Bad∞End∞Night is a novel in two volumes by Hitoshizuku-P, based on her series of Vocaloid songs, the NighT Series. For those unfamiliar with it, the plot revolves around eight actors trapped in a neverending play, seeking a way to escape.
I encourage you to buy the book(s) to support Hitoshizuku. They include numerous Suzunosuke illustrations: one fold-out color illustration for each volume, character portraits, a cleaner mansion map than mine, and mid-chapter illustrations.
Volume 1: (Amazon) (Kinokuniya)
Volume 2: (Amazon) (Kinokuniya)
You can read a PDF version of my translation here. (The PDF is for all of Volume 2, currently still in progress. The Volume 1 PDF is here.)
Part 1 is here. Part 5 is Chapters 10 and 11. This is a long one that covers a ton of things, so prepare yourself. But there is one more (relatively short) part left.
——
Chapter 10: Solitude
Before my eyes was a mess of mops and furniture that had collapsed upon opening the door, somewhat blocking the entrance. I lowered my heavy head and saw a leg powerlessly thrown on top of the dusty floor. Its right knee was bleeding a little. My own leg… I wonder when I injured it.
My head began to catch up and went back through the memory of what I’d been doing. I lost myself in wanting to get away from that place as soon as possible and ran without any destination, then tripped in the hallway. I lifted my head and straightened my gaze, then looked around.
This was that first storeroom I searched with Kaito… He moved around the old desks, bureaus, mops, brooms, and buckets, leaving them piled up near the entrance. So getting in was fine, but getting out looked like a tight fit. But this was much better than the long gallery I’d entered repeatedly while running around, or one of the guest rooms. On the off chance they came looking for me, it would be hard to find me here.
The first shock came when the Mistress called the Doll Boy “Len,” and it merely confused me. I simply wondered, “Wait, why?” But as their conversation continued, my confusion became sadness… and fear… and resentment, and anger. All of my emotions were mixed, and I felt like I was going to burst from them.
Yet, when those emotions peaked, the intensity of them was suddenly gone, and I began to feel like I was watching a play - an ambivalent human drama swirling with love, hate, intrigue. My mind stopped thinking, and I admired the scene unfolding before me ala a play. How much I wish it were only just a play.
"Ahaha… How cruel…"
My hoarse voice echoed futilely in the unoccupied room.
"Somebody… tell me it’s just a lie…"
I reached out to cling to something and touched only air. I saw a hand in my blurred vision. But it was just my own hand… there was only me. No one would take my trembling hand.
I was sad. Regretful. Pained. Lonely. How miserable. I recalled the conversation I’d heard from behind the door piece by piece, and the intense emotions smoldering in my chest welled up to my throat, and I sobbed. I firmly held my mouth with both hands to keep from making any sound. But even so, my intense wailing that I must have wanted someone to respond to echoed in the empty room, only coming back to my own ears. The more severely I cried, the more hollowness it brought.
I had believed in the others unquestioningly as friends. I expected a hand to stroke my head as I wept all alone, a voice to scold me for crying over something like that, a gaze to gently watch in silence, or delicious milk tea that would calm me, but there was nothing like that… there never had been. The first-class actors who could manipulate every sense would not offer me such consolation anymore.
I had never truly been a friend to those professionals. I hadn’t even been betrayed; I’d just convinced myself that I had already become their friend. Idiotic… What a foolish, miserable, impudent mistake. Not seeing how I could never become a friend to them from the start, I made my own stupid assumption and prided myself on it.
"The lead role of this play will die, even if she says and does nothing. That’s her fate… Because it’s the law of this world."
Earlier, I tripped in the empty hallway while running. I always tripped clumsily, so I was sure it was just that once again. But I was wrong. Just how many times had I felt the fear of death since coming to this world? The breaking stepladder, the fall down the stairs. Not to mention the sword that came down from above. The milk tea that was offered to me with perfect timing: right after hearing the story about the perfect crime of the well-concealed poison. It all seemed too unlucky. But they weren’t just accidents; they were all planned, intentional events…
The star actress who suddenly disappeared - taboo words - she who died - the replacement of lead roles - ninth person - the karma of death - necessary death - to bring her back from the grave - Miku can’t know the truth, or go back to reality - the completion of our objective - the mastermind’s invitation - the sudden troupe audition - the dream I saw this morning - First nighT.
Now, the pieces of the puzzle were assembled… Everything I had felt doubts about finally came together neatly to form a single story.
I had to sever myself from them - from the affection, trust, and bonds I felt. And I had to build resolve to fight against them. I had to think of a way to avoid things going to script, or I would be left all alone in this world to die…
All my sadness over being tricked changed to anger and hate. Just like in that Bad ∞ End ∞ Night. They were fighting, to the point of experiencing temporary death in this fictional world, to drive me toward the death they desired. So I would have to be determined as well, and finish them off before they finished me. This time, I would have them perform the script I had thought up, without letting them realize I’d noticed the truth - and finishing this repeating play with a last act, the actors would step off the stage to applause.
Kaito said that the letter was important. Most likely, this was the End roLL, like I’d predicted. And using the End roLL, I could create a scene they didn’t want - the lead being saved and being able to return to reality. And the things they tried to keep me away from… They were likely related to the usage of the End roLL.
First, the wine bottle. When I searched the wine cellar, there was a single bottle that wasn’t fake, with a bit of real wine left. Gack naturally diverted my attention away from the wine. I should have been very interested in this single non-prop bottle that concealed the potential to be used for something… but before I knew it, he was talking about wine in general, then switched things to an entirely unrelated topic. Maybe this would be the ink. Since when I spilled it on the blank End roLL, it glowed. Now for the other part…
I frantically went around my memories. As I searched for things hidden behind all the actions I’d witnessed since coming here, a particular scene came back to me. Rin was always in the hall, in front of the clock… Yes, the clock hands…! When I tried to approach them, she said it was dangerous, and her eyes threatened against coming any closer… I had to hurry and get those hands!
When I stood up, pain shot up my right knee. I took the handkerchief Luka gave me out of my pocket and wrapped it tightly around my knee. It was faintly soaked with the blood which still hadn’t stopped.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Behind my eyelids, I imagined another me.
She arrived late to their meeting and stepped into the dim room looking very apologetic. Everyone looked her over with some doubt and unease over how very late she was. She, too, looked like she was dying to ask the others something, a little curious about what she’d seen in those books in the library… Slowly, the air in the room grew tense, each party wanting to probe the other… She made a face full of unease, yet trusted them, and approached saying she’d found a hint toward finding the next page. Acting stupidly and easily-fooled, yes, like an audience member… Her objective was to steal their script.
