Chapter 4 – The Despair and New Hope
Dark clouds crept slowly across the night sky, heavy with the promise of rain. It finally began as a few scattered drops, but soon the heavens opened, unleashing a torrential downpour. Fat raindrops pounded against the car's metal shell, the car windows becoming rivers as water streamed down in sheets. Despite the wipers swishing frantically, visibility on the road was almost non-existent. Yet the bald man behind the wheel seemed unfazed, maintaining a dangerous speed. He was eager to get as far away as possible from the forest, where Rei had been attacked by the physical manifestations of an ancient demon. Rei was huddled in the back seat, her body in fetal position as if she was trying to disappear. She avoided the men's gazes, her eyes glazed over, unresponsive to the world outside. Masanori was sitting beside her in silence, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him. He knew all too well that he was responsible for the girl's physical and mental deterioration. Fear gnawed at him, not just for Rei, but also of the bald demon hunter who had forcibly dragged him from the safety of his apartment into the heart of the nightmare that had haunted him for years.
Dale Arthur Knight's eyes narrowed as he spotted the inky black silhouettes of the industrial complex looming against the night sky. The buildings jutted upwards, a twisted labyrinth of corroded pipes and rusted girders forming a web of steel that looked ready to collapse at any moment. This place was a graveyard, long abandoned, swallowed by the darkness of the night and the relentless cascade of rain. The oppressive weight of desolation clung to the air, as if the complex itself had absorbed the despair of those who had once toiled within its walls, leaving behind only an echo of decay. The bald man pulled the car to a stop near a section of the fence that had long since surrendered to rust and rain, now lying crumpled in the muddy earth. He stepped out of the vehicle, casting quick, anxious glances around the area. The rain was merciless, hammering down on his exposed face and head, making him curse under his breath. The complex, with its dead machinery and silent corridors, seemed to whisper the secrets of a forgotten past, its once vibrant life now reduced to nothing more than shadows and memories.
"Let's get inside!" Dale shouted, pointing toward the slightly open gate leading into the industrial hall. His voice barely cut through the downpour, with heavy raindrops hammering against the steel structures around them. "We're far enough from the city now that I can't feel the hostile aura of that funfair anymore!"
Silence. After a minute with no response, he returned to the car. Masanori stood there by the open door, completely soaked, his eyes wide with fear as he stared at Knight. His hand clutched Rei's, who was kneeling in the mud. Her clothes were drenched, caked with wet earth. She stared down at her knees, her wet hair whipping around in the cold wind.
"What are you doing to her?!" Dale yelled.
"She... she won't move... I tried to get her to come with us..." Masanori stammered, tugging at Rei. The black-haired girl offered no resistance, but as he tried to pull her up, she lost her balance and fell straight into a puddle. Dale Knight, unable to contain his anger, rushed over and struck Masanori hard across the face. The young man staggered, then collapsed into the filthy stream that had formed from the relentless rain.
"Can't you see she can't walk on her own?! Can't you see she needs help?!" Dale shouted, his voice trembling with both anger and desperation as he looked down at Rei's former friend, now lying in the stinking muck. Instead of further chastising him, Dale turned to Rei, bending down to help her. Gently, he lifted her from the ground, cradling her in his arms. She was cold, almost lifeless, as if all the energy had drained out of her with the falling rain. Dale cast a glance toward the industrial complex ahead, now appearing even more ominous, as if it were waiting to swallow them whole.
"Move it, and come with me!" Dale's voice cut through the drumming rain as he urged Masanori forward. "This building used to house the workers who labored in these factories. We'll shelter here from the storm. Find some dry sheets or anything like that. She can't afford to get any sicker. Do you understand?"
"Yes..." Masanori muttered, struggling to rise from the mud, his clothes clinging to him like a second skin. The three of them entered the dilapidated building, their footsteps echoing in the hollow silence that greeted them. The walls inside, once painted in a dull, industrial beige, were now peeling and stained with age. Dale found a larger room that must have once served as a common area — a place where workers gathered to escape the monotony of their labor. Now, it was just another forgotten space, littered with the remnants of a past life. A few broken chairs were scattered around, and in the center of the room stood a dilapidated pool table, its green felt torn and frayed. The air smelled of mildew and decay, a scent that seemed to cling to the walls and floor.
Masanori, with a determined look on his face, disappeared into the depths of the building in search of anything that could provide warmth for Rei. The building was a maze of narrow, dark hallways and small, cramped rooms that had once been home to countless workers. As he searched, the shadows seemed to close in on him, the silence broken only by the distant sound of the storm raging outside. Dale gently laid Rei down on a sagging, dust-covered couch that had been pushed against one wall. Her eyes were half-closed, and her breathing was shallow, each breath a struggle against the cold and exhaustion. Dale sat down heavily on the edge of the battered pool table, the wood creaking under his weight. His eyes never left Rei, his expression a mixture of concern and frustration. It didn't take long for Masanori to return, his arms full of blankets and old, moth-eaten quilts he had found in one of the long-abandoned bedrooms.
"Get out of here!" Dale snapped the moment he had the blankets in hand. His voice was sharp, filled with a venom that made Masanori flinch. When the young man hesitated, Dale's eyes flashed with anger, and he repeated his command, louder this time. "Get out. You've hurt her enough already. I don't want you anywhere near her."
