Hello everyone! I'm back, sorry for the wait. How is it in your country? I'm in quarantine so it leaves me more time to work on my fics (if I wasn't playing magireco all day in my bed).
warning: implied sex
After the white hell she had been through, Shiena was once again thrown into the colourful world. Yet, it felt like there was some kind of filter in front of her eyes that made everything look more dull, even… dark.
Then suddenly, dozens of lights flashed in her face, pulling her out of the darkness. Journalists and other media raptors were all gathered around her like hungry vultures. Two cops were escorting her through the mod of excited reporters. Multiple flashes continued to bombard her as the journalists all tried to reach her with their mike.
"Kenmochi-san, tell us about your experience in the asylum."
"Is it true that the police used you as a scapegoat to justify their incapacity to catch the killer?"
"Did you actually meet Jack the Ripper of the 21st Century?"
"How did it feel to have everyone turning their backs on your and wrongly accusing you to be a murderer?"
"How did you get those injuries? Did the staff mistreat you?"
Shiena's mind was too foggy to even think of answers to any of those questions. Not that she wanted to anyway. She just wanted to get far away from that nightmare and never come back. The police successfully cleared a path through the crowd of nosey journalists and safely escorted the freed woman to their car. Shiena sat inside the vehicle and let out a deep sigh of relief. Everything was finally over. The nightmare was over and she would be able to go back home and everything would be back to normal.
Right?
As if.
After what she experienced, there was no way she could ever go back to being the person she used to be. Not now that she knew the truth about this twisted world and what was lurking in the shadows. That evil assassin organization that framed her, and more importantly, Otoya who was still running free.
Shiena didn't want to think about all of that crap right now. She was tired, exhausted, and quite frankly, pretty done with everything. She just wanted to get home, take a long and nice warm bath, drink a coffee, eat chips, and then finally meet her soft and comfy bed again and sleep for at least a week.
She closed her eyes and the car started to move and her body became more and more limp. All the tension she has been accumulating for weeks was finally released as she was about to taste freedom again. She had no idea how it was possible, and she didn't care. She was just glad she could finally go back home.
The car continued to move and, rocked by the soft whirring of the engine, Shiena finally slipped into darkness, for once falling asleep peacefully after those weeks of pure horror.
A sudden pain assailed her. Nothing too serious, it felt like nothing more than a mosquito bite. But then, there was more. One was bearable, but a hundred of them, not so much. It felt like every inch of her skin was being strung, as if she was attacked by a swarm of bees. Then it was followed by a powerful shock that felt like she had been struck by lighting. The electricity rushed through her whole body and left her in excruciating pain. Then her head awfully hurt, like it was being crushed, before it finally exploded as the rest of her body burned down to ashes.
Shiena tried to scream the loudest she could but it was as if she choked on her own voice. She was left gasping and coughing as her heart beated like crazy as if it was about to escape her chest. Her head was spinning and she had no idea where she was or even about the most recent events.
It then slowly came back to her. She had been framed of murder, accused of insanity and thrown in an asylum.
Frightened that she might still be there, Shiena frantically looked around, scared that she might discover she was still stuck in this white hell and sighed with relief when she saw colours around her. She wasn't in the asylum anymore, she went back home- she was safe and sound in her bedroom.
Shiena was panting heavily, feeling like she might lose oxygen. Her body was all warm and sweating and her head was painfully pulsating. The pain was such that her eyes started to tear up.
She needed some aspirin.
She got up from her bed and headed for the bathroom. She turned off the light and jolted when she realized the room was almost entirely white. Flashes of the asylum cell came back to her mind as she started to shiver.
"I'm not there anymore, I'm not there anymore, I'm not there anymore," Shiena mumbled to herself to calm down. "This is my home, this is just my bathroom…"
She took a deep breath as she opened the cabinet and grabbed a bottle of pain killer. She let two of them fall into her hand, but before she could take them, her body froze.
Two white pills. Just like the drugs they were feeding her.
Shiena instantly felt nauseous. She tried to force her hand to reach her mouth, but it was trembling too much. Her breathing became more jerky and her headache became more intense. As she was about to put the pills in her mouth, Shiena felt blood rushing to her head and violently threw them on the wall.
"FUCK!"
She panted for a moment before she broke down in tears. She couldn't even take the only thing that could make her feel better. She was in such pain, she didn't think she could bear with it any longer.
