Chapter 13 - Overwrite

1

Upon making their way through the underground passage and arriving at the mansion, Hiroshi, Takeshi, and Shun were greeted with a fearsome, echoing roar.

“Let’s hurry,” Hiroshi urged as they ran.

Cutting across the entrance hall toward the source of the noise, they came to a bedroom door that had previously been locked. But when they tried it now, the knob turned easily and the door swung open to reveal a strange, grisly sight. In the center of the room were two large, sturdy chairs. Takuro was sitting in one of them, and he appeared to be injured. Blue liquid was gushing from his right wrist.

On the far side of the room were two giant figures. One was sitting slumped against the wall... crying, was it? There was a terribly sad yet relieved look on its face. The second giant figure was standing next to it, and it whipped around to face Shun and the others when they entered.

“Oh. What’s up, guys?”

Its voice was gravelly and low, but they could still tell it was Mika’s right away. Just like Takeshi, it seemed she’d figured out how to control her monster form.

“Takuro, are you okay?” monster Mika asked as it ran to the injured Takuro’s side.

“Yeah... Sadly, I managed to escape death,” he answered.

Without warning, the monster slapped him across the face. The force of the blow toppled the chair and dumped Takuro on the floor.

“Ow...” Holding his still-stinging cheek, he looked up in surprise. “What the hell was that for?”

“‘Sadly’?! What, were you planning on dying and leaving me alone? Don’t be ridiculous!”

As the monster shrieked at Takuro, it slowly began to shrink, eventually returning to human form.

“You’ve still got things you need to do,” Mika continued, tossing a glance at the other monster slumped against the wall.

“...Right. Sorry.”

“I don’t know how, but I’ll help any way I can. Let’s make up for our sins together, Takuro.”

Takuro gave an adamant nod, seemingly inspired by Mika’s words. Leaving them to talk things out, Shun slipped past both of them and strode toward the last monster. Something was dripping from its forehead. It looked like it might be hurt. And most likely... it was Anna.

“Shun...” The monster quickly hid its face when it spotted him approaching. “No, don’t... Don’t look at me. I’m hideous.”

“Oh, thank goodness... Just like I thought, you’re able to control the monster, too.”

Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Shun reached out and grabbed the monster’s—Anna’s—hand. What reason did he have to be afraid? No matter what she looked like, if she had Anna’s memories, then she was still Anna to him.

“Thanks for saving me earlier, Anna.”

The moment Shun said her name, her body began to shrink and reshape. Within a few moments, she looked like herself again.

“Shun...”

Tears streaming down her face, Anna hugged him. It was a joyous moment, but she didn’t quite know her own strength. Shun coughed a little. She was crushing his ribs.

“Oh, sorry!”

Anna quickly let go of him. They looked at each other and laughed. Then...

A deafening explosion rocked their eardrums. The whole mansion shook. All six of them dashed out of the room to see what had happened and were aghast at what they discovered.

The Jailhouse was engulfed roiling flames.

2

“Whoa! What is this?!” Takeshi’s eyes were wide with shock.

Fear was writ all over his face, but he hadn’t fallen into a full-blown panic like normal. After all the horrors he’d witnessed, and after gaining his newfound superhuman strength, his mind must have toughened up a little, as well. And it wasn’t just Takeshi. Everyone seemed to be keeping their cool despite the raging fire.

“This must be Naoki’s doing,” said Anna, and everyone turned to look at her. “I assumed he ran away after his plan was foiled, but I guess he still had something up his sleeve. We should get out of here pronto.”

“Agreed. And in that case, let’s get moving,” Hiroshi seconded.

“But how do we get out of here?” Takuro asked.

“There’s a tunnel that leads to a well we can climb out of. If we can make it there, we’re home free,” Shun answered.

“But...”

Takuro and Mika looked at each other hesitantly. They seemed unsure whether or not they should return to the outside world.

“We can think about the future once we’re out of here,” said Anna. “If we don’t hurry, we’ll all be burned alive.”

The flames were getting thicker and higher. It was only a matter of time before the entire mansion was reduced to cinders.