Masanori's face fell, a look of guilt and shame washing over him. He opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it, nodding silently before turning and leaving the room. As the door creaked shut behind him, the sound echoed through the empty halls. Meanwhile, Dale Knight, determined and focused, removed Rei's soaked clothes, letting them drop into a puddle on the floor. He carefully wrapped her in a brown blanket, but she remained unresponsive, her body limp like a ragdoll. Her eyes were vacant, and goosebumps covered her skin. Dale noticed her shivering, which brought him a small sense of relief — at least her body was still reacting. He added more blankets, trying to warm her chilled form. He didn't want to imagine the horrors haunting her mind, the dark visions conjured by the magical virus that was consuming her. But he knew her only hope was the dormant magic deep within her. He believed that the flame that once protected her could do so again. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a small red stone and brought it close to Rei's face. He held it steady for several moments, waiting for any sign. Eventually, the stone began to glow with a warm, soft light, and its temperature increased. Ignoring the pain in his fingers from the growing heat, Dale kept his focus on Rei's face. The red glow illuminated her delicate features, and slowly, she opened her eyes. She saw the flame flickering in the stone, but her gaze remained distant, indifferent to everything around her.
"I have no choice. I knew I'd have to part with it someday," Dale thought as he brought the stone even closer to her face. The flame within the jewel flared up, then swiftly leaped onto Rei's skin, sinking into her body in an instant. Dale stood up, looking at her one last time. He knew that now, all he could do was wait and hope that his theory was correct. He glanced out the window to see if the rain was still beating against the building's walls. Resolute, he turned and headed in the direction Masanori had gone earlier.
"Now we're going to have a talk," he muttered, walking through the deserted corridors.
The bald man walked down the corridor leading to the abandoned factory hall adjacent to the old workers' hotel. Outside, rain poured relentlessly through the shattered windows, and the wind howled with a chilling, eerie tone. The room he entered was vast, almost endless, filled with the remnants of a long-gone era and heavy with the scent of rust. The decaying machinery, like relics of a forgotten past, stood silent, testifying to the factory's long-abandoned operations. The main feature of this desolate landscape was a dead production line stretching across the entire length of the hall, now nothing more than a skeleton of its former self. Above the conveyor belt, the lifeless arms of decommissioned robots hung motionless, as if waiting for a command that would never come. Their frayed cables and rusted components betrayed their irreversible decay. High above, like a ghost from the past, loomed a massive overhead crane with a rusted hook that swayed slightly with the wind, producing an ominous creaking sound. Arthur scanned the room carefully, searching for the person he had come to this mechanical graveyard to find. His eyes swept over the depressing scene until he spotted him at the far end of the hall. Masanori stood still, facing a wall where a large, shattered window allowed the rain to spill inside, forming puddles on the floor. Without hesitation, Dale made his way toward him, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the empty space, as if the entire place whispered something in response.
"Now you're going to tell me everything you know," Dale said firmly.
Masanori didn't move, still staring at the cracked window in front of him. "I have no intention of talking to someone who dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night," he replied coldly. "I won't play this game again, a game whose rules I don't even understand."
Without hesitation, Dale reached for his gun, reloaded it with a sharp click, and aimed it at the back of Masanori's head.
"A game, is it?" Dale hissed through gritted teeth. "The girl could die at any moment, and all you care about is saving your own skin? You're going to tell me everything you know, and if I don't like what I hear…" Dale stepped forward, pressing the barrel against the nape of the young man's neck. "I'll kill you," he added, his tone ice-cold.
Masanori flinched and slowly turned to face Dale. In the light of the moon that broke through the clouds, tears were visible on his cheeks. "Who are you to judge me?" he burst out, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation. "Why are you defending her so fiercely when just yesterday you two were strangers, and she thought you were stalking her? How can you judge me after only a few days in this hell? You haven't lived in a nightmare for years like I have!"
Dale lowered the gun, realizing he no longer needed to use it. "Tell me what connects you to all this — what your role and Rei's role are in this madness. If you stop lying to me, maybe I can help you escape this nightmare."
"The only way out of this nightmare is through the barrel of your gun," Masanori said bitterly. "I've tried so many times... but she wouldn't let me. She wouldn't let me leave, even that way." He paused, taking a shaky breath. "Rei... Will she survive?" he asked, his voice suddenly fragile.
"I don't know," Dale replied, his voice gentler but still firm. "I did everything I could to help her. Now it's up to her — whether she can and whether she wants to come back to us."
"If there's anything I can do to help her..." Masanori started, but Dale cut him off sternly.
"No. I just told you, the rest is up to her. You'll help her by telling me everything you know about this demon." Dale holstered his gun and leaned against the conveyor belt, his gaze never leaving Masanori.
The young man sighed, visibly exhausted not only from the night's events but also from the guilt gnawing at him. He sat down on a wooden crate, as if his legs could no longer support him.
"Alright," he began slowly. "I don't remember exactly what happened back then. Maybe it's because the shock was too much, or maybe she didn't want me to know too much and just erased my memory. But that doesn't matter... I was telling the truth. I really knew Rei when we were kids. We played together whenever she visited our town."
