章 315: [62.6] Cyrus POV: The Blackening of Reika Kang
[Disclaimer: This chapter includes mention of child neglect, death, suicidality, and violence.]
Reika was back in the classroom, staring at her desk with an expression I had never seen her make before. Curious, I approached her side and looked down at what she was staring at.
Scrawled on her desk in permanent marker were the words:
-Murderer-
My face contorted as I read it.
It…
It can't be that…
I looked over in surprise to see that the very girl who had once been bullied, was now standing at the bully's side. Her eyes held a trace of guilt, but there was far more pride at being approved of by her bullies than there was the regret of selling out her friend.
One of the bullies snickered, "Why the gloomy face, brother killer?"
Another laughed, "Yeah. Isn't it a good thing you killed your brother before you turned 14? You can't be held responsible."
At the sounds of their malicious giggles, the rest of the classmates turned their heads and pretended not to listen.
I shouted at the girls in frustration, "How dare you treat her like that! She didn't do a thing to you girls! AND YOU! Weren't you supposed to be her friend?"
A sudden voice came from behind me, "It happened more times than I could count."
I jumped at the voice that was different than the memories. Just as I turned around to face it, I only saw Reika back at that temple where she had been before to wish upon a prince.
She leaned forward into the well and let out a scream from the bottom of her heart. I watched as she cursed out the dark void, "Forget happily ever after! I wish-I wish they would all just disappear! I want them to suffer as much as they made me suffer! I want them to beg me to forgive them and when I won't- I will- I will-"
She collapsed to her knees sobbing as she held onto the well, digging her fingers into the brick until her nails bled. I rushed to hold her out of instinct, but this time when I touched her, the memory shifted.
Reika was walking home, her expression dark. Her entire body was soaked in water, but there was not a cloud in the sky.
Once she entered her house, she noticed a light on in her father's office. She went to his door and pushed it open, "Dad…"
"..."
She walked inside, her eyes dark, "I want to transfer out of school."
"..."
"Dad?"
"..."
"DAD!"
He suddenly turned to her with an impatient look, "Can't you see I'm working?"
"I said I want to quit school! Can't I go back to my old one?"
"It's too far."
"Then can't I switch to another one!?"
"Why do you want to leave so badly?"
"Isn't it obvious!? They bully me every SINGLE day! Today they threw me in the fountain and held me underwater, telling me that I will drown just like-" Reika paused, her face turning white. She pinched her eyes closed as her throat tightened, "I-I can't take it anymore. They won't leave me alone!"
He turned back to the screen that illuminated his face, "I pay a lot for you to go there. Just endure it."
Her fists clenched, "I can't endure it!!! I can't endure it any longer! I-I feel like I'm splitting apart! Every day is worse than the previous! Please… Please just let me transfer schools!"
"Reika. You can't just quit when things are hard. It's not like a new school will be better. You need to learn how to deal with these situations now or else it will keep happening."
"But-"
"I don't want to hear it! If you have bullies, just deal with it. Now leave me to my work."
Reika bit down on her lip, glaring at her father. In the end, she stomped out of the room without raising her voice again.
The room around her grew hazy and blurred as she returned to school. Cracks started appearing at the edges of her memories each time she would get bullied. Eventually, I could barely see as the entire memory had cracks, disrupting my vision. As I peered through the cracks, I could barely make out Reika and her one-time friend standing at the top of a flight of stairs.
Suddenly, I heard Reika shout.
"How could you do this to me!? I thought you were my friend!!!"
"I'm tired of being bullied! You don't understand how hard it is! I'm just a scholarship student with no backing! You have money! You don't have to suffer like I do! Can't you have any compassion!?"
"Compassion!? I TRUSTED you! And you told EVERYONE!"
"Oh, get over it! You can't blame me for something YOU did! You killed your brother! Not me! You ARE a MURDERER!"
"DON'T! CALL! ME! A! MURDERER!"
"BUT YOU ARE!"
"STOP! STOP SHOVING ME!"
"What are you going to do about it? Huh? HUH? Kill me too?!"
"I SAID STOP!"
"HAHA! YOU CAN'T DO A THING ABOUT IT!"
