Chapter 13 - Restart

1

Buried alive by the blue cockroaches, Hiroshi’s game avatar died. Bleak background music played as the words “game over” appeared on the monitor.

“...”

Anna could only watch the screen and the blood red light emanating from it in a daze. Shun’s tightly clenched fists shook violently. He was probably blaming himself for knowing this was coming, yet being unable to do anything.

“Why... Why...”

He slammed his trembling fists into his keyboard over and over, tears streaming from his eyes. His hands immediately began to swell and redden.

“Stop it, Shun.”

Anna rushed to place her palms over his fists. If she hadn’t, he probably would have kept going until he’d broken bones.

“...Is there nothing else to be done?” she asked hesitantly.

But she already knew the answer. Real life wasn’t like a game. There was no reset button. It was painfully clear they were powerless.

“Tch, it’s over,” said Takuro’s voice from the speakers. The stream was still apparently still going. “What the hell was that? I input the password, but still died. What’s the point? How do you avoid those cockroaches?”

He was quite pissed, unable to hide his true nature. His tone was rough. Then in the comments section, someone asked if he’d input the wrong code. It seemed Shun and Anna weren’t the only ones watching.

“Huh? I don’t think it was wrong. I used the numbers I got from the jigsaw puzzle.”

This was supposed to be a prerecorded video, but he seemed to be having a conversation with a viewer in real time. Takuro must have typed the comment himself, and set it up to automatically post at a specific time.

“Oh. Maybe the puzzle password is a fake and you have to put the password from the annex door in a second time. Uh... What was it again? I know I wrote it down. Oh, there we go. It’s 2178. Should I try that? No, it can’t be that easy. What if the numbers represent letters? If 1 is A, 2 is B, 3 is C, and so on... then 2178 is BAGH.”

The slight twitch in Shun’s temple didn’t escape Anna’s notice.

“How do you read that? Is that even a word? BAGH... BAGH... Oh, maybe it’s supposed to be BAGHDAD? Maybe there’s a clue on the map in the wardrobe if you look at Baghdad. I should give that a try.”

Takuro opened the save screen and reloaded the game, but his save data was inexplicably erased.

“What the hell? Man, what a pain in the ass! I quit! I’m out! That’s it for tonight’s stream. See you next time!”

Takuro’s irritated expression flashed across the screen before the stream cut out abruptly.

“Anna, let’s go.”

Shun stood up equally abruptly. His fists were still clenched, but the aura of utter despair that had overcome him before seemed to be gone. The light had returned to his eyes.

“Go where?”

“Where else? The Jailhouse. We might still make it. Come on! We have to hurry!”

Shun dashed out into the cold night without even bothering to grab a coat.

“W-Wait! Aren’t you going to lock the door?”

Anna chased after him, still unsure of what was really going on. It was the dead of winter, yet a warm wind blew against their faces. Great droplets of rain pummeled them without mercy. But Shun paid no heed to any of it as he raced down the street dotted with the glow of streetlights. For some reason, he seemed to be standing a little taller to Anna.

It’s going to be okay.

Brushing her wet bangs out of her eyes, a comforting thought crossed Anna’s mind.

Everyone’s going to be okay.

2

Slipping past the monster as it greedily dug into Hiroshi, Takuro managed to escape through the red door. He had hardly any feeling in his right foot. It was like even the nerves were dead. But that was good for him. If that earth-shattering pain struck him again, he was sure he’d faint.

The air outside the room was cool. The floor and walls of the pathway were nothing but raw earth and exposed stone. It was a tunnel reminiscent of a mineshaft. The passage itself was quite large, easily large enough for the monster to fit through, and seemed to continue forever. Yet it was almost claustrophobic. The earthen walls looked ready to crumble at any moment; the atmosphere was suffocating. Rainwater from the surface was seeping through, creating puddles here and there along the ground. Relying only on the light from a string of naked bulbs spaced a few meters apart on the ceiling, Takuro hurried forward.