"Rei doesn't remember you," Dale stated, his voice turning cold and detached again.
"Maybe her memory is even worse than mine. I don't know," Masanori began, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and sorrow. "Back then, it wasn't just Rei I played with. There was also Mei, the granddaughter of an old woman who lived in a house near the road leading to our town. When we decided to visit the amusement park, there was no sign of the tragedy that would turn my life into a nightmare. The details are hazy — just flashes of images, sounds, and an overwhelming sense of heat. A fire broke out, I don't know how or why, and we were cut off from the rest of the crowd. It was just me, Rei, and Mei. I remember being terrified, struggling to breathe, thinking I was going to burn alive. Somehow, Rei and I managed to escape that blazing inferno. But Mei… Mei wasn't as lucky. A falling beam blocked her path, trapping her inside. She either suffocated or burned, I don't know. They didn't let us near the body when the firefighters finally pulled her out of the wreckage hours later." Masanori paused, his voice cracking slightly as he continued. "The town was devastated by her death. Everyone mourned the loss of a child, but her grandmother… she couldn't accept it. A few years later, she... brought Mei back. Don't ask me how — it's beyond understanding — but she did. Or at least, she thought she did. What she really brought back wasn't Mei, but something far more terrifying, something filled with pure rage. One night, on my way home, I stumbled upon a circus troupe performing in the middle of the street, and there, among them, was Mei. She was a grown woman, nothing like the little girl who died in that fire. She was changed, consumed by hatred. She blamed me and Rei for her death, for being at that amusement park that day. And she wanted revenge." Masanori's eyes darkened as he recounted the horrors that followed. "She tormented me, haunted me at every turn, driving me to the brink of madness and even suicide — though she never let me go through with it. I tried to fight back against her and her troupe, but it was useless. Eventually, she told me she had found a way to track down Rei and bring her back here. She said Rei had become… special, and that it wouldn't be as easy to exact revenge on her as it had been on me. But she offered me a way out. She said that if I met Rei and cast a spell she'd prepared, she would leave me alone, let me leave this cursed town for good. I agreed, desperate to end my nightmare, not caring about the consequences."
Dale stared at Masanori with icy determination. "So it was you who infected Rei with the magic virus?" he asked.
Masanori shuddered, but tried to maintain his composure. "I have no idea!" he burst out, desperately trying to defend himself. "I was just following Mei's orders. I didn't know she would want to kill Rei so quickly! I thought she would torment her like she did to me for all those years. If I had known..."
Dale cut him off, his eyes flashing with anger. "You would have done exactly the same thing because you're a damn coward and a selfish bastard!" he spat through gritted teeth. "She played us like pawns in some twisted game."
Masanori frowned, taken aback. "Us?" he asked, trying to grasp what Dale meant.
The bald man turned away, struggling to contain the emotions boiling within him. "Yes, us," he admitted bitterly. "I'm just as guilty for what happened to Rei as you are. I met with the messenger of that woman, and he showed me a vision of you as children. I was determined to catch that bastard, so I contacted Rei through her dreams to bring her to this place. I believed she would be the key to solving the mystery and defeating the demon. But the truth is, I did exactly what that woman wanted. And now... now I'm no closer to destroying her than I was before. And the girl... who knows if she'll make it through the night."
As the anger surged within him like a rising tide, Dale clenched his fists. His frustration was palpable, and his mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. Suddenly, he made a decision. "I'm going back to the amusement park," he declared. "I'll find that woman, or whatever she is now, and I'll kill her. No matter what it takes."
Determined, he turned toward the door, ready for the next confrontation, but Masanori grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Wait," he said, trying to sound confident despite the tremor in his voice. "Rei is going to need you. She will never forgive me for what I did to her, and I don't deserve her forgiveness. But she will need help, support. You have to be there for her when she regains consciousness."
Dale paused, considering Masanori's words. For a moment, anger and reason battled within him. "You expect me to just sit around and wait?" he finally asked, irritation evident in his tone.
Masanori looked at him calmly, though his eyes showed the weariness of everything they had been through. "We'll wait together," he said, filled with a determination that seemed to surprise even himself. "We'll wait until Rei wakes up."
The two men locked eyes for a long moment, and finally, Dale gave a reluctant nod. They both knew that a long night of uncertainty lay ahead, but in that brief exchange of words, something shifted between them. For now, they set aside their differences and prepared to face the challenges that awaited them together.
Rei still lay on the old couch, wrapped in blankets, in the exact position where the demon hunter had left her. She couldn't hear any sounds from the outside world because her mind was filled with overlapping voices of many non-existent people, all trying to convince her of their own truths, urging her to abandon reality and descend into a madness that would inevitably lead to death. She was afraid to open her eyes, but despite that, she could still see the shifting, multicolored silhouettes of strange beings. There was no escape, no hiding from the terrible cacophony and the kaleidoscope of colors that her mind was conjuring. All hope of ending this nightmare had faded. Rei wanted to drown in silence, in oblivion. But then, suddenly, she felt a warmth spreading across her face, seeping into her body. It was as if someone from the outside was giving her the courage to fight her inner demons. She opened her eyes. In front of her were the dancing, spectral silhouettes of the figures she had encountered the previous night. They laughed at her, whispering her name in eerie tones. She was terrified, her movements paralyzed by an irrational fear. But the warmth radiating from within her gave her the strength to raise both hands in front of her. At that moment, flames began to dance around her fingers, their light making the specters pale and distant, pushing them away from her mind. Their laughter and nonsensical rhymes no longer sounded as frightening. Rei felt a glimmer of hope that she could overcome the magic that was destroying her. Her ability to think clearly returned. She focused on the flames that enveloped her, concentrating all her will on making them burn brighter. She realized that the fire had its own consciousness — a presence that wanted to protect her from the deadly effects of the magical virus. All she had to do was open her mind to it.