Yes, I didn’t know a thing. Wholly ignorant of being number nine, the pitiful replacement, I would dance for them.
I hid the clock hands in my skirt pocket, held the wine bottle in my left hand, and with my open right, lightly knocked on the door to the study.
"Searching the stockhouse certainly took you a while. We were all waiting for you."
The Mistress sitting on the sofa nearest the door welcomed me with a concerned smile. Only slightly opening the extravagant wooden door, I stepped my foot into the room.
"Um… I finished checking the stockroom a little while ago. But I remembered something when I was searching the wine cellar with Mr. Butler. You said you’d rather drink beer than tea earlier, so I brought some…"
"My, so there’s some left! I’m glad."
"…This is no time to be drinking, all right?"
The Master scolded the rejoicing Mistress with deeper wrinkles in his brow than usual. I could interpret it as an expression with some unease; because the Villager had brought the wine bottle, a key to progressing the story. Coming inside, I went over to the wall on the right… toward the small table with the script. The armchair across from it was empty, so I was able to sit down there in a natural way.
Paying no attention to the script, the Villager looked fidgety about something else - she couldn’t help but be curious about the things she heard in the library earlier… but she was pondering how to break the topic. The inhabitants, meanwhile, were likely formulating a plan to steal the letter.
"Oh, did you find the page? Alas, I’ve had no luck at all. I haven’t found so much as a scrap of paper…"
The Lady started things off. The word “paper” was intended to cause a breach.
"Yes, same here! The kitchen had nothing but paper napkins for dining!"
"And the newspapers in the living room all had things written on them… Those won’t do. To think so much effort would go into finding a single piece of paper…”
"But…! They do SAY things are alWAYS right under your NOSE! YahaHA!"
I knew that they were creating a natural flow of conversation to obtain the blank letter the Villager had. Starting with the Lady, to the Maid, to the Mistress, to the Doll Girl, they formed a perfect chain with no gaps. The usual Villager who knew nothing would surely be enticed by this to say “Oh, if it’s a blank piece of paper, I do have one of those…” and pull out the letter in her pocket.
I only had one chance. To act out, as the uneasy, ignorant Villager… no, as the idiotic Miku who had the role of the Villager, the most natural response…
"I searched as hard as I could too, but… I just couldn’t find it. It’s a little bit depressing… But there’s something I’m curious about… I was wondering, is this letter I have part of the script…?"
"…!"
I slowly produced the letter from my pocket. Their eyes stared with delight. But like hunters reaching for a trapped rabbit, they concealed their true inner joy, putting up expressions of fresh surprise and expectation as if it were the first time game were caught in that trap, then acted slowly and carefully to procure the game without letting it get away.
"I… I didn’t even consider that. Did you have that all along?"
"Yes. I forgot about it, but I’m pretty sure it was always in my pocket…"
I took the folded blank sheet out of the envelope and opened it up to show everyone. They watched me with surprise like they’d never seen it before.
"I saw THAT too, in the HALL! It looked JUST the right SIZE! YAhahaHA!"
"Yes, a PERFECT fit! AhahaHA!"
"There’s nothing on it, huh! Just paper… isn’t it? It looks pretty faded, though…"
"The next page of the script is torn. And rather roughly, so there should surely be irregular tear marks along the inside edge. Indeed, it does seem that the size is just right… But if it’s not the right thing, even attempting to use it as the next page would be dangerous…"
"…! Oh, I see…"
Convinced by Meiko, the Villager complied with her advice, looked down with a bit of despair, and stuffed it back in her pocket like she’d completely lost interest.
Immediately, there was a very slight unrest in the air. “If we take the Villager’s letter, it’ll inevitably lead up to us having to test here and now if it can be used as part of the script or not… That’s also rather dangerous… If we run out the time limit, we won’t need to take it by force, will we?” “We should steal it right now… She still has some unease… Who knows what she’ll do next?” I could see those two viewpoints flying across the room wordlessly.
Not at all noticing this confrontation, the Villager was visibly depressed about her hopeful idea being useless, and while wondering how to ask everyone about what she learned in the library, the Butler spoke to her.
"…Perhaps we should at least give it a try. If only checking whether or not the size is indeed a match."
The others engaged in a wordless war stared at him in surprise. “Don’t take a risk like that, what are you thinking?”, I could almost hear the Master, Mistress, and Doll Girl scream. Meanwhile, the Lady and Doll Boy kept sending looks that said “Hurry up.” Ignoring the silent blame, the Butler standing by the window picked up the script enshrined on the small table and brought it over to me.
Casually standing up, I rested the wine bottle I was carrying against the back of the armchair, and while placing it carefully to keep it from falling, glanced at the route between myself and the door, confirming the distance. All right, no one there.
"No, hold on. Let’s all take a look at this first…"
The Master strengthened his tone, and with the kind of worried smile one would show to a child not listening to you, came toward me with his long legs. The master of the mansion would never have his expression disturbed and raise his voice over such a minor thing. In hiding his internal worry, his act as the Master was crumbling. Demonstrating no notice of that fact, I took the letter back out of my pocket, and moved my hand to open the envelope. Heavy glances gathered on that hand.
I took it out slowly, bringing it halfway up to show it off tantalizingly. Then…
I slipped it back in and re-sealed the envelope.
In unison, everyone stared in bewilderment, seeming to forget about playing their roles. The time was now - for the Villager to dance out as the lead.
"…No, you’re right. If it’s dangerous, maybe I shouldn’t. Who knows what’ll happen… And I was thinking, the script might have to proceed in the correct way… and this might actually be the End roLL, the last page. If that’s true, we have to find the next page, don’t we? Skipping over it and forcing an ending might not end this play properly… and it’ll disappear…”
"Y-Yes…"
I put the letter in my pocket. The Butler stood in front of me, the script laying in his hands, and just blinked, not grasping the reason behind the Villager’s sudden change of heart. But they opted not to deeply question the thinking behind her surprising act; they were confident they’d achieved victory, and relief swept over the room. No doubts, worries, or unease, just relief and a bit of kindness - a nostalgic mood. And…
"Well, I’ll be taking this, okay?", the Villager said with a smile.
Before anyone could react, I swept up the script in the Butler’s hands - the script held out right before my eyes without any defenses - with my right hand, spun around, grabbed the bottle resting on the armchair, and dashed for the door. I tackled the door left slightly open without dropping speed, turned right down the hall, and sped toward the stairs. So taken off-guard, the others were unable to react promptly; I heard their footsteps quite a distance behind me.