“Yeah, let’s go! Everyone, follow me!” Takeshi shouted and set off.

“Be careful, Takeshi. It’s dangerous to inhale smoke. Stay as low as possible and cover your mouth—”

“Shaddup, brainiac. I know my basic fire safety. Come on already! Let’s—ow! Hot, hot, hot!”

A stray ember had landed on the arm Takeshi was beckoning to his friends with. His eyes went wide as he frantically waved it around to extinguish it.

“Are you okay?”

“This is nothing; I’m invincible! Now, follow me!”

Shun and the others chased after the eager Takeshi, making their way down the dark staircase. They burst into the laboratory and quickly shut the thick metal door behind them. Hopefully it would keep the flames at bay.

“We should be fine here—”

Takeshi suddenly stopped midsentence. His eyes were focused on one point. Everyone’s were.

There were two other doors in laboratory, you see. The one on the right led to the well. And the other, the left door... The heavy padlock that had once sealed it now lay undone on the floor.

Boom!

There was a loud, heavy thud on the other side of the door, and it slowly began to open.

“AhhhHHHhhhHHH!”

A deep, guttural bellow that sounded like it came from the bowels of hell rattled everything in the room. And out from the creaking door stepped a blue-skinned monster.

“Is that... Monster Alpha?” Takeshi whispered.

“Are you... the daughter of the man who lived here?” Shun heard Hiroshi ask.

“Hurr... Ahh... AhhhHHHHH!”

The monster howled again, sending shivers down Shun’s spine. It looked just the same as the other monsters they’d encountered, but something was different about this one. Something dark. It was like it was radiating an aura of pure hatred. There was no way they’d stand a chance in a fight against it. Somehow, everyone seemed to share that singular thought.

“AhhhHHHHH!”

Roaring, the monster charged. Abject madness raged in its eyes. Everyone managed to scatter in time, evading its lunge by a hair’s breadth. It caught the examination table in the middle of the room instead, splintering it into a million pieces in the blink of an eye. Despite its years of incarceration, it seemed the monster’s strength hadn’t waned in the slightest.

The monster then looked at the six of them in turn, its eyes stopping on Mika. Her hairpin glinting in the sterile light of the overhead fixtures seemed to have caught its attention. It let out an especially loud roar before charging straight at her, spittle flying in every direction.

“Mika!”

Takuro made a mad dash to rescue her, but the monster was just too fast. Its red-stained fangs were flying at Mika with terrifying speed.

Skree!

With a high-pitched screech, a small, blue blur streaked through the air. It flew faster than the eye could follow and sunk its teeth into the bigger monster’s shoulder. It let out a half-scream, half-bellow and stumbled backward.

“Fwuffy! Did you come to save me? Thank you!”

Mika held her arms out and the block-like monster jumped into her embrace like a beloved pet. The larger monster it had just fended off was still clutching its shoulder and reeling.

“Let’s move!” Takuro rallied.

At his signal, everyone ran through the door on the right and kept on down the dimly-lit passageway. Shun took a glance behind them and saw the monster’s face beyond the door. It was glaring unblinkingly at them. It was unsettling, but the giant monster was far too large to chase after them in such a narrow space.

Yet even so, they couldn’t afford to be complacent. The group kept running even after it was long out of sight, and eventually reached the base of the well.

“Is this where we go up?” Mika asked, holding the small monster to her bosom.

She didn’t look happy.

“Oh, that’s right. I remember now. You’re afraid of heights, aren’t you? Will you be okay?” Hiroshi asked, peering at her face with concern.

“No sweat,” Takuro cut in, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Mika, everyone’s changed, don’t you think? Hiroshi, Takeshi, Anna, and Shun... They’ve all really matured, haven’t they?”

“...Yeah.”

“And so have you. People can change. They can conquer any weakness. I may have attacked Hiroshi earlier, but I swear I’ll never let myself lose control like that again. So let’s give this a try. If we’re together, it’ll be easy, right?”

Mika nodded.

