Chapter 6.
Suddenly, Ryan's eyes snapped open.
His heart pounded in his chest. He tried to scream, but no sound escaped—there was cloth tied tightly around his mouth. Panic surged through him as he realized his hands were bound behind his back. He was lying on the cold, hard ground, positioned on his left side. Confusion swirled in his head like a storm.
Where was he?
Were the Curses and dead bodies he saw earlier real?
Or… was this the reality?
Was he still dreaming?
He slowly looked up. Mahi was standing just a few feet away, absorbed in a screen-like device. A little further back, Kaito stood with his back turned, speaking to someone over the phone. The place they were in—it was dark, damp, and cave-like. A tunnel. Not the kind of place you accidentally woke up in.
Ryan started making muffled noises, struggling against his restraints.
Mahi's head snapped toward him. Her eyes widened.
"Kaito, he's awake!" she called out.
"Alright… got it. Okay, sir," Kaito replied into the phone before ending the call. He turned and approached with slow, deliberate steps.
"Finally awake, huh? You've been unconscious for the past fourteen hours," Kaito said, voice flat. "Mahi, take the gag off his mouth."
"Don't bark orders at me—I'm not your servant!" Mahi shot back, irritated.
"Yeah, yeah—just do it. Consider it an order from your senior."
"Hmph, calls himself a senior and thinks he's a king or something…" she grumbled under her breath, but knelt down and untied the cloth from Ryan's mouth anyway.
The moment it was off, Ryan exploded.
"Where the hell have you brought me?! Who the hell are you people?! Let me go right now, or I swear you'll regret it!"
Kaito's gaze narrowed dangerously.
"Oh really? What are you gonna do—kill us too, like you did that gang?"
"I didn't kill anyone! Let me go!" Ryan shouted, his voice cracking from stress and thirst.
"You think we're stupid enough to believe that just because you said it? Enough! Looks like you're not going to talk like this."
Without warning, Kaito grabbed Ryan by the collar and yanked him off the ground. With brutal force, he slammed Ryan against the wall behind him. The impact knocked the wind out of him—then came the fist. A harsh punch cracked across Ryan's face, drawing blood.
"I said tell us the truth!" Kaito shouted furiously. "Why did you kill that gang?! You didn't say a word when we questioned you that day. This is your last chance!"
Blood trickled from the corner of Ryan's mouth.
"I didn't do anything to them..." he croaked, staggering from the blow. "That night, one of their members tried to rob my shop. Later, I saw him with his gang harassing an old man. I just stepped in to help the man and teach them a lesson. They ran off, and I went home. That's all that happened that night!"
Kaito paused for a moment, eyes narrowing.
"Let's say I believe you. Then where's your proof?! And why didn't you tell us this at the restaurant?!"
Ryan's vision was spinning.
"You guys didn't even give me a chance to explain!" he snapped. "You left the restaurant before I could say anything! If you want proof, ask Mr. Masamune, the CEO of Shinjuku Marui Mall—I helped him that night!"
He didn't get to say another word. His body gave in, and he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious once more.
Kaito cursed under his breath and stuffed the cloth back into Ryan's mouth.
"Mahi, keep an eye on him. I'll be back."
"Where are you going?"
"To find out if he's telling the truth… or just lying."
"Alright."
---
Scene Change: Somewhere Else – A Call in a Hidden Chamber
A large chamber bathed in shadows.
A man sat behind a wide desk, clearly someone of high status. His voice was sharp, stressed.
"How is this even possible?! You know that place is in the heart of Tokyo—a public area!"
"Yes, sir, I'm aware," came the response on the other end. "But we still don't know how this happened. Where the Curses came from… and how Mr. Hanamoto turned into a Curse… we're investigating."
"Like I said, that location is in central Tokyo," the man said, voice rising. "That means reporters and crowds are probably already gathering. Send your team now and evacuate that area immediately. If you don't, those Curses will escape the building and start attacking civilians—and then the entire public will know!"
"Understood, sir. I'll send the team right away."
The man slammed the phone down and buried his face in his hands, gripping his hair.
"How can this be happening..." he muttered. "This is the first time something like this has occurred. If we don't get this under control quickly, the public will find out about the Curses… If the team doesn't evacuate people in time, those Curses might start attacking them!"
He exhaled sharply, tension visible in every breath.
---
Scene Change: Mr. Masamune's Office
"…Yes, after that, the gang ran off. Ryan also left that night without saying much," Mr. Masamune confirmed.
"I see," Kaito said, arms crossed. "But do you think it's possible that after that night, Ryan went after them again… and killed them?"
"No, I really don't think so," the older man replied. "He fought them to save me, yes. But I don't believe he would go so far as to kill them."
"Alright, Mr. Masamune. Thanks for sharing all that. That's all I needed to know. Please stay in touch in case we need to ask anything else. Thanks for your time."
---
Scene Change: Sidewalk in Daylight
Kaito walked briskly along a crowded sidewalk, lost in thought as people passed by him.
(I spoke to Mr. Masamune. But I still haven't found anything that proves Ryan guilty...)
---
Scene Change: Tunnel
Ryan's eyes fluttered open once more.
This time, he didn't make a sound. He heard Mahi behind him, talking to someone on the phone. He carefully sat up, every muscle tensed, and began rubbing the ropes on his wrists against the jagged edge of the wall behind him.
(I have to get out of here silently—no matter what. I don't know what they're planning to do to me...) he thought, heart racing.
Mahi's voice echoed softly.
"Yeah, come over here and then we'll decide… Yeah, okay!"
Ryan's wrists were nearly free when she ended the call and turned around.
He quickly slid his hands back into their original position, pretending to still be bound.
"You're up again? And how are you sitting up?" she asked suspiciously.
As soon as she stepped closer, Ryan acted.
He grabbed a handful of dust and dirt from the ground and flung it into her eyes.
"You bastard!" Mahi screamed, rubbing furiously at her stinging eyes.
Ryan bolted to his feet and ran.
"I said stop!" she yelled, voice venomous.
With a shimmer of movement, Mahi Phantom Blinked directly in front of him, her fist already flying with terrifying speed.
"Enough already!" Ryan shouted, breath ragged. "You people have pushed me too far!"
Just as her punch was about to connect, Ryan grabbed her wrist mid-air. With all the strength he had left, he hurled her sideways into the wall.
Mahi didn't even get a chance to Blink again. She slammed into the wall with a sickening thud and crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.
Ryan didn't stop. He turned and sprinted, out of the tunnel and into the daylight. After running for what felt like forever, he finally spotted a road in the distance.
He stumbled toward it, panting.
(I have to get out of here as fast as possible. One thing's for sure—they're definitely not with the government!)
___
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