Rei took a deep breath, inviting it into the depths of her soul. In that instant, a tremendous strength and a renewed belief in her ability to conquer the tormenting phantoms surged within her. Her mind blazed with a living fire, banishing the shadows, silencing their harsh voices. The intelligence behind the virus realized it could no longer control her psyche, so it shifted its focus, attacking her physical body instead. Rei suddenly struggled to breathe, her heart pounding painfully in her chest as if it were about to explode. A searing pain gripped her stomach. She rose from the couch, but every muscle in her body ached as though someone had driven thousands of tiny needles into her flesh. She screamed, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, causing droplets of blood to fall to the floor. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and ran outside. Her body betrayed her with every step, the pain and exhaustion dragging her down until she finally collapsed onto the wet ground. But even in her weakened state, she could feel that warmth again — this time stronger, more real. Lying on her back, with rain pouring down on her face, she sensed the flames returning, not as a chaotic force, but as a controlled, protective presence.
She opened her eyes for a brief moment and saw a blurred figure standing over her, gently touching her forehead. The warmth from this figure soothed her pain, pushing back the darkness that threatened to consume her. The downpour was just as heavy as when she had first stepped out of the car. Rei was drenched once again, but this time she was wearing only her underwear.
Dale and Masanori heard her scream. Alarmed, fearing the worst, they rushed to the room where they had last seen her. Unfortunately, only the blankets lay on the couch.
"Where is she?" Masanori asked, panic rising in his voice.
"Look there!" Dale replied, pointing to the slightly open door. The dark sky outside suddenly brightened, turning a deep red as if it had been lit by the glow of a nearby fire.
"What's happening?" Masanori asked, his eyes fixed in a trance on the crimson light flooding through the windows.
"We better get out there!" Dale urged Masanori.
When the two men stepped outside, they were greeted by a sight that was both beautiful and terrifying. Rei stood a few meters from the building, her arms raised above her head. She was completely naked, but despite this, she seemed unaffected by the cold or any sense of shame. A brilliant red flame enveloped her body, its intensity growing with each passing second. The light was so bright that Arthur and Masanori had to shield their eyes with their hands. The flames seemed to have a life of their own, dancing in rhythm with the storm that raged around them. Rei stood motionless, as if she were merely a vessel for this powerful, untamed energy. The fire around her grew higher, slowly taking shape until it formed the outline of a massive, fiery bird. The silhouette of the bird was majestic, filled with both awe and terror, as if it embodied the raw power Rei had gained through her magical struggle.
Minutes passed, stretching into what felt like an eternity. Masanori and Dale watched the spectacle with a mixture of fear and fascination. Eventually, the fiery mirage began to fade. The blazing bird dissipated into the air, and the light around the girl gradually dimmed until it disappeared completely. What remained was Rei, standing in the pouring rain. Her figure seemed to radiate a newfound strength, as if she had only now fully discovered her potential. As raindrops fell on her skin, they instantly evaporated, as though even water had no power to extinguish the flame that still smoldered within her. Rei was now dressed in her Sailor Senshi uniform, a symbol of her destiny and power. The red gem on her tiara gleamed brightly, reflecting not just the light but also the inner energy she now carried. The men stared at her, realizing that a new version of Rei had been born — stronger, more determined, ready to face even the darkest forces that had once sought to destroy her.
Rei, still disoriented from what she had just experienced, slowly approached the two men. Her steps were unsteady, but her eyes blazed with anger.
"I'm free," she declared. When her gaze locked onto Masanori, the anger flared up. "You lied to me! I almost died!" Her voice echoed through the rainy silence, and she wavered, reaching out to steady herself against the wet wall of the gray building.
"Rei, you need to come inside," Arthur urged, his tone gentle but firm. "You're still very weak."
Rei took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I connected with the flame, just like you said," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But... I still can't remember anything."
Masanori opened his mouth, wanting to explain himself, but Rei's eyes avoided his. Rei swayed again, barely keeping her balance.
"You need to lie down," the bald man insisted, trying to soothe her. "You have to give the flame a chance to restore your body to its former state."
Rei looked at him for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Alright, let's go back inside," she agreed, forcing a smile. As Arthur guided her back into the building, Masanori stayed outside, standing alone in the pouring rain. Lost in thought, he stared up at the dark sky as if searching for answers. Dale Knight turned toward him, his voice cutting through the sound of the rain.
"What are you waiting for? You're in this with us till the end. You sowed this wind, now you'll have to reap the whirlwind!" he shouted, his words sharper than he might have intended.
