IV. Fever

There was nothing to do here. Nothing to occupy the time. I had never truly understood what it meant to be bored prior to this whole ordeal.

Now I got it. I really got it. It was mind-numbing. A person could only sit or lie down on hard floor for so long before every muscle, especially those in the neck, back and shoulders, began to ache from inactivity. It didn't help that the injuries I had sustained earlier had manifested into ugly blue bruises that grew tenderer by the minute. It hurt to even look at them.

Sometime after I had thrown the second message out the window, I had decided that idly sitting around and waiting for the monster to return were unproductive. I had ignored the pains that had racked my body and observed every inch of the room, keeping my eyes peeled for any cracks, small passages and openings. But there had been none.

After that, the pressure swelling in my stomach had become unbearable. For hours, I had willed myself to face the pain and simultaneously hoped it would fade into the background. But it had not. It had grown until my pride had become the least of my worries, and I found myself squatting inelegantly over the pail, ignoring the unpleasant sounds and smells, trying my best not to let the deep shame overwhelm me.

When I was done, I felt marginally better but hadn't known what to do with the pail. There was no place to empty or clean it. So I had pushed it to the farthest corner of the room. But the room was small, so the odors quickly permeated the dank air. To make matters worse, there was nothing—not a blanket or a jacket—that I could place on top of the pail to suppress the smell. I could only cover my face and concentrate on something, anything, other than the odor.

There were moments when boredom gave way to uncertainty, and I remembered the fear. It surfaced from the back of my mind, bringing with it the memory of the monster. It filled my body with an anxiety so intense that I found myself almost choking with every drawn breath. And with the fear came endless questions. For how much longer could I live on like this? When would the monster come back? And when he did come back, what would he do?

Images of explicit scenes from slasher films flooded my mind. Was he one of those maniacs with a collection of rusty torture devices stored in the basement, where he dragged his victims to dissect their bodies? Or hack off my fingers or parts of my flesh just to watch me scream, knowing that rather than die I would suffer for hours from the agony? Was he the type to devour humans like me?

I hugged my body closer to my chest. Why, oh, why did it have to be me? What had I done so wrong to deserve such a cruel fate? It was not in my nature to hurt others, although a number of people had certainly hurt me in my childhood. But instead of seeking vengeance, I had settled for pursuing the world of healing and medicine. I had tried to make friends with the friendless. I had done favors for people who had needed help. And up until now, it had felt like everything was going on the steady, straight path. A predictable, safe path.

But what path was I on now?

I sighed with a shudder. I couldn't give in to despair. It was much too early for that.

There had to be something I could do. As long as I didn't aggravate the monster, there was no reason for him to kill me. Somehow, he had read my mind and realized that I had been telling the truth, that I was not an enemy sent to murder him. The only thing holding him back from releasing me was his paranoia. If I left and came back with help, I'd know where to find the castle. I'd be able to lead them straight to his hiding place.

I racked my brain for helpful details about him, about the castle. What exactly had he said about it? That it was keeping him safe? That he was hiding from some certain people? If he was hiding from humans, then his fears were misplaced because few people could live beyond one-hundred, and he had mentioned that the last person who had come looking for him came a century ago.

But then again, maybe he wasn't hiding from anyone in particular. Maybe he was hiding from everyone. If society knew that a monster like him existed, it would likely spell disaster for him. Or maybe flashy government-sponsored experiments and a lot of invasive probing, neither of which the monster would probably like.

Okay. So he didn't want me to run off and tell on him. It was just the nature of self-preservation. It didn't look like I could convince him that I wouldn't come back with angry citizens with pitchforks and torches. Fine. The only option was escaping without his noticing. Steeling myself once more, I quickly analyzed my potential alternatives.

There really was no viable way I could escape. The door was locked. The only window in the room was boarded up and too high for me to reach. The floorboards looked old but they were still quite sturdy—my sore body could attest to that. If I destroyed anything in an attempt at escape, the monster would likely kill me.

As for communication, I had no way of reaching the outside world. My phone was dead. Even if I had brought a charger with me, there was certainly no electrical outlet to connect it to. And the messages on the crumpled receipts, I had to admit to myself, was a stupid idea. No normal person would stop to pick them up, if there were any people at all who even crossed these parts to begin with.

