I wake up in an empty and dark place as soon as I open my eyes. I'm sitting on the floor, and when I look down, I can see my reflection. When I wanted to get up, I felt I couldn't move my legs. "Anyone? Is there anyone out there?" I tried to call for someone, but my voice echoed. "Someone! Help me!" Immediately after I said those words, I heard that familiar gun sound from behind, making me turn around. Fear and anxiety made my heartbeat go faster. It's like I'm being chased even though I'm sitting still.
"You asked what's the reason why your parents died." Night's voice echoed, but he was nowhere to be seen. "It's all your fault." He said, making me feel a pang on my head. The pain made me crouch while holding on to both of my ears to block Night's voice.
"S-Stop."
"IT'S YOUR FAULT."
"Stop it!"
The continuous sound of my panting was the first thing that greeted me as soon as I opened my eyes. My forehead creased after seeing an unfamiliar ceiling. Even with my blurry eyesight, I can immediately tell that I am not in my room right now, but where am I? As I got up from lying, that pang on my head made me wince in pain. It was short yet agonizing; it made me unable to notice that I had already grabbed the bedsheet firmly. "Where is this place?" When my vision got clearer, I noticed the unfamiliar interior of this room. I got off the bed, and when my feet landed on the floor, I felt how different it was. It's smooth and soft on my feet, but it's not soft like a carpet. Instead, the floor looks like it's made out of straw matting.
I crouched and touched the floor to make sure. The only house I know that uses straw matting are Japanese houses. How did I know that? My father lived in Japan when he was younger, and I visited his hometown when I was little. There's no way I'm mistaking this, but how? Am I in Japan?" "Oh! Young miss, you've woken up!" It felt like my heart stopped when the sliding door opened suddenly, and a girl's loud voice permeated the room. "I-I'm sorry for surprising you." The girl wearing a kimono with an apron said. With the way she looks, I think I might really be in Japan.
"I-It's fine, but who are you?" And why is she calling me young miss? Is she one of our servants? But this was the first time I met her.
The girl flashes a bright smile. "My name is Rika, and I'll attend to the lady's needs from this day forward." She bowed at me after that. Attending to my needs? How could that be? Even at home, my nanny is the one who tends to my needs. So, why is there another personnel here? Did my father hire— I felt my heart dropping after the memories of what happened the other day flashed inside my head. Our house is covered in blood, and the sound of the gunshot still makes my ears ring.
I gasped as I quickly removed my clothes. "Y-Young miss?" Rika panicked as she didn't know what to do, but I continued undressing, rummaging my whole body and searching for a wound. T-This can't be. I-I know he shot me. He aimed his gun at my chest and pulled the trigger without hesitation. But why is there no wound in my body? And why am I still alive?
My breathing grew heavier as tears started to fall downs. "M-My parents. Where are they?" I looked at this girl before me, but she couldn't answer. She looks like she doesn't even know the answer. "I-I need to go." I stood up from the floor and sauntered towards the sliding door. Every step I took felt heavy; my heart felt heavy.
"Y-You can't leave, young miss." Rika grabbed my arms, and I tried to push her away, but I felt weak. "P-Please, you need to stay here. The lady's parents are already gone." She said as if it was that easy to tell someone that the most important people in their life are dead.
I gasped as I held onto my chest. It hurts; it hurts so much. Even though I don't have a visible wound, it's like Night really shot me in my chest. The pain won't subside. "H-How could you say that? T-They're not dead! Let me go!" Due to my emotions overflowing, I pushed Rika away from me as I cried my eyes out. "No! My parents aren't dead. They can't be." My voice cracked as I opened the sliding door and rushed out of the room.
"Young miss!"
I heard Rika calling for me, but I ignored her as everything felt like a dream— no, it's a nightmare. "Mommy." I stumbled and fell to the floor. There's no way, no way. My parents wouldn't leave me alone; they love me so much that they won't be able to leave me like this. The moment I tried to get up from the floor, an unknown man appeared in front of me.
The man pulled me up. "Please go back to your room." He said. My room? That was not my room. This isn't my house. "It's dangerous for you to go out right now." Who does he think he is? Is he one of those people that helped to kill my parents? Did he help Night to make my life this miserable?
My anger made me punch this man in his chest. Even though it's not much due to my weak arms, I continued punching him. "Bring my parents here. Why are you keeping them away from me?" Tears won't stop coming out of my eyes, and I started sobbing so loud that I could only hear myself.
"Please. You can take everything away. I-I'll give you all the money I have. J-Just please don't take my parents. I won't be able to live without them." I kept rubbing my palms together as I knelt on the ground, pleading in front of this unknown man. "P-Please, I'm begging you. Please."
"Young lady, please don't do this." He said as he tried to make me stand up, but I didn't want to. "You can't do this." Why can't I do anything? Why am I unable to change anything? Is there nothing I can do to make them reassure me that everything was a lie? That my parents are still alive, and they're just in hiding because of these evil people?
My sobs got louder as the memories of that bloody room flashed inside my head. "What did my parents do to you? You should have killed me back then too. Why are you making me suffer?" I couldn't see well with the tears in my eyes, but I knew another man was standing in front of me.
The man who took everything from me, that same man whom I offered my love wholeheartedly. "Why are you doing this, Night? If I did something that offended you. I-I'll apologize. I-I'll do anything, just bring my parents back."
"Bring her to her room." I heard Night saying something in a foreign language; I knew it was Japanese. But how did Night know how to speak in Japanese?
That's when I felt someone holding on to both of my arms, dragging me back to where I came from. Are they going to torture me? Is there another reason why they can't let me die so quickly?
"P-Please." My voice trembled as I looked at Night, but he quickly turned his back on me. "I'm sorry. Please, I'm so sorry if I did something wrong. I'm sorry." I kept apologizing, but the sounds of his footsteps grew fainter the further we part from each other. It hurts; it really hurts. When I arrived back in that room where I woke up, Rika was waiting for me. Those people dragged me back here and slammed the door shut, making me flinch in fear of being hurt for what I did.
Even so, I didn't stop begging. "Please…" My head feels lighter as my vision gets blurry. I could feel my parched throat aching while I continued begging in front of Rika. "Let me go back to where my parents are." My voice is hoarse, and it hurts whenever I speak a word.
"Y-Young miss, please calm down," Rika said. Calm down? How can I calm down when everything I've been treasuring in this life vanished from my grasp? Everything. My parents, my nanny, and the person I loved the most. "You've been asleep for three days; you can't keep crying like this. You'll get dehydrated. Let's get you back to bed." She said, but I stayed kneeling on the floor.
I don't know how long I stayed kneeling on the floor, but I know that no one would answer my plead. My heart aches whenever Night's face flashes inside my head. I can't think of any reason for him to do this.
I bawled while punching the floor. Does Night hate me so much that he wants to see me suffer like this?