“Takuro... You’re really the one who’s changed the most, you know,” she said before approaching the dangling rope ladder.

“All right, I’ll take the lead! That way you can stare at my butt and not feel scared,” Takeshi said, proudly pounding his chest.

“Idiot. Who wants to be stuck staring at your butt forever? Anna, would you mind?”

“No, not at all. I’ll go first,” Anna answered with a smile.

“Then what can I help with?”

“Hold Fwuffy for me,” Mika said, thrusting the small monster at Takeshi.

“Huh? Whoa, hold on! It’s not gonna bite me, is it?” Takeshi stared at the rectangular creature, surprise plastered on his face.

“Don’t come crying to me if you provoke it,” Mika said, grasping the rope ladder.

“Shun and I will support you from behind. Just follow our instructions, and this will be a walk in the park,” Hiroshi chimed in with an offer of encouragement.

“I’ll wait here until you’re all up. Don’t worry if you happen to slip. I’ll catch ya,” added Takuro.

Hearing his reassurance, Shun felt a sense of solidarity he’d never experienced before. Just because they escaped the Jailhouse didn’t mean all their problems would be solved. This would surely only be the beginning of the difficulties they’d encounter in the future. But so what? The six of them could overcome it all by working together.

“People can change. They can conquer any weakness.”

Takuro’s words had given him courage that soaked his heart.

“Mika, just stay calm. And whatever you do, don’t look down,” Anna said.

“Your buddy’s cheering for you, too... Hey, settle down! Ow! That hurts, damn it!”

Normally Takeshi’s loud voice was too much for Shun, but it was as pleasant as could be right now.

“That’s the way, Mika. One hand after the other.” Hiroshi’s words of encouragement echoed in the corridor.

“Almost there!” Takuro shouted.

In a matter of minutes, all six of them were safely up and out of the well—out of the Jailhouse. Things were already getting lighter. The eastern sky was painted in the warm glow of the rising sun.

“We did it. We all escaped alive,” Takuro said, sticking out his hand.

Everyone placed theirs on top of his, one after another. There was a smile on each of their faces. Most of them hadn’t slept a wink since the day before. They were all exhausted, but their hearts were full to bursting. As they laughed at each other’s tired and dirty faces, a warm wind suddenly blew through their huddle.

“Not so fast. Don’t think this is over,” a seventh voice said coldly.

“Hey... Look,” Mika said, her face suddenly seized with fear. “Over there.”

She was pointing behind them. Her eyes were wide, her dilated pupils fixated on... something.

“Don’t even try it. I’m not the same guy I used to be,” Takeshi joked with a bright smile as he turned to look over his shoulder. “You’re just trying to scare me, right? Well, there’s no way I’m falling for it—”

Takeshi’s bravado ended in a small yelp. Unease mounted in Shun’s chest. He could feel the tension in the air.

This should be the end of the game, right? Please... Please let it all be over.

Praying, Shun slowly turned to look where Takeshi was now staring, too. A lone boy was crawling out of the well. He sat down on the edge and slowly lifted his face. The corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.

“I would say it’s been a while, but I’ve been watching you all this whole time,” the boy said, swinging his legs. “Ah, man, it was fun watching you all cry and scream as the monster chased you.”

The boy then looked to the sky. Shun didn’t recognize him, but it seemed everyone else did.

“It can’t be...” Mika’s face was still frozen in fear.

“H-H-How’re you...” Takeshi stammered.

“Naoki...” Takuro muttered.

3

Shun had never seen Naoki before, but he wasn’t anything like he’d imagined. Since he’d been bullied by Takuro, too, Shun had assumed he was meek and mild-mannered just like he was. But the boy sitting before him now was different. He had an aura about him that was darker than even Takuro’s on his worst days.

“Huh? You can all see him, too?” Anna asked, bewildered. “How?”

“Takuro, don’t think you’re out of the woods yet. I’m never going to forgive you.”

Ignoring Anna, Naoki approached Takuro. As if sensing the darkness in him, Takuro instinctively backed up.

“So, this was all your doing, was it?”

