My fingers are soaked in blood.
And that boy... he's not breathing anymore.
My name is Aria.
Just Aria.
23 years old.
And maybe... a murderer.
No.
Not maybe.
I am.
Because these are my hands. My body. My breath that's still running while his... has stopped.
But I... I can't remember.
Can't remember anything.
Just a blank space. A black hole where the last 40 minutes disappeared.
And now when my eyes have opened...
This is the scene.
This... corpse.
He must have been 9 years old.
School uniform still on his body. Bag thrown in the corner. Lunch box open, half a Bread lying outside.
His mother must have made it with love.
Must have thought her son would come home. Wash his hands and face. Eat his food. Do homework.
But now...
Now he's not going home.
Never.
"No... this... this is wrong..."
My voice cracked.
I stepped back. Hit the wall. Cold cement touched my back and I shivered.
Where am I?
Some old, broken house. Smell of dampness and grass. Window glass shattered.
How would I know?
Because I don't remember anything!
Last thing I remember was... the market. I was getting groceries. It was 5 PM.
And now...
Must be 8 at night.
Three hours.
Three hours... gone.
"Did... did I..."
My hands are shaking. Blood still sticky. Deep red.
"Did I do this?"
Then.
Inside my mind... something moves.
A shadow. A presence.
Like someone is watching me. From inside me.
And then...
A voice.
Mine... but not mine.
Male.
Young.
Cold.
"Yes."
I froze.
Heart gave a hard thump.
"W-who?"
"You already know."
The voice was soft. Slow. But there was a strange confidence in it. A coldness.
Like... like he was more powerful than me.
"I... I don't know anything!"
"Liar."
My hands automatically clenched into fists.
"I'm not crazy!"
"No. You're not crazy."
Silence.
Then the voice spoke again.
"You're just... weak."
My throat went dry.
What's happening?
Am I... talking to myself?
Schizophrenia? Split personality?
No.
This is something else.
Because when that voice speaks... there's a strange feeling inside me.
Like I'm losing control.
Like my body... is no longer just mine.
"Who... who are you?"
"Not now. It's not time yet."
"Answer me!"
"Why? Can you handle it?"
I went quiet.
Because the truth is... I can't.
Because this isn't the first time.
Two weeks ago.
I woke up in my apartment. It was raining. My whole body was soaked. Clothes muddy.
And my hands...
Covered in blood.
News said a woman's body was found in the park. Strangulation marks.
And I... remembered nothing.
A month before that.
A man. Near the train tracks.
Body twisted. Bones broken.
And I... came home after a blackout.
Three months ago.
A teenager. In the railway station bathroom.
And I...
I was there.
How do I know? Because my face was on the CCTV footage.
But I remembered nothing.
Not then. Not now.
"How many more?" My voice trembled. "How many more people... did I kill?"
"You can count them if you want."
My heart sank.
"You... you did this. Not me."
"Really?"
The voice mocked.
"Then why are your hands shaking? Why is your breath racing? Why is your heart pounding?"
"Because I'm... I'm scared!"
"No."
The voice got slightly deeper.
"Because you know... deep down... that you enjoyed it too."
"NO!"
I screamed.
Covered my ears with my hands.
"I... I'm not like that! I don't hurt people! I—"
"Quiet."
Suddenly my mouth shut.
Literally.
Like someone sealed my lips.
Panic started rising. Breath got faster.
And then... my hand moved.
By itself.
On its own.
Slowly... my fingers went toward my throat.
"N-no..."
But I couldn't control it.
My fingers touched my throat. Light pressure.
Then... more.
"See. How easy it is."
The voice whispered.
"In one second... I can end you too."
Pressure increased.
My eyes widened. Breath began stopping.
"But I won't. Because... I need you."
Suddenly the hand moved away.
I fell. Coughing. Gasping.
"Now... run. Police are coming."
Police?
Suddenly sound reached my ears.
From far away... sirens.
Faint. But coming.
Someone must have called.
Maybe heard the boy's scream.
"I... I can't run. I'll surrender. Tell the truth—"
"Then rot in jail. Or a mental asylum."
The voice went cold.
"This world won't understand you. Just torture you. Test you. Make you a lab rat."
"But—"
"And when I get angry..."
My hand moved again.
This time picked up a glass piece. From the floor.
Sharp edge came near my wrist.
"Then I'll show them... what a real monster looks like."
Sirens were getting closer.
5 minutes. Maybe less.
Had to make a decision.
Surrender... or run.
My heart was pounding hard.
This is wrong. Running is wrong.
But if I stay... what happens?
Jail?
Asylum?
Or... something even worse?
Then my phone vibrated.
In my pocket.
I took it out.
Unknown number.
A message.
Just two lines:
"Aria, run. Now.
If you want to know the truth... you need to meet me."
Who is this?
And... how does this person know my name?
"Who is this?" I asked the voice.
The voice inside was quiet.
For the first time... he didn't speak.
And this... was more terrifying.
Because if even he doesn't know...
Then where did this message come from?
Sirens were very close now.
Lights flashing outside the door.
"Last chance, Aria."
The voice spoke.
"Run. Or die."
I looked toward the window.
It was dark. Forest started from there.
If I ran... maybe I'd survive.
Maybe I'd find the truth.
But if I got caught...
Everything ends.
My hand trembled.
That message was still glowing on the phone screen.
"If you want to know the truth..."
I took a deep breath.
Then...
I ran.
Jumped out the window.
Glass cut my hand. It hurt. But I didn't stop.
Plunged into the darkness.
Police voices stayed behind.
But my fear...
It was with me.
Inside me.
"Smart choice."
The voice whispered.
"Now the real game begins."
Night was getting deeper.
And I still didn't know...
Who I was running from.
The police?
Or... myself?