DARK RED [ITADORI Y.]

―XVI. LOSING

CHAPTER XVI. I FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING MY DAMN MIND!

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ITADORI held onto me, scared that I'd fall back if he didn't. He held my leg with a trembling hand, moving his gaze from the blood the was beginning to coat his hand back to me.

"D-Don't you feel this?" He asked.

Horrified, I shook my head. How had I not felt this? I-I wasn't even limping. Or...had I? Had I just not realized it? No, I would have known. But this metal rim was literally impaled through my leg. How was I not writing in pain? Shock? Disbelief?

Itadori slowly eased me onto the ground. He knelt beside me, carefully gathering the cloth of my leggings around his finger, before ripping a hole around the wound. I swallowed hard.

The metal piece was indeed part of the basketball rim that I had previously been sitting on. The old, faded orange and chipped paint stuck out against my black clothing, now stained with crimson blood. It was about 3 centimeters wide and was broken off, leaving it around 10 centimeters long.

I should have felt this pierce my leg.

Itadori and I shared a steady gaze as he shed his jacket off, wrapping it around my leg and pressing down. "Do you feel that?" He asked.

I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat. "J-Just the pressure."

"No pain?" He asked, his voice strained. I shook my head. "This is bad."

"We should probably leave," I said, my gaze traveling back to the words written on the wall. "Something else is here...and I have a feeling it isn't friendly."

As Itadori stood up, we both heard a deep screech. Frozen in horror, both of our eyes went wide at the shrill sound. The voice was distorted and vaguely sound like...

"I-Itadori...y-you don't think--"

"I don't know," He whispered, glancing over his shoulder. He turned, facing down the hall.

The eerie silence was deafening. Hearing my heart thumping in my ears, the ragged breaths passing my lips, filling my ears. Itadori turned back to look at me.

"Go," I whispered. "Make sure Ijichi-san is okay."

"Aren't you coming?"

I shook my head, pushing myself against the wall. "No, I'll only slow you down if something happens. J-Just...hurry up, okay?"

He contemplated with himself. He crouched down in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders. I could see the reluctance in his eyes.

"I'll be right back," He said, seeming to assure himself more than me. "Don't move from this spot."

"Okay. I trust you, Itadori."

He nodded. Hesitantly, he stood up and turned, bolting down the hall. I swallowed hard, my anxiety consuming me now that I was alone. Paranoia washed over me, making me jump at everything. Every little sound made me flinch; noises that weren't there making me whip my head in the direction I thought I heard it; shadow figures walking around in the corners of my eyes, always disappearing before I could fully see them.

I found myself looking back at the letters written above the door. No matter how horrified I was, I couldn't look away. I wanted to so desperately, but it felt like there was a hand holding my face, forcing me to stare at the words that dripped with my own blood.

My chest rose and fell quickly and unevenly with panicked, stuttering breaths. My blood pounded in my ears. My heart thudded in my chest. My hands shook. My vision was disfigured as if I was looking through a frosted glass.

I had to get away. I couldn't stay here any longer. I couldn't keep looking at. I felt like I was losing my damn mind!

The walls felt like they were moving closer. The hallway felt like it was turning. My stomach was dropping as if I was riding a rollercoaster. I felt sick. My head hurt. It felt like it was going to split apart.

Then, everything felt fine.

I felt...at ease. Did I pass out? No. My vision was a little cloudy, but I could still see everything around me.

Curiously, I watched as my hands were lifted from deathly gripping the floor. They were turned over, like I was examining them. Except...

I couldn't feel anything.

Petrified, I watched as my own hands moved to grap hold of the metal object in my leg. Holding my thigh for support, my hand ripped the piece from my leg. I watched in even more horror as it began to heal almost instantly.

I felt like I was in one of those first-person games. Y'know, when you first wake up, and you looked around at everything for the first time? And despite it looking like it's through your eyes, you know that it's not you. Because you're there, holding the controller. This felt the exact same.

The only difference: I wasn't in control.

I stood up, turning my head from side to side, before settling on a figure looming down the hall. I heard myself scoff before I started to walk forward. As I passed a classroom, turning my head to glance at the reflection in the glass, I saw it.

It was me, but it wasn't me. Everything about me was the same, except for the piercing vermillion eyes, and the black--they looked almost...tribal--tattoos that spread over my neck and chest.

Everything came rushing back to me.

The woman smiled, beginning to walk a circle around me. "My name is Eris, and I am the goddess of Chaos. You, L/n Y/n, will serve as my vessel. You've been unknowingly doing it since you were eleven. But now, you will allow me to surface."

I frowned, turning to follow her slow movements. "W-What? No!"

"You cannot deny me," She smiled, holding the apple up.

She turned it, showing the bite marks in the golden skin. A red substance dripped from around it. I felt a pain in my mouth, making me wince and raise my hand to my lips. When I pulled my hand back, I felt and saw blood on my fingers. I looked up at her, my eyes wide.

"For you have already taken your oath, dear," She smiled darkly.

I felt everything inside of me shatter.

"Eris..."

A light laugh swirled around the inside of my head.

"I told you that you'd need me one of these days," She laughed tauntingly. "I'm just saving you like I did all those other times."

"S-Stop!"

"Shut up," She said. "Just sit back and enjoy the show,"

Itadori was right.

This was bad!

[Chapter XVI. End]
[Image belongs to me]