Infectious Intent (M. Yandere x F. Reader)

The Sweetest Reward

A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop. 

Wrought iron creaked loudly in the dead of night while a series of footsteps made their way through the main entrance. A decent sized rock was placed in front of the gate so that it wouldn't slam shut, for a cold, wintry wind was blowing through the barren trees. Flashlights flickered on, and pale, yellow light illuminated the expanse beyond.

Old stone towered in the air, and pieces of it had fallen to the ground. Dust would've been present in greater quantities had the passageways not been frequented so often: both by visitors and by its resident. A camera with night vision recorded it all, hoping to catch something on its film. The only noise in the area came from the visitors, however.

These visitors happened to be another team of paranormal investigators. They were eager to film what they thought to be the work of a demon, and if they were lucky, the being itself. Like the ones before them, they wished to be the first to record the mystery of Cankerfell Tunnels and live to tell the tale of it.

The tunnels carried a high death toll, but that didn't stop the eager and curious. Then again, no one was ever entirely certain that anyone had died entering the tunnels since no bodies were ever discovered. It was only that no one left the tunnels once they entered. Death was merely assumed to be the outcome, especially with the bodies that were found around the tunnels.

In the past month, there had been three cases, each a horrific sight in its own right. For the whole year, thirty bodies had been discovered, yet this still didn't dissuade any from going into the forest. Perhaps, it was the cash reward associated with the killer of all of those people, for it had been determined that no animal could've left the bodies in those conditions. It might've been also the fame that came with the solving of mystery. The tunnels were discussed so frequently on the news that whoever found the killer would become a national hero.

No one believed the murderer to be human, though. Armed measures had been taken to apprehend the perpetrator of the heinous acts, but all of those individuals went missing or were found dead. Some believed the killer to be more than one, but there was an identical mark on every single body: five puncture wounds to the heart at the exact same angle every time. These puncture wounds couldn't be identified to belong to any weapon either.

People were warned not to enter the woods around the tunnels or the tunnels themselves, but the reward remained in place. If the threat was removed, it would be better for everyone in the general vicinity. It would be beneficial to those outside of it as well since the killer could potentially move locations and reign bloodshed on another spot of land.

This team of investigators believed themselves to be the lucky ones. They would learn the truth of the tunnels. All of them knew that they weren't equipped to detain the killer, or paranormal entity in their minds, but their main objective was to simply record and leave the tunnels with their lives. Even some evidence on the murderer earned a pretty reward.

All of them stopped, though. Their breathing hitched in their throats, and flashlights were dimmed. They moved closer together, and some took a few steps back. The cameraman moved the device back and forth in a somewhat mad frenzy.

Chains rattled against the stone floor, and the noise echoed around them. It continued for a few more seconds until it went silent. That was the case until metal clanged against the stone. One of the investigators jumped and clung to their nearest teammate. Soft footsteps followed, and they could barely be heard in comparison to the chains' movement, but they were going in the opposite direction from the team.