Yuzuha stood frozen. Her body refused to move, refused to acknowledge the danger creeping closer. The figure before her stepped forward, devouring the distance between them. The air turned suffocating as he finally emerged under the moonlight.
And then—she saw them.
Those oceanic, inhumanly blue eyes.
The very same eyes that haunted her nightmares, lurking in the shadows of every tragedy. No matter where she turned, they had always been watching, waiting.
Her breath hitched.
"What's wrong, Yuzuha?"His voice was deep, rich with amusement. "Can you recognize these eyes?"
She wanted to deny it, wanted to scream—but her voice had abandoned her.
A low chuckle rumbled from behind his mask. "You're trembling," he observed, tilting his head. "How adorable." Then, he sighed, almost disappointed. "Fine. Let me answer those burning questions in that pretty little head of yours."
The night itself seemed to hold its breath as he whispered,
"Do you want to know who killed your dogs?"
The world tilted beneath her feet.
"It was me."
Yuzuha staggered back.
"They barked too much,"he continued, his voice void of remorse. "They saw me. Noticed me. I can't stand noisy things." A pause. Then—his lips curled. "So I silenced them."
A deep, sickening nausea twisted inside her. Her hands curled into fists. "You monster," she whispered, fury shaking her voice.
She lunged, aiming to strike him.
But he caught her wrist effortlessly, his gloved fingers tightening like a noose.
"Oh, Yuzuha."He clicked his tongue. "Trying to hit me with these delicate little hands? Adorable."
She ripped her arm away, her breath uneven.
And then he said it.
"I also killed your landlord, Onami-san."
Her blood ran cold.
"And the man in the apartment down the hall?" A slow smirk. "I severed his head."
No.
"I placed it at the top of the stairs, let the blood trickle down—down—like a crimson carpet." He chuckled. "His body lay at the bottom. A masterpiece, wasn't it?"
"NO,NO,NO,NO"
"And Kenzo?"His voice turned almost sweet, mocking. "Your beloved Kenzo?"
Yuzuha's heart stopped.
"I killed him too."
A sharp gasp escaped her lips.
"He loved your body."
She recoiled, her breath ragged. And he laughed. A delighted, cruel sound that sent ice through her veins.
"Oh, Yuzuha… do you know who Eiji is?"His smile widened beneath the mask.
Her vision blurred.
"He never existed." His voice was soft now, almost tender. "He was just a shadow. My shadow."
Yuzuha stumbled back. Her stomach twisted.
"No way…" she whispered.
He crouched before her, lifting a stray strand of hair from her tear-streaked face.
"Poor, naïve Yuzuha."
Her breath came in short, panicked gasps.
"And your dear best friend, Aoi? The drug addict?" He chuckled. "She fed me information. And in return, I fed her drugs."
Yuzuha choked on a sob.
"Your relatives?" His voice darkened. "The ones who suddenly disappeared after your parents died?"
A long pause.
"I killed them all."
Her legs trembled. The world was spinning.
"So tell me, Yuzuha…" He tilted his head. "Can you finally see the world for what it is?"
She shook her head violently. "No… no… no…"
He sighed, almost disappointed. "Denial is a weak man's shield."His eyes gleamed. "And you, Yuzuha… you are weak."
The words slashed into her like cold steel.
"But don't worry, my porcelain doll."
The way he said it—possessive, final—sent a shiver of pure dread down her spine.
And then, slowly—deliberately—he reached up.
And removed his mask.
A jagged scar stretched from the corner of his lips to his cheek, as if someone had tried to carve a permanent smile into his skin. His lips, blood-red, curled into something terrifyingly inhuman. And those blue eyes—hungry, consuming—glowed with a twisted pleasure.
Yuzuha shivered.
"I am the one you fear most,"he whispered, his smile widening. "The one who owns you."
Her body reacted before her mind. She turned—ran.
Barefoot, the rough pavement tore at her skin, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop.
Behind her, laughter echoed.
"Run, little fairy."
His voice was playful.
"But you know, don't you?"
His footsteps followed, slow and unhurried.
"I always catch what belongs to me."
Yuzuha ran harder. The city blurred. Everything else ceased to exist—except survival.
Then—
"Did you know who I am?"
His voice carried through the wind, deep, mocking, cutting into her like a blade.
"The infamous mafia lord…"
Yuzuha's heart pounded.
"DARK SHADOW."
Her blood turned to ice.
"It's me—the one you hate the most."
She gasped. And then—
Click.
Pain.
A gunshot.
Yuzuha collapsed, a scream ripping from her throat. Blood soaked through her skin, hot and thick.
She clutched at her leg, gasping, shaking.
Footsteps.
Slow. Measured. Approaching.
A shadow loomed over her.
Then—warm fingers grasped her chin, tilting her face up.
"You tried to run?"His voice was silk and steel.
Tears spilled from her eyes. "Please… don't touch me."
He repeated her words, mocking. Then, he smirked.
"Oh, Yuzuha… this is only the beginning."
His hand struck the side of her neck—sharp, precise.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
And the game began.