an operation, that was impossible in itself. The patient's life was directly tied to mine.
"Doctor?"
"On it."
From the corner of my eye, I fixed my gaze on a specific spot where a dark pool had begun to form. I looked at it for a moment before looking away.
As things stood, I was still operating within the control of the scenario.
This was both good and bad.
Good in the sense that so long as I followed the scenario, I'd be able to leave. Bad in the sense that I was moving as the 'fan' was willing the scenario to be. In essence, I was predictable.
Just a slight change was enough to turn the entire situation on its head.
A change like...
'Making me do the wrong thing.'
Of course, it was only a slight concern. Gates had their own rules, and after observing for a while, I was certain he could not simply give me false information. If that were the case, I would have been dead already.
Which meant the mistake had to be mine.
His goal was likely to push me into making a mistake, one that would end up killing me in the process. That was exactly why I had to stay focused. The last thing I could afford to do was slip up.
'Focus. I need to remain focused. I can't let myself get distracted.'
Taking a deep breath, I resumed the operation.
The scalpel steadied in my hand again, though the subtle trembling never fully disappeared.
I adjusted my grip, forcing my fingers to relax rather than tighten. Tension only made things worse. I knew that much. The blade responded better when I stopped trying to control it so rigidly.
The pulsing tissue in front of me rose and fell at a steady rhythm.
The back of my scalp tingled once more as I felt a slow, slicing sensation creeping across it, as if the tissue itself were being cut open. My entire body shuddered in response, small tremors running through me as I tried to block it out and stay focused.
But it was easier said than done.
Every small movement felt as though something was brushing along the inside of my head, a faint, yet invasive sensation that made concentration impossible. The pain was less intense than before, but it was far more unsettling, each touch echoing back through me in a way that made it impossible to ignore.
In a way, it felt as though I was touching my own brain.
"Hoo."
Taking a deep breath, I tried to push the sensation away as I looked at the growth. Slicing down, I knew that I'd feel this one as I braced myself for it.
But...
The pain hit harder than I expected, nearly wrenching the scalpel from my grip as my stomach lurched, the urge to vomit surging violently up my throat.
"———!"
Despite this, I persisted. I clenched my teeth and tried to get through the procedure. I was almost done.
Tick! Tick—
Just a few more minutes.
I was almost done.
"Suction."
I continued to slice through the growth, my movements careful but strained, sweat trailing down the side of my face as I held my breath the entire time, afraid that even the slightest lapse in focus would cost me.
Tick!
The steady rhythm of the clock echoed in the back of my mind, each tick pressing against my thoughts as I guided the scalpel down to remove the final piece of tissue. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, or at least... was.
Just as the blade neared its mark, my head jerked violently, my body moving on its own.
"Uekh!"
Clank!
The scalpel slipped from its path, slicing past the intended spot and cutting into a different area altogether.
My eyes widened in that moment.
"O-oh, shit."
***
'What the hell is this?'
Everything was a mess. From the moment she stepped out of the elevator to the chaos that greeted her immediately after, nothing had gone the way it should have.
"Nurse! Over here, nurse!"
"We need help over here!"
"We need urgent help in this area! Please come quickly!"
Seeing numerous people rushing toward her, Zoey glanced to her right and left, her heart pounding. Blood was everywhere, splattered across the floor and walls, as she hurried into a nearby room. Her eyes immediately fell on the operating table, where several doctors were bent over a patient, stitching them up quickly.
The moment Zoey made contact with the patient, her expression shifted, her body going tense as a sudden tingling spread across her back in strange, unsettling waves.
She stiffened, barely managing to hold back a groan as the sensation intensified.
'Hold it in. Hold it in.'
Looking around, her gaze settled on the doctors, but the moment it did, her body froze. They all raised their heads in unison, their expressions eerily blank as they turned to look straight at her.
Zoey swallowed nervously, but forced herself to stay composed as she stepped beside them and began suctioning the blood away. The soft hum filled the room, steadily, as a familiar sensation crept along her back, making her muscles tense.
Sweat gathered along the side of her face, but she held it in, biting back any sound as she focused on her task.
Time ticked, and the doctors eventually managed to stitch up the patient.
But things were far from over for Zoey.
The moment one patient was finished, a nurse grabbed her by the arm and dragged her toward another room, not giving her a second to recover.
"Ah, wait..."
Exhausted, Zoey wanted to protest, but just as she opened her mouth, the nurse stopped. Her head slowly turned in Zoey's direction, a smile spreading across her face as she looked at her.
