“Ah…” I weakly open my eyes to see a man standing next to me. He was holding onto a wooden stake high up with both of his hands in a conspicuous way.

I don’t know how or why I got into this situation, but this doesn’t look like something I want to be a part of. I’m also guessing that he’s not standing there just to say ‘it’s just a prank’ because of the maddening look in his eyes.

“You…” he said.

I struggle underneath him when he goes on top of me, but his body weight pins me down on the floor. I tried to shove him away with both of my hands, but he just wouldn’t give way.

He then starts to laugh while he saw my futile struggle. And when he was done laughing, he looked at me straight in the eyes and shouted.

“YES!”

He starts to swing down the wooden stake and continuously stab my chest.

“ARGHHH!” I screamed out. 

There wasn’t any blood that came out, but each stab sent agonizing pain to flood my body in a myriad of ways. At first it felt like I was burning and moments later, I felt as if I was being electrocuted.

I screamed out louder, but my cries of help weren’t answered. It was just my voice and his hysterical laughter the only things that could be heard.

“Arghh… ak” My roars of pain where getting softer as each second passed. But he just kept on going and going, not even slowing down a single beat.

Why was this happening to me? Did I do something to make him do this?

“… Rei… wa… up!”

Minutes of agony later, I could faintly hear Al’s voice, but my mind was mostly preoccupied with thoughts of everything just ending. The pain was making me feel numb that I almost forgot that there was a person sitting right on top of me.

I couldn’t even be bothered anymore, I was going to die here in the hands of someone that I tried to help.

Maybe the reason why I’m in this sort of situation in the first place was because I tried to help him.

What if I just ignored them at that alley and moved on? Would any of this have happened to me? Those kind of thoughts surfaced in my mind a few times. But that didn’t matter anymore.

I don’t know. I can’t see or predict the future anyway. And it won’t change the outcome if I start thinking about the ‘what if’s’.

“…” I’m dead tired, and the constant throes of pain made my senses completely numb now. But, there’s something that I can do to alleviate that.

I just need to close my eyes and sleep.

“…?” Before I could close my eyes and just let it all go. I felt something comforting touch my shoulder and back. It grew in numbers with each passing second of when I first noticed it.

I couldn’t look at what those things are because of my weakening body, but it felt like they were hands. A lot of hands.

“Pul… out… now!” I heard someone’s choppy voice and my weakening body started to regain its energy.

“… can’t do… here… e’ll tear… hole i… mind if… forcibly pull… any aid… need him to find… source… first, so… can make… hrough there. Or we kill… pers… this…” I heard another choppy voice after the first one.

“Shit… Rei… want yo… closely! We’ll… you… but… need… do… irst. Somewhere… now, something… look out of place. I… know wha… is, but you’ll definitely… that it shouldn’t be… once… find… touch it, okay!?”

My mind was still wondering on who they were, but if I piece together what they were trying to say. It should be ‘something that should look out of place and touch it’ was what I suppose they meant.

I look up at the deranged man and saw that he was being held in place by many glowing gray hands that were protruding out of the air. He was struggling very hard to gain his freedom, and one hand came off each time he did so.

I really didn’t know what was happening, but I should get as far away as possible from him first.

“Ah…” I pulled myself away from the man and got up.

I ran away from him while it was raining heavily outside. I couldn’t be bothered to pick up my umbrella anymore, as the preservation of my life was more important than catching a cold.

Making the decision to head towards the center of the city where there were a lot of people who could help me, I ran. I just hope that he wouldn’t get loose before I could get some help.

“Haa…” I forced my tired legs even if they were shaking to keep on moving. If I were to stop now, I’d probably die, is what my mind was telling me.

“?” There was also something strange that I noticed while I was running.

Even after I was almost at the center of the city, I didn’t even meet anyone on the way here. If I’m correct, it should only be about a few minutes past seven when I went out of the apartment, and usually people are still loitering at this time.

Hmm…

“…” I just shrugged it off a second later, thinking that they may be having dinner inside their homes. But that wasn’t the case when I entered the inner parts of the city.

