Yuki pushed open the guest room door, and instantly, her eyes gleamed in joy. There was a large 4K TV mounted on the wall and a pink queen-sized bed next to the window. On top of all this, a private shower was built into the corner.
"I have to be dreaming, right? Someone, please just pinch me already."
She went through her closet and sorted through all the clothes, until her hand stopped on a beautiful black dress with a small, clean hole cut right in the middle.
Yeah, this one should do.
"Alright, time to take a shower," she said, as she ran toward the washroom.
***
Yuki changed into a form-fitting black dress with long sleeves and a high neckline. There was a small, diamond-shaped cutout at the chest area that revealed her 'Deathmark'. And as for the skirt, it was made of dark blue fabric that flared out just above her knees.
"Now this looks beautiful. I really hope I get to keep it."
Rationally, Yuki understood that she may never get the chance to experience this level of luxury ever again. However, that didn't mean she shouldn't enjoy every second of it.
She quickly ran in front of the mirror, studying herself. Then, remembering that Miss Nishimura had been trying to contact her for some time, she grabbed her phone from her pocket, putting it to her ear.
She sighed.
"I guess I'll call her back now, since I have some time…"
Then, a familiar female voice that wasn't Miss Nishimura spoke instead.
"Hello… Yuki?"
Another voice followed, a male one this time.
"Yuki…it's us…"
Yuki's eyes widened, her body shaking violently. The voices she'd just heard belonged to her parents. And as much as she wanted to deny it, there wasn't a single lie convincing enough to say otherwise.
It was truly her parents on the other end of the line. But even so, she couldn't muster the will power to talk to them.
In her mind, the image of her parents blaming her radiated uncontrollably. To the point, she felt a pinching feeling in the base of her stomach, as she imagined her guilt as a noose, slowly tightening around her neck.
The simple fact was if she were in her parents' shoes and her own child had ditched her for some dolls instead of taking care of her. There would be no hesitation on Yuki's part to abandon her own child too. So, what would stop them from doing the same to her?
Her hands trembled at that possibility, as she pressed the phone against her ear.
"Yuki… are you there?" Her mother's voice came again.
In that moment, her eyes turned hollow, pupils shrinking. She felt it—that familiar twisting sensation curling behind her thoughts. Then, without any warning, her parents' voices slammed into her mind.
"How could you let us rot in that room?" her mother said with a venomous tone.
Yuki's fingers dug into the nightstand, nails scraping the wood.
"I'm…I'm sorry…I…I " she whispered, holding herself back.
"What kind of daughter doesn't even bother putting her parents in a damn hospital? Huh? Explain that! Go on, I'm listening!" Her father spoke this time, anger resonating through the phone.
Again, Yuki whispered.
"I… I didn't mean—"
She kept apologizing at every statement thrown at her, trying to hide her face with her hand out of shame. She just didn't know what to say to them or how she could possibly make things right. It felt like she was being squeezed alive by her parents' words, with no path to atonement in sight.
However, that was until her mother said:
"You want to make things right? Right?"
Yuki gritted her teeth.
"Yes... please, I'll do anything."
For a moment, the sound of her own breathing was the only thing that could be heard. Her heart thudded in her ears as she waited for her mother.
"How about, you turn yourself in."
"What?!" Yuki blurted out.
Turn myself in?! She thought, sweating excessively.
Before she could assess the situation, her parents kept repeating it to her over and over again, until eventually, she broke down mentally from all the pressure.
"I'll… I'll do it… Mama... Papa...okay…I'll…" Yuki said with an ugly grin stretched across her face.
But that was when—
Her parents' voices suddenly shifted.
"Yuki! Yuki, can you hear us? We love you! Please say something," her mother called out.
Yuki's eyes slowly turned back to normal, pupils expanding like someone surfacing from a bad dream.
Uh? We love you? Did….did I hear that correctly?
Her father spoke this time with a gentle voice.
"Yuki… we forgive you. Whatever happened… whatever you're blaming yourself for… it's over."
A wave of anxiety crashed into her. Fingers clutched the edge of the bed as her stomach began to churn. She leaned forward and threw up on the floor, barely missing her brand-new dress by a few inches.
She kept vomiting as her parents yelled through the phone.
"Yuki?! Are you sick? Did you throw up just now? Talk to me!"
Her father could be heard loudly through the phone as well.
"Are you okay?! Please say something."
Yuki finally stopped vomiting and grabbed a piece of cloth from the nightstand.
"Yes…I'm okay...but Mom?" Yuki said.
"Yes, sweetie, we're right here, please tell us what's wrong. Are you hurt?"
Yuki's throat was tight, like her body was still catching up to what had just happened.
"I thought...I Thought you'd both hate me…"
"What? Yuki, no. Why would you think that? You're our daughter," her father said
There was a long pause on the other end.
"Yuki… whatever happened back then, you were just a child. We don't blame you at all," her mother said.
Yuki trembled as she held her phone.
"But…but I tried to forget you two and acted like you weren't even there anymore."
"Honey, no… please don't say that. We forgive you, and we'll always love you," her mother said.
Yuki pressed her fist into her chest.
Normally, she would have burst into tears by now. But it seemed that nothing was coming out.
She had become emotionally numb.
A thought pierced into her mind, as she recalled the voices she'd heard earlier and how it felt real. But now, with her parents still on the line calling out to her with worry in their voices.
That earlier call… it couldn't have been real. It felt like the entire conversation had been a hallucination. One so convincing, it made her believe they despised her. And the worst part was, her 'Deathmark' was starting to change her emotionally in ways she couldn't even understand.
At least, that's what she managed to piece together.
She ran a hand through her hair, trying to catch her breath.
"Mom, Dad. I promise I'll be better."
"We believe you, but listen here, your mom and I really want to see you. So, don't forget to visit us at the hospital. We are aware your final exams on Monday, your teacher actually came by and mentioned it. Said you've also been doing great and keeping up with your classes."
Oh, right... I forgot I have an exam on Monday. That only gives me today and tomorrow to study. It's fine, though. I can just use the internet to catch up.
"Hey! Dad, is Miss Nishimura with you? I would like to thank her for bringing you two to the hospital."
"I don't know where she went, hold on, let me ask your mom. Hey! Airi, have you seen her teacher?" Her father said.
"She left a while back to get some food for us."
"Well, you heard your mother. Okay then I don't want to waste anymore of your time but please come visit us on Tuesday okay we'll be waiting for you."
"Yes, honey, please. We just want to see how much you've grown. It's been so long," her mother said.
Yuki couldn't help but smile.
"Don't worry mom, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I promise! But hey mom. Dad are you two okay?"
Her dad spoke up.
"We're doing great, and will be discharged by Wednesday morning."
A loud knock could be heard at her door. As she said :
"Come in…"
The butler stepped in and immediately noticed the vomit on the floor. A look of disgust crossed his face, understandably so.
"Ugh...Please, see to it that you brush your teeth before joining us in the dining hall, Miss Ayano," the butler said, covering his nose.
Yuki quickly said her goodbyes to her parents, ending the call.
"Sorry, Nicholas. I wasn't feeling too good."
"Think nothing of it," he said.
A nervous smile formed on Yuki's face as Nicholas left her room.
The butler definitely had his work cut out for him. But now that she could think straight, Yuki could focus on her real objective. She planned to get as much information as possible from the Sorcerer King and use it to track down the magic tool causing the disappearances.
Either way, the Sorcerer King's two-day deadline was closing in, and she planned to use it to her advantage.