[Attention! Are there any violent scenes in this chapter that may not be pleasant for you! Not recommended for people with a weak psyche and sensitive people!]
Everything happened too fast. A second ago, I trusted Hinata like I trusted myself. Her caring smile and soft voice always calmed me down. But then–a jerk, Asagi's grip, her eyes wide with horror. "It's not Hinata!" How could I believe that? And yet… I looked at the nurse. Her face was the same, but something had changed. Something barely perceptible… It's like a false note in a perfectly played melody.
When I looked closer, I noticed bruises. At first, there were only barely noticeable shadows under the eyes, but then… Darkened finger marks appeared on the thin skin of his wrists, where a pulse is usually checked. And on her neck, under the collar of her snow-white robe, there was a purple mark, as if someone had squeezed her throat tightly. Terror bound me like an icy chain. What's going on here? Who dared to raise a hand against Hinata?
And then, as if in a nightmare, a shadow appeared in the doorway. General Friedrich. His face, normally calm and commanding, was now contorted into a grimace of rage. But what scared me the most was what he was holding in his hand. A black, sinister gun was pointed directly at Hinata's head.
"Come with me, Kyo! Now. To my office."
Hinata was silent. Her eyes were filled with terror and pleading. She was looking at me as if she was trying to say something, something important. But General Friedrich only pressed the muzzle harder against her temple.
"Don't make me repeat myself, boy?"
General's fingers tightening on the trigger. My heart was pounding in my chest, ready to jump out. What should I do? Trust Friedrich? But how could I trust a man who was holding a gun to Hinata's head? What if Asagi is wrong? What if this is really the nurse Hinata I've known all along?
Then I noticed that her fingers were trembling. At first, it was barely noticeable, and then more and more, until her hands began to twitch like a puppet devoid of threads. There was a feverish gleam in his eyes, and his pupils were unnaturally dilated. And suddenly... Hinata made a strange, gurgling sound, as if she was choking.
Her hands shot up, and she began tearing at her robe, ripping off the buttons and tearing the fabric to shreds. She was wearing ordinary clothes under the robe, but that didn't stop her. She began to scratch her skin, tearing it off with her nails. A grimace of unspeakable agony and... hunger appeared on his face?
"Kyo, I said, let's go!"
There was not a drop of sympathy in his voice.
"And take this girl with you!"
He didn't even look at Hinata. As if it was something ordinary. But what was happening to her was the scariest thing I've ever seen.
And then Hinata did something that made me freeze in horror. She peeled off a piece of skin from her neck and... put it in her mouth. Slowly, methodically, she began to chew, her eyes glazed over as if she were in a trance. Blood was streaming down her chin, mixing with her saliva.
I threw up. My stomach twisted with disgust and horror. It couldn't be Hinata. It was... something else. Something monstrous.
Friedrich turned away, his face contorted with disgust.
"Don't touch her!"
He ordered to no one in particular. Then he took out a small syringe with a clear liquid from his pocket.
He jumped up to Hinata and quickly injected the contents of the syringe into her neck. She twitched, her eyes rolled back, and she went quiet. There was a pool of blood on the floor, mixed with scraps of skin and flesh.
"What did you do?"
I feeling a new wave of nausea rise in my throat.
Friedrich said nothing, threw the empty syringe on the floor and wiped his hands with a handkerchief.
"She's no longer dangerous" - he said, as if reassuring himself, "or rather, she's no longer a danger to you."
But here… Hinata sat up abruptly. Her eyes were an unnatural, almost luminous shade, and they stared straight at me.
"Get out..."
Hinata's voice sounding strange and distorted.
"Run... they're coming.…"
At that moment, Hinata tried to stand up, but her body didn't seem to obey. She staggered awkwardly, her hands barely touching the floor.
Asagi stepped forward as if to help.
"What's the matter with you? What is it?"
Asagi's voice trembling.
"Didn't come any closer!"
Hinata spat out.
"They're... they're inside…"
She pointed at herself, at the torn clothes, at the blood. There was horror in her eyes, mixed with something else-a struggle, an attempt to keep control.
Friedrich grabbed my arm.
"Leave her alone" - he growled, pushing me toward the exit.
He looked at Asagi, then back at me.
"Come on. Right now."
His tone brooked no argument.
With a heavy heart, I allowed Friedrich to lead me away, leaving Asagi standing in a daze, staring at the exhausted Hinata. The last thing I saw was Hinata starting to convulse, and black foam was coming out of her mouth.
Friedrich pushed me out into the hallway and slammed the door.
"What was that?"
I feeling my body tremble.
Friedrich ignored my question and led me down the hall, away from the room where Hinata was left to die.
"We have to help her!"
Asagi objected, but Friedrich ignored her and dragged her after us.
