𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ✦ ʟ.ᴍʜ

Chapter: 33

XXXIII: Wilted Flower

Dance of Death | A macabre interaction where life and death intertwine, evoking imagery of a tragic performance marked by violence and horror.

A book fell from the shelf with a heavy thud, startling the tall male sprawled on his bed, his comic book forgotten.

His eyelids fluttered open, and he glanced toward the offending book, his heart racing as adrenaline surged through his veins.

The quiet of his room felt oppressive, thickening the air around him.

Before he could rise and investigate, the lights flickered overhead, casting erratic shadows across the room.

He let out a low gasp, his wide eyes scanning the corners as unease crept in. Just as the flickering stopped, a knock echoed through the silence, sharp and deliberate.

"What the fuck," Riki muttered under his breath.

He lived alone, and visitors were a rarity at this hour. A chill ran down his spine as the realization sank in.

Shaken, he pushed himself off the bed, legs unsteady as if they were suddenly made of jelly.

He padded softly toward the door, each step amplifying the erratic thump of his heart.
He could hardly breathe, fear constricting his lungs.
Taking a deep breath, he gripped the doorknob, feeling the cold metal bite into his palm.

With a swift motion, he flung the door open, only to be met with an empty hallway. He sighed, relief washing over him, though fatigue tugged at his eyelids.

Maybe he just needed to sleep; his imagination was playing tricks on him.

But as he lowered his head, his eyes widened again. Muddy footprints marred the pristine floor outside his bedroom door, their shapes twisted and unnatural, almost resembling elongated hands clawing at the ground.

Riki felt his breath catch in his throat as a distant cry echoed from somewhere down the hall. It was a haunting sound, a mix of desperation and agony.

He instinctively turned, his heart racing faster now, and followed the trail of footsteps.
Each step was slow and deliberate, dread pooling in his stomach.

As he neared the source of the cries, the air around him turned frigid, wrapping around him like icy tendrils.

He pressed his back against the wall, each breath shallow and panicked as he navigated the darkness.

Once he reached the last step, the cries abruptly ceased, plunging him into an eerie silence.

He let out a shaky sigh, peering into the darkened living room, the shadows dancing ominously.
His only company was the soft glow of his pet fish, their colors vibrant against the stark darkness.

Just as he prepared to retreat upstairs, a loud, manic laughter erupted from outside his front door.

Riki's stomach dropped.

He approached the door cautiously, each heartbeat resonating in his ears. Taking a deep breath, he placed a trembling hand on the cold knob and slowly unlocked it.

He hesitated, fear clawing at him, before flinging the door open, bracing himself for whatever lurked beyond. When silence greeted him, he cracked one eye open, then the other.

Standing before him was a girl, her figure shrouded in the dim light of the porch.

"Iris," he breathed, relief flooding his senses.
"What kind of sick prank was this? You scared me to death." He forced a nervous chuckle, attempting to dismiss the lingering dread.

But she remained silent, a strange, unsettling smile stretching across her face as she clasped her hands behind her back.

"What are you doing here at this hour? Where's Minho?" He searched the shadows, looking for any sign of his friend.

"Hey, Riki," she finally replied, her voice low, almost melodic but laced with something sinister.

"Did you miss me?" She raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Y-yeah," he stammered, unease creeping back in. "What happened to your teeth? Why is your mouth covered in blood? Did you get into a fight?"

Iris didn't answer. Instead, she stepped closer, their faces now mere inches apart.

Riki felt her cold breath ghosting over his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

The temperature around them plummeted, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Wanna play a fun game, sexy boy?" she asked, her voice dripping with challenge.

"What kind of game?" he asked, his cheeks warming despite the fear constricting his chest.

"I will show you," she said, her eyes glinting with malevolence.

Suddenly, with a horrifying scream, she pulled a gleaming knife from behind her back.

Riki's heart dropped as she lunged forward, stabbing him viciously.
He fell to his knees, pain radiating from the wound as she positioned herself above him.

"Iris, stop!" he gasped, struggling to push her off him, but her strength was unnaturally overwhelming.

It was as if the darkness had infused her with power, leaving him helpless beneath her.

With the knife raised high, she plunged it into his flesh again, and again, each strike sending waves of agony crashing over him.

Blood sprayed from the wounds, splattering across her face and the white walls, transforming the pristine space into a gruesome tableau of horror.

Riki was a sobbing mess now, his cries desperate as he begged for mercy, but she reveled in his suffering.

Her dark eyes glowed with satisfaction, each stab sending her deeper into a twisted euphoria.

He felt himself slipping, the world around him fading to black as the pain became unbearable.

As his breath grew shallow, he gazed up at her one last time, tears streaming down his face, mingling with the blood that pooled around him.
With a final, ragged gasp, he closed his eyes, succumbing to the darkness.

Iris smiled at the lifeless body beneath her, a satisfied glint in her eyes.
She leaned down, pressing a long, chilling kiss on his bloodied lips before rising to her feet, leaving the knife beside him with a chilling clink.

"Good night, Riki." she whispered, her voice echoing in the silence as she melted back into the shadows, leaving only the horrific remnants of her game behind.

End of chapter 33