I DON'T KNOW YOU

34.) way down we go

‟ι'м noт a vιllaιn; ι've never нυrт anyone. ι'м jυѕт a тawdry cнaracтer wнo eхplodeѕ now and тнen,"
-olιver reed

•∞•

• F U N N E H •

I was always able to hold a knife, a dagger, a sword, any type of blade. It was reflex, habit, a skill I had obtained over the course of my life. Part of me relied on defending myself, hearing the noises of metal clashing against one another in attempts to either harm or deflect. I was used to it.

But at the moment, holding a blade felt so wrong.

    I would never. I couldn't. I wouldn't. I wasn't like her, nor did I ever want to be. In the moment, a life was in my hands. In the moment, life and death resided in the palms of my gloved hands. And it felt so wrong. Everything felt to wrong. I couldn't. I wouldn't.

    Resorting to the same methods of her wasn't an option. It didn't have to be this way. And I wasn't going to let it end this way. Everything was in my hands. But I was not like her. I valued the life of everyone, even hers regardless of everything. Call it weakness or call it naivety, it didn't matter. I had morals, and they were stronger than the will to stop everything.

    There was more than just one end. This wasn't a video game where all of my actions had sent me down a gameplay path that I could not start over. This wasn't game over. This wasn't the bad ending. Whether that meant resetting, so be it. Lose all my levels, my experience, my everything, so be it. This was not the ending any of us needed.

I was not like her.

    I sighed and I felt my hand shaking, maybe from fear or nervousness. Maybe it was a combination of both. But no matter how much I shook, it wasn't enough. No matter how much I feared, nothing could push me over the edge. Unlike in a story, a simplistic and happy fairytale, this wasn't a cliffhanger.

    "No one is this awful," I whispered, allowing the pressure of the dagger to release on her neck, "not even you."

   "Even in the face of danger, you still choose good. Amazing. I'm surprised I hadn't taken care of you first. You're naïve, but far from inexperienced," Yandere darkly chuckled, her voice staying smooth, "tell me, how? Why think I'm any different than you?"

    "I had some good influences," I murmured, shaking even more, "and right now, I'm your influence."

    For a second, she paused in confusion. She opened her mouth slightly to speak, but I wasn't going to let her. I meant what I said. No one was this awful, not even her. I had influences, people that changed me, shaped me, molded me into someone who refused to see the side that maybe anyone considered stupid of me to not see. But I didn't regret it. I was going to be her influence.

    "Whatever do you mean—" I cut off her question, being asked in a strangely calm voice that honestly scared me more than anything.

    Using my right hand, I quickly shot my hand upwards and forcefully jabbed at her temple, making sure I had hit the right point of nerves. She gasped before her legs gave out and she collapsed backwards into me, to which I caught her and rested her on the ground quickly.

"How did you do that?" Kyran gasped as I quickly cut the ropes bounding them to their chairs using my dagger.

"Uh, you tend to learn a few things when your life is usually in danger," I explained, releasing everyone, "pressure points are a godsend. Trust me, this isn't the first time I've been kidnapped and it probably won't be the last."