The moment he’d rejoiced that they’d changed the future by opening the door without being killed by the cockroaches, the monster had appeared and instantly killed Hiroshi. It reminded him of a horror movie he’d seen long ago, Final Destination. In it, a group of high schoolers who narrowly avoided death in an airplane crash were slowly killed off one by one at the hands of a supernatural force trying to correct fate. And Takuro was no different. He couldn’t change the future. Mika, Takeshi, Hiroshi... everyone was dead. Next would be his turn. The nightmare that had kept him up groaning night after night was playing in the back of his mind.

It must have been a premonition. There’s no other way it could have been so realistic. I’m going to be killed here by that monster. There’s no fighting fate.

Still, Takuro persisted. He clung to the faintest of hopes and pressed on. His limp made it awkward to walk, and he slipped and fell in the mud repeatedly. His elbows were worn out, the palms of his hands all torn up. Every nail he had on his fingers was broken. But he never stopped.

Further into the tunnel, the sound of the rain grew louder. The puddles on the ground increased in frequency and size, and eventually it looked like the whole place was covered in standing water. His consciousness starting to fade in and out, Takuro finally came to a hole that led up and out of the tunnel. Rain poured down on him. Practically panting now, he looked up. He could see dark clouds whipping by in the wind.

“The outside...” a cracked voice slipped from his throat.

A rope was dangling from the hole above.

Can I get out if I climb this?

He reached out and grabbed the rope. It must have been anchored tightly, because it didn’t budge even when he yanked hard on it. His right leg now refused to move, so Takuro took the rope in both hands and began climbing with upper body strength alone. How many meters were left? He looked up at the sky, but couldn’t tell for the life of him how far away it was. It only looked like a few meters, but it felt like kilometers.

The flesh on his hands started to peel and bleed. He slipped and fell repeatedly, but managed to hang on every time thanks to his reflexes. How long had he been climbing now? It only seemed like a few seconds, but it felt like hours. He was so close to the surface that he started to think he might actually make it when the rope began to sway. Takuro looked down and saw the monster standing below. It was holding on to the end of the rope and shaking it violently.

I’m not gonna let you throw me off!

Takuro clung to the rope for dear life. He wasn’t going to let go even if it killed him, but the rope snapped above him and gravity sent him plummeting downward. All his efforts were in vain.

His back hit the ground hard. Luckily the wet ground was somewhat spongy and helped break his fall. The lip of the hole overhead crumbled, sending fist-sized rocks raining down on him. Takuro could hardly breathe, but he knew he’d die if he just lay there writhing in pain. He quickly rolled over and crawled behind a rock. Even the monster seemed to be afraid of the falling debris. It batted away the rocks with its hands and then ran back down the tunnel in a hurry.

Amid the falling rocks, Takuro sighed in relief that the greatest threat had disappeared. He leaned back against the rock he was hiding behind, looked up, and let the muddy water falling in through the hole wash over his face. It was closer to pure mud, but still it felt amazing.

“What... is this?” he muttered angrily to himself, spitting up a mixture of saliva and blood. “Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve it?”

He smiled wryly at his own questions.

“There are so many reasons... I don’t even know which one it is.”

When the rockfall finally stopped, the uninterrupted sound of the pounding rain echoed through the tunnel once more. At his feet lay the rope. Takuro grabbed it and reeled in the muddy mess. Even moving just a finger caused his solar plexus to sting terribly. He must have broken a rib in the fall. His right leg was still numb from the thigh down, and his palms were shredded and bloody. It was a miracle he was still alive.

“Ugh... This is worthless now, isn’t it?”

Takuro bit his lip as he stared at the snapped end of the rope.

“I was so close, too.”

Sucking up the pain, he slowly got to his feet. His left leg still worked. He could walk a little longer.

“I get it, Naoki. I’ll grant your wish and go ahead and die. Will that satisfy you?”