If only I had a full battery! Or telepathy. Or super strength to knock down these four walls and make a run for it. If only…!

With a heavy sigh, I let reality sink in: I was trapped and helpless. The only thing I could do was keep quiet and obey the monster. And sincerely hope that he wasn't the spontaneously violent type.

In spite of the despair that engulfed me, there was one thing that I did not understand. When I had offered myself as prisoner in exchange for my life, I had not expected him to accept. There was nothing that would benefit him from keeping me alive. In fact, not killing me posed more risks for him than simply eliminating me with a swipe of his sword. A dead person cannot run off and tell the authorities to hunt him down. So why had he accepted? Why hadn't he killed me on the spot? It just didn't add up.

But then again... This was under the assumption that he was a normal person when in fact he was neither normal nor a person. For all I knew, he could be a psychopath with a penchant for slowly disemboweling his live victims with nothing but a pair of scissors and his sharp, pointy claws. Maybe he liked imprisoning the occasional human. Maybe it gave him a thrill to watch prisoners succumb to mind-numbing fear. Maybe he liked toying with them until the novelty wore off, upon which he probably killed them.

I decided on three things.

One. The terms of our "agreement" were not permanent and could change according to his whims at any moment, given his suspicious and unpredictable nature.

Two. Time was already running out. Crying and feeling sorry for myself were luxuries I could no longer afford.

Three. I would have to employ any number of covert skills and techniques to manipulate the structure of this game and see to it that I win.

My life depended on understanding him. It meant studying him quietly, vigilantly. Memorizing his mannerisms, habits, patterns. Making sense of them. And then using that knowledge against him somehow.

Of course, it also meant that I had to be extremely careful. If he ever caught wind of my intentions, he could easily paralyze my body and read my mind like he had done before. Then I would be exposed, and everything would be over.

For the remainder of the day, the monster did not return. I watched the thin rays of light peeking through the window shutters fade and the deep shadows return to plunge the room back into impenetrable darkness. My stomach rumbled in hunger as I lied down on my side, my emptied purse under my head as a makeshift pillow. I was filthy, hungry, and in pain.

But at least, I thought as I closed my tired eyes, I had a plan now. It was uncertain and weak and full of what-ifs, but it was still a plan. All I had to do was take it one step at a time.

Day 2

The hum of whirring cicadas in the distance and the warm drafts that entered the room greeted me in the morning, and I woke with a burning, raw throat and a brow lined with sweat. The headache from yesterday had not dissipated, I realized with disappointment, but instead had grown worse. What had started off as a slightly uncomfortable buzz became an annoying throb overnight. I attributed it to a number of causes. Exhaustion. Anxiety. Poor diet.

As I stretched my limbs, I inspected the multiple bruises that spotted my pale body. They had darkened from blue to purple within just the few hours I had slept. The red blood cells under the flesh that had suffered trauma were breaking down, and my body was just beginning to channel iron to those areas. It would take at least several days before any signs of recovery would appear—a gradual yellowing of the spots of impact, reduced soreness…

…Unless if the monster decided to toss me around indelicately again and reduce me to a punching bag. Given his random bouts of madness, I had to yield to the high likelihood of that scenario. I didn't have a very high pain tolerance, so I took comfort in the fact that should the need for him to treat me roughly ever arose—which, it probably would—then at least I'd faint from the shock and not feel the majority of his violent mishandlings.

My bleary eyes landed on the forgotten dish on the floor. Bitterly, I took the bowl of white goop into my hands. I moved it around, and the glutinous mass shifted very, very slowly. Some chunks of it didn't seem to move at all! Had the monster poisoned it? Disgusted, I dropped the bowl and left it to resume its hardening process in the corner of this godforsaken prison. It looked like I was going to starve to death before the monster got ahold of me.

I was sitting against the wall, hugging my knees, and plotting a new and improved escape plan just for a short while before I heard old wooden floors creak outside, approaching the door. My breath caught in my throat as my heart began to race. Despite the heat of the room, my skin prickled over with goosebumps, as if a sudden chill had passed through my body.

But I knew I couldn't look afraid. It was better not to provoke a madman's insatiable thirst for striking fear into his victims with a look of complete terror painted on my face. I had to be calm. In control, and innocent of guilt.

