At first, Ren didn't react. His eyes were empty, glossed over in a haze of unbearable pain. His body trembled—whether from the coldness of the room or the overwhelming blood loss was unclear—but he looked less like a man and more like discarded meat.
A torso and head, nothing more. No limbs, no strength, no resistance left.
Then he heard it—barking.
Sharp, erratic barking, followed by the rapid tapping of claws against tile. A chorus of footsteps, fast and many, approaching.
His breath hitched. His pupils quivered. "W-What… What is that? What are you going to do to me?!" he rasped, voice raw and broken from all his screams.
Haruto tilted his head and gave him a smile that chilled to the bone. "Oh? Come on, Ren. You already know."
Ren's heart pounded in his ears as the door creaked open again. Old Futto entered, looking pale and shaken.