“Yes, although I can’t take credit for creating the monsters. Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of power. All I can do is manipulate dreams. But thanks to that, everything has gone pretty much according to plan.” Naoki continued, his eyes fixated on Takuro, “With that, I got your father to buy the Jailhouse. I invaded his dreams over and over until he was convinced. I even lured all of you here. You had no idea, did you? You thought you were acting of your own free will, but it was me controlling you all along.”

“If you hate me so much, then why didn’t you just focus on me? Why bring the others into it?”

“Because they’re equally guilty. They simply watched and laughed at what you did. They never did a thing to help me.”

Takeshi and Mika both looked away awkwardly.

“Well, we were killed and eaten by the monsters—just like you wanted. Are you happy now? Just pass on already.”

“That was the plan at first. I thought your deaths would satisfy my vengeance. But I didn’t feel better in the least. In fact, my heart began to ache even worse. Why was that? After thinking about it for some time, something finally dawned on me.” Naoki stared right at Takuro and grinned. It was an innocent smile... One so out of place that it felt all the more sinister. “Did you think about me when the monster killed you?”

“...No.”

“Did any of you? I doubt any of you realized I had killed you. Which means it was all pointless. You were supposed to regret everything you’d done to me and beg for my forgiveness as you died like dogs.” Naoki’s smile vanished as he continued, “But no matter what I did, not one of you was thinking of me. It was because I was just a ghost, right? I wasn’t really there to you. But don’t you worry. I’ve fixed that now. I got myself a body, so now I can finally have my true vengeance.”

“You got yourself a body? How?”

“The same way you all did. The Jailhouse monsters can transform into the creatures they consume, remember?”

“But you were already dead... You couldn’t possibly have been eaten by a monster.”

“Who said that I needed to be alive for it to work? Have you ever considered the details? Takeshi’s head got left behind, but the monster had no problem transforming into him. As long as there’s DNA to replicate, that’s all they need.”

“No... Don’t tell me you’re the one who tore up the graveyard...” Hiroshi piped up.

“Correct! That’s the smartest kid in class for you,” Naoki said, offering a round of applause. “I took my remains from my own grave. I thought I could materialize like you guys if I fed them to a monster. I’d about given up hope, though, since I thought you guys were the only monsters left alive. But then—lucky me—I found one last monster imprisoned in the basement.”

“And you fed it your remains?” Takuro asked.

“Precisely. And now... Now I can at last have my vengeance. Real vengeance,” Naoki declared as he began skipping about in celebration.

“If you were just after your remains, couldn’t you have left the other graves alone?” Shun asked. “Why did you disturb them, too?”

“Don’t you get it? That was to lure you to the Jailhouse,” Naoki answered. “I figured if I messed up the place, you’d think it was Anna’s doing. That made it easier to convince you to come.”

“Wait, did you kill the school rabbits, as well?”

“Bingo! I knew if I could get you to think Anna was out there wreaking havoc every night, it’d be a piece of cake to use your dreams to manipulate you. And the result was a rousing success! You came rushing to the Jailhouse after your beloved. Seriously, it was all going so well... Where did I screw up?”

“Why... did you want me to come here?” Shun asked, his voice trembling.

“Because every great magician needs a charming assistant,” Naoki answered plainly.

“Assistant?”

“Yes, an assistant,” Naoki replied, walking over to Shun and grasping both of his hands tightly. “I still haven’t given up, you know. After all, you’re just like me, Shun. The truth is that you hate everyone so much there aren’t words to describe it. Well, now’s your time! Let’s have our vengeance together!”

Naoki’s body began expanding before he even finished speaking.

“You should all probably start running now. I’m still not used to this form. I can’t control it as well as you guys can. I might just kill you instantly. Ah... I can feel it flowing through me. This monster’s hatred for humans is just amazing. It’s so deliciously dangerous. I’m getting chills. Ahhh....”

Naoki continued to swell and transform. He grew bigger than any of the monsters they’d seen before.

“Now... Let’s play our final round of tag, shall we?”

The monster’s ghastly howl shook the cold morning air.