The Collector

19

As you opened your eyes, Mikey is peacefully sleeping. Your throat hurts and needs fluid.

You successfully lifted Mikey's arm without waking him up. Putting on your clothes, you walked around the room and found a fridge. To your disappointment, there were only alcoholic beverages and nothing to quench your thirst.

Seeing Mikey's figure sound asleep, you did not bothered waking him up just for a water. The door is unlocked so you wandered around trying to find a vending machine or a pantry.

You came across a vintage looking door with some weird etching on it. This obviously looks out of place. The design doesn't match the interior of the whole place.

Curiosity got you so you opened it. There was a stairway leading downward. It was dark but there were small lightings on every steps like those on cinemas. There's another door. It was not locked and when you opened it, a strong stench of a chemical entered your nostrils.

It looks like a cellar. You covered your nose and mouth with your hand and proceed to walk. There's a lot of jar 🫙. It reminded you of the biology room when you were in high school. So it's where the smell came from. Formalin? You leaned toward one of the jar with a label 'Honjou Anna' to see what was preserved there.

You shrieked when you realized what was inside the jar, it was a human heart. Your knees weakened as you felt a chill ran down your spine. You forced yourself to walk along the shelf where the jars are lined up. All of them were preserved human heart. The labels were name of women.

Honjou Anna...

The news. You suddenly remembered, one of the victims of the serial killing was named Honjou Anna...

Your knees gave in and you slumped on the floor. You're in shock and you felt your soul left your body.

Izana was telling the truth... It was not an assumption... He knew. He was certain.

Mikey... He was behind the serial killing of young women in Tokyo.

Then you remembered what Izana said about Mikey killing his first lover and gouging her heart. You mustered your strength and tried to get your shits together.

You kept on checking every jar. It makes you feel sick you wanted to throw up. But you want to see... see everyone.

Where is she?

On the last row of jar, you saw it. An unlabeled one. It was the only jar without a single dust. It's her... the first victim.

What do you know? What made him kill you? You kept on murmuring while tracing your finger on the jar.

Why does he still keep you? Were you that important to him?

The creep you felt ago was now replaced with a feeling of pain. If this is jealousy it's unsightly... How come you get jealous over someone long dead?

You'll end up like her...

Unconsciously, your tears rolled down silently.

You turned your back and walked away closing the door of the cellar. With a fuzzy mind, you climbed up the stairs slowly. Every steps feels heavy...

As you get near the entrance , you heard a commotion. You opened the door and there were men in suits running around with guns.

Someone saw your figure and called you.

"Ms. Y/n?! What are you doing here?! It's dangerous plea----" Before the man could finish what he was saying, he fell on the ground as a bullet pierced through the back of his head.

You slowly lifted your head to see who pulled the trigger. Your eyes met.

Hanma... Shuji...

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