"What's wrong? Are you tired?"
To Zoey's utter shock, she found the nurse's grip to be incredibly strong, making it hard to pull away from her.
Furthermore, feeling the nurse's gaze, Zoey felt incredibly unsettled as she swallowed her saliva and looked at the nearby clock.
Then—
"No, I... can keep going. I can keep going."
It was 7:45 P.M.
She still had about seven more hours before her shift would finally end.
7:45 minutes to be exact.
Her shift ended at 12:00.
Tick Tick—
Tick!
It felt as though time had stopped moving. Zoey found herself moving from one room to another, tending to the numerous patients. Blood greeted her in each room, the pain reflected back onto her as a sense of exhaustion crept up onto her mind.
Tick. Tick—
Tick!
The more time dragged, the more she felt like she was starting to lose it.
"Nurse! Nurse!"
"Over here! I need immediate help over here! This is an emergency! We need you to quickly come here!"
"I need urgent help over here!"
"Nurse!"
The calls were endless, one bleeding into the next without pause, and as Zoey was ushered into another room, her stomach lurched violently in her chest.
Her eyes landed on the patient, and she froze for a split second at the sight of exposed organs spilling from the open abdomen, glistening under the harsh lights as the doctors worked with slow and careful movements to guide them back inside.
Squelch!
The wet, visceral scene made her throat tighten, and in that exact moment, a strange sensation twisted through her own gut, as if something inside her was being shifted and handled.
'Hold it in. Ukh... I need to hold it in.'
She clenched her teeth hard, forcing herself to stay upright as the feeling churned within her.
"Nurse, I need your help over here."
Stopping, one of the doctors looked at her.
He held onto a section of the exposed organs, intestines to be exact, squeezing it slightly as he worked, and at that exact moment, Zoey felt the pain surge through her own body.
——!
It was sharp and electric, the sensation twisting through her insides as it stole the air from her lungs.
Her legs trembled uncontrollably, nearly giving out beneath her as she struggled to stay upright, barely managing to keep herself from collapsing to the ground.
"Nurse?"
The doctor raised the intestine, and Zoey felt her legs give even more.
"C-coming..."
Forcing the pain down, Zoey moved towards the doctor as she stood next to him. Pulling his mask down, the doctor handed her the guts.
"Hold this for me."
"...."
Zoey stood in silence, staring at the guts and then the doctor. Would a hospital even allow something like this?
'No, there's no point in even thinking about this as a regular hospital.'
Sucking in a cold breath, she reached forward and grasped a section of the intestine, a faint squelching sound rising as it shifted in her hand. It pulsed softly against her fingers, the warmth spreading down on her hand, and even though she handled it as gently as she could, the sensation echoed into her own abdomen.
The rhythmic movement became hard to ignore despite her best attempts, each pulse more pronounced than the last, forcing her face to scrunch up as she fought to keep her composure.
"Keep it like that. I'll be inserting the intestine now."
The doctor spoke calmly, his focus shifting to the other end of the intestine as he began guiding it back into the patient's body slowly.
As Zoey held onto it, a creeping sensation spread through her. It felt invasive, and it was accompanied by a strange tingling that made her stomach twist.
Her face tightened further, her expression scrunching up as she struggled to endure the feeling without letting go.
Tick! Tick—
The ticking of the clock continued to echo in the background as she bit her lips, trying her best to not mind the sensation as the doctor slowly but surely put the intestine away.
There was no clear pain, but the sensation was all too clear to her as her hand trembled from time to time, flinching at the unexpected sensations that she was feeling.
It felt like it dragged on forever, each second stretching painfully until the doctor finally took the intestine from her hands and guided it back into the patient's body. Only then did Zoey let out a quiet sigh of relief, her shoulders loosening for just a moment. But even as the tension eased, she knew it was far from over.
The doctor began to stitch up the hole in the stomach, the needle and thread piercing along the skin as Zoey took several steps back, her head turning away from the scene.
But even though she couldn't see what was happening, she felt it all, the thin yet crisp sensation crawling all over her skin as if a centipede was crawling all over her stomach.
Something built up inside her throat as she forced it all back, her head turning towards the entrance where another nurse greeted her and beckoned her in her direction.
'There's more?'
Zoey's heart sank, but she followed along.
At the same time, she looked at the time.
8:05 P.M.
Her stomach nearly flipped onto itself, her legs growing weaker as she stared at the clock one more time. Only twenty minutes had passed?!
