"Why did you bring me here?" Ash, a young man standing tall before a girl that was bound to him by his arm around her waist, asked.
They stood in a narrow alley that stretched long, and shadowed by the night. In front of them was the bustling road with cars and people, noisy from the screeching tires and the several voices of people laughing and conversing.
It was night but the street was vibrant and lively, almost like a club of some sort.
"We were already there," he said, raising his gaze to look toward the motel standing across from them. "But you suddenly dragged me here instead. Why? Do you not want to do it anymore?"
The girl tilted her face away shyly, pressing her body into him so that her breasts pressed onto his chest.
Her backside protruded outward with the motion. She placed one hand against his chest, while the other remained lightly against her lips.
"It's not that," she assured quietly, eyes shyly darting to him and away like a school girl in front of her crush.
"Then what?" He asked, staring at her with little going on in his head.
The girl's eyes swept over his shoulders, staring beyond him as if something lurked behind.
Ash attempted to turn and look but she abruptly jerked him forward by his collar, crashing her lips on his.
His eyes widened briefly. It was sudden and surprising, but.... mehn, fuck it!
He secured his loosening arm tight around her, pushing her into himself as he devoured her mouth.
His other hand crept up her backside, spreading over one loaf and squishing, causing the girl's skirt to crease as his fingers sank with the squeeze.
Their tongues danced and twirled, their breaths hot agaisnt each other's faces as they continued intensely.
Ash's hand left her loaf, slowly moving up to grab her breast but—
STING!
A sudden pain shot through his chest, freezing him in place.
The girl pulled herself away, a soft gasp escaping her as she stepped back, eyes widening in shock.
Wha-what happened? he wondered, feeling the pain spread wildly. He tried to turn but a wave of dizziness hit his head, causing his vision to blur.
There wasn't a single moment of respite before a cough followed and he spat out blood, causing the girl to further retreat.
He staggered slightly to the side, pressing his palm to the wall for support. His breaths turned into slow pants, his chest rising and falling with cold sweat beading his face despite the cold night wind.
Slowly, he took his hand back, trying to inspect the area he felt the pain the most. With a bit of a struggle, his hand reached up his back from below, then grazed a hard substance that was thin and cold to the touch, buried firmly into him.
Ash's muscles locked up instantly, his breath hitching as the knowing thought swarmed his head.
It can't be…. I... was I…. stabbed?
Trembling, with fear shrouding him, he retracted his hand back to inspect. And the moment he saw the red stain, his heart dropped.
"What did you do?!" The girl scolded loudly, piercing Ash's ears. Her voice felt like a hammering gear noise in his ears. He squinted, his feet leaving the ground as he staggered further.
"I only asked you to hit him in the head to render him unconscious, not stab him!"
With great struggle, Ash slightly tilted his head, meeting a tall figure with a nose mask secured around his face standing gallantly behind him.
His eyes swarmed with dizziness once more, his vision shifting between blurriness and clarity. Unable to support his strength any longer, he slumped to the ground to his butt.
For more support, he rested his head against the cold wall, heaving.
"Isn't it good like this?" The boy asked, taking off his nose mask as he stepped toward the girl.
"With him gone, you'll never have to worry about being disturbed or stared at indecently."
Who's he? He sounds familiar.
The girl's lips quivered, her eyes darting from the boy toward Ash and back.
"Plus, he had always rubbed me the wrong way. Acting like some big shot in class. This ending is perfect for him."
Agh…. huff. He must be one of those guys… huff.
Their words could only hit Ash's ears faintly as he senses had began turning numb. He adjusted himself lightly, feeling the blood drool over his body.
He raised his head, peering to see the boy but he couldn't make out his face. He had lost too much blood, and his consciousness was slipping away.
"Why are you dissatisfied? You said he always made awkward passes at you which made you uncomfortable. And he even coerced you here to sleep with you," the boy said, staring at the girl with mild confusion.
"I-I did," she said softly, trembling. "But still…"
"Just forget about him. He's an asshole who wanted to get in your pants and this ending is just."
Fuck! What does she mean I made awkward passes at her? I mean…. I did stare at her one or two times, but…. who wouldn't?
With all those packages she's carrying, it's only fair… fuck!
It wasn't me who brought her here, but her who brought me he— agh!
"What if we get caught? It's a crime."
"That won't happen. I'm wearing gloves. It'll be impossible to….."
Their voices gradually fell dim to Ash's ears till he couldn't hear them anymore, his vision already overwhelmed with the growing darkness. Even the noise around him had turned into silence.
Only the heavy pounding of his heart reached him as he sat slouched with the side of his head against the wall.
Agh… damn it! This is unfair! If I had at least….. at least done her, then.......
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Beep! Beep!
[Acquiring soul… 10%…. 15%… 50%…. 99%….]
[Transporting soul… 10%…. 15%… 50%…. 99%….]
[Soul acquired and transported]
[Host is regaining consciousness]
Huu~….! Fuu~….! Huu~….! Fuu~….!
Ash's shoulders rose and fell with each warm breath that passed his nose and mouth. His head was dipped, his blonde hair pouring forward.
Slowly, his eyes trembled, then softly fluttered open.
Huh?
He straightened up, eyes darting around the new environment before him.
Did I not die? Why am I—
I was stabbed…
Before he could wonder any further, his condition dawned on him.
He was completely bare, bound by a black rope and kneeling on hard floor.
Wh-where am I?
His eyes swept around in confusion, taking in the vast, circular space. It was like a tower, immense, and stretching endlessly upward with no ceiling in sight.
Rows of circular platforms spiraled up the tower's interior, each one vast enough to connect and match the building's width. They rose in evenly spaced tiers, level upon level, like the stories of an impossibly tall structure.
The tower was so high that Ash couldn't see its end. The higher it climbed, the narrower it seemed to become, fading into shadow and distance.
At the very bottom of it all, the very center, Ash knelt helplessly and naked.
And all around these circular rows above were seated countless figures cloaked in black. They sat still in authority, unmoving, and simply watching.
Their eyes bore down on Ash like he was nothing more than a roach. And from the many faces he could see, those close enough for his eyes to reach, there was not a shred of emotion in any of them.
However, before his confusion could even find a proper ground, a strange, floating lump of metal rang out.
[Welcome to the Tabernacle of Decree]