"Wait! Where are you going?!"
Gack was fast. And he was the closest to me… the nearest to the door. If I slowed down even a little, he’d quickly catch me.
"This is mine! I am the star of the play, after all!”
"Miss Villager, wait! I apologize for unsparingly denying your idea!"
"Sigh… Enough of the act. I know everything! Your plotting… and the person you killed!!"
”?!”
As I reached the corridor and was about to hurry down the stairs, Luka shouted in a way resembling a scream.
"Wait, please! Stop! Calm down! What in the world are you saying?! Gyaaah, dooon’t!"
"I’m the ninth person - someone’s replacement, right?! …She was going to be the lead… But she died, so I became her stand-in! And now you want to kill me to revive her, don’t you?!"
"…?!"
Their voices repeatedly calling to stop me came to a halt. I couldn’t afford to look behind me. Only footsteps racing down the hallways echoed off the large hall’s ceiling, further fostering this air of bloodthirst. My nonstop sprint soon had me panting. Such a huge mansion…
Down on the first floor, I turned left, opened the door to the hallway behind the stairs, and made sure to shut it tight. I ran straight down the long hallway to my right. Slightly afterward, I heard someone opening the door I’d just closed. It’s okay, at this distance… I can get away…!
As soon as I was about to flee to the basement down the spiral stairs behind the Twilight ∞ nighT painting - somehow, Kaito, Rin, and Len were already there waiting for me. I quickly put the brakes on my full-speed legs.
"It’s too bad, Miku," Rin said, looking like she actually did feel something was unfortunate.
I was sure I’d taken the shortest route from the second floor study to the first floor’s forbidden room. Before coming to the study, I even checked all the passages, and simulated it repeatedly in my head…!
"Remember the forbidden room up above you and I searched? Yes, it too has a Twilight ∞ nighT painting hanging outside it, exactly like this one…"
"Pant… pant… No way…!", I muttered, breathing heavily. But the others who arrived before me weren’t out of breath at all. Because….!
"The secret stairs don’t only go from the first floor to the basement. However, the stairs from the second floor to the first can’t be opened from the first floor side…"
Kaito glanced behind him. I looked back there, and sure enough, there was a staircase leading up where there had only been a wall earlier. I completely overlooked it. Thinking about it, I should have noticed the possibility immediately. Argh… Still catching my breath, I glared at the three.
"…If we’ve been found out, oh well. Still, you certainly did trick us with that hastily-made act. We were thoroughly fooled… Bravo, number nine."
"Gh…"
Len no longer had the cruel Doll Boy’s unperishing smile, and was back to his usual blank expression that made it difficult to read his thoughts. The footsteps in the distance got louder; one set came to a stop, then two more. Then, considerably later, the last person arrived. All seven surrounded me.
"Gasp… pant… I caught uuup!"
"Sigh… Meg! You really are unathletic. So slooow."
"Y-You too, Miss Luka! Pant, pant… aren’t you out of breath too?!"
No one tried to take the letter, script, and wine bottle right away. Keeping their distance, they seemed to still be working out a strategy. I had my hands full with the script and bottle, so I couldn’t easily take the letter out of my pocket. But wary after having been tricked already, they surrounded me with a solid formation, and it seemed they could subdue me at any time. I would have to look closely to make an opportunity. I had to focus my senses, and put on an act as subtle as putting a thread through the eye of a needle. First…
"I can’t help feeling regret" - I was one step from being taken into their hands. The idiot Miku bit her lower lip, but trying to keep her composure, silently observed her foes’ next move.
"…Well, what now? We’ll sacrifice you, and exchange your death with hers - indeed, the woman I told you about then. You remember, yes? We all worked so hard to hide it. Our dear friend, lost before you joined the troupe… our star actress, suddenly gone… It rather piqued your interest, didn’t it? Your intuition’s quite sharp. It was planned for her, not you, to be the lead in Crazy ∞ nighT. And to bring her back, we’ve tried to kill you again and again in ways made to look like accidents… as you’ve learned. And until your death succeeds in the way this world desires it, the night will repeat endlessly.
"But what will you do, knowing that? By the laws of this world, the fate of her death is attached to you, which makes it easier for accidents to occur. Firmly-held swords will suddenly fall, stepladders will abruptly break, you’ll fall down the stairs, you’ll trip on nothing. Furthermore, you’re of entirely average intelligence and ability. Versus the seven of us: sharp, capable, professional actors with far better insight than you. The odds are stacked against you."
"(There’s one of us who’s clearly inferior in physical ability, though…)"
"(M-Miss Lukaaa…!)"
"…"
I hated to admit it, but I couldn’t reply; it was all true. I naturally tightened my grip on the wine.
"Hah… Didn’t I tell you, that night? You have a fatal lack of insight. You don’t understand your own worth. You’re so wrapped up in yourself, you don’t at all notice how others see you, their true feelings. So others can easily trick and exploit you. Well, you reap what you sow."
"…I know that!! I know so much it hurts… I understand the advice you gave me. You pretended you were letting me be less formal and more friendly with you because you accepted me… but it was just to fill me with relief and affection so I wouldn’t doubt you, wasn’t it? And… all of you, you opened your hearts to me right before and after act one. It was my first play, I was the lead, and for you, it was a play more important than any that couldn’t fail… I thought you showed me concern and gave encouragement to help me make it succeed. But even that was just preparation to ensure that when I was sucked into this strange world, I would trust you as friends and wouldn’t try anything funny…!
"Preparing a sacrifice and exchanging her for my dead predecessor… I don’t know what kind of magic can do that, but it must be the work of the person who created this bizarre world. So you conspired to ask Burlet… no, you made a deal, didn’t you?! You’d put on an amusing show for him to enjoy, and he’d revive the real lead in exchange! It all started when I was picked for the audition… No, earlier than that, when you suddenly put out the audition for a stand-in. Because a total novice, an average girl with no redeeming qualities, would never be picked by the Burlet Company for the lead of his lost play! Anyone could figure that out with a little thought… I could never be the lead! Ahahahahahahahahaha…!"
"…"
Miku’s deranged laughing made everyone hesitate a little. There was nothing funny about it… but her dry laugh wouldn’t stop.
"…Ahh. I looked up to you all that time, barely managing to go to the theater daily on the wages from my job… until just half a year ago. It wasn’t long ago, but it’s already so nostalgic… I was chosen to join the troupe, and I worked myself to death trying to quickly catch up and meet your expectations… But it was all useless… No, it was never necessary from the start… because I was just a disposable replacement."