Zoey's hand reached for her mouth, a powerful weakness running through her body as she struggled to come to terms with the situation, the exhaustion she felt from before growing even more pronounced.
But right as she managed to step out of the room, the nurse next to her urgently spoke, "Nurse! We need to hurry! There's a situation in the other room!"
Zoey wanted to refuse, the words almost rising to her lips, but she knew she did not have that option. Instead, she followed behind the nurse, her steps quick and unsteady. At the same time, her eyes darted around, scanning the chaotic surroundings as she desperately searched for any sign of Rowan and Seth.
'Where the hell did the two go? Could they also be somewhere over here? I hope that's the case... I don't know if I can hold on for much longer.'
Her relationship with Seth was strained at the moment, but there was no denying his skills.
If he...
'No, even if he's here, it wouldn't change a thing. None of my skills is of any use in this place. I've been searching everywhere, but it's clear that there's no shortcut to this trial. We just need to keep going without breaking.'
But that was easier said than done.
"Nurse, over here!"
Being led into another room, Zoey braced herself for whatever awaited inside. The thought of the pain she was about to endure made her stomach twist, but she forced herself forward anyway. However, the moment she stepped in, her eyes widened slightly as her gaze landed on a familiar figure, standing with their back to her as they worked on the patient.
"Seth?"
As if recognizing her voice, Seth raised his head and their gazes met.
Though he said nothing, there was a subtle shift in his movements that made it seem as if he recognized her, his hand lowering for a brief moment.
...Or at least, that was what Zoey thought at first.
'Bastard!'
In that instant, a sharp tingling flared at the back of Zoey's mind, spreading rapidly as she clenched her teeth and shivered.
"Nurse, please help the doctor."
It was only when the nurse prompted her that Zoey snapped back into motion. She stepped closer to Seth, and only then did she notice how pale his face had become, his features drawn tight with fatigue.
Without thinking, she grabbed a cloth and began wiping the sweat from his forehead, trying to steady herself and push away the strange, lingering sensation as he continued to work.
"How long have you been working for?"
"....."
Seth didn't answer. Perhaps he was too focused on the procedure to answer.
Zoey didn't hesitate as she continued wiping his face, gently clearing away the sweat so he could focus on the procedure. In that moment, just for a brief second, her resentment toward him faded, and she found herself truly looking at him, taking in the fatigue etched across his features.
He couldn't be considered to be extremely handsome, but that was mainly because he never cared for his own body. If he did care for himself, then maybe...
'No, what am I even thinking?'
Pulling herself away from such thoughts, she wiped down his face again.
Seth remained completely focused, his attention fixed on the patient without wavering. Noticing his concentration, Zoey chose to help him quietly from the side, staying out of his way as he carefully removed a piece of flesh from the brain.
The sensation echoed sharply in her own mind, forcing her to clench her teeth as a surge of discomfort rose within her, nearly making her shout for him to be more gentle.
Thankfully, the procedure didn't last long as he was able to handle it quickly, taking off the growth and then placing the skull back. By the time Seth was done, he seemed to be completely exhausted as he fell back on his chair, his breathing extremely heavy.
Staring at him, Zoey stared at him in silence before reaching for the water bottle next to her and handing it to him.
"Here."
Seth raised his head, looking at the bottle and then her.
Zoey frowned.
"What? Do you think it's going to bite you or something? Don't worry, I'll be the one biting you if you don't take it."
Only then did Seth take it, reaching for the bottle and trying to open it. However, he seemed too weak to manage it. Zoey clenched her teeth, stepped in, and took the bottle from his hands, twisting the cap open before handing it back to him.
But the moment she did, she noticed the stare coming from Seth.
"What?"
He still remained silent, but Zoey understood as her face scrunched up.
"Seriously? No, fuck no."
"....."
"...I said no."
"....."
"No means no."
"...."
"You... I still—Fuck, fine."
Taking the bottle back, she moved closer to him and placed it to his lips as he leaned his head back to drink the water. Some of it spilled over, and Zoey could only wipe it away with her cloth as she muttered, 'Drink properly. You're a grown adult.'
At the same time, she looked around to check on the nurses. Usually, they'd already be rushed somewhere, but somehow they were given some room to breathe as the patient was just getting pulled out of the room.
She could hear something else in the distance, perhaps a new patient coming in, and Zoey pulled the bottle away.
"You've drunk enough. Sort out your mind. We're about to receive more patients soon."