Exhausted beyond measure, Rei lay down and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep. She slept for several hours, and when she finally woke up, the rain had stopped, and the darkness of night was slowly giving way to the light of dawn. She was still dressed in her Sailor Mars outfit, but now she felt much better, as if the flame had truly healed her. Arthur sat quietly by her bed, as if he had been watching over her all night. Masanori, keeping his distance, didn't dare to come any closer. In the few hours that had passed since their last conversation, it seemed that every word and every decision now carried much more weight than before.
"Rei, how do you feel?" Arthur asked, his voice gentle and filled with concern.
"I feel... good. Strangely relaxed and calm, as if I've regained some part of myself," Rei replied, her voice soft yet steady.
"That's probably exactly what happened. A larger spark of the flame has returned to where it belongs."
Rei nodded thoughtfully, then, with a slight smile, said, "I might start believing in your Golden Millennium after all." She shifted to sit up on the bed.
Arthur looked at her. "Do you want to stay in that form? You should conserve your energy — we don't know who or what might attack us next."
Rei let out a small laugh. "I don't have much of a choice. My underwear burned to ashes last night."
Arthur chuckled despite himself.
"Stop it! This isn't funny!" Rei scolded, though her tone was more playful than angry.
"Okay, okay, I know," Arthur said, raising his hands in mock surrender. Then he turned serious and called out to Masanori, who was lingering near the doorway.
"Yes?" Masanori responded, stepping forward slightly.
"Has this woman, Mei, ever appeared or been a threat to anyone during the day?" Dale asked.
"No," Masanori replied, shaking his head. "She could manipulate my mind, but she never showed herself in the daylight."
"Good." Arthur nodded, satisfied. "We can count on a moment of peace then. We'll head back to the hotel to get your things, Rei. You can change and grab your ofuda. We might need them wherever we're going next."
"Where are we going?" Rei asked, her curiosity piqued.
Arthur glanced at Masanori, then back to Rei. "Masanori told me exactly who's responsible for the attacks on you. We know where we need to start looking."
Rei's expression hardened as she looked away from Masanori, refusing to acknowledge him. "Masanori? And you believe him? He might lead us into another trap!"
"Things aren't always as they seem at first glance," Arthur replied calmly.
"Exactly!" Rei shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Someone says they're your childhood friend, takes you out for coffee by the river, and then throws you right into the hands of some circus freaks! I don't believe a word he says!"
"Rei," Arthur said, his tone firm, "You two can settle this later when we're safe. Right now, we're all in serious danger, and we need to stick together. Understand?"
Rei sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly in resignation. "Fine... So what did you find out from him?" she asked, still ignoring Masanori.
"Do you remember those newspaper clippings in the old woman's shack? The little girl who seemed familiar to you — Mei? You really did know her. You played together as children. One day at the amusement park, you had an accident. You and Masanori made it out okay, but Mei wasn't so lucky. She died."
Rei shook her head slowly, a puzzled frown on her face. "I have no idea who you're talking about, but go on."
"Her grandmother — the woman you probably encountered that night — brought her back to the land of the living in some dark, forbidden way. She returned, but she was changed. She became a vengeful spirit, a demon, who used Masanori — and me — to lure you back to this city. She blames you for her death, Rei. She's filled with hatred and won't stop until she gets her revenge."
"Great. Someone I can't even remember wants to kill me," Rei muttered bitterly.
"Rei, when you connected with the Flame and purged the virus from your body, did you see anything from the past, anything that could help us?" Arthur asked.
Rei shook her head, frustration evident in her expression. "No, I told you, I don't know who Mei was or what happened all those years ago. But... something has changed within me."
Arthur leaned in, his interest piqued. "What do you mean?"
"When the flame entered my body, I felt... more complete, like some emptiness inside me was filled. I don't know if it's because I've healed, but my mind feels clearer. It's easier to think, to connect the dots," Rei explained, her eyes reflecting both confusion and newfound clarity.
Arthur smiled, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "That's great. Maybe your memories will come back with time."
"I hope so," Rei murmured. "I'd rather know who I'm fighting and why."
The bald man stood up from his stool, glancing at Rei and the boy standing at a distance. He smirked to himself as he cleaned his black glasses.
"I'm stepping out for a moment. You two need to sort things out. You've got time until the sun rises above the horizon," Dale announced, pointing to the window where the sky's grayness signaled the last breath of the departing night. He left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Rei looked around the room, noticing the old wardrobes, chairs, and the billiard table with torn felt standing in the middle. She remained silent, unsure of what to say, and had no desire to speak to someone who had completely lost her trust. Masanori, growing impatient with the prolonged silence, decided to speak first.
"I have no excuse for what I did," he said quietly but firmly. "I'll leave. Let that guy think we've made peace if it's so important to him. We won't meet again. Goodbye."
He walked towards the door, grabbed the handle, and hesitated, as if waiting for some reaction from Rei.
"What are you waiting for?" she finally spoke.
"Don't you want to know why? Why I sent you straight into the hands of a demon? Why I helped cast the spell?"
"No matter the reason, it doesn't change the fact that you did it to me. I don't need to know why. A true friend, as you claimed to be, would never have agreed to something like that, even if it meant losing something themselves."