I mumbled out these words like I was telling them to myself. The quiet rain of tears became a small river, then increased in volume to an audible stream. The negative emotions wouldn’t stop until they’d cried a sea.
"Yeah… I’m just a replacement! Number nine, her replacement, stupid, miserable, and pathetic…!"
"…That’s right. You understand yourself well, huh?"
"Len! Don’t talk like that… Hold on a moment, Miku. You have it wrong. We’re really not doing this because we want to…"
"It’s useless to smooth things over now, Meiko. Her eyes are verrry scary. She’s found us out, so what’s the point in hiding anymore? Yes, you’re just a stand-in. Didn’t I tell you before? The one who we did everything with, but suddenly left us… Yes, she died… In the theater, shortly before you joined. Pitiable, isn’t it? It was because we cornered her… So we fiercely regretted her death. And then, a miracle occurred. We found we could bring people back by using someone else as a substitute… so we’re trying to do it for her. And you… were picked as the sacrifice for it. That’s the truth. Have all that?"
Luka’s words stabbed me in the gut. The truth was thrust in front of me, and I understood it well enough, but my heart wasn’t ready for the impact; my vision misted up with tears, and it got harder to breathe.
"…Oh, Miss Luka, you’re being excessively harsh… Look, I’m not going to try and make excuses, but we didn’t particularly enjoy tricking you, Miss Miku. At least believe that, okay?"
"…"
"When you say it like that, Meg, it kind of sounds like you’re making fun of her."
"Miss Rin is right. You’re inviting misunderstandings, Miss Meg. Causing unneeded trouble once again…"
"So, yes, you must realize. There’s not even any time left. No matter what, you lose."
"Haha… Come to think of it, Len… You gave me blue roses. You wanted to revive her no matter what. So was the meaning of those flowers your way of implying you entrusted me with a miracle… with her revival…? Did you love that dead girl, I wonder?"
"…!"
The stream gradually settled, stabilizing to a calm, smooth surface. Sticking my head out of the water, it was moved only by slight ripples; the undulating was coming to an end. Now - time to make some waves.
I gently put the wine bottle on the floor. A moment after everyone looked down toward it, I took out the clock’s hour hand - the knife - concealed in my pocket, and ran over to the wall of a T-intersection in the hallway. Then I turned around. From this position, everyone was standing in the same direction. A moment after I broke free of their encirclement, Luka and Meiko formerly behind me hurried to the hallways left and right of the intersection, trying to surround me again.
"Miss Luka, Miss Meiko! Don’t move!! If you come closer…"
For an instant, everyone was astonished. Holding the script under my left arm, I reached out toward Rin - the nearest person - restrained her, and pointed the sharp, glinting edge of the clock hand in my left hand toward her.
"I’m serious. No one come any closer!"
An eerie silence dominated the scene. Everyone must have known the hour hand of the clock in the hall was a knife.
"…That’s useless. Rin’s a doll now. It won’t do any good…"
"We’ll just have to see if it’s useless or not, won’t we…? Heehee."
With a creepy grin, I gazed at the others. The small doll in my hand was trembling slightly, and I could feel her pulse.
"You’re shaking… Unfortunate, huh, Rin…?"
"Stop! Miku, please! Let go of Rin!"
"When you’d kill me without a care…? Ahaha."
"…!!"
"I’ll be taking that wine bottle, too. I was supposed to drink it during act one."
Kaito picked up the wine bottle from the floor in his left hand.
"…"
"Kaito…"
"Might you tell us why you need this bottle? What were you going to do with it?"
"…I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that, do you?"
"…I can’t give this to you."
"You don’t mind what happens to Rin, then?"
"Kaitooo…"
I put the knife right up against Rin’s face, but Kaito didn’t move. The unexpected situation made a little bit of unease came back. If I tried to take it by force, he might pin me down in return. Without the wine… I couldn’t write the ending. What do I do? I had to think. Calm down…
"Stop with this foolishness, and give us the script."
Kaito stepped forward to close the distance. To incite more fear in them, I brought the sharp edge right up to Rin’s eyeballs. Tears flowed from the Doll Girl’s glass-like eyes. If she could cry even as a doll, surely stabbing her would cause major pain similar to that of dying in reality, I thought dimly in the corner of my mind. The same pain I’d felt dying repeatedly in this world; I didn’t remember any of those deaths at all, but they did. They remembered it all…
Huge tears poured from Rin’s eyes, yet Kaito continued to approach. Deaths in this fictional world would just be fake deaths… so even if I killed them here, another night would come. So as much as it hurt, they could bear it knowing it was a lie… they wouldn’t even fear death.
It seemed that I, as the lead role, couldn’t be killed properly unless the woman’s death scene from reality were perfectly re-enacted. And they too wouldn’t die from being stabbed with the knife, reviving for the next night. Since their memories remained, surely their fear of death would too, but they knew it was only temporary… So strong-willed Kaito could endure it and stubbornly proceed forward.
I let go of trembling Rin and turned the knife toward Kaito. But he still wasn’t fazed at all. I couldn’t hesitate any more. With the knife in my left hand, I tackled Kaito and reached for the wine bottle in his left hand with my right.
Just as it was almost in reach, Kaito lifted his hand up, pulling the bottle away. The red liquid inside shook up, and some flew behind him in a clean parabola. A dull shock ran through my left hand. The knife was stuck in Kaito’s right forearm. Red blood danced before my eyes, mixing with the deep crimson of the carpet below.
"YAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Rin screamed. Everyone was motionless, eyes fixed on bleeding Kaito. His face tightened in pain; he faltered and fell on his knee. After a brief moment, time resumed. Slipping to the side of the others running toward Kaito, I ran for the now-unguarded stairs leading underground.
"…Dammit! Wait!"
The Doll Boy responded promptly and chased after me. But going down the stairs, the difference in our steps gradually widened the distance between us. The footsteps slowly got quieter, and I accelerated to reach the door at the end of the long stairs.
Right after heading through the heavy doors I left open, I put all my might into closing them and firmly barred the door with the wooden beam leaning against the wall. A few seconds later, I heard banging on the door behind me. Looks like I made it. Through the door, I could faintly hear their muffled voices. Len and Luka, Gack, then Meg. Rin and Meiko were probably at Kaito’s side. If all seven of them tackled it, they might be able to bust it open… It was heavy, sure, but a wooden door and lock weren’t reliable. I had to achieve my objective before that happened…
I turned to face the coffins again. The thumping on the door from outside annoyingly continued. But there was something odd. When I listened closely, I thought I could hear that sound from inside the room, too.