Sure enough, not even a few moments after the words left Zoey's mouth, something stirred from the entrance of the room.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
As the door opened, a new patient came in as Zoey placed her hand over Seth's shoulder.
"I'll leave it to you..."
She paused before adding.
"...Doctor."
-x-X-x-
At first, Zoey assumed she would be sent off to another room. However, contrary to her expectations, she was made to stay beside Seth, assisting him and managing everything at his side.
This was unexpected, but she grabbed the opportunity.
Although it was just as exhausting, it was far better than running around aimlessly and tending to random patients without pause.
"Scalpel."
Zoey complied, handing him the scalpel while wiping the sweat that had gathered on his face. As he remained focused on the patient, she pushed aside the misgivings she had toward him. Not because she wanted to, but because she had to. If they were going to make it through this scenario, the two of them needed to work together.
Not only did Zoey feel less exhausted, but Seth's condition also seemed to improve.
"Suction."
Zoey once again complied.
The more the two worked together, the more they seemed to synergize.
'He could also be right about this being some sort of trick to make us less cooperative. But then again... I've had my suspicions for a while that something has been off with him. I'll address the situation better later. But if he truly is the Jester...?'
Zoey paused for a moment, her heart pressing against her chest.
In the chance that he was the Jester, just what in the world was she going to do?
"Suction."
Zoey quickly lifted her head, catching Seth's gaze as she rushed to suction the blood from the wound, a feeling trailing down her back as she tried to push it from her mind.
Having done it several times already, she had grown surprisingly skilled, positioning the suction precisely as she cleared away the blood with steady hands. Once she finished, she lifted her head once more, her gaze drifting upward as she checked the time.
"It's 9:39. We're almost done."
There was a mix of relief in her voice as she muttered the time.
There were only about two and a half hours left in her shift. This meant that this hell wasn't going to last for much longer. At first, she almost thought she wouldn't be able to make it, but from the moment she reunited with Seth, she found herself less exhausted.
'I guess working with someone sure does help. Yeah... this is doable.'
With renewed energy, Zoey became even more careful as she assisted Seth. She wiped the sweat from his face with steady hands, listening closely and following each of his instructions without hesitation.
"Scalpel."
"Suction."
"Water."
Zoey ignored the lingering sensations and pain, focusing instead on making sure nothing interfered with Seth's work. Every movement of hers was careful, clearing his way and supporting him without hesitation. The most important thing was ensuring he could operate without mistakes.
As long as that held true, everything would go smoothly.
The procedure wasn't as difficult as the previous ones, and Seth finished it within a few minutes, stitching the wound closed with precision. He seemed to be getting better with the number of procedures, which in turn made things a lot less painful for the two.
Once he was done, Zoey quickly uncapped a bottle of water and brought it to his lips, carefully pouring it into his mouth.
Her movements were just as smooth as when she handed him the equipment. In a way, she found the situation to be the same.
"Good job."
Zoey even offered a few quiet words of encouragement, noticing just how exhausted Seth looked. She offered words of encouragement and praise to keep things light, but as she studied his face and saw how pale he had become, she knew he was far more drained than he let on.
'...He's shivering.'
In fact, although he was trying to hide it, she could see his entire arm trembling with pain and exhaustion. The strain was evident in even the simplest movements of his. It didn't look like he could last much longer.
Thinking about the level of focus he needed to maintain throughout the procedure, Zoey realized he likely had it much harder than she did.
This was probably why she didn't say anything and just did everything that he asked of her.
'There's a time and place for everything. This is not the place.'
Raising her head, Zoey looked around. Seeing that there was still no new patient, she opened her mouth, thinking that the two would have some time to talk about a few of their misgivings. Now that her mind was calm, and after witnessing everything, she was able to process things a lot more calmly.
She thought that this might be a good time to ask.
But not even a second after she opened her mouth, the situation changed.
Clank—!
The door burst open without warning, and someone rushed in, pushing a bed. They looked frantic, their face pale and drawn as their eyes darted around the room in hurried panic.
"Help...! Someone... help!"
His voice was hoarse, likely worn down from all the shouting, as he looked around the room in desperation. The frantic searching continued until his gaze landed on Seth and Zoey, his expression freezing for a brief moment before his eyes suddenly lit up with hope.
"Seth! Zoey!"
The moment Zoey turned her head, she also recognized him.
"Rowan...?"