Bracing himself against the rock wall, Takuro began to hobble along the path back to the annex. In his left hand was the severed skein of rope. It was no good for climbing anymore, but it would make a fine noose.

Takuro wandered the estate, looking for a place to die. He thought it would be quick and easy to hang himself, but reality defied his expectations. He couldn’t find anything decent to tie the rope to. The pain in his solar plexus kept increasing. He was only up and walking through sheer will at this point. Avoiding the cockroaches crawling along the floor, he kept going.

What am I doing?

He had to wonder. His vision was starting to go blurry. If he wanted to die, he could just lie down on the ground. The cockroaches would melt him to nothing. That would be the easiest way.

And yet here I am, still walking... But why? I guess I haven’t really given up yet. I must be clinging to some faint hope. What if he had survived and not me?

His mind wandered to Hiroshi. He never would have given up. He would have thought of a way to survive, no matter what.

Takuro hobbled his way through the annex and arrived back at the mansion proper. He’d hoped the front door would open, but he wasn’t surprised that no such miracle was waiting for him.

Think.

Leaning against the front door, Takuro reprimanded himself as he looked around.

You don’t want to die yet, do you? Then think of a way to survive.

The broken mannequin. The crumbled wall. The shattered door. The smashed staircase railing. The entrance hall was a mess compared to when they’d first arrived. If this was what they’d seen first thing, Takuro never would have come in. And if they’d turned back then, no one would have died. Takuro knew there was no point in thinking about it now, but he was sorry for the peaceful future he’d denied himself by making the wrong choice.

Mika and Takeshi had been killed in this very spot, yet their corpses were nowhere to be found. The only traces left of them were the red stains on the walls. Did the monster find humans that tasty? It had probably even licked their bones clean. That thought only made the monster’s motivations more confusing.

Did it just want to eat them? Or was it after vengeance? What was it really? Was it the ghost of the sick little girl that was rumored to have lived here? Was it some sort of mutant that had been exposed to chemicals from the plant across the street? Was it someone suffering from argyria, like Hiroshi had suggested? Or was it truly the ghost of Naoki? If that was really the case, Takuro’s death just might appease it. But what if that didn’t work? The community would undoubtedly be in an uproar over four kids going missing. A horde of people would storm the mansion, meaning more people would die here.

No. I have to live. I have to escape this place and tell everyone just how dangerous it is here. Think, Takuro. Think. How do I get out?

Still looking around the room, Takuro spotted the knob lying by the broken door and gasped.

“...Aha!”

A single ray of light had pierced the thick darkness Takuro found himself in. How had he not realized it sooner? He picked up the doorknob and began climbing the stairs. There was still a way out.

He could hear the monster growling from underground as he ascended. Surely it was coming for him. He had to be quick, or it would catch up. There wasn’t much time left.

He dragged his body, heavy as lead, to the third floor. The only way out left was the door in the attic. It was a ten meter drop to the ground. He could never jump that safely, but he did have a rope.

His pace was as slow as a turtle’s, but he eventually made it to the study. The instant he grabbed the knob, he spotted the monster out of the corner of his eye. He quickly got inside and shut the door behind him. The monster was close now. It would catch up to him in a matter of seconds. Summoning the last of his strength, he pushed the desk in front of the door. It was truly a do or die moment.

Something pounded at the door and the whole room shook. Takuro headed straight for the attic. Cutting across the room, he stood before the door painted totally white. He inserted the knob he’d picked up in the entrance hall and forced it open.

“Whoa!”

The blue creature that burst into the room along with the driving rain made him shout. It was one of the evil cockroaches he’d seen in the annex. It stuck to the wall and froze, the eye on its back facing Takuro. It was almost like it was watching him.

It’s okay. As long as I don’t approach it, it won’t attack me.