The eight coffins were aligned in two neat rows. I came to a stop in front of one, the one placed in the far back. I squatted down and put my ear to the high-quality wood. Thump, thump, thump - I could hear a sound inside, like knocking against the lid of the coffin. Was this the same sound, coming from nowhere in particular, I thought I was imagining upon waking up in this strange world…?
Suddenly, an unknown fear welled up in me. Could I really open these coffins? Imagine if a zombie came out and attacked me… The knocking continued like someone was calling for help. I had no doubt; in this coffin was the woman they had hid away… the former lead.
If they sought to exchange her death and mine, I would have to make her body impossible to exchange with. My only option was to make her die again, in this world, for good. I felt bad about it… But to borrow their words, it was inevitable given the laws of this world. So I told myself, scolding my body beginning to tremble. I was about to kill someone. But she was long since dead… Yes, she was really meant to be dead, so it was fine, it’s fine… I’d seen plenty of blood since coming here, mine and everyone else’s -
Blood…? That’s right… Kaito was injured back there. Remembering the fresh blood, I closed my eyes tight to shake away that image from my mind. That was another thing I just had to accept. They had murdered me again and again. Their whole goal was to exchange my death with the woman sleeping in this coffin… It was self-defense, really. I also questioned if a dead person could really be revived using a sacrifice… but I’d already spent all this time sealed in this bizarre world. It wasn’t strange to think it was possible.
I had failed to steal back the wine bottle. But after that earlier scene, I had a new idea.
I put my hand to my chest to check the time. There were only about ten minutes left in the play. I’d calm down for a moment. I wouldn’t forgive myself for making a mistake now because I was in disarray. If I failed here, all my efforts would be for nothing, my memories would be lost, and everything would begin again from the start. And with them keeping their memories, they’d continue tricking me with more difficult nights still. Before the birth of the next me… that poor, poor me. Here, this night, I would have to put an end to it all.
I slid the minute hand from my pocket into the keyhole on the coffin. Sure enough… a perfect fit.
As I focused myself to calm down, the banging on the door got louder; it seemed the remaining three - Kaito, Meiko, and Rin - had arrived. They had all started charging at the door together.
"Miku!! Open up!!"
"Hey, please, don’t open that coffin now! We’ll tell you the truth, all of it!"
Smash - there was a sound of glass shattering outside the door.
"Hey, are you listening?! The wine bottle’s in pieces now, and everything inside got sucked up by this absorbent mat. Now there’s nothing left to use as ink. Give up and come out here!"
"Len’s right, Miku! Even if you try to write an ending on the End roLL, you have to do it properly, or time won’t move… It’s impossible to do it this time! Look, I promise! Next night, we definitely won’t leave you out! Pleeease!!
Rin screamed bitterly, and seemed to be crying. Her convincing act made my chest tighten briefly. But I couldn’t let myself be fooled anymore. I had to calm down my shaken mind. I couldn’t lend an ear to their kind words. They had taught me the hard way that my greatest weakness was being too trusting of anyone, and too easily fooled.
By now, I’d had enough of this strange, sad night.
"No, it’s too late. Too late for any of that. Heehee… Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
I had no idea if I was happy, angry, sad, or joyous. My wounded heart had exceeded its limits. After going through countless, mind-numbing repetitions of the same night, it all came to this scene. My mind forgot it all, but my body, my hand on the lid of the coffin, remembered that long, painful past well, and shook with delight.
I grabbed the minute hand in the coffin’s keyhole and turned it left. The click of a lock opening echoed through the dark room. With a shrill creaking sound like a bird’s cry, I opened the coffin lid.
"I fooound it."
Chapter 11: Truth
On the empty stage, I picked up a suspicious letter that I’d seen glow and read it. Something very startling was written there. My hands trembled, and my pulse pounded loudly. By the time I’d finished reading, the uplifting feelings I’d had were blown clean away. If someone else were here, it would probably look to them like I was practicing for act two tomorrow.
"…No… This isn’t true, is it…?"
Everyone deeply admired that magnificent playwright, and surely became actors in the Burlet Company to perform his works. Everyone’s passion was the real deal… surely. And yet…
If what this letter said was the truth, couldn’t this be considered betrayal, sacrilege against Burlet? Not to mention, I… to them, I was only…! Sadness, anger, despair, hate - newly-budded emotions suddenly took root in my heart. Before I knew it, I was running with the intensity of those emotions.
I have to find out the truth quickly! I need them to tell me this letter is just a lie…!! I went off the stage, ran from the hall to the grand stairs, went up them and turned right, toward green room #1 at the far end. The backstage staff had all gone home to prepare for tomorrow, so no one was around but us, the cast. The only lights in the hallway were faint foot lights. I strained my eyes running through the dim halls, and forcefully opened the door to the green room emitting a slight light.
Slam - with the loud sound of me opening the door, the merrymaking people within the room slowly turned to face it. Meiko with beer mugs in both hands, redfaced but still drinking; Kaito engaging with her; Meg engrossed in conversation, eyes shining with excitement; Len pretending to listen to her; Rin singing, and Luka dancing; and lastly, Gack quietly tilting his glass.
Everyone was celebrating the wonderful success of tonight’s play in their own way. No one had even changed yet; they still wore their costumes. I could even see it as a continuation of the highly enjoyable party in act one of the play.
Gack, nearest to the door, who had been relaxing and sipping wine on a three-seater sofa all to himself, noticed my arrival and stood up to greet me.
"You’re late. Well, how about a toast to our first day? We’ve all already started, you see?"
"…"
I couldn’t get my thoughts in order on what to say, so I stood there silently, saying not a word. Gack thoughtfully filled an empty glass on the table with wine from the bottle, and urged me to come in.
"Perfectly expected for the lead role to arrive fashionably late. Here’s a drink for you. Come, let’s have a toast."
The glass I received was full of delicious red wine. I faintly gazed into the red liquid wavering in my hand. My first words would be crucial. They would set the tone of things. But no good lines came to mind. Something concise, that wouldn’t shake them, and would take initiative in the following conversation… I desperately thought, but nothing popped up.
As I silently stood there merely holding the glass, noticing my odd behavior, the rest of the group came to stare in my direction. Their kind gazes, filled with anticipation and optimism, stuck in my heart and dulled my resolve. But I had to say it. I firmly shut my eyes, resolutely tipped the glass, and gulped down the swaying redness all at once. My nose was filled with a smell like fresh roses.
"Ahh, here comes our lead role, everyone! Come on over. Why, you down your drinks quick!"
"…"
Finding no fault in me emptying the glass before the toast, Kaito approached me with a drunken red face and a good-natured smile.