Her eyes lit up for a brief moment, only to drop to the little girl lying on the bed, whose face was deathly pale as Rowan rushed her in. That's—! In an instant, Zoey recognized the girl, her thoughts cutting off as Rowan's frantic voice rang out.
"There's no time to explain! I need help! Please help me!"
His eyes fell on Seth, taking note of how he was dressed.
"You're a doctor, right? Help her, please! She..."
"Yeah, no problem. Just bring her here."
Zoey answered without a second thought, quickly preparing the equipment. She assumed Seth would move with her, that they were already in sync, but the moment she began setting things up, Seth reached for his latex gloves and started pulling them off.
"Seth?"
He ignored her words, slowly rising from his seat as he pulled off his robes. His sudden actions startled them both, and Rowan hurried his sister closer to him.
"Seth, what are you...? I need your help. I—"
"My shift is over."
Seth spoke over Rowan, his voice calm and composed as he didn't so much as glance at his sister. No, rather... it seemed like he didn't even hold any interest in her in the first place.
"W-what..."
Rowan stammered, his eyes trembling as he looked at Seth.
"That's.. just a moment. My sister, I... you..."
"I can't do it."
Seth spoke once more, his voice colder than before. The moment he did, it felt as if the entire room had been dragged into the depths of the ocean, the air turning heavy and suffocating as Zoey's face stiffened.
"You..."
"No, but... please. S-seth... if it's not you, then..."
Zoey stammered for a moment, her lips opening and closing several times as she struggled to find her words.
"...Rowan... is... just help him out a little. I get that it's painful, and I know that you're exhausted, but this is his sister. If you don't—"
"That's not my problem."
Seth's cold voice echoed inside the room once more, chilling the hearts of both Zoey and Rowan as Seth pushed past the two of them, Rowan reaching back to grab him by the shoulder as he muttered, 'No, wait.. please. Please. It's my sister. You can't...'
"So...?" Seth frowned, turning back to look at the hand grasping onto his shoulder before reaching for it and pulling it away. "That's not my problem. My shift is over. Go look for someone else."
And before either Zoey or Rowan could say a word, he turned and walked toward the exit, leaving the room as a heavy silence settled over everything.
In that moment, the hearts of the two chilled completely.
Especially the moment they heard his last words.
"...Your sister is not my responsibility."
-x-X-x-
Tick! Tick⎯!
7:48 P.M.
I thought I'd be a goner the moment I messed up the surgery. I really thought there was no way back for me as the scalpel slipped past the brain tissue, and my mind went completely blank.
For a moment, the entire world went black.
I lost all control over my arms and legs, the scalpel falling to the ground with a soft 'ting' as I nearly stumbled over the chair.
My entire world spun as currents of electricity seemed to run down my spine, the sensation leaving my entire upper half numb and unresponsive. I drew in deep, unsteady breaths, my chest rising and falling unevenly as I struggled to stay rational, a sharp, constant ringing echoing in the background that refused to fade.
'...This is pretty bad, isn't it?'
To make matters even worse, I could hear the shifting of something coming from next to me.
"D..."
The words were drowned by the constant ringing sound, but amidst moments of brief clearance, I was able to hear the words clearly.
"Doctor... you only have two minutes left."
Ah, shit.
I wanted to curse out loud, but my lips refused to move as my stomach churned violently. Lifting my head, the harsh glare of the light above met my gaze, forcing me to squint as it felt sharper than before, almost blinding.
I tried to look away, to move somewhere, anywhere, but the moment I shifted, a hand clasped around my wrist. Her voice followed, close to my ear, soft enough to tickle as she whispered, "Doctor... time is running out."
Tick. Tick—
Tick!
The steady tick of the clock returned, cutting through the constant ringing that echoed in the background until it faded away.
It echoed softly at first, then grew louder with each passing second, until I nearly clutched my head with both hands, the noise so intense it felt as though my skull was splitting apart.
'Ah—'
I clenched my teeth, lifting my head to stare at the pulsing organ before my eyes.
Extending my hand, the nurse handed me a new scalpel, her soft voice whispering next to my ear once more, "Time is running out, doctor, you must hurry."
Despite this, her voice carried no urgency. If anything, it sounded almost amused as her stare sharpened, her lips slowly curling as though she were waiting for me to fail. In that moment, I saw something shift within her.
Her skin turning paler, her cheekbones sinking further in. Catching a glimpse of her, my entire body shuddered, and I forced my attention back to the patient.
Tick! Tick—
As time dragged, the change became more and more apparent.
