He only let out a long sigh after he confirmed the old man had truly left. The silence of the basement settled in as he took a tour, ahem, a few steps, around his newly found home.
Kitchen… broken pipelines.
Washroom… hadn't been used for ages.
Living room… where the heck was it?
Bedroom… filled with cockroaches and spiders crawling like they owned the place.
He dropped his bag onto the floor and stood there like a statue, staring at the mess. Slowly, he looked down at his shadow.
"Oi, at least come out and help me, will ya?" he asked, almost hopefully.
No answer.
Fray's veins throbbed on his forehead as he sighed deeply, rubbing his face with one hand.
Then he began to clean.
Well, after around two hours, he finally cleared out the dust and junk, leaving only things like broken pipelines and painting work for later. His arms felt heavy as his back became sore, but at least the place looked… livable.
He plopped down onto the sofa in the living room. It creaked loudly under his weight, protesting his existence. He turned on the old-generation television in front of it, the screen flickering with static before coming to life.
He had made himself a bowl of instant noodles.
It was almost midnight when he finally stood up and stretched, yawning widely, bones cracking slightly.
But then-
He heard footsteps.
Fray froze in place, every muscle stiffening. He held his breath, trying to figure out if he was imagining it.
No.
He really did hear footsteps outside the door.
Who the heck comes at a time like this?
TRING! TRING!
Whoever it was had rung the bell of the house. Ruffling his hair, Fray finally let out a long sigh and walked over to the door.
"Who is it?" he asked coldly.
"Fray… it's me," said a familiar, soft voice.
Undoubtedly, it was Ellie Fenrir. Fray opened the door, surprise flashing in his eyes as he saw her standing there in front of his house.
Her white-silver hair fell over her shoulders, slightly tousled by the night breeze. Her piercing green eyes locked onto his. She wore at most three layers to keep warm, a scarf wrapped neatly around her neck.
"What are you doing here at midnight?" Fray asked, his forehead creasing into a frown.
"Are you not going to let me in?"
With a soft huff, Fray stepped aside, silently inviting her inside.
"Thank you," she said as she entered, her boots lightly tapping against the floor.
"So… why are you here?" Fray asked again, gently closing the door behind her.
Did they throw Ellie out too? Nah… there's no way.
Ellie stood in front of him, her back facing him. She kept glancing at the wall as if unsure of how to start.
"Ellie?" Fray finally said, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "Are you… okay-huh…"
His voice trailed off as she suddenly turned toward him.
There was no warmth in her eyes. Only cold, piercing green that stared straight through him.
Fray's eyes flickered down to his side as he felt an enormous pain explode through his body.
His vision trembled before locking onto the long silver blade that had pierced straight through him. He gulped down a pained moan, his breath shaking, as he forced himself to look straight into Ellie's eyes.
"You got me there," he muttered.
Blood drained from his lips as his skin turned pale, almost vampire-like.
"Sorry," Ellie said as she pulled the dagger back. Blood sprayed across the newly cleaned floor, splattering the walls and soaking into the cracks. "I am sorry, but you have to know… this was not my fault." Her voice trembled as she spoke defensively. "I had no choice."
Fray clutched his side as his legs gave out. He dropped to his knees, struggling to draw his next breath, his chest burning.
"Bullshit," he muttered.
Why…? He was planning to live quietly. Peacefully. Why did the Fenrirs have to do this to him?
"S-sorry, but you have to die!" Ellie trembled, her hands shaking violently. "Die… so I can live."
She struck again.
This time, the blade pierced cleanly through his heart.
Fray coughed up blood, crimson spilling down his chin, yet a smirk formed on his face through those bloody lips.
"Yeah," he muttered as his consciousness began to fade. "Live…"
His gaze drifted, becoming dizzy and blurry, the room spinning slowly around him.
"So… I… can-"
Fate did not let him finish that sentence.
His body fell inward with a soft, hollow thud against the floor. Ellie finally stepped back, standing there, breathing hard, her chest rising and falling as blood pooled silently beneath Fray's still body.
After she checked to see if he was actually dead, she left, as if leaving someone else to deal with the body.
A silence settled in.
After some time, the lights in the ceiling flickered. The curtains swayed lightly, moved by a wind that wasn't even there.
Fray's blood sprawled across the floor, staining it deep red.
[User Synchronization Completed]
A soft, blue dialogue box hovered over Fray's seemingly lifeless figure.
[User: Fray Fenrir – Status: Dead]
[Bonded Beast – Unknown: Grade F – Status: Alive]
[Requesting the use of the ultimate skill of the bonded beast: 'Alive When Dead']
[Skill Usage Authority Granted]
[Bonded Beast 'Unknown' has used their skill on User]
Fray's fingers twitched slightly, as if he were regaining consciousness.
[Congratulations, Fray Fenrir!]
[Welcome back to life.]
The chill in the room lingered, but slowly, warmth began to return to his body. Red-stained floor, flickering lights, and the eerie silence all faded as his heartbeat picked up again, fragile but alive.