Masanori took a deep breath, his face showing desperation. "Every night for the past several years has been the same — an endless nightmare with that monster and her bizarre minions. Do you think I didn't try to end it differently? I wanted to destroy her, to destroy myself, but neither worked. She wouldn't let me. If I had any choice… I would have used that magic virus to end it myself."
Rei looked at him coldly. "You had a choice. You could have lived in the nightmare or told me everything and asked for help. I tried to get the truth out of you when I noticed something strange was happening in this town. A bit of honesty, and maybe together we could've done something — defeated her or escaped this place. But you chose the easier path, which didn't free you from anything and only cost you a friend. If your experiences were anything like what I went through last night, I can understand your decision. But that doesn't mean I'll forgive you easily."
Masanori lowered his gaze. "Rei, I think we've said everything we needed to say. I'll go to Arthur Knight. The sun is up, so we can head back now."
He cracked the door open, Rei stood up and walked over to him.
"Masanori, it would have been better if our connection had ended with that trip to the river. At least I'd have something good to remember," she said bitterly.
The bald demon hunter appeared in the doorway.
"Everything sorted?" he asked, casting them a quick glance. Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "We're heading back to the hotel. We need to rest, and in the afternoon, we're going to the old woman's house. Rei, bring your ofuda with you. And you, Masanori… don't try to run from your responsibility."
After returning to the hotel, Rei changed into clean, dry clothes, packed a backpack full of demon-fighting accessories, and, after a brief rest, decided to visit her friend's room. Dale was surprised to see her at his door but pleased as well, seeing that she was ready to confront both her past and a formidable enemy.
"Why aren't you resting? You went through a lot last night," he asked.
"I can't sit still. I feel energized and full of life. The new power I gained last night has strengthened me significantly," Rei replied.
"Have a seat," the bald man said, gesturing to the couch before sitting down himself. "Has anything else changed?" he inquired.
"Yes… I'm not entirely sure because I haven't tested it, and honestly, I'm a bit scared to try... but I think I can control flames even without transforming first. I feel an inner certainty that if I thought about fire now, it would appear at my command."
"Try it," Dale encouraged. "You'll never know unless you see it for yourself."
"But what if something goes wrong? What if I set the hotel on fire or hurt you?" Rei hesitated.
"Nothing will happen. Just think of something small, something harmless, imagine a shape," he suggested.
Rei fell silent, focusing her thoughts. She mentally reached out to the flames, and after a moment, a miniature ball of swirling fire appeared in her open palm. Its red glow illuminated the bright white walls of the hotel room.
"It really works!" she exclaimed, delighted as she watched the strange globe of fire.
"You're much, much better at this than I ever was. It's clear you're the rightful owner of the Martian flame," Knight said with a smile, admiring Rei.
"You could do this too?" she asked.
"I could, but I gave the flame back to you — the one I spent years learning to control."
"You gave up something valuable…"
"It doesn't matter. It saved your life, and besides, it's back where it belongs."
"Arthur, tell me more about the Golden Millennium. What was it, why did it fall? Do all my friends use abilities from that time?" Rei had come to trust that the man wasn't deceiving her. She wanted to learn as much as possible.
"To be honest, everything I knew came from the dreams I had because of the flame that resided in me. I know that the Golden Millennium existed, but I don't have any significant details, I'm afraid. But let's not waste time talking. We have a demon to kill!" Dale stood up from the couch, put on his dark sunglasses, and grabbed the pistol lying on the nightstand.
"I'm going to find out what this is all about. And I won't be fooled like last time," Rei declared.
"It's good that you're staying alert, Rei, but don't be too harsh on that boy. I know he did something terrible, but people can be driven to awful things under the influence of dark forces."
"I'll try," she replied reluctantly.
Late in the afternoon, the three of them met in front of the crumbling house of the old woman, Mei's grandmother. The weather was worse than in previous days. Gray clouds covered the sky, threatening rain, although nothing suggested it would be as violent as the storm from the night before.
"Are we going in?" Rei asked, eyeing the dilapidated building with unease.
"No point in waiting. Let's get this over with," Dale replied.
"I've thought that many times before... but things always got worse for me," Masanori remarked, his voice tinged with apprehension.
"You didn't have us with you then," Dale responded, meeting his eyes. "Just remember one thing — if you try to betray Rei again, I'll kill you," he added with a cold smile.
"When she wins, I won't be so lucky," Masanori replied, lowering his gaze.
Impatient with their exchange, Rei moved toward the door. Dale stepped ahead of her, drawing his gun as he was the first to cross the threshold of the decrepit house. Inside, the air was still and lifeless, as if time had frozen in this forsaken place. Dust coated the furniture, the floor, and even the walls, which seemed to breathe under the weight of long-forgotten memories. The room they entered felt like it had witnessed countless tragedies. Strips of old wallpaper hung from the ceiling, once vibrant but now faded and peeling away as if trying to escape the cursed place. The wooden floorboards creaked with every step, as though the house itself was trying to warn them of the dangers that lay ahead. The air was thick with the smell of dampness and decay, like the very breath of death.
"I don't like this place," Masanori muttered, his voice trembling with unease.
"We're heading to the room where the transformation happened," Dale said firmly.