'Hurry. I...'
I stared at the growth before me. With the scalpel in hand, I moved toward it, but as I did, my entire arm trembled, my control slipping as my body threatened to give out just like before.
'D-damn it!'
Thinking about how I messed up, I wanted to curse myself, but there was no time.
Tik! Tick—
I had less than a minute.
I needed to get rid of the growth before then.
"Haa... Haa..."
Trying to steady my breathing and my hands, I lowered myself toward the growth. There wasn't much left, and as I reached it, I carefully worked to remove what remained. It should have taken more time, but I didn't have that luxury.
I could feel something shift next to me as my heart pressed against my chest, my movements hurrying.
I cut through the growth in one swift motion, immediately followed by a sharp tingling sensation that surged through my entire body.
At the same time, I heard soft, distinct creaking sounds coming from beside me, a shadow slowly stretching over the space I occupied.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
The presence seemed to grow with each tick of the clock, the sound echoing louder in the background as I pressed my lips together, a deep sense of urgency settling in my chest.
'Come on! Come on!'
I didn't know how much time I had, but I knew that I couldn't afford to care about anything else.
My entire arm shook in my hurried movements, the scalpel nearly cutting the flesh before my eyes again, but I just barely managed to keep it tight in my grasp as I pulled it back and looked at the nurse.
Tick! Tick!
Time seemed to have stopped in that moment, my gaze still locked onto the nurse.
She looked exactly the same as before, her head tilted to the side as she just smiled at me.
As she smiled, she held onto a metal tray before me.
"Congratulations, doctor."
I plopped the growth on the metal tray.
"...You've succeeded in the surgery."
Staring at her and that smile, I dropped back onto the chair, my breathing ragged as I forced my gaze toward the distant clock. As I did, a sudden wave of nausea hit me.
I nearly gagged when I realized there was still time left before I could leave.
'I don't want to continue. I... don't want to.'
I was mentally exhausted, and thinking about all the pain and sensations I had endured, I felt myself nearing my limit. I wanted to stop, but I couldn't, and as something seemed to rise in my throat. I barely managed to hold back whatever was forming, my hand reaching for my lips.
"Alright."
The nurse beside me clapped, her cheerful voice taking on something almost demonic as I looked at her.
"Onto the next patient."
Ah, no...
But despite my protests, the next patient was brought in. The injury was different, but the circumstances remained the same.
I was forced by the nurse to handle everything under a strict time constraint. As I began the surgery, there were moments where I nearly slipped up again, the exhaustion weighing heavily on my mind. It was then that I finally realized the true goal of that so-called "fan" of mine.
Perhaps, there was no real trick to make me fail.
He didn't need a trick.
The exhaustion from all the surgeries and pain was enough to make me fail.
But despite this, I persisted.
I didn't stop.
In fact, at some point, I started to ignore the pain and the sensations. Thinking back to the time that I had spent in hell, this was nothing. I had gone days without eating, drinking or sleeping. I had gone days where I would sacrifice a new part of me each day.
Compared to that, this was absolutely nothing.
And thus—
Tick! Tick!
"Haa..."
Time continued to pass this way.
This persisted until—
Putting the scalpel down and staring at the clock as it struck 10:00 P.M., I finally slumped back into the chair, letting out a long, shaky breath. Parts of my body began to tremble uncontrollably, my mind spasming as the ringing grew louder, swallowing everything else.
The lights above turned harsher, and I could barely make out anything beyond a few shifting shadows. Likely the nurses moving, or trying to say something to me.
I tried to pay attention, but my mind refused to listen to me.
I remained in this sort of state for what felt like hours, only for me to realize it had barely been a couple of minutes as everything started to clear up and I barely managed to force myself up.
'It's over, right?'
I looked at the door.
For some reason, it felt different comapred to the past.
Blinking slowly, I began to walk toward it. Each step felt heavier than the last, the exhaustion deepening as I moved closer and closer to the exit.
Then, stopping just before it, I looked back at the room, blood seeming to cover everything. I gave the place one last glance before turning to the door and stepping past it.
Light blinded me once more, though only briefly. As it cleared, I was met with the familiar sight of a hospital corridor.
Only that...
"Huh?"
"Please make way."
Ding! Ding!
"If you have an appointment, please head for that room."
"Yes, how may I help you?"
I was back in the hospital. This time, however, it was no longer deserted. People filled the space in every direction. I looked around a few times, blinking slowly letting out a quiet sigh of relief
'It's over. I've cleared it.'