There wasn’t a single soul in sight. I even went inside some of the buildings, and I found nothing. Not even a single living being besides me was there. Not even the potted plants that should be at the front entrance of a hotel that I saw when I looked around on the first day.

I was clearly somewhere other than the real world. Otherwise, I think I was already dead, and this is the afterlife.

“…ah” I don’t know what to think anymore. Everything is just so confusing. Why can’t someone just appear out of nowhere and tell me what was going on or at least give me someone to unload my pent up frustrations on everything that was happening.

…

I wish Al were here with me. He’ll listen to what I have to say. Even if does talk a lot, and most of the time he unleashes a barrage of nutritional and safety facts that will make your head hurt.

Putting aside my thoughts of wanting someone to talk with for the first time. I went over to the other side of the counter where the receptionist should be. I hid myself under it so that I could think for a few minutes.

“Al?” I first tried calling out to the voice that was here to help me out, but he doesn’t answer. And even after few more times, still no response.

I guess I’m all alone on this one.

With my pessimistic mindset kicking in. I was really thinking that I should just hide here and wait until someone rescues me. Or will help even come? This place IS definitely not normal, and my chances of being rescued while I’m in here would be impossible if I think abou-.

I slap my face hard to snap myself out from that train of thought.

Thinking like this and moping around here wasn’t the answer. I should try to come up with something to get out by myself.

First things first, what should I do?

…

Hmm… there was that thing that that voice told me about, but I don’t know what it meant. It just said to find something out of place and touch it, but that’s kind of hard when I’m inside an unfamiliar city filled with a lot of things. For all I knew, anything could be out of place.

“Vantage point…”

Yeah… I need to go up. If I need to look for something, then going up and seeing from a bird’s point of view would be the best place to start looking. If I can’t, then I’d just need to move on to another taller building and try again.

After I rested for a few minutes to regain my energy to move properly without panting. I used one of the elevators to head to the highest floor of the hotel. I then walked up towards the roof and opened the door.

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“Rain…?” I moved towards the edge and took in the sight before me.

It was still raining though, so everything might be a little blurry. But even under the dark veil of the night, I noticed something very conspicuous immediately. It was like the elephant in the room, but more… noticeable, if that was possible.

“…” It made me speechless looking right at it, as it was unimaginable for something like that to be floating up in the air. Much less existing at all.

“A heart…” I let a beat pass before I muttered what it was.

There was a floating human heart at the top of the highest tower of the city.

…

A gigantic, glowing red, beating heart is floating up in the air! If that wasn’t something out of place, then I don’t know what is.

“Haha…” I laughed dryly, not even knowing why I did so. Maybe the craziness was getting to me, I just hope I’d stay sane after everything was over.

Now that I found my supposed way out. I just have to get up to it and touch the thing. Sounds easy enough.

When I was about to go down, however. I saw the door to the roof being opened slightly. It was accompanied by a hysterical laughter that rings through my eardrums, even with the noise that the raindrops were making when they hit the floor.

My tension rises, as there was only one person with me inside the city right now, and that person was out to kill me.

“!” I panicked because the stairs were the only way to get down from the rooftop, and that there wasn’t any place to hide here.

I rack my brain, trying to come up with something. And there was one thing that came into mind, but that would be stupid. Very stupid.

While I was thinking of other alternative ways of escape. The door fully opens and a man wielding a wooden stake comes into view. My panic meter reached full, and my body just did the first thing that came into mind.

I jumped from the rooftop.

“WAAA!” This was a completely stupid and suicidal thing to do, but there is a chance of survival. If only I don’t mess my timing up. I’m praying that I would get lucky and make it just this once.

Just this once…

I was getting ready to grab onto the ledge that was a few feet below me, while the cold air was hitting my face and body.

“AH!” I reached out to it, but my hand slipped on the surface due to the rain.

I didn’t give up though, as I tried it one more time when I reached the next ledge, but my accelerating speed from falling made me unable to grab hold of it properly. It made a loud noise as my hand whacked the concrete hard and I continued to fall.