Takuro ignored the cockroach and got to work. He looped one end of the rope around a bedpost, then the other around his waist. He was irritated at the clumsiness of his own fingers in the heat of the moment, but if he lost his cool now, it would all be over. Takuro took a few deep breaths to steady himself and finally managed to finish affixing his lifeline. He then heard a loud noise from downstairs. The monster must have finally broken through his barricade. He had to move.

Now.

He checked to make sure the rope was securely tied, then headed for the open door to the outside. Takuro poised himself to jump out, but then heard a revolting buzzing sound from behind him. He turned around to see what it was. The cockroach, which had been content to just sit and watch until now, had flown over to the middle of the rope connecting Takuro to the bed. He shook the rope to try and scare it off, but it was too late. The rope was already dissolving, and it snapped in two when he shook it.

Takuro bent down and tried to tie the two pieces together again, but the monster burst through from the door to the study. Licking its lips, it slowly approached from there. The room was small—less than three meters across. There was nowhere to run. In no time flat, Takuro was trapped right in front of the exit.

So this is it, huh?

He looked at the darkness below. Takuro decided that he’d rather fall to his death than be eaten by the monster. But he just couldn’t move his legs.

No! I don’t want to die!

Part of his heart cried out in desperation, still intent on survival.

I’m such a coward...

But he laughed at himself internally.

In the end, I’m scared of dying. I’m just like Takeshi, quaking in my boots and unable to do anything at all.

“Pull yourself together, Takuro!” he shouted, trying to rally himself. “Naoki and the new kid did it. Why can’t you? Dying will make it all easier. Go on. Die. Don’t be a wuss. There’s nothing to be scared of. Hurry up!”

“Hurry and jump!” a different voice reached Takuro’s ears.

A soft light was now shining in the darkness of the yard far below, and someone was calling to him. It was Shun with a flashlight.

“Hurry! Or else the monster will kill you!” he shouted.

His normal timidity was nowhere to be seen. His ordinarily hollow eyes stared right into Takuro’s with a fire burning in them. There was no time to contemplate what he was doing there. The monster was getting closer with each passing second.

“It’s okay! You’re not going to die! You have to jump to survive! Please trust me! Now hurry!”

Shun extended his arms to Takuro.

Are you a freaking idiot?

Takuro cursed to himself.

How many times did I hurt you? You hate me enough to kill me, right? No way I’d trust you—

An image of Hiroshi, who’d died to save him, flashed through Takuro’s mind. He still didn’t trust Shun. But the next moment, he flung open the door and jumped out into the rainy night air.

*

*

*

Instantly, the scenery changed. Takuro now found himself looking at the entrance hall to the Jailhouse. The mansion was quiet. The door and stairs were in perfect repair, and the white walls were stainless and pristine.

“H-Hey, don’t you think we should go back?” a familiar voice asked.

Turning around, he saw a frightened Takeshi. Beside him were Mika and Hiroshi, as well.

“How’re you guys...”

He was so shocked that he couldn’t even finish the thought. All he could do was flap his mouth like a suffocating goldfish. Mika looked at him quizzically.

“Thank goodness! You’re all okay!”

Shun and Anna came running over to the group of them.

“Hey, what’s going on here?”

Takuro stormed over to Shun and grabbed him by the collar with his usual arrogance.

“Hey, stop that. You owe him your life, you know.” Anna stepped between them. She clearly wasn’t happy.

But Shun’s smile never faltered under Takuro’s glare.

“I doubt you’d understand even if I explained, but there was a bug. I remembered that if you jumped from the attic door, it would freeze and restart the game. It was a real gamble, but... Oh, thank goodness. I’m so relieved. Thank you, Takuro. For trusting me.”

Even more confusing than what Shun was saying were his tears.

“But you couldn’t have been sure. What if he’d really fallen instead of disappearing halfway?” Anna asked Shun, a displeased look still on her face.

“If that happened, I was planning on becoming a cushion.”

“Don’t be silly. That would have killed you.”