"Hinata is no longer our concern, right now it's more important to find out what's going on in the organization", - Friedrich said seriously.
I stood there, paralyzed by fear and disgust. My world has collapsed. Hinata... not Hinata anymore. And what happened to her left an indelible mark on my soul. My head was in chaos. The questions crowded in like wild animals, ready to tear me apart. What kind of virus was it? What kind of organization was it? What happened to Hinata? And what secrets is Friedrich hiding, why is he so calm, as if all this is a common thing? I had to find out. Even if it kills me. And most importantly, what kind of liquid did he inject her with?
We walked through the corridors like shadows, guided by Friedrich. The emptiness rang in his head, interspersed with fragments of memories of Hinata. Her soft smile, caring gaze, the tart aroma of her tea... it all seemed like just a ghostly dream now.
I tried to cry. The tears were supposed to ease the pain, wash away the dirt and horror. But it didn't work out. His eyes remained dry, as if burned out. And that scared me even more. I couldn't even cry anymore.
"Why... why don't you explain anything?" - I whispered to Friedrich.
He didn't answer, just quickened his pace. Asagi walked beside him, her face unreadable. She clenched her fists tightly, as if holding back a storm of emotions.
"Hinata... she's always been so kind"
I muttered, trying to somehow connect her former image with the monster I saw in the room.
"I always considered her the only adult whom I really respect and appreciate. Was I wrong?"
At that moment, Friedrich stopped abruptly in front of the door. There was no sign on it, just a dim light bulb above the entrance.
"We're here" - he stated dryly.
As soon as Friedrich opened the door, two thugs in black uniforms jumped out from behind it and grabbed us. They were strong and ruthless, giving us no chance to resist. They dragged us into a room where a woman in a white lab coat and a mask covering most of her face was sitting at a table. Not a nurse. Woman.
"This is Ms. Yuki. From now on, she is your supervisor, refusals are not allowed."
"But...but!"
Friedrich left, leaving us alone with her. The woman did not move and silently watched us, her eyes behind the mask seemed cold and penetrating. Then she spoke in Hinata's voice.
"I see that you like our new pupil."
What? Why is she talking in Nurse Hinata's voice? It looks very creepy, like a cheap performance! Asagi and I looked at each other as if we didn't understand what was going on and what kind of situation we were being dragged into.
"It's definitely not Nurse Hinata, it's something else..."
I whispered to Asagi, and she nodded. I could tell by her eyes that she was in the same shock as me.
"What's going on here?"
I turning to the woman.
"What happened to Hinata-san? What kind of virus is this? What do you know about it?"
Her creepy white eyes stared at me as if I were her prey, there was no soul in them, she was like something otherworldly and spoke as if she was not a human, but only a copy of a human, that is, something in between a creepy creature and a human. But surprisingly, unlike Hinata's nurse, she looked presentable - not a single scratch, not a single flaw on her skin, as if she were a doll released from the factory. Her movements were strange and unnatural, unlike the rest of us in the room.
"Wh-what are you?"
"What am I?"
She copied my voice, which made me feel creepy, and I immediately fell silent.
She tilted her head as if considering my question. Soon her voice sounded like Hinata's, but it was somehow... fake. It was as if someone was trying to imitate her, but couldn't quite convey her intonation.
"Questions, questions… You're asking too many questions. Not all the answers are useful to you."
"But I have to know!"
I insisted.
"I have a right to know!"
She grinned, and her voice sounded especially creepy.
"Really… It's an illusion that you've been given since childhood. The reality is much more cruel."
"But what about the wolf girl?" - Asagi interjected, crossing her arms over her chest, - "Do you know anything about her?"
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask.
"The wolf girl... ah, yes. A child of nature trapped in a cage of civilization. She is just one of the many fragments beyond the edge that you will soon see."
"Beyond the edge?"
My heart begin to beat faster.
"What does that mean?"
The woman leaned back in her chair and looked at me for a long, searching look.
"It means that the world you know is just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath it lies an abyss full of secrets, horrors and possibilities. And you, young man, will soon find yourself on the very edge of this abyss."
Then the woman got up from her seat and walked over to the table, on which lay syringes and test tubes with colorful liquids.
"But first... you need to get some rest."
At that moment, the thugs standing at the door stepped forward and grabbed our hands. They held us tight, not letting us escape.
"What are you doing?"
Asagi screamed, trying to free herself.
A woman came up to me with a syringe in her hand.
"It's just vitamins..."
She whispered in Hinata's voice.
"They'll help you calm down and relax."
I tried to pull away, but the goons were holding me too tightly.
Oh no! It seems that our character is in danger! Who is this woman and why is she behaving so strangely? Will he be able to get away with it?