I put on my best neutral expression, eyes downcast, as the sound of something heavy being lifted echoed, and the door creaked open with a low groan. Without lifting my eyes, I kept my head down, waiting for the monster to speak first, as usual.

My brows furrowed in surprise when I heard not the familiar low rumble of the monster's voice but… the mewing of a cat?

I lifted my head to find a black cat with round, marble-like brown eyes peering up at me. Its sleek, well-groomed fur and moderate size indicated that the cat was not a hungry stray. Maybe it was lost? But then a question arose: how had it opened the door? Had the door been unlocked all this time?

"How did you get in here, little guy?"

The cat quietly watched me. But as time ticked by slowly, it felt like the cat was studying me with its deep, knowing eyes. Something about its unrelenting gaze unnerved me. It looked every bit a normal cat, but given my unusual circumstances I supposed I was expecting it to transform into some giant, grotesque cat demon and kill me. It didn't cross my mind before that there could be many monsters haunting this castle, not just one.

Suddenly alert and wary, I focused my attention on the feline. It moved towards me slowly, gracefully. I shrunk back when its tiny black paw gently brushed the hem of my ruined yukata. After a long, silent moment, the cat slunk towards the corner where I had left the bowl of white mush. The cat peered into the bowl for just a second before it made its way back to the open door. It turned over its shoulder, looked at me, and then directed its gaze at the door. And then it turned to look at me again.

Its mannerisms puzzled me. Never before had I seen an animal that seemed so… sentient. No… Of course it was sentient. Many creatures were sentient. But this cat—it was beyond that, beyond self-aware or intelligent. This cat was trying to communicate with nonverbal gestures, as if… he were not an animal but a human being. If my instincts were correct, he was trying to signal me to follow him.

When I didn't move, the cat leaned against the door. The heavy wood swung open wider. Loudly.

"Shh! Stop it!" I hissed, waving my hands to shoo him away and switching my attention between the cat and the door. If the monster showed up and found the door open, he might think that I was trying to escape and punish me.

But the cat merely glanced at me, eyes shining with what looked like mischief, and leaned against the door again. I bit my lip, fists shaking. Was it trying to get me killed?

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. I couldn't decide whether the cat was a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, I could dash through the door and find my way out of the castle. One the other hand, I might bump into the monster and find myself impaled by that pointy sword of his.

But… No. I had to try. This could be my only opportunity out.

Against every logical fiber of my body but with newfound, shaking excitement, I rose and approached the door. The cat slipped through the open space noiselessly.

As I passed through, I inspected the outside of the door. A long, thick plank of wood, essentially a giant lock, rested on old hinges on one side of the door at a forty-five degree angle. The free end of the plank hovered above a metal hook that had been installed into a side panel adjacent to the door.

No wonder it had made so much noise every time the monster entered and exited! The technology was as archaic as it could get; it was the stuff of the medieval era, used in prisons and the like. Obsolete and old but incredibly effective. Had I been three hundred pounds of hulking muscle mass, I probably had a good chance of kicking the door down successfully with minimal to no damage… but I was neither a big man nor big woman capable of such a feat.

Had the monster simply forgotten to lock the door the last time he had come? But there was no way someone as mistrustful as him could forget. And I clearly remembered hearing the lock slam against the metal hook after he had exited. Plus, I had tried to pry it open, with no luck. He had locked it, for sure.

So, the question was who had unlocked it?

My gaze fell upon the cat that had stopped to wait for me a few meters away, one paw placed ahead of the other. Certainly it couldn't have been the cat… It was a cat! I finally decided that the mystery of 'Who Had Opened the Door?' could wait. Right now, my priority was getting out of this place alive.

And for some inexplicable reason, I felt an urge to follow the cat. He seemed to be leading me somewhere. The cat would stop every so often, look over its shoulder as if to see if I was following, and then continue on. The further away we walked from the cell, the harder it became to discern the cat's form from the darkness that surrounded us. However, it did not take long for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light.