"STOP!! You're going to push me down the-"
"OH SHUT UP ALREADY! I'm so tired of you rich people getting what you want without having to suffer like I do! Why can't you just DIE-"
"-WAIT!"
An ear-splitting scream echoed off the walls, "AAAAAAAAAH!"
Suddenly something heavy crashed down at the bottom of the stairs, creating more cracks to sprawl out. Through the holes, I could see Reika staring down the stairs with a pale face and wide eyes. I followed her gaze, but whatever she was staring at, I couldn't see. The cracks were spreading at such a rapid rate, the entire memory was breaking apart.
The next thing I knew, Reika was walking down a dark and empty hall. Her eyes were bloodshot and alert, revealing her anxiety. There were bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept for days. As she passed an illuminated room, a voice spoke from inside.
"So she's not coming back?"
Reika jumped to hide in the darkness, listening to the conversation as she held her breath.
Another voice spoke, "No. Her mother called and told us that her daughter isn't the same since she accidentally fell and hit her head. Apparently, she can't even form sentences anymore so there's no way she can maintain the grades to keep her scholarship."
A teacher spoke, "Good thing it was a scholarship student… If it had been another student, we would have been sued until there was no money left!"
"Haha! Right? Luckily they can't afford a lawyer so they have no choice!"
Reika held her mouth, her body trembled as her eyes grew as wide as saucers. She quickly sprinted down the hallway and into the darkening sky, eventually coming to a hospital. She snuck inside, searching the hallways until she finally found her destination.
She froze in the doorway, staring at a girl who had her head wrapped in bandages. I recognized the girl in the bed as Reika's friend turned bully, despite her head being shaved. Her eyes were dull and her mouth hung agape.
A larger woman sat beside the girl and turned once she sensed Reika in the doorway. She smiled sweetly, "Oh. Hello. Are you here to visit?"
"N-No! Wrong room!" Reika turned and sprinted down the hall, "Sorry!"
She ran all the way until she made it to a bathroom. In her steps, the ground cracked and turned black. Grabbing the sink, she leaned forward and vomited into the sink. Her hands trembled as she gripped the sink in fear, "I… I didn't mean to… I didn't… I really didn't…"
My eyes widened slightly in understanding.
Reika…
Did you-
She whimpered as she stared at her reflection, "T-They are right… I-I am a murderer… I am a terrible person… I… I-I-"
The door opened, causing her to jump from the sink. She didn't even look the person in the eyes as she pushed past them and out of the door. Once Reika went through the door, I was transported back to her house where she pushed herself inside.
I watched as Reika was sobbing and gagging for air. She was hyperventilating without stopping and I was sure her heart would stop. She rushed into the kitchen, pulling out utensils and food from the cupboards.
She screamed while she pulled everything out, "Where is it?! WHERE!"
After making a mess, she stood up, gasping for air as she pulled at her hair. Seeing a drawer, she jumped over to it and ripped it open. She pulled out a large knife, panting madly as if possessed.
Just before she could use it, a large hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, preventing her.
"REIKA!? What the hell are you-"
Reika turned to her father, her eyes frantic with guilt and panic. She dropped the knife, sobbing as she collapsed, "I-I-I pushed her!"
Her father blinked in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"I PUSHED HER!" Reika burst into tears, "I didn't mean to! She kept pushing me and slapping me! I-I got so close to the steps I panicked!!! I didn't think she would fall-"
His expression hardened, "Reika… What did you do?"
Reika looked up at her father in desperation, "I didn't mean to! I really didn't mean to! They said she's never going to recover and- I did that! I'm such a horrible person! First Baobao, then her! Everyone close to me gets hurt! No matter what I do, they all get hurt!! I don't deserve to-"
Her father cut her off, "ENOUGH!"
Reika fell to her butt, watching in shock as her father turned to leave and grabbed his jacket. She jumped up and grabbed onto him, "Wait!!! Where are you going!?"
He glared at her as he ripped his hand away, "Don't worry. I'm going to fix your situation. So don't be stupid!"
Reika fell to her knees as her father slammed the door behind him. Cracks spread towards her as she whispered to herself, "I'm… A monster."
クリエイターの想い 
Nekoru
Nekoru Blackening: Also known as a character's change to evil.
週次パワーステータス
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