I was already half way down, and my chances of making it weren’t looking so good.

Just this once!

When I reached the next ledge, I used both of my hands to grab onto it. It was a success! But when I did so, both of my hands made a loud cracking sound.

“Argh!” I pulled myself up, and that motion sent intense pain to register in my head when I did so. I definitely broke a bone or few.

“Haaa…haaaa…haaaaa…” Panting hard, I crawled to the nearest window and went inside. It was a good thing that I was being pumped with adrenaline because of the jump, but I needed to move quick before it wears off.

I rushed to the door of the room and went out. I then ran towards the elevator while trying not to move both of my arms if it wasn’t necessary. Even with the adrenaline, it still hurts a lot when I move them by even a little.

“…” I impatiently waited for a couple of minutes before the elevator doors opened so that I could go down.

When I arrived at the bottom floor, I then ran outside under the rain. The feeling of being cooled down by the drops of water and the searing pain that was spreading from my hands was an odd experience. It was as if I was having a cold while being wrapped around a warm blanket.

Now that I was outside, I try recall where the building was.

“Uhm…” I muttered while thinking. 

It should be a few blocks north from where I was, so I just have to get there before that man catches me. But I get this strange feeling that he might catch up, some way or another.

As I was thinking that, I heard a loud crashing noise from behind me. Turning back to look at it, I saw a body in a pool of blood on the sidewalk.

He must have fallen from somewhere high up, since he made a large crack and there were bones sticking out of his body. It was a gruesome sight to say the least.

“Heh…” It seemed that he was still alive because he let out a sound from his mouth.

I moved in closer to check up on him, but I stop my feet from moving forward when I was a few meters away from him.

“HeHEHEhehehEHhhEHeheh” Every strand of hair in my body was currently standing up because of his laughter.

My senses started to stir into a disarrayed mess, as every fiber of my being was telling me to run away as fast as possible.

"!" More sounds of something hitting the ground soon followed from all around me.

I look at where the noises were coming from and saw that it was the same bloodied body scattered everywhere.

I then look up to see where they were falling from, only to be surprised that there were doppelgangers or people who looked like the man who assaulted me jumping down from the buildings in the vicinity. It definitely was a remarkable sight, but not in a good way though.

My face cramps up as I look at the suicidal rain of men, and without a moments delay, I ran.

I ran as fast as these legs of mine could propel me forward. I didn’t give a damn about what was happening behind me anymore. I just wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible.

This is a nightmare and I can’t slap myself awake this time.

“Hah… hah…” When I finally made it to the building where the heart was, I was already panting as if I was about to die.

The feeling of my lungs about to shut down and give up didn’t deter me, as my drive to escape was pushing me onward.

Out of curiosity, however, I look behind me just to check if they were indeed following me.

That definitely was a bad idea.

There were more than seven dozen men with mangled bodies coming towards me. Some of them were even limping, but most of them were using both of their hands to crawl when their feet wasn’t in a good state anymore.

They just marched on and didn’t think or care about their own well-being. I can’t say that they were even thinking of anything at all besides catching up to me.

I turned around and immediately went inside of the building. And much to my dismay, the situation inside was no different from what was behind me.

“AH!” I scramble, as I dodge to the right to evade a wooden stake coming towards my face.

There were four other copies of the man inside, and I’m sure there would be more to come.

As I thought of how my situation couldn’t get any worse. I saw the elevator open with a dozen other men coming out of it. Safe to say, this place is well guarded.

Of courses it would be. Can’t have my only way out to be so easy to get to.

I pushed the man with everything I had, making him fall on his back. I then left the others to chase after me, as I dashed towards the stairs, hoping that I don’t meet anyone else there. Luckily, there weren’t any.

I then rushed up, giving it my all just to maintain some distance with the men behind me.

I made it to a few floors up from where I started in a matter of minutes.

There really wasn’t anything I could do besides running and hiding. It’s not like I could fight them, and even if I could, I’d still run away.

“Hah…” If I felt like I was dying a few minutes ago, then I think I’m in hell right now.