Ahead of us stretched a long hallway of dark stone and dusty wood. Everything was cold and lifeless. To my left and right spanned many empty square rooms, most of which were separated not by doors but by wooden frames covered with rice paper. The only furniture were the occasional short-legged, rectangular dining tables; some bureaus; and storage chests. Minimal and austere. Unwelcoming.

Soon, we emerged from the hallway and entered a great room that was long, wide, and very high. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling. Great pillars ran from the floor to the ceiling every six or seven meters.

There were hardly any windows, so the vast expanse of the interior remained submerged in shadows. The only light that managed to enter through the rice paper-covered windows shined directly on the aged, blackened floorboards, which produced an eerie effect. Additionally, the room temperature was much cooler than that of the cell. In fact, it was uncomfortably cold, and I contained a shiver by crossing my arms.

Something about this room set the hairs on the back of my neck to stand. It didn't make sense since there was nothing in the room at all that was frightening in the slightest. Rather, there was nothing in the room, period. It was completely empty with no sign of life. It might have been centuries since anyone had last used—or cleaned—this room. There was nothing to be afraid of.

I shook the feeling away and followed the cat more closely.

"Where are you taking me?" I whispered. But the cat, of course, did not reply.

No matter how hard I tried to remain calm, my nerves were getting to me. Not only was I following a strange cat that had appeared out of nowhere, but I was trespassing the unfamiliar territory of an evil monster who had promised severe punishment if I disobeyed him. Moreover, I was without any sort of protection. I had not a gun, a knife, or even a sharp pen on my person. If the monster decided to spring up on me now, I wouldn't last even a minute. Was it wiser to ignore the cat and go off on my own? How did I know the cat was even on my side? What if it was loyal to the monster and was leading me straight into a trap…?

Stop it! I chided myself. It was just a cat! Cats were smart creatures, but that didn't mean they were capable of deceit and manipulation and other very human behaviors. I just had to trust my gut and ignore everything else. And right now, my gut was telling me that I could trust him.

We finally reached the end of the room where we found an entrance to another hallway that diverged into two additional passages, one to the left and another to the right. On both sides of the walls hung lit lanterns whose soft glows dimly illuminated the aged, dark wood. From our positions, it seemed as though the hallways stretched on forever with no end.

Without any sign of hesitation, the cat took to the left hall. As I followed behind, I glanced over my shoulder at the other passageway. If I didn't already find the exit out of here later—and if luck granted me the opportunity in the form of a fully intact and functional body—I would go explore it.

As we continued down the dark hall, I must have been too afraid to notice that the goosebumps on my arms and legs had disappeared. I only realized this when white steam wafted from an open door, and the sudden change in temperature made my skin tingle with warmth. A faint yellow light emanating from the room beckoned me, and after a moment of hesitation I stepped forward. My guide, silent as ever, inclined its furry head toward the room. When I entered, I honestly didn't expect to find the exit to the castle, but much less this.

It was a bath. A very large, traditional bath that had been installed directly into the ground, like an indoor swimming pool. Not unlike the bare architecture of the rest of the castle, the four-sided wooden bath had little embellishment, color, or any distinctive features. The depth of the bath appeared moderately deep, although I couldn't tell for sure due to the amount of steam that rose from the water. A large wooden bucket, washcloth, soap, geta sandals, towel, and neatly folded yukata had been laid in a row along one edge of the bath. Lanterns had been lit and hung in the four corners of the room which helped lift the unpleasant atmosphere.

I couldn't hide the look of confusion on my face when I turned to look at the cat for some kind of answer, but it had disappeared. I peered out of the door, looking down both ends of the hallways, but there was no sign of the animal anywhere. It had simply up and left when I hadn't been looking. I was about to go off searching for a way out when suddenly, I felt the presence of someone nearby.

"What might you be looking for?" said a voice behind me, and I nearly jumped out of my own skin as a scream of surprise tore from my throat.

I turned back to the room to find a woman in black attire standing next to the bath. Even under the light of the lanterns, she appeared so pale, so devoid of color. Her smooth, sable hair, which had been styled into a neat bun, contrasted sharply with her light complexion. The hot white steam rising from the bath beside her surrounded her dark form and gave her the appearance of a ghost. Although her features bore no sign of hostility, I was on edge. And deathly afraid.