She then glanced at the shower and got an idea. She removed her pajamas and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises due to her rough treatment at the asylum, but nothing too serious. The only scar that may remain was the one on her forehead.
Shiena got in the shower and let the water stream down her bruised body. She shivered when the cold water touched her skin- it was really uncomfortable. But, the coldness numbed her sore body and helped appease the pain.
She stayed in the cold shower until the pain dropped to a bearable level. Then Shiena got out, her entire body shivering from the cold. She quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it to warm up. She returned to her room and curled up on her bed, still shivering, as she started to cry, knowing that there was no way she could go back to normal and that even if she might have escaped the asylum, her life wouldn't become better.
It never did anyway.
Ding dong.
Shiena couldn't help but jolt. She knew it was nothing more than the doorbell. But with everything that had happened to her, she was more than nervous about even the smallest thing, including the sound of a harmless device.
The doorbell might be harmless, but perhaps not the person who triggered it. Who could that be anyway? Who would randomly ring at her door? Nobody visited her since she left the asylum, so why now…
Then, a doubt entered Shiena's mind, a frightening possibility.
It could be Jackie. Or any other assassin from the organization, sent to finish the job. How cruel fate would be if it was the case. She just escaped this white hell to be sent to literal hell.
Ding dong, ding dong.
Shiena's body became tense and she clenched her fist. Her heart raced and all her senses were alerted in case of a sudden attack. Not that she would have many chances against an assassin. She just hoped that she would at least be killed quickly and painlessly.
However, that might not be the case if it turned out to be Jackie behind that door, waiting for her to open so she could jump on her like the predator she was.
Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.
Shiena started to shiver, but she refused to leave the couch. She simply refused to go meet her death. If whoever was behind that door wanted to kill her, they would have to come to her.
"Shiena-san? Are you there?"
Shiena's eyes widened in surprise. This voice, could it be…
"... Ichinose?"
"Shiena-san, you're there! Can you open the door please?"
Shiena's muscles relaxed a little bit. It was only Haru, sweet, innocent yet annoying, Haru. Shiena got up and slowly walked towards the door, her legs feeling abnormally weak, and opened it.
Standing in the doorframe was Haru, her usual bright and cheery smile on her face. It had been a while since Shiena saw her. Not so long ago she would have been extremely annoyed to see her coworker arriving unannounced, but after the hell she went through, it was comforting to see a familiar face. After all, Haru was the only one she could call a friend, the only one who seemed to have always believed in her innocence.
"Ichinose… hey…"
"Shiena-san? You look quite pale. Are you okay?"
Probably as pale as her previous cell. So Haru had no idea the horror she went through, and perhaps it was better this way. She didn't want to burden her with the awful truth.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just a little bit tired," Shiena replied, forcing herself to smile. "Wanna come in?"
Haru smiled back as she stepped inside Shiena's apartment. The brunette would have preferred to remain alone, but perhaps some friendly company could ease her mind.
"Would you like some coffee?" Shiena proposed.
"Ah, no, I'm fine, thanks."
Haru sat down on the couch and they both remained silent. Shiena struggled to find anything to say. It had been quite a while since she had any sort of normal conversation, not that she ever was good at talking to begin with.
"Shiena-san… I'm sorry for what happened to you. I wished I could have done something to help you…"
"It's fine, Ichinose. The fact you believed in me is well enough. It doesn't matter anymore, given that I have been freed and cleared-"
"But still, it's weird, isn't it? That you got framed for Jackie's murders. All that evidence proving your innocence- why were none of those brought up in your trial? What kind of corruption is that? Did Jackie really have that kind of power?"
Shiena really hoped Haru wouldn't ask those questions. She really didn't need to know. She was better off not knowing, for her own safety.
"Who knows? Maybe Jackie is someone with a lot of influence," Shiena replied.
"I can't believe this is only the work of one person. There must be some kind of group behind this-"
"Stop!"
Haru flinched when Shiena raised her voice. Shiena realized that she couldn't let herself be overtaken by her emotions and forced herself to let out an arrogant chuckle.
"Really? Don't tell me you think it's all part of some conspiracy. Come on, be realistic. Who would put so much effort to get rid of poor little insignificant me?"
"But Shiena-san, you can't deny that all of this is strange-"
"Stop, Ichinose."
Shiena had spoken with a soft yet cold voice. Haru looked even more unnerved to see Shiena like that than shouting. All traces of emotions had left Shiena's face.