"Can we get a word from the lead role, too?"
Everyone turned toward me and gathered around. Act one had only just ended, but everyone was brimming with joy like they had the blessing of the Muses of the arts themselves, and had faces of relief. Not a hint of doubt, deep relief and delight… I would have to bring ruin to their fabricated happiness.
"…Won’t you tell me the truth?"
My first line, after much agonizing. No beating around the bush. I would get right into it.
"The truth…?"
Happy drunken Kaito smiling at me opened his eyes slightly, then blinked two or three times.
"This letter… tells about the truth of this play."
As I said this, bringing the letter in my left hand up beside my face, the air in the room froze. Keeping the exact same smiles they’d had moments ago on their faces, everyone in the room stared at me. Not changing emotion, not even blinking, just holding their breaths, they remained still and questioned what my next action would be. After a considerable silence, Meiko slowly put her beer mugs down on the table and spoke.
"Tell me, whatever do you mean by… the truth?"
In contrast to the casual nature of her words, her lips stiffened slightly.
"It has to do with us… making this script into a play."
"And? What exactly would this be?"
"…Please, don’t play dumb. It’s all written in this letter."
I suddenly turned left to glance at the white letter I held in my hand.
"Where exactly did you get it?"
"It was left on the stage."
"Well, then… Just what does it say? May I see that for a second?"
Kaito took on a stern look quite unlike before, put down his mug, and slowly approached me.
"I believe you’re familiar with it, so I shouldn’t need to show it to you! …If what this letter says is true, then isn’t this production considered "sacrilege" against him?"
”!”
The moment I spoke the word “sacrilege,” everyone but me trembled with nervous looks. Seeing this reaction, I knew what the letter said was true. I hadn’t had a doubt in my mind that this was paradise, yet I felt like the ground I thought so solid was giving out from under me. Despair… a feeling of being tossed down into the pits.
Unable to bear it, I felt something coming up my throat. I brought my hand to cover my mouth and keep it in. Not wanting to look any of them in the eye, I slowly averted my gaze and hung my head.
"…So it was true… I feel… so horrible. And why did…"
Why did… you trick me, and try to pin the crime you committed on me…?
I couldn’t voice that line. In my head, I knew I should have asked them that right away, but I was afraid of saying it and having it confirmed as the truth. The truth that from the very beginning, they never thought of me as anything more than a convenient, disposable pawn…
It was written in the letter. It spoke of their intent to put all the responsibility - the sin of this play, this sacrilege against Burlet - on the lead actress, Miku, to say it was all done by her. They’d say that it was a plot to escalate myself as an actress in the troupe - to profane his script, keep silent about the truth, deceive them and the world, and rise as a breakout star. That was their fallback if the truth about the sacrilege became known: to say it was all plotted by me alone.
I opened my mouth, wanting to confirm it, but hesitated to speak the words. I was afraid to hear it from their mouths.
"…It simply happened this way. Please understand… We -"
"I don’t want your excuses! I don’t think it’s too late yet. Please, you have to announce the truth to the world! If we do it now, it might not be too late. I’m sure… No, I’m certain we can do it over!"
"What are you talking about?! On what basis? The moment we revealed the truth, don’t you see it would be the end of us and this troupe?" Meiko approached me, face filling with anger.
She was the most tenured of the group, so she was surely the most concerned about the troupe’s future. Still, I was shocked that she had immediately denied me, and turned away from her blaming gaze.
"Who could’ve written a letter like that? Must be one of us, right…?"
Len, lounging on a single-seat sofa, looked around the room as if conducting a search. But no one confessed. As Len opened his mouth to continue the search for the culprit, Meiko interrupted to continue where she left off.
"That doesn’t matter right now. What’s important is that we can’t allow the truth in that letter to be made public. You understand?"
"…Really, won’t you reconsider? We’re all friends in this together, aren’t we? You’re no exception."
Friends… To them, it was half a year at most. To me, it was an irreplaceable six months in the troupe and with the cast I had aspired to for so long as a fan. To stand on the same stage as them… Until just now, I thought a longtime dream had come true. But it was all make-believe, as this letter made me realize. I was little more than a marionette convenient for prolonging the company. I was scared to see Kaito’s face as he said “friends”… I remained silent, unable to look at them.
"Yeah! If you do something like that, it’ll be real bad… Hey, reconsider! Pleeease!"
Rin, worriedly looking between me and her friends speaking, spoke with a whine. Tears were faintly welling up in her eyes. The happy party mood was completely gone, and amid savage tension, attacks on me flew left and right. It rained terribly outside, and the heavy sound of raindrops echoed. I remained silent for a time, staring at the back window, listening but not listening to both the heavy rain and the conflict.
The storm of words passed, and silence drifted in. Everyone had fallen silent, determining that I had no response to their attacks and now pondering their next move. Even as they showered me with criticisms, I still wanted to believe in them. Surely they were just confused about this sudden situation… As was I. So if we could just talk it out, we’d understand how we felt. Having the tiniest hope it wasn’t too late, I started up another battle with them.
"Um… Please, listen! This is really… I really mean it, this will be for the good of the troupe. I thought of the perfect way to go about this! But there are reasons why I can’t tell you the details yet. But still… It’ll definitely work out okay!"
"There can’t be any recovering once the world knows about what’s in that letter you picked up. All our dreams, all our hopes, gone. It’ll be the end of us all…"
"That’s not true! Please just believe me… Please!"
Kaito, still looking concerned, folded his arms in thought and looked away from me.
"Weeell, can’t you tell us those details or whatnot? I wanna know, y’know, the chances of success."
Meg went to push up her glasses, then blinking as she remembered she wasn’t wearing them currently, let her gaze waver around the room to hide her mistake.
"Well, I… I can’t do that yet…"
I gripped the bracelet on my left wrist with my hand. If this were really an antique of Burlet’s, like my grandmother said… maybe I could make do by selling it. It was one of Burlet’s possessions, and while the color had decayed over a century, it was one of his favorite accessories which he wore all the time. Even in the surviving portraits of him, this once-beautiful bracelet was depicted in a way that demonstrated its former brilliance. So no doubt, it would sell for quite a large amount.
But on the off chance it was a fake… I didn’t want to doubt my grandmother, but the bracelet I wore was very old, and I had no decisive proof of it really being Burlet’s. I couldn’t claim with certainty whether it was real or not until I had an expert on antiques examine it.