"Who are you?" I asked back, one hand firmly gripping the edge of the door. My muscles ached with tension. My eyes darted back and forth from her face to the pale hands that rested at her sides as I searched for any indication that she would spring from her feet with the intention of strangling or pummeling me. A twitch of a finger. A sharp intake of breath. A darkening visage. Something.

But the stranger remained calm. Relaxed. She tilted her head ever so slightly. Colorless lips parted. Her voice was rather deep for a woman but not oddly so, with a slight huskiness that made it almost sensual—if not for the complete lack of inflection in her tone. It sounded sad, but not quite. Vacant, perhaps. Like a robot.

"I am but a lowly servant of the master of this residence."

I hadn't been aware of the presence of others here. Surely, then, if there were other servants like her in the castle, then they must have all heard the commotion coming from the cell when the monster had first found me. But they had remained silent and invisible… until now. Perhaps the monster had instructed that they stay away from me. But I was hardly a threat to anyone, so it wouldn't have mattered either way. Additionally, if he had servants all this time, why had he been the one to repair the broken shutters, to deliver the bucket and the dish? Such menial tasks should be reserved to the ones serving him.

And then a disturbing thought came to me. What if the woman before me was a prisoner, like me? What if there were more of her here, trapped and helpless?

"You mean the monster?" I spat, unwilling to mask the resentment from my voice. "Has he imprisoned you, too?"

The woman stared blankly. "I am a servant," she repeated.

"So you're saying that the monster forced you to work here as a servant, against your will? He threatened to hurt you if you didn't? Right?"

"No," she said.

And she turned to attend to the bath water, placing a hand above the rising steam. The only things that broke the absolute silence of the room were the soft gurgles of hot water and the sizzle of fine steam lifting from its surface.

I waited for her to elaborate, but when she didn't, my mind went blank. I was confounded. Speechless.

'No' what? What did she mean? No, she wasn't enslaved? No, he didn't force her? No, he didn't threaten her? None of those could be it. No one in their right mind would come here willingly to serve a creature who had looked like he had ascended straight from hell. There was no way! Also, considering how paranoid and guarded the monster was, it was odd to entertain the idea that he would allow people to dwell under the same roof. He had certainly made it clear that he did not like visitors. I didn't think he would feel any different towards this woman, or others like her if they were here at all.

"Your bath is ready," said the woman after she placed her hand back to her side and straightened her form. She nodded at the bath.

I gaped at her only for a second before I regained my composure.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation here," I said, keeping my voice low, just above a whisper. "I don't know how long you have been trapped here, or what the monster has done to your head, but we need to leave. Immediately. If there are others like us, you have to tell me where they are. I don't know how long it will take before the monster finds us, but I'm not going to stick around to find out."

My plea did not produce the effect I had wanted from her. She remained utterly cool and unalarmed without so much as a twitch of her lips.

"My impression of the situation," she finally said, "is that you are the one who is misunderstanding." She lifted an open hand and gestured at the bath. "You must be quite exhausted from your journey. A hot bath might help soothe you."

"Look," I hissed through gritted teeth, trying my best not to scream in frustration, lest I attract unwanted attention from a certain monster. "I do not want a bath. I want to leave. And if there are other prisoners, I want to escape with them. And you need to tell me now if you want to leave this place or not because we are wasting time!"

Her round yet dull eyes bore straight into mine, her expression unreadable. She broke contact, looking off to the side with a soft sigh.

"It appears you know nothing of where you are or what has happened to you."

The only word that could adequately describe how I felt at that moment was 'flabbergasted.' I tried to talk, but my lips could not form words. The woman did not wait for me to speak.

"Contrary to your beliefs, you are not a prisoner but a new member of this residence. Akayoru Castle accepted you the moment you set foot onto this territory. It does not accept just anyone, so that in itself is a noteworthy accomplishment of which you should be proud. It has welcomed you to join us."

"What are you talking about?" I interjected, impatient and fidgety, but above all afraid. "What do you mean by the castle accepting me? Or someone inviting me to join them? I came here by mistake! And that, that… thing locked me up in a jail cell to rot there forever! I don't want to 'join' anyone. Don't you get it? I want to get out of here!"

