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V10 Story III – Part 05

“…What?”

Baffled, I raised my hands. My suit was completely dry, and a leather glove covered my left hand.

Nausea surged within me once more. I placed my hands against the bathtub’s edge to steady my wobbling body. My head throbbed in pain, as if my brain were being poked.

I turned to Mayuzumi. “Mayu-san… Where are we? What am I doing here?”

The dead child’s bathtub was supposed to be filled with decaying roses, but this one was empty. The drain was grimy with encrusted limescale. I had never been here before. What was I doing in an unfamiliar place?”

“What are you talking about, Odagiri-kun? We’re in the room of the girl that the kids follow around. You just saw her a while ago, didn’t you? The assumption was her bathroom had nothing to do with the accident, but the boy actually died here.”

Clang!

Mayuzumi tapped the edge of the bathtub with the parasol, producing a hollow sound. It was empty, after all.

“They lured the boy out in the dead of night, killed him, removed the body, dried it with a towel, changed him into spare pajamas, and placed him back in bed. The next morning, after the staff checked on him, the kids all carried him and tossed him into the bathtub. A rather shoddy trick. Had the staff just shaken him, they would’ve found out what happened immediately. The culprits must’ve known that the staff wouldn’t do that based on their daily routine. As birthrates dropped, support from the Reisen Girls’ Academy was cut. This place is kind of left to its own devices. The staff thinks there’s no obligation to educate young ladies and gentlemen. That’s why they brought in a terrifying entity to the mansion without much checking. And the result is this—and that.”

Mayuzumi smirked. She was likely referring to the staff who had fallen from the rooftop. My vision wavered once more.

Shivering, I asked. “What do you mean by terrifying entity?”

“This was initially just a nursery. Even if the kids here have potential, they still need a clear leader with unmistakable cruelty to guide them. Someone who creates an idol like the witch and use it to their advantage, or consistently wins the Witch’s Game, where the victor gains absolute authority. Now what happens when the person in power lacks humanity?”

Mayuzumi smiled slightly. Words I’d heard from earlier replayed in my mind.

“You can ask the witch to tell you your fortune. And once you get the result, you have to spend the whole day following it. The Witch’s Game follow the same rules. The loser has to obey the winner!”

The former and the latter were not related. At the children’s request, Kotori told fortunes. It was the children’s choice to spend the day as foretold. Initially, the rules of the game set by the girl were unrelated to the fortune-telling, but the two were forcibly linked. The girl used the title of the witch to give the absurd game a foundation. But a game means nothing unless you win.

Another scene played in my mind. The assertive girl casually dropped a dice from her sleeve, then took out a different dice from between her fingers, and rolled it. Thinking back, she was clearly cheating.

The girl had concealed dice in her sleeve. The victor ordered the loser to fly. The loser, a girl, soared around the mansion and returned. Then, shortly after, a person fell from the rooftop.

“Wait a minute…”

“Put the staff in a bag, tie their hands and feet so they can’t stand. This is the only part that requires numbers. After that, you leave the staff on the rooftop, let the child who lost the game fly, and push their body bit by bit. If the staff struggles, they’ll fall on their own. In other words, everyone is an accomplice. It would’ve still been better if she acted on her own.”

I gasped. A child drowned, and a grownup fell to their death. How could anyone commit such cruel acts without reason? But then, I came to a realization.

There was a reason. Memory flashed.

The girl was dragging the boy she disliked, treating him like a toy. Surprisingly, a staff scolded her.

“You shouldn’t drag your friends like that.”

Reprimanded, she apologized to the boy, lowering her head in displeasure.

As a result, the boy drowned, and the staff member fell from the rooftop.

Memories dimmed. The headache intensified. Something was off about this memory.

I met the girl after the boy’s death. It was I who scolded her, not a staff member. But thinking back, the boy who died and the one who was dragged around had the same face. Both had scratches on their cheeks.

I finally realized why I recognized the ghost. My confusion escalated. Things didn’t make sense. It felt like watching a film with a disjointed timeline. I pressed my head. Mayuzumi looked at me boredly.

It felt like my brain was being stirred. But I brushed aside the confusion. I couldn’t waste time on pointless thoughts. More importantly, I needed to confront the facts. I had to inform the staff of the children’s actions. Or call the cops.

“Mayu-san, we can’t just leave things like this. We need to act before there’s another victim.”

“You say that, but I have some bad news, Odagiri-kun. This is a closed case,” she said casually.

Crack.

Mayuzumi bit into the chocolate. Fragments of the sweet confection fell.

I frowned. I couldn’t process what she just said. What did she mean that this was a closed case? It hadn’t ended yet.