Stairs are the bane of my existence. Getting tired while walking or running up on them would probably the reason for my death.

Shaking my head from side to side. I put aside my thoughts of how these stairs were going to kill me someday.

I pushed myself forward and started to run up again. It probably wasn’t a good idea to cover the whole distance to the top just by running, and I probably won’t even make it if I’m dead tired and hurting like this. Therefore, I went out of the stairs on the next floor and into the hall.

I then checked to see if there was anybody near the elevator.

“…” I waited for a few more minutes before I finally tip toed my way there when I couldn’t endure the growing intensity of pain in both of my hands anymore.

I painfully pushed the button, ran back to where I was, and observed it with my head peeking out of the corner.

When it opened, I saw that there wasn’t anyone inside of it. So I made my way towards the elevator again and pushed the button to go as high up as possible… or that should be what they were expecting me to do.

Changing my mind, I push the button again to the floor below the highest.

You have to think of what the enemies are thinking if you want to win. Well, that’s what I’ve learned from one of the novels that I read in the past.

The door opens and I was glad to see that there wasn’t anyone there. It was going so well right now and I hope it stays that way until this is finished. I can’t handle any more surprises that would get thrown at me.

“…” I sneak towards the hallway, looking vigilantly from left to right, corner to corner, and trying to be as careful as possible.

I don’t know why, but I get the feeling like something is about to pop out from somewhere and drag me inside one of the rooms. It was also giving me the chills and my mind was in a constant state of alert throughout the whole floor. And that isn’t just because of my pessimism kicking in. I really did feel something odd about this place.

When I finally reached the stairs, I hurriedly climbed up. I didn’t even check if there was anyone up above me because of the feeling that something really was behind me.

That floor made me very much restless, and my eyes were darting from here to there so much that my head hurts.

I then saw the door that led to the rooftop, and opened it slowly. I peeked through the small gap to check if there was anybody there, and to my surprise and delight, there wasn’t anyone in sight. No maniacs trying to kill. No mangled and bloody bodies crawling and limping. No one.

“Hmm…” I walk outside to the metal stairs that lead to the gigantic heart and I noticed something when I was near enough to it.

I could hear a slight thumping noise once every two seconds or so. It was calming when it made those sounds, but I knew that it was just a momentary lapse of thought to ease my overstressed mind.

Everything happening to me right now felt so surreal, that I really thought that I was just dreaming.

But I wasn’t.

“…?” When I was close enough to reach out to the heart, I notice something odd.

How could they just leave this place unguarded when everywhere else is packed with clones? If they really didn’t want me to escape, then surely they would at least put someone here.

“I want to this to end now…” I brushed away my suspicions and touched the heart. But when my hand made contact with it, It began to beat faster and louder.

A piston like beating now replaced the slow and calm thumping rhythm that it had a moment ago.

“!” I quickly retracted my hand on impulse because I didn’t know what was happening or if what I did was something bad, but… I think I just gave away my location for everyone else to know.

I heard the door to the roof being forcefully opened, and a dozen men holding wooden stakes came rushing in.

They kept coming out of the doorway like a horde of bees coming out of the nest to protect its queen.

And when the last man finally entered the roof, more than a hundred of them were surrounding me.

It was very intimidating when those large quantities of people were staring at you with a deranged look. Couple that with the hysterical laugh that they made, it would frighten any man or woman alive.

Looking at the impending danger that was surrounding me. I quickly reached out and touched the heart again, only for a small black hole to appear where I touched it.

The heart was then swallowed up inside of the hand-sized hole, like a vacuum cleaner when cleaning dirt. Leaving nothing behind.

“…” After it was all gone and no traces of the heart was left. The horde of maniacs in the roof started to vanish into thin air one by one while doing a synchronized laugh.

My body then began to weaken again. I fell backwards because of my sudden lack of energy, and my back hits the cold and wet ground.

It felt like something was being sucked out of me, and I can’t stop whatever it was from leaving.

“Thank you for the assistance, lad. You just made things much easier for me” I heard the lunatic man’s voice one last time before I lost consciousness.