I nearly stumbled back on the spot, just barely stopping myself as I continued to look around, wondering where Zoey and Rowan were. But I didn't have to wait for very long as the door next to the one I was in opened, and two figures walked out.
'Good, it looks like they both made.'
I smiled. Although our relationship was a little strained, it was always good to see that they were doing fine.
I went to greet them.
"It seems like you both managed to cl..."
The words died the moment I approached them, my attention catching on Zoey's gaze as she turned toward me. The instant our eyes met, an intense chill ran down my spine, and I stopped dead in my tracks.
At the same time, I turned my attention to Rowan, noting his extremely pale expression and lifeless eyes. My gaze shifted between the two, and as I took in Zoey's deathly glare, I instantly understood that something had happened.
My heart sank.
'...I have a feeling that this is going to be extremely troublesome.'
-x-X-x-
The more I stared at the two, the more my heart sank. I didn't quite understand what was happening, but the coldness in Zoey's eyes made it hard for me to ignore. I knew that something must've happened while I was on the operating table, but I just didn't quite know what it was.
Despite this, all sorts of thoughts started to float inside my mind.
'Did this 'fan' of mine show her something? Maybe he showed her something related to the Jester? Is that what it is? Or is there more to it?'
No, but her gaze wasn't the only issue.
I turned my attention to Rowan. His eyes were lifeless, his face extremely pale. He looked like someone who had already given up on life.
What was up with him?
'...Was the trial that difficult for him?'
Thinking back to everything that I had experienced, I started to sympathize with him. I also suffered quite a lot.
His reaction didn't seem all that strange.
At least, that was what I thought at first. However, the moment I tried to move toward him, he seemed to pull away. His gaze lifted slightly, his eyes rippling as his lips opened and closed several times, as if he had something to say to me but couldn't quite bring himself to say it.
In my confusion, I turned to look at Zoey.
"What's wrong with him?"
"What's wrong...?"
Finally, Zoey opened her mouth. However, her words were cold. Unbearably cold, as she almost seemed disgusted by my mere presence.
I frowned.
"You don't even realize what you did, do you?"
"No, that's why I'm asking you. Maybe there's some sort of misunderstanding. Maybe⎯"
"Maybe nothing!"
Zoey's voice rose, attracting the attention of the nearby people as I hastily reached for my face, only to remember that I had already taken precautions.
But that was beside the point, as Zoey moved closer to me, grasping my shirt as her face contorted.
"...The fact that you don't even know proves that I've been right with my thinking! I've been thinking over and over again about you, trying to make excuses to explain your character, but it's become painfully clear that you're really a bastard of a human."
"What?"
I tried to get some words in, but Zoey seemed too heated. The more I tried to speak, the angrier she seemed to get. This left me at a complete loss as I really didn't know what was going on.
However, I did get my answer.
"Rowan's sister..."
Zoey stopped, her face tightening as she bit her lip and glared at me.
"You... you... Definitely could've done something. Had you..."
Stopping, her head lowered as she shouted, "Fuck!"
Now all attention was on us. I felt the numerous stares directed my way and felt an extreme wave of discomfort.
The more people looked, the more uncomfortable I became.
"Ok. Ok. It's my fault. Let's just talk about this elsewhere."
"No, I'm good."
Seemingly calming down, Zoey let go of my shirt and turned her attention to Rowan, who seemed completely out of it. Then, moving toward him, she shook her head.
"I... don't want to talk to you anymore. I just..."
She paused, lowering her head to stare at her hands.
"...The mere thought of having to talk to you makes me feel sick. I don't really want anything to do with you, honestly. All I want is for you to disappear and never show up again." She let out a short laugh, her face twisted with ridicule. "Not that it's possible, given your current reputation... maybe I should be the one to leave."
Placing her hand over Rowan's shoulder, she muttered something to him as the two moved. I didn't quite catch what she said, but it seemed to be something related to his sister. Yet again, I was at a loss.
What about his sister...?
I hadn't even met her. She seemed to be speaking as though I had done something to her, but I didn't even see her once.
I would've known had I seen her, but I didn't.
My eyes followed the two of them as they left. I wanted to say something, get a better idea of what was going on, but with all those gazes still lingering, the words never left my mouth. I simply raised my hand, only to lower it again.
'...Well, it's not like anything will change if I talk to her now. It's the same with Kyle. They'll understand when I speak to them eventually.'
