Lewdrooms: The Second Coming

Chapter 11

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A FEW HOURS LATER

Y/N stirred at the feeling of someone shaking his shoulder. His eyes blinked open, unfocused at first, until Doul's golden eyes came into view, glowing faintly in the dim light.

"Hey," Doul whispered. "You awake?"

Y/N groaned softly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The train wasn't moving anymore. Outside the window, he could make out nothing but an endless stretch of dark field under the moonlight. Inside, everyone else was still asleep—silent shapes in the shadows.

"Well, I am now," Y/N muttered, stretching and sitting up from his seat. His body ached, especially his bandaged arm. "What's up, Doul?"

Doul hesitated. His eyes darted toward the others, then back to Y/N. "I... I think I'm ready to tell you everything."

The words hung between them, heavy and fragile. Y/N exhaled slowly, his expression hardening. He rose to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his arm.

"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's take this outside."

He started toward the door, boots soft against the floorboards. Doul lingered for a moment, glancing nervously around the cabin to make sure no one stirred. When he was sure they hadn't, he followed.

The night air met them like a whisper as they stepped off the train. Grass swayed gently beneath the pale moonlight. The world was still, save for the faint hum of insects somewhere in the dark.

Y/N leaned against the side of the train, crossing his arms. His eyes found Doul's.

"Alright," he said, voice low and steady. "I'm listening."

Doul's voice trembled. "So... what I wanted to say was..." He trailed off, eyes fixed somewhere on the ground.

Y/N waited a beat. "...Was?"

Silence. Only the night wind moved, brushing softly through the tall grass.

Y/N sighed and softened his tone. "Hey, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it. We can just stay out here. No pressure—"

"No." Doul cut him off, his voice sharp but shaking. "I want to say this."

He drew a slow, unsteady breath. The moonlight caught on the edge of his face, making the strain in his expression clearer.

"Remember when we first met? Back in the Room Between?"

"Yeah," Y/N said carefully.

"I wasn't just passing through, like you thought." Doul's gaze flicked upward, meeting his. "I was... part of it. Not just living there—bound to it. The Room Between isn't a place. It's a system. A balance. And I was one of the things keeping it stable."

Y/N frowned, brow knitting. "What do you mean, keeping it stable?"

"I mean I was chosen. Anchored there. My presence kept certain doors closed... certain forces asleep. But when I left, I broke that balance." Doul's jaw tightened. "I thought it wouldn't matter. I thought I could just walk away."

"But it did matter," Y/N said quietly.

"Yeah." Doul let out a bitter laugh, one with no humor in it. "The moment I stepped out, something woke up. Someone. They're ancient, Y/N. Old enough to remember the Room Between before it had walls. They sent those people after me—the ones you fought. Not to kill me. To drag me back."

Y/N's voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "And they didn't care who got in the way."

"Exactly." Doul's hands trembled slightly as he spoke. "You were collateral. I didn't mean for you to get caught in this, but now that you are... I can't keep running. If I don't go back, that thing could break through. And if it does, everything unravels."