[Tusanda, 10 AM, West Wing Building of The Royal Academy]

Mrs. Bertha said that the new lecturer will be waiting for me at the auditorium of the Old Building. I don't know why nor I don't have the guts to ask the decision of having an unattended place for a lecture. Does she want to make a strong first impression? That's a possibility. Well, she doesn't really have to, to be honest. I prefer a normal hello and hi, and some cookies and tea, if possible.

"Prince Windgrace Auditorium . . . I think it's here?"

A giant door lies before me, the smell of rust tells me all I need to know about this place. It's simply so antique and deserted. Since it was built to celebrate the birth of the queen mother's firstborn - Prince Windgrace, I think it's roughly 28 years old. With the new building complex taking place during his 17th birthday, then I guess this place has been abandoned for 11 years.

"Cough! Cough!"

The clouds of dust were choking me as I pushed the door open. It's basically a big terrarium at this point. With the damp and still air, torn curtains, and cracked floors, I don't see how this could fit any criteria of a good place to conduct a lecture. It seems I'm once again standing against a peculiar mind.

I ended up sitting in the best chair amongst the broken ones, waiting for the lecturer with only the faintest light that pierced through the holey ceiling. After a few minutes of waiting, I decided to close my eyes for a moment to calm myself and to skip time.

"This place must be a paradise for disease once it rains," I talk to myself to keep my mind occupied.

Suddenly, the doors slammed shut. The sound was so loud that even I jumped from my chair. What was that? It even takes me all my strength to open them, and I can only make them move as slow as a slug. But now, the pins and hinges are tumbling down the stairs and landing right before my feet.

"Sniff . . . Sob . . . ."

I heard sobbing from the corner of the auditorium, and I noticed the whole room gradually got darker. It is as if my mind is enchanted, I can't focus on anything else but that voice. I slowly walked towards the source of the voice, to the bleak corner of the room where one could hardly see anything but the glints of water that were dripping from a leaking pipe above.

It's the voice of a woman. Her weeping is so heartbreaking that even my eyes are also in the brink of tears. What is this? Why am I suddenly feeling so sad? No . . . Not only sadness but also something else. Something much darker, something more powerful. This is . . . This is familiar. I know this feeling. This is an abysmal anger.

Then, I saw a woman with a really long black hair. Her physique is almost skeletal, although wrapped in saggy skin as pale as snow. I know I shouldn't get anywhere near her. However, my legs wouldn't listen to what my head told them to, and I kept approaching the woman who was sitting on the ground. For every passing second, I am one step closer to the wailing woman.

When I'm around six meters away, the wailing suddenly stops, and a sound of growling is heard instead.

"Y . . Y . . . You . . . Are mocking . . me . . . t-too . . . Aren't . . . Y . . . You . . .?"

IT slowly turned its head on me. I'm so frightened that I can't even move a muscle. After all, the only part of its body that turns into me, is its head. It bends backwards 180 degrees, and I can see its face as clear as a day. It has three mouths, a big mouth filled with sharp teeth, and two little mouths in its eye sockets that are the source of the weeping voice.

I immediately step back, but that monster doesn't seem to wish to let me go. It stood up and now I can see that even its foot is inverted.

"I . . . Kill . . . Kill . . .! KILL . . .!"

It chased me and started to dash, flinging its long claws to the chairs enraged. I was so scared and ended up stumbling myself like a fool. I pissed my pants like crazy as I crawled between the line of chairs.

Of course, it reached me faster than I could get up and she jumped on me. She scratches my back all the way through my uniform. I, in my distress, rolled my body to face her to retaliate. But I stood no chance, she clawed my face and body - tearing myself apart.

"I WANT EARS! EARS! EARS!"

"Aaaarrrrghhhh!"

It bites my ears until it's torn off, and I scream and cry. I try everything I have to fight back, but it is too powerful.

"HELP ME . . .! HELP ME . . .! HELP ME, PLEASE . . .!!"

No . . . No one is going to come! No one is even here! I'm all alone! 

"HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY!" the monster screams.

It started to gouge my innards, and I can't believe I even saw my own intestine hanging in its claws as it ate it. As I was passing out from the severe pain, and any bit of power starting to leave my body, I started seeing something. I can see that my hands are covered in spiralling black chains of inexplainable origin. 

I can move it. It's the only thing left that reacts to my mind. I must use it. I must survive!

"Nngh . . .! Die . . . You!"

The chain springs up, wrapping the monster's neck. I clenched my fist as hard as I could, and the chain also squeezed the monster in accordance. I can see it's working, and it chokes and in the verge of shattering in pain. In my final reprisal, I pulled my clenching fist up and the monster's head snapped off of its body, rolling down right beside my face.

.

.

.

I can't do anything anymore. My gut is tattered on the floor, and I'm losing both blood and consciousness. Is this it? A shameful, ugly, tasteless death? Is it my fate to die while being unable to achieve anything? Heck, I haven't even paid my rent to Nana for this month . . . and after all she has done for me. I also haven't found that bastard yet. I hope he met a somewhat similar end - if not worse.

Sigh. I'm truly a misfit toy in this cruel sandbox we call life.

Well, at least no one will find me here. Let the rats and cockroaches do the job and clean my mess so no one has to have the hassle of burying a failure such as myself. At least I'll be useful, even as a mere fodder. Although the idea of my carcass sustaining the wheel of this wretched fucking world disgusts me, who am I to choose, right?

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.

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If there is a higher power up there who watches over the world, an omnipotent entity, a decider of all things . . . A God,

Then He will have to kneel and beg for my forgiveness . . . And even all of that is done? I don't think I would.

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Ah, mother.