Eventually⎯
Scratching the back of my head, I turned away from the scene and headed in the opposite direction, deciding to leave through the northern exit. Since the two couldn't stand me, it was best that I went elsewhere.
'Judging from the way she looked at me, she probably would've killed me had I gone with them.'
I scratched the back of my head again.
A strange sensation still lingered in my head, likely from the botched moment during the operation. It was oddly ticklish and refused to fade. However, I didn't have much time to dwell on it, as my thoughts drifted back to the one who had caused this entire mess.
'I've attracted too much unwanted attention, no thanks to Paimon... I knew that they were going to target me, but I didn't expect them to target me like this. I somehow managed to survive, but I'm certain that they never planned on killing me from the start. This was probably their way of measuring my strength.'
My heart sank at the thought.
As things stood, I wasn't even close to the same level as this 'fan' of mine.
In fact, it also seemed like they knew a lot about me. Not just surface-level knowledge.
This was even more bothersome.
Was I being spied upon?
'Ah, this is really troublesome.'
Added to the Zoey and Rowan situation, and I knew that it had to be something that this 'fan' of mine had planned. But what was their goal in achieving this?
This thought lingered at the back of my mind as I moved away from the exit and headed to a more secluded area, eventually finding myself at the park behind the hospital. Looking around, I found a bench to sit on, my eyes scanning the surroundings as I tried to calm my nerves.
But I just couldn't.
Opening my eyes again, I looked around.
For a park, it was rather deserted. There didn't seem to be anyone around, and after looking around to make sure no one was present, I found my lips parting on their own.
"What do you think? Have you managed to process everything?"
My head turned, falling on the figure sitting next to me.
He sat in silence, his gaze focused ahead as his lips remained sealed. I continued to stare at him, the silence between the two of us feeling somewhat tense, but eventually, his lips opened.
"...You may not be him, but you're just as much of an avoidant as he is."
I tilted my head.
He was on about this stuff again?
I sighed.
"Look, I told you many times before. I am Seth. I⎯"
"Why do you think I joined this line of work?"
I paused, my mind blanking for a moment. Taking a moment to look at Kyle, I suddenly realized something.
I... didn't know. Yeah, why did he take this line of work?
"See?"
Kyle suddenly smiled.
"You act as if you know me, but you really don't know anything about me."
"That's..."
I wanted to refute it, but found myself unable to say a single thing. Because... He was right. Thinking about it, I had always treated Kyle as the same Kyle that existed in my own world. I had never asked him about why he had joined this line of work, or anything else, to be exact.
Ah...
"You act, speak, and behave like him, but you're not him."
"....."
"You're a fake."
"....."
"Even though Seth is usually an avoidant and is introverted, it is not to the same extent as you. You're the same but also completely different. You're a more extreme version of what he normally is. You're so blinded by your own thoughts that you can't even seem to realize what is happening to you."
"....."
The more Kyle spoke, the less I found myself able to say anything back to him.
That's...
"You weren't the main target of this entire operation. No, you were, but it's clear that the real targets were Zoey and Rowan. I don't know what happened to the two of them, but it's clear that they both have lost faith in you or have given up on you."
"....."
"He's trying to separate everyone away from you. He's taking away whatever little you have left."
I covered my lips.
All of a sudden, a lot of things started to make sense.
Right, right...
I wasn't the real target of the tart. The targets were Zoey and Rowan. If this 'fan' of mine has information about me, he most certainly knows about who I am close with and not. In that case...
"Haha."
I suddenly laughed as I leaned forward a bit, my hand grasping my mouth with more force.
Kyle didn't say anything from that point, but I could see him shift away from me.
I didn't mind it and just stared at the distant hospital.
"So... he's trying to separate everyone from me. He's trying to... take the little things that I have."
I ruffled my hair.
The more I thought about the situation, the more I felt like laughing.
No, I did laugh.
But purely out of amusement.
'Is he stupid?'
I didn't have much in this world, but the little things that I did have in this world were probably what were stopping me from just doing whatever that I wanted. Still, it was clear now. I didn't belong to this world. I simply... didn't fit here.
And... if someone took the little things that brought any semblance of attachment, then...
I really had no reason to care about anything.
Should I...?
"No, no, no."
I ruffled my hair, lowering my head.
"I... can't go that far."
I ruffled my hair again.
"...But it's not like it'll matter."
I mean, if I just returned to the world that I belonged to, then it really wouldn't matter.
It wouldn't matter if I burned everything in the process of returning.