Machida Sonoko closed the webpage in front of her with a complicated expression.
Lying back on her chair and staring at the ceiling, her mind drifted into emptiness.
She had thought that the lingering impact of the game "The Witch's House" was already intense enough.
But she hadn't expected that the prequel story would hit even harder.
Without a doubt, Ellen fell into the devil's trap the moment she spoke to him. From that point on, her fate was sealed.
The devil knew exactly what she longed for and how to make her obediently do his bidding.
As everything unfolded as planned, with her so-called friend abandoning her without hesitation and the devil striking at the depths of her soul, Ellen lost herself.
Step by step, she fell into the devil's sweet trap and became the twisted character in the story.
But was the devil really at fault?
No.
The devil was simply acting for his own purposes.
Moreover, it was the devil who gave Ellen, who desperately sought someone love, a glimmer of hope.
Even though that hope led her hands to be stained with blood, took her down to an absolutely wrong path, and caused her to lose herself over hundreds of years...
In the end, through such a twisted method, she fulfilled her wish to be loved by taking someone else place.
And for Ellen, that was enough.
So, who was truly at fault?
'This world, huh?'
As that thought crossed her mind, Machida let out a complicated sigh.
"What a messed-up conclusion."
Rubbing her aching temples, the emotions from the story surged once more from the depths of her heart.
"Damn it! Why did I have to read this story?"
When she first finished playing "The Witch's House," the only character she hated was Ellen.
But after reading "The Witch's Diary," she suddenly realized... there was no one she could truly hate.
All the misfortune stemmed from this twisted world.
But this twisted world... is completely fictional!!
Frustration filled her chest, with no target to vent on, leaving her feeling even more miserable.
"No wonder he is called the Master of Depression."
Feeling the magical-level stomachache that came not from physical pain but from emotional turmoil, Machida bitterly shook her head.
"I feel like I just saved money on today's meals."
Since Machida read the story at a normal pace, by the time she finished, most readers had already done the same.
And right at that moment, the online community exploded.
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"Waaah, why does this hurt so much?! Why is this so heartbreaking?!"
"I feel like my soul is shattering!"
"At first, I only hated Ellen, but after reading this, I can't bring myself to hate her anymore!"
"Because Ellen is pitiful too!!"
"You can't judge others without understanding their suffering."
"She was abandoned by her mother, and her father never cared about her. If I went through that, I wouldn't fare any better."
"It's just too tragic..."
"The devil's appearance was like a rope thrown to a drowning Ellen. If she didn't grab it, she'd be swallowed by the abyss."
"But Ellen's crimes are unforgivable! Over hundreds of years, she lured countless people into the house and killed them! And what she did to Viola..."
"Wake up! No one is trying to justify Ellen's actions. It's just that, after understanding her past, we realized the true source of hatred isn't her, but something else. That's why this hurts so much!"
"I feel so conflicted and miserable."
"I regret reading this..."
"Regret +1!"
"What kind of mental state that someone need to be in order to write this?!"
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If players of "The Witch's House" felt pain...
Then after reading "The Witch's Diary," that pain was replaced by endless emotional turmoil.
Don't think that feeling conflicted is better than feeling pain.
Because while feeling conflicted, the original pain from the game didn't lessen at all—in fact, it only intensified over time.
Emotionally, they understood that Ellen's choices were inevitable.
But logically, they couldn't forgive her actions.
As this emotional turmoil twisted and tangled in their hearts, the game sales of "The Witch's House" skyrocketed.
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Monday morning.
Akifumi Mugiho had just taken his seat when Kato called out to him.
The usually emotionless girl wore a rare expression of concern.
"Akifumi, are you okay?"
"Huh? What do you mean? What's wrong with me?"
"Didn't you release that game 'The Witch's House' on Friday?"
"Oh? Did you play it too, Kato?"
Kato shook her head. "For various reasons, I didn't get to play it."
'What a shame.'
Akifumi couldn't help but wonder what kind of expression Kato would make after playing it.
Just imagining it filled him with anticipation.
"Then why are you asking me this?"
"Because everyone online is worried about your mental health."
Before Akifumi could respond, Kato added, "But seeing how you're talking now, I guess you're fine. That's a relief."
"..."
What the heck?
Why is everyone worried about my mental health?!
Confused, Akifumi took out his phone.
The top trending post immediately made his expression twitch.
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"Exposed! Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei is Having a Mental Breakdown Led to the Creation of 'The Witch's House'!!"
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