Drowning in the swamp of memories

Frozen Truths"

I was spending the day cooped up in the ADA’s infirmary with Yosano, her “healing training” putting my patience to the test. Atsushi, Tanizaki, Naomi, and Kyoka were off investigating, and Rampo was out in his element—probably at a candy shop. I didn’t feel the need to check in on him; my current ordeal was punishment enough.

Yosano was in full-on doctor mode, determined to figure out the limits of my ability. She’d already tried knives, needles, and even a few bullets on me, watching how I healed each time. Now, she was stepping it up, holding a half-dead fish in her hands, extending it to me as if it were some grand offering.

"Really, a fish?" I grimaced, feeling a shiver of disgust run through me as she placed the gasping creature in my hands.

“It’s for practice, Mizuki-chan. You need to learn how to heal something other than yourself,” Yosano replied, sounding entirely too cheerful about the situation.

“Great,” I muttered, taking the slimy fish and holding it up with barely concealed horror. I turned the sink on, gathering a little water in my hands, thinking about how to bring it back to life. I focused hard, but as I did, an unwanted image flickered through my mind: the two men from my nightmare, faces shadowed, their outlines vague but still unnervingly familiar. I tried to shake the thought away, pouring all my concentration into the fish.

Nothing happened.

I gritted my teeth, struggling to draw out any energy, but the only result was beads of sweat dripping down my face. Frustrated, I tried again, but all I got was a tiny shiver from the fish before it went completely still.

"Ugh, come on!” I shouted, voice laced with irritation.

Yosano observed quietly for a moment, then offered advice. “Healing abilities don’t work with brute force, Mizuki-chan. They’ll come to you naturally. It’s not just about power but patience. Give it time—it’ll knock on the door when it’s ready.”

“Knock on the door?” I echoed, rolling my eyes. “That’s easy for you to say. Yours works perfectly. You’re practically invincible.”

She chuckled, unfazed by my grumbling, and added, “Well, it’s only the 578th fish we’ve gone through today. You’ll get there.”

The casual mention of my repeated failures was the last straw. “Bad teacher!” I spat, throwing the fish back into the sink, accidentally freezing it in frustration. I stormed out of the infirmary, my cheeks burning with embarrassment and anger.

The street air was crisp, cutting through my anger just a little as I walked around aimlessly, trying to cool off. Spotting Atsushi, Tanizaki, and Naomi up ahead, I quickened my pace, grinning as I planned to sneak up on them. But before I could reach them, a strange sensation washed over me. The entire world seemed to shift around us, and suddenly, we were no longer on the bustling street.

We were in a strange, pink-colored room filled with enormous, disturbing dolls—heads larger than ours, with painted eyes that seemed to follow every movement. People were scattered around, looking as dazed as we were.

A smirk crept across my face. “An ability user, huh? Not bad, but not exactly impressive either.”

Just then, a young girl stepped forward. She wore a dark red Victorian dress, with a haunting, doll-like presence. Her auburn hair framed her face in perfect curls, and her expression was sweet yet unsettling. She gave a delicate smile that didn’t reach her eyes, like a demon masking itself as a child.

She spread her arms and introduced herself with a slightly theatrical tone. “Welcome, everyone! I’m Montgomery Lucy Maud.” Her smile twisted as she held up a giant doll, dressed just as she was, with painted blue eyes and a grim expression. “And this is Amani-san. Who wants to play?”