The three of them entered a chamber where strange, arcane symbols were etched into the dusty floorboards. Rei took out her ofuda but hesitated, something about the symbols caught her attention. The shapes and patterns were not just mysterious; they seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, as if they were remnants of some long-forgotten incantation.
"Arthur, you said that woman brought her granddaughter back from the grave. So why do these symbols on the floor indicate transformation? You told me that yourself yesterday."
"I wish I knew, Rei. Maybe something even stranger happened here than I could ever imagine, or your friend here has been feeding us lies," Dale replied, casting a suspicious glance at Masanori.
"No! I've heard about her return from the dead directly from her so many times that I could quote her word for word!" Masanori defended himself fervently.
"Fine. Rei, could you try using your spells?" Dale asked.
"I've been waiting for this!" Rei grinned broadly. She pulled out the talismans with ideograms painted in black ink and began whispering incantations, placing them on the walls and floor near the key elements of the magical symbols. Her spells were quiet, with no accompanying sound or visual effects. Masanori, though seemingly disappointed, secretly sighed in relief.
"Nothing happened?" Dale asked her.
"I don't know... wait," Rei hushed him, closing her eyes and trying to attune herself to the atmosphere of the place. She inhaled deeply, listening, sensing the slightest changes that might indicate her spells had taken effect. After a moment, she opened her eyes.
"Someone... or rather something, has appeared," she announced.
"Where?" Masanori asked, bewildered.
"Not here, elsewhere in the house..." Rei responded. "Follow me!" she commanded, leading the way.
Knight and Masanori trailed behind her. Within seconds, they reached a small room — the same one they had seen before, with clippings from newspapers detailing the circus tragedy, Mei's photograph, and the terrifying, decaying doll. All three of them froze in shock. There was an old woman sitting on the bed. Her figure was almost translucent, as if woven from mist, yet she radiated a dark power that was nearly overwhelming. She held the doll on her lap, gently stroking its hair and staring into its lifeless, glass eyes. The woman appeared to be fused with the doll on a spiritual level, unable to part with it even in death.
"What is that?" Masanori shouted, his voice breaking with fear.
Dale silenced him with a gesture. The old woman continued to caress the doll's hair. When she noticed that there were others in the room, she slowly turned to face them, clutching the doll closer to her chest. Her eyes were hollow, filled with an unearthly sorrow, yet they also bore a terrifying malevolence. Instead of a face that she might have once had, there was now only a shadow, like the lingering memory of a person who once lived here. She hugged the doll tighter, as if afraid someone might try to take it from her. The entire room seemed to hold its breath in anticipation as the old woman opened her mouth. No sound emerged, only a chilling cold that pierced the three intruders to their very cores. Next, the ghostly woman's voice was soft and eerie, as if it came from a distant place, echoing through the years.
"Mei-chan, your friends have come to see you. Be polite and say hello," she said, her tone filled with an unsettling sweetness. For a moment, she paused, as if listening to something only she could hear. Then, her expression darkened, and she continued, "No, Mei-chan, you mustn't go outside alone. We don't know them very well — they might be rude, bad friends."
Another pause, this one longer, more tense, as if the air itself had thickened with a growing malevolence. Then, with a sudden flash of anger, the old woman's voice rose. "They are very rude friends!" she hissed, her eyes blazing with a hatred that seemed to pierce the very air.
"Rei, get ready," Dale warned, his voice low and steady, but with an edge of tension.
The ghost's face twisted into a grotesque mask of fury. "Mei-chan will not play with such people!" she shrieked, hurling the doll towards Rei and the men. The doll's dead eyes snapped open, and an eerie, childish giggle escaped from its wooden mouth. Its limbs, once stiff and lifeless, now moved with an unnatural speed, its wooden hands reaching out towards Rei's face. Dale was quick, reacting with the reflexes of a seasoned demon hunter. He swung his fist, striking the doll with all his strength. The impact sent it crashing to the floor, but to his horror, the toy bounced back up as if propelled by some unseen force. It hurtled towards him, its tiny hands clawing at the air. Rei didn't hesitate. She focused on her newfound powers, feeling the energy surge through her. In her palm, a ball of fire materialized, its heat intense and its light casting long, flickering shadows across the walls. With a swift motion, she hurled the fireball at the doll. The room lit up with a blinding flash as the fiery orb collided with the cursed toy, engulfing it in an explosion of flames. The doll was obliterated in an instant, its wooden body disintegrating into smoldering fragments that scattered across the floor. The sound of crackling fire was drowned out by a chilling, high-pitched scream — the cry of a child, filled with agony and despair, echoing through the room like a haunting wail from beyond the grave. As the last embers flickered out, the ghostly woman let out a mournful, anguished cry, her form flickering like a dying candle. The room itself seemed to tremble, the walls groaning as if the house was coming alive with the spirit's wrath. The oppressive atmosphere grew thicker, more malevolent, as the very air seemed to pulse with a dark energy. The spirit's anger, now fully unleashed, began to manifest in the room. Shadows lengthened and twisted, taking on monstrous shapes that writhed and crawled across the walls. The temperature dropped sharply. A feeling of dread settled over, as if the house itself was trying to suffocate their resolve.