"Again, you are the one who does not understand. You may have come here by mistake, but you would not have found Akayoru at all if it had not revealed itself to you to begin with. Consider yourself serendipitous. This is your new, permanent home. You might as well accept it."

"Are you insane?" I whispered, voice hoarse and jaw tight.

She had to be crazy to create such a story. But the way she told it, with her bored expression and even tone, conveyed what felt like her reciting a list of facts rather than hastily spinning a web of lies. It was like she was letting me in on a secret that everyone else knew but I did not. That she spoke so matter-of-factly, so confidently, was disturbing.

And as much as I wanted to scoff at the implausibility of what she was claiming, a part of me filled with dread. What scared me the most was not her story but the fact that I somehow believed it the more she explained. She stood motionless, as if waiting for a reaction.

Sweat beaded at my brows and slid down my wet face. My stomach turned sharply, and I held my breath until the pain subsided. It was then when I remembered the headache that had almost receded into the background of my consciousness. But it was back now, and with a vengeance.

I curled my hands into fists at my side, completely aware that they were shaking on their own in response to the throbbing pain in my head. If the woman noticed my discomfort, she did nothing to indicate that. It didn't look like she was going to say or do more. I had already wasted too much time here. I had to leave.

I did feel a stab of remorse for her, but my desire to live outweighed my guilt of leaving her behind. Maybe she didn't have the proper mental faculties to realize that she was in danger. But I wasn't about to sit around trying to persuade her to come with me. The ominous threat of the monster lurking somewhere in the castle, hunting after me, made me more and more agitated with every passing moment. If I waited any longer, we were both doomed.

"If… if you're not going to help me, I'll find the way out by myself." As an afterthought, I muttered under my breath, "May kami have mercy on your poor, deranged soul." I didn't expect her to somehow survive the imminent confrontation with the monster once he realized someone had let me out of the cell. But I wasn't waiting to witness him wreaking havoc upon her—or me. I convinced myself that if I made it out alive, I would come back to rescue her.

Before I completely turned back to the exit, out of the corner of my eye I saw the woman shake her head pityingly.

"Oh, child," she said, her voice almost taking on a severe tone despite her dispassionate expression. "Your refusal to know the truth serves only to worsen your fever. You can never leave this place. You belong here now, with us."

Us…? I wondered briefly, but it didn't take long for me to understand to whom she was referring, for when I finally stepped outside the room and into the hallway, I found myself surrounded by at least a dozen young girls in identical black attire. Their white faces stared at me, dark eyes lifeless and empty.

Bewildered and unnerved, I didn't know what to do. They were standing so close—

"Why is a human here in Akayoru, Shizuko?" said one small voice.

I didn't know which girl had spoken. The woman standing near the bath looked to the general direction of the voice and had begun to speak when she was interrupted. As soon as one of them had asked the question, the others began to speak all at once. They were curious. Excited. Suspicious.

"She… She is a human?"

"Is it alright to trust one?"

"She does not look trustworthy. Look at her appearance."

"The last human tried to hurt the master."

"Yes, and she hurt us, too."

"That was a long time ago, was it not?"

"One or two hundred years is nothing to us hansei."

"Yes, but we haven't much time left before—"

"Enough," said the woman called Shizuko, her command spoken softly but with such cold authority that the girls immediately quieted. They bowed their heads and clasped their white hands in front of them, looking ashamed.

"You are all aware that the master dislikes clamor. I will not be surprised if the master decides to appear before us at this very moment and punishes all of you. Furthermore, you know better than to speak before being spoken to, Chie."

One of the girls dropped her head lower and whispered an apologetic "yes, Shizuko."

"As punishment, you will go fetch the dish and pail from the empty storage room and clean them, as well as the room itself. If I see one speck left behind, you will go to bed without supper. I suggest you go quickly, as your chakra has begun to flicker."

The girl, Chie, bobbed her head before shuffling her way past us and down the hallway. She disappeared after rounding the corner. The other girls kept quiet, but the way their lips were pressed into straight lines betrayed their amusement as they struggled not to giggle.

"The conditions apply to the rest of you as well should you follow her example."

Shizuko's words sobered them, and the faint traces of smiles faded from their mouths.