Besides, could I really let go of such an important memento of my grandmother…? No, I couldn’t afford to hesitate over that. I had to make up for the crime of profaning Burlet and deceiving the world. I had a duty to protect his history, too. On her deathbed, my grandmother left me this bracelet and a mission to preserve his legacy - at first, her parting words merely surprised me. But if they were true, then as one who carried his blood, I had to protect the history of my great predecessor.
My grandmother told me to use the bracelet whenever I was troubled. All right… this must be the real thing. But more importantly, I had to negotiate with the theater managers and sponsors to see if they would accept this plan I’d thought up. How would that fare, I wondered… I might be able to make it work on the money side, but it likely wouldn’t be happen overnight. At worst, it could take months.
Still, I had to take the risk. As long as we believed in the strength which got us this far, then this would be the only way to protect the Burlet Company in any true sense.
"Yet… So you mean, you’ll be able to someday?", Gack questioned pointedly as I hectically pondered.
"Just give me some time. Then…"
"Just a little time and you’re sure you’ll manage, eh?”
Meg added on another question. Her eyes told me they wouldn’t accept any answer without it being “certain.”
"W-Well… I won’t know until I try… I need to confirm some things… I can’t say it’s certain right now, but!"
Meg twisted her neck. “Uhh…” She looked doubtful of my answer.
"Well then, you can’t possibly ask us to believe you without reservation…"
"But I… why…"
Meiko, who I thought would be the one most on my side, kept denying everything I was saying, and it pained me every time. I hung my head sadly, and this time Luka, who had been silently watching us converse, sighed, stood up, and glared at me with a piercing gaze.
"Why, you ask…? Are you trying to claim you’re in the right here? You’ve seen all that we put into getting this far, haven’t you? How badly do you think we’ve sought this chance? "I can’t say anything now, but we can try it again someday" - what a dream. No one would believe such a selfish claim."
"…True. It’s unfortunate, but if you can’t offer us anything worth trusting, there’s no way. We didn’t get this far on half-hearted resolve… This isn’t a game, you know?"
Meiko added on to Luka’s cross-examination, and I was overwhelmed by their threats. But I had to build up a tiny bit of courage and reply to them; I couldn’t lose here.
"…I understand. But I keep telling you, all I can say right now is to believe me!"
"It just figures a girl like you who’s hardly struggled in her life doesn’t know the meaning of "being cooperative." No experience, ignorant to the true harshness of the world… What a pathetic softy!"
"I… I never meant… It’s true, I don’t have much of a track record, but I’m doing my best…"
Luka’s words cut deep into my heart like a knife. What she was saying… was all true. I was still a know-nothing novice, always causing trouble for the rest. Even in tonight’s show… If it weren’t for them carrying the weight, I would have ruined everything. I didn’t intend to dispute that fact. But I did intend to try my best to catch up to them. By no means was I trying to disrupt everyone’s teamwork and get in an argument here.
Maybe these were Luka’s usual methods. Like earlier… Her words were harsh and cutting, but she always left a path to her heart. I gently grabbed the top of my skirt, so that no one would realize I was squeezing the handkerchief Luka had just given me.
"Can’t you think it over once more…? Please! There’s still…"
"We keep telling you, we’re not going to believe anything if all we have is your feelings! You’re a real blockhead, aren’t you?! Sounds like you just want to abandon us right at the end, hm? Traitor!!"
"…!"
I’d desperately tried to conceal how effective their harsh attacks were, how hurt I was. For myself, and for them. Yet the moment I heard the word “traitor,” my last little foothold crumbled, I plummeted into dark despair, and I hit the bottom.
In the eerie silence, rolling thunder roared, and lightning illuminated the others’ stiff, angry faces. I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts. My battle with them wasn’t over yet. I encouraged myself, telling myself it had only just begun.
Not to worry; I’m not alone. The will Burlet left behind flows in my body. He absolutely wouldn’t want this. If he saw this situation, he would certainly grieve. I had to do something. After a short contemplation, I slowly opened my eyes, then my mouth.
"I understand. Then I’ll send this letter to the tabloids."
Sharp glares fixated on me. Their mouths hung open in surprise.
"At first, I thought I could just wait until after all the performances, and present it at the final curtain call. Because I thought that might still be in time. But, no… It’s too bad. And I asked you to believe me, but none of you would. I have nothing more to say to you. Thank you for everything. Goodbye!"
I quickly turned around and made a break for the door behind me. The others shortly followed after me, shouting things to make me stop, giving chase. I didn’t look back, running as fast as I could through the dark, unlit building. The tears I’d been holding in now flowed like a waterfall, blurring my vision.
"Wait! Hey, wait!"
"You two, take the east stairs and cover the front and back entrances! The rest of you, split up and search the second floor. Call the others when you find her. The lights are down, so she couldn’t have gotten far!"
"Got it!"
"We’ll go down!"
With Kaito’s directions, the chasers scattered. From the voices, it seemed Rin and Len were going down. If I went downstairs now, I’d surely be quickly caught by them, with their smarts and good reflexes. Everyone shouted my name loudly. Rin’s voice was slightly cracked; maybe she was crying. Even though I was the one who should have been pained and hurt. I glanced outside, and saw the light rain had become a torrential storm.
I opened the door to the storeroom on the edge of the second floor, went inside, and carefully shut it to not make any sound. My rapid breathing caused by the crying was hard to get back to normal. Holding in tears, I slid my hand down to my pocket, gripping the handkerchief tightly. I felt the soft cloth, and a hard metal.
Tap, tap. I sensed someone walking close to me. They came right up near the door.
"…Say, are you there?"
”!”
It was Meiko’s voice. Maybe she’d heard my sobbing. It would be bad to stay here… I took my chances and quietly stepped toward the door… Okay, no one right behind it. I swung the door open and sped down the hall again, going right past stunned Meiko.
"Hey! She was up here! The second floor foyer! She’s headed for the grand stairs!"
I heard the others, heeding Meiko, heading toward the grand stairs one by one. Going down the stairs would take me right to the hall… but in no time, the hallways surrounding the stairs were filled, and my escape routes all around were blocked. I was alone on the landing, keeping my distance like an animal surrounded by hunters. A wall behind me, the stairs in front - Rin and Len downstairs, Kaito, Meiko, and Gack on my left, Meg and Luka on my right. I couldn’t escape.
"Now… Enough running. We haven’t finished talking yet. Let’s go backstage."
Kaito took a step toward me.
"Stay away…! I’m serious. Don’t come near me!"