"Don't get involved, Ichinose. Ignorance is a bliss. I don't want you to suffer the same fate as me. You probably won't be as lucky as me… if I can truly call that luck… I'm the unluckiest of them all after all…"
"I…. I don't get it, Shiena-san!" Haru said as she rose up. "What's wrong? Did… did something happen to you in the asylum?"
At that question, Shiena let out a bitter giggle. Ah, poor, sweet, innocent… and quite naive, Haru. As if someone like her could handle the truth.
"Let's just say I discovered that there was a colour darker than black- and I would never expect it to be white."
"I… I don't understand…"
"And it's better this way," Shiena said as she walked towards the door and opened it. "Thanks for the visit, Ichinose, but I'm tired now and I would like to rest."
Haru looked like she was hesitating, her eyes full of worries, as she finally gave up and headed for the door.
"Please, take care of yourself, Shiena-san…"
"Same for you, Ichinose. Stick to AKA and don't make the same mistake as me."
Before Haru could ask anything, Shiena closed the door, feeling a heavy burden in her shoulders to keep such a secret to herself.
But she knew it was for the best.
No matter how much she tried to read, Shiena was simply not in the mood. She sighed as she put down her book and stretched back to sit on the couch. There was nothing that could distract her enough from her tormented thoughts and the burden of her memory. The truth was eating her from the inside and she had no one with whom to talk about it to. She wished she could just forget about everything that happened to her- everything she learned. But unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. She had to be forced to carry this burden alone- forever.
Knock, knock, knock.
Shiena flinched. Another visitor? Who could it be? Was it Haru who came back for more explanations?
The brunette sighed at that thought. She didn't think she would have the strength to lie to her face a second time, so she decided to simply ignore her.
Knock knock knock!
The knocking was becoming more insistent, which kind of worried Shiena. Could Haru be that persistent? Now that she thought about it, didn't Haru ring the doorbell last time she visited her?
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Shiena jolted. Was it really Haru? And if not, then who was it? Shiena was starting to be really scared, but also quite frustrated.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
That was enough. Shiena lost her temper and rushed towards the door, ready to tell whoever was behind to get the fuck out.
Then, the knocking suddenly stopped. Shiena froze for a moment when she saw the handle slowly turning, followed by a 'click' as if it got unlocked.
Then the door slammed open. Shiena remained paralyzed, taken by surprise. When she saw who was in the doorframe, she couldn't believe her eyes. But at the same time, she felt dumb to not have expected her to pay her a visit.
"Hello, Shiena-chan. Long time no see."
Takechi Otoya- which she for months knew as Jackie, was standing in the doorframe, looking at her with such a sweet yet seductive smile- and a predatory gaze in her beautiful eyes.
"... O-O...Otoya…"
Otoya let out a soft chuckle as she dropped a bag on the floor.
"I came to bring back your stuff you left at my house. Aren't I nice?"
Shiena wanted to reply, but her entire body was frozen. She was utterly terrified to see the serial killer step inside her apartment. The infamous Jack the Ripper of the 21st century was here, and she knew that Shiena was aware of her real identity. A cruel and sadistic psychopathic murderer was in her apartment, a person known to torture and kill women. Shiena's heart was beating so hard and her legs started to shiver, yet her body refused to move.
"Shiena-chan? Are you going to stay silent? I'm here, your prince charming on a white horse, ready to receive my reward from my princess for saving her."
Shiena didn't answer anything to that. When she saw Otoya slowly walking towards her, Shiena instinctively started to recoil.
"N...No… stay away from me! Don't come any closer!" Shiena shouted.
"Hm? What's wrong, Shiena-chan? It's me, Otoya. Don't you love me?"
Shiena was trembling so much, but she managed to clench her fist and glare at Otoya despite the terror.
"W...Who… would… who would love a fucking psychopath like you!?" Shiena yelled.
Otoya's expression became blank and Shiena didn't lose any more time. She immediately rushed towards her bedroom and closed the door, before locking it. It didn't take much time for Otoya to knock on the door.
"Shiena-chan! Come on, open the door. I didn't come to hurt you, I swear! I would never! I love you so much!"
Shiena's heart was beating even faster. Deep down, she wanted to believe Otoya, but she knew she was probably lying. Her heart wanted to believe her so badly, but her brain knew better.
The knocking started to become more violent.
"Shiena, open the fucking door! Open it, or else…"
Shiena started to shiver, but she didn't falter. No matter what, she wouldn't fall for Otoya's manipulation and threat. For once, she'd be stronger than her.