The ghost turned her hollow eyes towards Rei, her expression a mask of twisted rage. She stretched out her hands, and from the corners of the room, dark tendrils of energy began to emerge, snaking towards the trio with a sinister intent. Rei stood her ground, her eyes locked on the ghostly figure. "Stay behind me!" she commanded, her voice firm despite the fear gnawing at the edges of her courage. Summoning the flames again, she prepared for the next assault. Dale and Masanori quickly took their positions, readying themselves for whatever came next. The room seemed to close in around them, the walls pressing in as the ghost's power grew stronger, feeding off their fear and the dark history of the house.
"What have you done to my little Mei-chan?! What have you done to her, you monsters?!" the ghostly woman wailed, her voice filled with grief and despair. Her spectral eyes, glistening with tears, fixated on the charred remains of the doll that had just been destroyed. She buried her face in her trembling hands and began to sob, her cries echoing through the old house as if the very walls shared in her sorrow. The atmosphere in the room grew even heavier, and the air felt thick with dark energy. The apparition, consumed by her anguish, momentarily ceased defending the site of the transformation — the place where the first contact with the demonic force had occurred. The house seemed to shudder under the weight of her pain, as though every crack in the walls bore witness to an unspeakable tragedy.
Masanori, sensing the rising tension, looked around, trying to make sense of what was happening. "What's going on here?" he asked again, though he knew the answers might be beyond his understanding. Rei, who had been quietly observing the scene, suddenly lifted her head as if struck by a revelation. "I know what I need to do!" she said, thinking out loud. Her eyes sparkled with determination, and her voice brimmed with excitement.
"Really?" Dale Knight raised an eyebrow, surprised by her reaction.
"When my fire touched that doll, I understood. I know how I can recover my memories! I know what happened here!" Rei's voice trembled with anticipation. "Those patterns on the floor… they do involve transformation, but it's temporal! She tried to link the past with the future, to bring someone from a distant time, not place. But it seems she failed. The transformation was needed to move through the temporal dimension in a non-physical form!"
Dale, though surprised. "It amazes me how easily you tap into the flame's knowledge, girl," he remarked, watching her closely.
Rei turned to Masanori, her gaze steady and filled with certainty. "I have to do the same — I need to project my consciousness back to the moment of that tragedy! But I'll need someone who remembers those events more vividly, someone who can be my guide." Her words were directed at Masanori, and in her eyes, there was both a plea and a challenge.
"What? Do I have to relive that again?" Masanori's face paled with fear, his heart pounding faster.
"This is the only chance to confront the demon and free your life. Are you such a coward that you'd let it slip away?" Rei's voice was firm, almost ruthless.
Masanori, though filled with dread, finally relented. "No, I'll go with you. What do I need to do?" he asked, though his voice wavered slightly.
"Let's go back to that room. I'll use the Martian flame to open the gate." Rei's mind was set, her decisions swift and precise, as if the situation was crystal clear to her.
"What about me?" Dale asked, his eyes filled with concern.
Rei looked at him seriously. "Guard this place and make sure no one interferes with the gate. It must remain untouched until I return. Otherwise, my consciousness could cease to exist or become forever lost in the streams of time and space."
Dale nodded, his expression stern and resolute. "I won't let you down," he replied, his voice full of determination.
Rei, Masanori, and Dale were ready to act. The sense of dread hanging over the old house was palpable, but their resolve to uncover the truth and face the dark forces lurking in the shadows was even stronger. They were about to embark on a journey not just through time but into the heart of a terrifying mystery that would change them forever. Rei stared intently at the mysterious symbols drawn on the floor, as if deciphering a hidden meaning only she could understand. Her mind, intertwined with the enigmatic intellect of the Martian Flame, seemed to be in a trance, reaching beyond the bounds of human comprehension. After a moment, she squinted her eyes, as if bracing herself for a blinding light. In her hands, two vivid red flames appeared, pulsing with a rhythm that felt almost alive. She cast the flames onto the floor, and everyone held their breath, expecting the wood to catch fire. To their surprise, the flames didn't ignite the floorboards. Instead, they spread along the lines of the intricate pattern, as if the symbols had been drawn with gunpowder or some other highly flammable material. The fire didn't consume the wood but clung to the symbols, animating them with a sinister energy. The flames crawled along the floor, gradually converging into a single, larger stream of fire. Eventually, they coalesced in the center of the room, forming a pulsating portal that seemed like a window to another dimension, glowing with an ominous light. Rei turned to Masanori, her eyes gleaming with determination.
"Take my hand, we don't have much time," she said.
"What are you trying to do?" Masanori asked, his hesitation clear. His heart raced, and his mind was filled with dread.
"Don't ask questions, just trust me. Take my hand because we have to cross through the gateway together!" Her tone left no room for doubt.
"We're going into the fire?" Masanori could sense something unnatural about this, but he didn't dare to protest.
"Stop talking and give me your hand. We need to dive into our past." Rei reached out to him, her eyes filled with certainty and resolve.
Masanori, with a heart full of anxiety, finally lifted his hand and took hers. He felt her warmth, her touch both soothing and filled with an unknown power.
"Trust me," Rei repeated, and then, with a decisive step, she led him into the flaming portal. The fire enveloped them, but instead of pain, they felt a strange, almost transcendental sensation. The world around them began to blur, and they disappeared into the fiery gateway, leaving the demon hunter alone in the haunted house.