A violent sound tore through the quiet – a muffled cry, followed by a sickening thud. It came from Ivy's room. Adrenaline rushed through Hazel, making him forget the weakness in his chest. The IV bounced against his arm as he ran back, his heart beating a wild rhythm against his ribs.
Just before he reached the door, a sharp pain ripped through his lungs, and he coughed, the taste of blood filling his mouth. He ignored it. Bursting into the room, the sight that met him was like a nightmare. A figure covered in shadow, impossibly tall and thin, had Ivy by the throat. The air around it seemed to ripple with cold. The Grim Reaper. The scary legend made real. It was dragging her towards the window.
Hazel's mind screamed. He wouldn't let this happen. His eyes quickly searched the room, landing on a strangely curved blade lying on the floor. He lunged for it. Too late. With a sickening crack, the Reaper's grip tightened, and Ivy's body went limp. Fury, strong and raw, exploded inside Hazel.
The Reaper, for a moment, looked at Hazel....
~Few moments ago~
A plastic tube, like a clear snake, went into the back of his hand. It was a lifeline he never wanted. "Why am I still alive?" Hazel whispered, the bright white hospital ceiling blurry.Eighteen years. Half of his life spent in these clean, quiet rooms. His heart was like a broken engine, barely working. The doctors had long ago given up trying to understand how he was still alive. He was a medical mystery, holding onto life even with a failing heart. But here he was, still connected to the IV, still breathing.
A strange quiet filled the hospital, even for so late at night. Had the night staff disappeared? The thought quickly left Hazel's mind, replaced by a stronger need. Ivy. He had to see her. With a painful effort, he pulled off the sticky pads and yanked out the thin tubes. The familiar beeping of the monitors stopped. Death was an old friend; what were a few more risks, Hazel had always believed? Leaving only the IV line dangling like a strange leash, he slid out of bed and into the dark, heavy hallway.
An unsettling darkness hung in the corridor. Usually, a soft light showed the way for patients who couldn't sleep, but tonight, only shadows danced in the corners. Had everyone really fallen asleep? He came to a door, a thin line of light shining from underneath it, and without thinking, he pushed it open.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to leave your bed?" A soft voice, full of worry, greeted him. Miss Ivy sat bathed in the cool light of a laptop screen. Her pink hair seemed to glow on its own. She didn't even look up. "You should be resting."
"You didn't tell me you would be on night shift?" Hazel shot back, leaning against the doorframe. "It's boring in there, and you didn't say you'd be here."
Ivy finally looked up, her forehead creased. "That's exactly why I didn't tell you, Hazel! You don't care about your health."
"We both know this old heart of mine is a lost cause," Hazel said with a shrug. "Besides, I've got a guardian angel, remember?"
Ivy sighed. "Very funny. Now, back to bed. Or I'll make sure Dr. Evans hears about this little trip."
"Fine, fine," Hazel gave in, turning back towards the hallway.
He had taken only a few steps when a violent sound tore through the quiet – a muffled cry, followed by a sickening thud. It came from Ivy's room. Adrenaline rushed through Hazel, making him forget the weakness in his chest. The IV bounced against his arm as he ran back, his heart beating a wild rhythm against his ribs.
Just before he reached the door, a sharp pain ripped through his lungs, and he coughed, the taste of blood filling his mouth. He ignored it. Bursting into the room, the sight that met him was like a nightmare. A figure covered in shadow, impossibly tall and thin, had Ivy by the throat. The air around it seemed to ripple with cold. The Grim Reaper. The scary legend made real. It was dragging her towards the window.
Hazel's mind screamed. He wouldn't let this happen. His eyes quickly searched the room, landing on a strangely curved blade lying on the floor. He lunged for it. Too late. With a sickening crack, the Reaper's grip tightened, and Ivy's body went limp. Fury, strong and raw, exploded inside Hazel.
The Reaper, for a moment, looked at Hazel. Before it could react, Hazel stabbed the strange blade into its chest. The Reaper hissed, a sound that seemed to make the air cold, and with a last, desperate act, it lashed out. A ghostly claw ripped into Hazel's side. Both of them crashed to the floor, the Reaper's movement carrying it backward. Its shadowy form vanished out the shattered window.
Darkness began to creep in at the edges of Hazel's vision. Ivy... No. A bitter regret washed over him. You should be here, not me, u was gonna die anyways, the thought flooded his mind. The last thing he felt was a coldness spreading through his chest, the wild beating of his heart slowing, fading...
Then, a voice, echoed in his mind: [System Installation Complete.]
What...?
[Congratulations, Player.]
Player? Am I... dead? Is this some kind of joke about the afterlife?
[You have defeated a High-Ranking Entity. Level Up!]
[Current Level: 10. New Skill Unlocked: Dead Summoning Lv1.]
[A corpse with significant power is available for summoning.]
A window screen, flashed before his fading inner eye: [Summon Blossom Queen?] Yes/No