Having had enough of the distractions, I finally found my voice, and I turned to the older woman. It was getting harder and harder to concentrate on just standing and speaking properly as the mild warmth that had begun to creep up on me hours ago had quickly developed into an unforgiving heat, one that made my thoughts and movements sluggish. The headache had gone from bad to worse. I didn't know what exactly was happening to me, or why. All I knew was that I was unwell, and I needed to get out of this place soon while I still had my wits with me.

"Your name is Shizuko, right?" I didn't wait for a reply, too breathless and impatient for one. "Shizuko, I don't know what's going on here, but we all need to get out of this castle, now. The monster is extremely dangerous. We have to find a way out before he finds us." I turned to the rest of the girls, wiping sweat that had beaded on my brow with my sleeve. "Do any of you know the locations of any exits?"

Shizuko regarded me momentarily, her eyes never leaving my face. She shook her head.

"Your concern for our welfare is unnecessary. We are not the ones in danger but you."

"What do you mean me?" I asked, perturbed.

They merely stared.

But rather than look at my face, they focused their attention somewhere below it. They all bore grim expressions, their dark eyes critical and sharp. Involuntarily, my eyes, too, followed the direction of their gazes, downward, downward…

My eyes scanned my form, stopping at my exposed hands. All color drained from the skin until my hands turned nearly paper-white, and a faint green tint took over. And then, as the pounding in my head quickened and the heat within me rose and my flesh continued to perspire and my body lost feeling, I saw in the far distance, at the end of the dark hallway, a figure watching us. Watching me. All I could make out was the subtle silhouette of its large form, just one shade of black lighter than the darkness behind it. I choked on a breath as I realized.

It was him.

Face glistening with sweat, I turned to look at Shizuko and the girls, my chapped lips unable to form words. They remained silent. Perhaps they all knew that it had been hopeless from the start, and that was why their faces lacked surprise or fear. They knew all along. There was no way out of this prison. The monster would have come for us anyway. And he had come.

The fire consumed me. On just willpower alone I had ignored the aches and the fever for so long out of the hope that I might gain from my perseverance, the hope that I would at least escape and run far enough to reach civilization. But my body had suffered too much that it could not support my ambition. My health was failing me at the worst possible time. My vision blurred over. My mind drew to a blank as another onslaught of violent pounding overwhelmed my head...

At some point, I became aware that I was falling. One minute I had been standing, and I was not the next.

Before I hit the ground and surrendered to the numb relief of unconsciousness, I saw the women approach me, and I heard their muted voices cry out. If they had just finally understood their doom, it was much too late now. No one was going to save us.

My eyes fluttered shut. The light faded.

And all sound hushed to a hum and then became silent.

Author's Note:

Hello, everyone! I apologize for the two months of absence. I just returned from a summer study-abroad program in Korea. I experienced such a huge culture shock, but most of it was positive! The food was great. Shopping and nightlife were just amazing. People drink and party like there's no tomorrow—like there's no such thing as liver cancer lol. Also, Seoul is an interesting place to be. It's a mix of very modern and very ancient architecture, both beautiful and impressive in their own ways. And let's not forget about K-POP! I know some of you may absolutely detest it, or not even know what it is. But give it a chance. Not all of it is garbage lol.

Some aspects of my travel were decidedly negative. The mosquitoes there are just relentless. For some reason, they seemed to like feasting on the blood of only my right leg and not of my left, so only my right leg is covered with fading brown spots that itched like crazy. Also, the traffic is horrendous... On second thought, people in Seoul just drive like they've all gone mad. It's like no one cares if they get into an accident... until they do lol. And the final problem? The humidity. Ugh.

As for the educational program itself, I studied at Yonsei University, which is one of the top three universities in all of SK. I had the misfortune of having one bad professor—he was just not good at teaching, period. I studied my butt off for two months, all while battling a raging cold, and I ended up doing alright.

TL;DR — I studied in S. Korea this summer for two months, hence, my absence. There was good and there was bad.

Sorry if my little travel blog bored you to tears, or if the sheer size of it intimidated you into scrolling down. But if you enjoyed hearing about it and would like to know more about Korea, don't be afraid to PM me or leave a review asking about my experience.

...Or you could just PM/review about the latest chapter. Because I really do appreciate and love hearing from you guys. :)

-cion