The moonlight from the large window in behind made the beautiful gold knife glint, and I squinted my eyes from its radiance. The rain had now stopped. I thrust out my left arm with the knife - the hour hand of the clock I myself had broken - turning to point it at Kaito. Gasping echoed through the hall. Kaito stared, and his Adam’s apple twitched. The clock hand’s sharp edge shined eerily in the moonlight. To think I would have to turn to this… I really was like a cornered animal. I noticed those tears that had flowed from my eyes had stopped.
While Kaito seemed frightened of my desperate threat, quicking regaining his composure, and demonstrating that such a thing wouldn’t scare him, he slowly took a step… then another toward me, closing the distance. His cocky gait was almost predator-like.
I stepped back toward the center of the corridor with each of his steps forward, but I had nowhere to run. Looking back, I saw Luka and Gack furrowing their brows and blocking the path. As for going downstairs, I looked down the grand stairs to my right, and saw Rin and Len already in wait at the foot of them. My hand began to tremble slightly.
In a moment of negligence, the letter in my right hand, perhaps slipping away from the sweat, went fluttering down the stairs. Down below, Len carefully watching the others in silence snapped it up.
"We’ve got the letter!"
"I… It’s pointless! Disposing of that letter won’t change the truth!"
I tightened my grip on the knife by putting my empty right hand on it as well. No choice. I had to use this threat and run down there. Rin and Len… If I made a feint of pointing the knife at Rin, Len would likely panic and protect her… I’d use that opportunity. I turned the sharp point straight toward Rin downstairs. Her eyes widened, and she shuddered with fear.
"…!! Wait! Calm down! We can talk this out!"
Realizing my expectation, Kaito suddenly broke into a run and lept toward me. I was too slow to thrust the knife out, and he grabbed it in his large hands. But I couldn’t have the knife, my last defense, stolen from me now.
"Drop the knife!"
"No!"
I desperately shook my hands left and right to shake him off. Slowly, the others on the upper floor began to enclose on the two of us. Kaito yelled at them not to come any closer, as it would be dangerous if the knife flew off in the struggle.
"Let go! Somebody…! Help!", I shouted frantically.
Maybe the audience members were still waiting outside. If someone heard the clamor and came inside…
"Ooh, this isn’t good. If someone comes by…"
"Come now, just calm down!"
"No! Somebody, HEEELP!"
"It’s too dark to see a thing! Please, enough of this dangerous nonsense!"
He’s going to push me down at this rate! I temporarily weakened my struggles and stopped resisting. At the same time, Kaito slightly weakened his grip on me. I took the chance to forcefully swung my body left. Unintentionally released from my hand, the knife sliced through his right arm, spewing a parabolic line of fresh blood. His face contorted in pain, and he faltered. I shook him away -
"YAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Rin down below screamed. I turned to my right and looked down, and saw Len desperately holding to the hand of Rin trying to run up the stairs and help Kaito. Len was busy holding back a panicked Rin… Now was my only chance. I put out my right leg to run down the stairs, but a moment later, Kaito grabbed both my wrists. With only his unhurt left hand, he tried to again immobilize me.
The stairs behind, and Kaito in front one-handedly holding both my wrists, I couldn’t even budge my hands gripping the knife. We had a tug-of-war, but I found myself being slowly brought closer to Kaito. I saw Gack, Meg, Luka, and Meiko tensely and carefully approach Kaito from behind to provide him assistance.
"Give up… Come with us!"
"No… No!"
"Why?! Let’s just talk… Then we’ll…"
Even after I’d pointed a knife at him and wounded him, those eyes I looked at head-on seemed to still trust me, and have deep sympathy. My heart raced. Why was he making such a face at a time like this…? Was this just another convincing act to tame me? I knew I couldn’t be swayed and tricked, but for some reason, once again I… My closed tear ducts flowed again.
"…Who’s the real traitor here?! I… I don’t want to trust any of you anymore!"
Kaito shook with surprise. For a moment, the force in his hands slackened. And my hands desperately pulling backward were left with nothing to be pulling back against.
"Miku…!"
His large hand reached out in front of me. Four more hands reached from behind.
I met eyes with Kaito, whose couldn’t be opened any wider. Reflexively, I thrust my hands, still holding the knife, out toward him. But I came just short of slicing anything but empty space.
The brief moment of falling down the stairs seemed to play out in slow motion, like being eternally subjected to a scene from an everlasting nightmare. I don’t know if I felt any pain or such. As my senses faded, I only heard the sound of applause.
She lay face-up at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes were hollow, and the tears around them gleamed in the moonlight pouring through the window above her. Plunged deep in her chest was the golden knife she wouldn’t let go of to the very end.
Applause seemed to echo from somewhere, like it were a scene from a tragic play. Everyone stared at the horrible sight dumbfounded. There was a silence like the world had come to a halt around Miku’s unmoving body. The moment felt like eternity.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
"NOOOOO! W… What is this…? Tell me, what is this…?!"
The silence that could have gone forever was broken by a scream from Rin, followed by half-mad shouting from Luka.
"Miku!!"
"I-It can’t be… Miss Miku…"
"…"
Meiko and Meg, followed by Kaito, came running down the stairs. Meiko got down on her knees near the fainted girl and took her wrist.
"Her pulse has stopped…"
"…!!"
Kaito looked at her frozen, at a loss for words. Behind them, Gack supported trembling Luka as they slowly went down the stairs.
"Quickly, we have to take her to a hospital! Her heart may be stopped, but maybe there’s still time!"
Rin’s head snapped up in response to Meiko, and she ran to the front door.
"I want to try CPR, but who knows what will happen when this knife is removed… But we have to try… It’s too dark in here!! Someone, turn on the lights! And someone help me stop the blood!!"
"Got it!"
"I-I’ll help…!"
Len briskly nodded to Meiko’s instruction and ran down the hall. There was only the moonlight to go on in the dimly-lit building. Meg sat down beside Meiko, faltering slightly.
"It’s not your fault, Kaito… She lost balance… It was an accident…"
"…"
"And we can’t give up yet! Meg, there’s a handkerchief I don’t use in my pocket. When I pull the knife out, hold that firmly to the wound. I’ll take over right after."
Meiko, who claimed to have a little bit of medical knowledge, nervously touched the knife in Miku’s chest. She took a deep breath and slowly removed it. Meg stooped over the body, averted her eyes slightly, and prepared for the blood that would pour out.
The knife smoothly came out all the way. But strangely, no blood came out of the left side of Miku’s chest. In fact, once the knife was fully removed, there wasn’t even a trace of the wound, nor her clothes being cut through.
"What’s going on…? No blood came out… Her clothes aren’t even damaged… This isn’t just a toy knife, is it?"
Kaito stood there stunned, and timidly grabbed the removed knife. To test, he touched the