"Well, you asked for it."
The knocking suddenly stopped. For a split second, Shiena dared to hope that perhaps, Otoya would go away.
She should have known that her life was and will be nothing more than despair.
The handle started to move and Shiena heard a click. How could she forget. Her front door was also locked yet Otoya managed to come inside.
She knew how to pick locks.
This time, the door opened slowly, accompanied by an unsettling creak. Shiena wanted to run, but she knew there was no escape.
The wolf found her and there was no way out.
Otoya stepped inside the room, a smile on her face, but her eyes looked so empty and lifeless. Shiena was paralyzed by fear as she felt her eyes becoming teary.
"Shiena-chan, I'm here. That wasn't nice of you, ya know, what you told me… it really hurt my feelings."
Otoya's smile then disappeared, leaving a stoic and quite gloomy expression on her face.
"After everything I did for you… you ungrateful brat. It cost me a lot, you know, hiring that lawyer for you. She was one of the best in Japan, and she never lost any cases in her entire career. I spent so much money on you, I risked my life for you, and this is how you thank me? Bad girl, you're a bad girl Shiena. And you know what happens to bad girls?"
A grin that sent chills in Shiena's spine appeared on Otoya's lips.
"They get punished."
Tears rolled down Shiena's cheek as she started to recoil, but it was pointless- she ended up cornered. Otoya walked towards her, with this devilish smirk on her face as Shiena started to feel death about to pick up her soul.
"No… no please… don't… don't hurt me… I'm sorry-"
Otoya brusquely pinned her against the wall. Before Shiena could say anything more, Otoya pressed her lips against hers and gagged her with her tongue. The kiss was so passionate yet aggressive, like she was a hungry beast who was starving for months. Shiena tried to fight back but Otoya was stronger than her. Her tongue was assaulting hers in her mouth, and she could feel Otoya's knee dangerously approaching her center…
No, that wouldn't happen. Shiena wouldn't let Otoya do as she pleased with her, not anymore. She wouldn't play her game anymore- she wasn't her toy!
Without hesitation, Shiena bit Otoya's tongue. Her mouth was immediately filled with a metallic and salty taste. Otoya let out a grunt and recoiled, staring at Shiena with shock, who turned into pure fury.
"You little…!"
Shiena lost all her courage. She never saw Otoya so frightening- or anyone that scary. She didn't only remove her mask- she was showing her her true face, the one of a bloodthirsty monster.
Shiena's chest started to hurt as if she was about to have a heart attack and it was hard to breath. Her legs became limp and she fell, pressing herself against the wall. Tears flew more and more on her face as she gasped and panted painfully, her hands clutching near her chest.
"Shiena."
The voice was so cold and dark, devoid of any humanity or sympathy. It was hard to believe that it belonged to a human. Fearfully, Shiena raised her head, and was surprised by what she saw.
Otoya looked so worried and even remorseful.
"I'm sorry, Shiena-chan. I shouldn't have done that. I didn't want to scare you like that. I swear, I will never hurt you. I love you so much- all I want is to take care of you. I realize that even if I saved you from the asylum, it didn't excuse my past behaviour towards you. I truly am sorry. Do you think you could find the strength to forgive me? I swear, for you I would change. This is the proof of how much I love you and how much you matter to me. But I would understand if you can't…"
Shiena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lies, those were just lies. Her brain knew it perfectly well.
But her heart didn't know better.
Slowly, Shiena rose up. Her mind was screaming her to run away, but it got muffled by her heart, by her desires. She was so terrified, her check hurt so much, she was desperate for any comfort and craving to feel the warmth of a beautiful woman.
Even if it was from the very person who put her in such a state to begin with.
A soft and sweet smile appeared on Otoya's lips as Shiena walked towards her. She hugged the younger girl gently, softly stroking her back, before she kissed her again, but this time, it was a much sweeter kiss.
Shiena offered no resistance, on the contrary, she welcomed Otoya's tongue in her mouth as if it was the most delicious sweet. She didn't even protest or try to fight back when she felt Otoya's hands slipping under her shirts, starting to unbutton it as she led her to bed. She ended up lying down, straddled by the very serial killer she was so obsessed with, as if it was a dream coming true. Or a nightmare. A sweet nightmare.
Otoya kissed her again as her hand started to go lower and lower, and for the first time since she had been freed, Shiena's mind had been cleared from all the burdens that were weighing on her.
After 24 chapters, they finally fucked. How do you think their relationship will evolve?
