The Forced Villain

Once Again, Someone Dies.

Aline tried going downstairs, but she could not.

Her body felt weak and she felt breathing behind her, but she couldn't just turn her head.

She remembered all the memories she had with Hailey again.

Aline quietly sobbed in grief and confusion.

She closed her eyes, and found herself in her bedroom again, while Mother was on her bedside.

"I see. You've been very polite lately. The confusion the gas has given you definitely does some effects."

Mother twirled and once again, held up Aline's chin.

"Why can't you stop holding my chin?! You've done it so many times."

"That's because.."

Mother pushed Aline to the wall and took off her mask.

There was nothing.

It was an empty void.

"This is your hope to live if you don't cooperate with us."

Aline looked from side to side. There was no nightstand. The nightstand that used to be covered with blood of when Hailey died was gone now.

Aline shuddered.

"What did you do to this house?!"

"Some..Renovation."

"If you had planned this all along and were really Higher-ups, the house would have never needed to change."

"If you hadn't picked up a paper that entered from the window, you would've been a successful adult."

"Wait..what?"

"6 years have passed. 6 years backwards. You must've never known Hailey's failed journey to save everyone. Even Carol. That fake messaging app you used must've been fun."

"The fake messaging app..Yes."

"But I can't keep telling you information about this world without you knowing about The Exsor."

"What is that?"

"The shell. The user of the account. A cube nobody can ever escape unless they're truly the protagonist of this world.

If you wanted to really escape, by the time you get out, you would've forgotten everything about your past life.

Why did you think it was simple? Just like Kemp and his cat.

Kemp used to have a cat. The cat always seems to know if someone would die soon.

The nursing home was flabbergasted on this, and Exsor got a medal for being such a helpful cat.

Kemp didn't expect this. Just like you and your friends."

"Mom..?"

"I'm not mom. I never gave birth to you."

"This conversation has got out of hand. I need to go."

Mother slammed the door behind her, leaving Aline to inspect the changes in the bedroom.

The nightstand was replaced with a single speck of dust. Aline had maybe thought this was due to how it magically disappeared, since it had been there in the morning.

But she didn't think much of it, and looked at the stool Aline was cutting her hair on.

It had blood from when Hailey died. It was strange,

Because if they had removed the nightstand, which was also flooded with blood from the incident, something was in it.

Something that would make Aline understand.