“Oh, well... Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Shun smiled as he wiped away his tears. An inexplicable emotion rose up in Takuro as he watched that smile. The spot between his eyes started to sting, and his vision began to blur.

You idiot. You’re going to pay for making me look this pathetic.

Takuro looked to the sky and said curtly, “Quit talking nonsense. Explain it so I can actually understand you, idiot.”

“It may be a long, long journey, but I will never forget you.”

For some reason, that passage from The Red Ogre Who Cried bubbled up to the surface of Takuro’s mind.

“Farewell. Take care of yourself. Always your friend, Blue Ogre.”

“I told you to explain, you idiot!”

His attitude was as terrible as ever, but something had certainly changed inside Takuro.

3

The light of the full moon streamed in diagonally through the gap in the curtains. Naoki frowned and angrily shut them. He hated the moon. Its bluish-white beams made his chest ache uncontrollably. He didn’t know why, but it made him painfully aware of just how otherworldly he was.

Turning his back to the window, he kneeled down on the tatami floor. In front of him was Takeshi, muttering in his sleep.

“Help... Help...”

He scratched at his neck, a pained look on his face. His breathing was rapid.

“Suffer more,” Naoki leaned in and whispered into Takeshi’s ear.

I’ve suffered far more than you. You’re not getting off the hook with a slap on the wrist.

In truth, he wanted to curse everyone to death like the ghosts in horror movies did. But that was all fiction. People didn’t really know anything about ghosts. Naoki was still powerless, even in death.

The only thing he could do was give people nightmares. When he’d realized it, Naoki swore to have his vengeance on those who had bullied him. Plagued by the same nightmare for days, anyone would be dying to know the cause. They’d naturally try and seek it out, especially if they could visit the place they’d been seeing in their dreams.

It had worked well in Shinichi’s case. And his plan to lure Takuro into the Jailhouse had gone perfectly, too. So why? He ground his teeth. He could feel the black mud of a grudge welling up inside himself. Takuro was still alive without a care in the world. Today, Naoki had even heard him look up at the sky from the school roof and utter the absolutely unbelievable words: “I think we dreamed the whole thing.”

He’ll pay. I’ll make him pay if it’s the last thing I do.

Naoki unconsciously clenched his fists. He’d failed once, but he wasn’t about to give up. He’d continue doing the same thing until Takuro was dead.

“No... Stay away... Stay away!” Takeshi shook his head roughly from side to side.

He’d been having the same nightmare for a whole week since returning from the Jailhouse. He hadn’t been able to stomach food the past few days either, and was looking rather gaunt. His parents were awfully worried. He had to be at his limit. Surely he would soon realize that he would never escape these nightmares unless he went to the Jailhouse and conquered his fears. But a coward like him would never go alone. He’d go to Takuro for salvation.

Naoki’s lips twisted into a grin as he chuckled. He was sure his plan would work this time.

This is a dream! A dream! A dream!

Takeshi hugged his knees and shivered inside the musty wardrobe.

Blue monsters don’t really exist. I’m dreaming. I’m definitely dreaming. Wake up now, or it’ll get you!

He pinched his cheek over and over, but the scenery never changed. In this midst of his panic, he heard the door to the room open.

It’s coming!

Takeshi shut his eyes and mouth, doing everything he could to pretend he wasn’t there. His whole body was covered in goosebumps. If the monster discovered him, he’d be brutally murdered. Even the marrow would be sucked from his bones before the monster devoured those, too. There’d be nothing left of him.

A horrid stench reached his nose. Was it the monster? It was so wretched that he gagged.

Oh no!

He covered his mouth, but it was too late. The wardrobe door slowly opened.

Takeshi shrieked. Looking down from above, Naoki nodded with satisfaction.

“Are the dreams I give you thrilling? I hope so, but it’s not over yet. I’ve still got lots and lots of entertainment left for you.”

Enjoying Takeshi’s unending screams, his heart raced at the thought of what was to come. The real game was just beginning.