Kairiki

Level 34: What A Drag...

[The night air was cool as Hydro and Juliet stepped through the now-empty gate, their footsteps echoing in the quiet streets. The atmosphere had shifted-no more battles, no more zombies. Just the two of them walking under the dim glow of streetlights, the world around them eerily peaceful. Hydro glanced at Juliet, who seemed lost in thought, a contrast to her usual bubbly nature.]

HYDRO: [casual, curious] Hey, Juliet.

[Juliet snapped out of her thoughts, turning to Hydro with a small smile.]

JULIET: [playful] What's up?

[Hydro raised an eyebrow, smirking as he spoke.]

HYDRO: [teasing] Is your boyfriend still a decapitated head?

[Juliet chuckled at the question, though her tone held a mix of amusement and frustration.]

JULIET: [lighthearted but with a hint of annoyance] Well, yeah. I think he weirdly had a growth spurt, considering his body was from Mr. Morikawa.

[Hydro let out a soft laugh, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. They continued walking, the city around them growing quieter with each passing minute. The streets were mostly empty now, save for a few cars driving by in the distance.]

[As they walked, Hydro's thoughts drifted to something that had been nagging at him. He pulled up the interface, his eyes scanning the text that appeared before him.]

HYDRO: [serious, curious] Swan... Who is he?

[The interface flickered for a moment before displaying a detailed message about Swan's backstory. Hydro read it silently, his eyes narrowing slightly.]

SYSTEM: [Swan was a Gothic outcast of San Romero, who was constantly mistreated and abused by other students of San Romero. The only closest and possible friend Swan had at San Romero was Juliet, who unlike the majority of San Romero, did not show a crude disrespect for him at his presence. Due to Juliet's arbitrary tolerance for Swan, he later grew an obsessive infatuation for Juliet, urging for her presence and hoping that she could return the love that he holds.]

[Hydro's brow furrowed as he read through the text. He muttered to himself, trying to piece together the story.]

HYDRO: [quietly, to himself] That's how the story is? What else?

[The interface displayed another message, adding more context to Swan's descent into madness.]

SYSTEM: [When he discovered that Juliet found a different love interest, Nick, this enraged Swan, angered that Juliet was in love with a San Romero Jock, which were the most identifiable characteristics of his previous bullies. Seeking redemption he eventually discovered the zombie Killabilly, along with a ritual required to summon him and break gateways to the Rotten World.]

HYDRO: [thoughtful, muttering] That's the storyline from Lollipop Chainsaw.

[Juliet glanced over at him, noticing his quiet contemplation. She didn't need to ask what he was thinking about-she had lived through most of that story herself. They both fell silent for a moment, their footsteps the only sound in the otherwise quiet street.]

[As they reached the edge of the neighborhood, Hydro looked around. The gate they had just exited from had completely disappeared, leaving no trace of the battle they had just fought. The street was empty, not a soul in sight. It was odd, considering it wasn't that late.]