Mayuzumi opened her mouth again, her lips moving up and down mechanically. “A staff member transported the victim to the hospital at the foot of the mountain. The children’s punishment will be postponed until their death is confirmed. Of course, the kingdom’s ruin is inevitable. They understand that much. But in the meantime, do you think they’ll let the other staff live?”

Mayuzumi tilted her head. That’s why we needed to act urgently.

I swallowed the words. Mayuzumi’s tone was strange, devoid of human-like inflections. It was as if she were narrating the contents of a finished story.

“Plus, there’s even a wicked witch in this mansion,” she added.

Suddenly, small shadows began to appear behind her. One by one, uniforms multiplied. Glinting eyes blinked many times. Someone nudged another, stifling a laugh. Playful little feet pitter-pattered.

Despite the commotion behind her, Mayuzumi showed no reaction at all. Boredly, she continued nibbling on the chocolate.

“With everything settled, I wonder what will happen next? I already know, but you are in for some surprises from here on out.”

Countless hands reached out from behind. Roundish palms pushed against my body, numerous arms thrusting me away.

Splash.

I plunged into a bathtub filled with water, the liquid rushing into me through different openings.

My lungs burned, my throat ached. I stared at the shimmering water surface. I tried to move my legs to stand up, but I noticed my legs were bound with a colorful rope. My arms were tied to the faucet jutting out over the bathtub. Water gushing out struck my face hard.

Water flowed into my lungs. Desperately, I pulled my arms. My elbow creaked and my wrist was chafed.

Each movement was accompanied by a dance of countless bubbles in my vision. I continued on regardless. Staying still meant death. The fear made me forget the pain.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

As I twisted around over and over, the old faucet shifted. I moved my arms up and brought it down.

Thud!

The old faucet detached, and water sprayed out. My hands were finally free.

I grabbed the bathtub’s edge. With my hands still tied, I tried to steady myself, battling against the strong current. My strained muscles screamed in agony. I couldn’t breathe anymore. My fingers trembled.

Images of the dead child in the bathtub flashed in my mind. My heart drummed in my chest. Fear filled my brain.

I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die. I will not die!

Then, my trembling fingers steadied just a little bit.

Carefully avoiding slipping, I pushed my face out of the water, and my mouth momentarily obtained oxygen. But I was immediately attacked by intense splashes. Resting my chin on the edge, I tried not to slip, propping up my body precariously. Extending my arms outward, I shifted my weight carefully.

My body dropped. I slipped from the bathtub, falling on the tiles and rolling forward.

I coughed up water a number of times. My throat whistled. I checked my hands and feet; the colorful rope was actually a skipping rope. It was loosening.

I bit the rope and pulled my wrist free. My numb arm could move. Shivering, I reached for the rope around my feet. I couldn’t untie it, so I pulled it wider to free my legs.

Crouching on the tiles, I curled up, my teeth chattering uncontrollably. It was unbearably cold. I couldn’t stand up. My mind was frozen, terrified by the pure malice.

The walls seemed to close in. I closed my eyes tightly. The only sound I could hear was my ragged breathing. But then, my mind rapidly calmed down.

I couldn’t stay here like this. They would come to check the body. Encouraging my shaking knees, I stood up.

Step by step, I moved forward, dragging my body. Water spread under my feet with each step. I felt like a wet rag. I wiped the liquid dripping down my chin; whether it was water or drool, I couldn’t tell.

I exited the bathroom. Stuffed toys lined the girl’s lovely room. Mayuzumi was nowhere to be seen. I headed straight out.

The corridor was empty, and it was dark outside the window. Strangely, there was no one in sight.

Feeling relieved, I walked along the long carpet, wet footsteps echoing emptily. An overwhelming silence enveloped the space, and suddenly, I felt uneasy about the absence of anyone.

Where did everyone disappear to? I peered outside. My eyes caught a dazzling light.

Something was burning downstairs. Someone was standing in front of the entrance, basking in the red glow. Her arms were spread wide, a black cloak fluttering behind her.

The flames burned bright. Suddenly, I heard voices. The sound of children crying. Why hadn’t I heard it until just now?

It was coming from downstairs. They seemed to be confined somewhere. There was banging on the walls, and soon, the cries turned into agonizing screams, like the high-pitched screeching of musical instruments.

The flames intensified, the tips reaching the window of the hallway where I stood. Red arms grasped the window frame. Glass shattered and pierced my eyeballs, staining my vision with blood. Fiery fingertips gently took my hand.

My leather glove burned, starting from the edge, exposing the skin of my left hand. Someone’s hand held my fingers. I blinked repeatedly.

Kotori was kneeling before me, holding my hand. Underneath her was a bare lawn. The winter wind brushed against my cheeks. The clear sky was an elegant black.

I was standing under the night sky.