The first thing I saw after opening my eyes was...
A blade.
It moved with terrifying speed and precision, as it cut through the air and...
Severed my head.
My eyes opened again, only to see the same scene, the same sword, once again speeding toward my neck.
Before my mind could even process what was happening, the blade once again cleanly severed my head.
And again.
And again.
Time blurred. Each death came so quickly that I couldn't remember them all.
At first, the pain was unbearable, the feeling of losing one's head over and over was...
Torture.
I wanted to scream, shout, but...
There was never enough time.
It hurt like hell... until it didn't.
It stopped hurting.
Or rather, I became numb to it.
Then...
I finally moved.
As soon as my eyes opened, I ducked down.
Using every bit of willpower I had left to force my body to move.
And...
For the first time.
I dodged the sword.
And finally, I had enough time to formulate a thought.
'What the fuck?!!'
I weakly fell to the ground and clutched my chest.
"Hah... hah... hah..." I gasped, my heart pounding violently in my chest, as I tried my best to comprehend my situation.
'Where th-'
"I'm surprised."
A voice came from ahead of me, cutting off my thought.
Looking up, I saw him.
The one who had severed my head countless times, looking at me with an amused smile. He had a tall, lanky figure and an oddly feminine face.
"To think you were able to dodge even in that state." He said with a look of slight surprise.
"Looks like you didn't slack off on training." His tone sounded somehow... genuine? "Haa... It's too bad, really." He sighed. "But I have a job to do."
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say a word, his sword reached me. This time, it pierced my chest.
Darkness swallowed me.
I died.
My eyes snapped open again.
I immediately ducked, dodging the sword once more and falling to the ground.
This time, it felt easier to dodge.
Breathing heavily, a single thought came to me.
'Run'
"I'm surprised." The same words from before came from the man.
"To thi-"
But before he could continue speaking, I scrambled to my feet and ran.
'Shit shit shit!!'
"Oh, a game of cat and mouse," He said, amusement evident in his tone. "How about I give you a head start?"
He smiled like a child who had just gotten a brand new toy.
And I was the toy.
------
I ran as fast as I could, my legs screaming in protest.
'Where the hell am I?'
I was sprinting through the halls of what seemed to be a mansion. The surroundings were dimly lit by the moonlight shining through massive windows that stretched across the walls, casting long shadows across the marble floor.
-CRASH
"What the-!?" I jumped in surprise.
A loud noise pierced through the silence, and I felt the ground beneath shake. Looking out the window, I saw it...
A statue had fallen over and broken into multiple pieces that scattered across the courtyard. I stared at the broken statue for a moment before continuing to run.
'I need to move.'
I reached two separate pathways, one left and one right. There was no time to think. I took a sharp left, desperately searching for an exit or at least a spot to hide, but the more I ran, the more I realized something.
'There's no one else here.'
I had not seen or heard a single person.
I was alone with that lunatic in the mansion.
As I sprinted down the halls, a large set of doors came into view, and a sign above it read.
-LIBRARY-
I tried to rush in, but my exhaustion weighed me down, making it difficult to move.
'Move... damn it... Move!!'
Panting heavily, I forced myself forward. My body was on the brink of collapse.
And just as I was about to enter the library...
"Found you~." An amused voice echoed through the empty halls.
My mind blanked at the voice.
He was there.
I tried to move but...
My body collapsed.
'Damn it, no!!'
"You know... I'm genuinely surprised." He spoke, crouching down to my eye level, where I could see his twisted smile up close.
"To think you were able to run this far despite the poison eating at your mana core."
'Poison? Mana core?'
"Truly impressive!"
He started clapping, as if applauding a performance.
Disgust boiled within me.
'This sick bastard.'
"Haa... It's too bad, really." He stopped smiling and was now looking at me with... pity.
"But I have a job to do."
Raising his sword, he then pierced my chest.
And again... I died.
Opening my eyes, I ducked, dodging the blade again.
This time, I got up faster.
Before the bastard could even say a word.
I ran.
"...?"
Then...
"Hahahaha!! Yes... run!!"
The crazy bastard laughed hysterically, his voice echoing throughout the mansion.
Hearing this, I sped up, but now I wasn't running blindly.
I had a destination in mind.
The library.
------
I reached the same large set of doors as before, but a lot faster this time.
As I walked toward the door, I paused and looked down at the space below me.
'I died here.'
It felt... odd looking at the place where your dead body should be lying like a ghost revisiting its past.
And at the same time, I wasn't scared.
Dying felt...
"Natural." The words slipped out of my mouth without my consent.
My expression twisted slightly.
But I decided it was best not to dwell on it too much.
Pushing the doors open, I entered the library. I was greeted with what seemed like endless bookshelves that stretched to the ceiling, filled to the brim with... well, books.
'I need something, a weapon maybe.'
Closing the door behind me, I began searching the library for anything that might be useful.
I searched from corner to corner, but to no avail. It was mostly just books, pens, dust-covered desks, and a rope... for some reason.
There were also a few really old computers that wouldn't turn on despite my numerous attempts.
'Looks like the power's been cut.'
"Haa..." I sighed 'What did I expect to find in a library, a gun?'
I rested on a chair in front of one of the old computers, staring at the screen. I saw it...
My reflection.
An unfamiliar young man with dark blonde hair, greenish eyes, and a perfect jawline stared back at me. Anyone else seeing this would've been amazed, he was really handsome, but me...
I staggered back.
'That's not me.'
I didn't recognize the face.
'No, I never looked like that, I-'
'What did I look like?'
-CREEAAKK
A sound cut through my thoughts
The door had opened.
For a moment, it felt like my heart stopped.
'He's here.'
I slipped behind the nearest bookshelf as quietly as I could.
"Hello~ anybody here?"
His voice echoed through the library.
He didn't even bother to hide his presence.
He simply walked, each step deliberately loud as if to say knowing he was there wouldn't change the outcome.
My mind raced.
I had nothing. No weapon. No strength. No time.
'Think... think...'
I couldn't run as my body still felt extremely weak, likely due to the poison the bastard mentioned before.
My eyes darted in all directions, searching for something.
Then I had an idea.
'This is so stupid.'
Sneaking around the bookshelves, staying as far as possible from the sound of his footsteps, I collected the rope.
I then climbed up the bookshelf, trying to get to the top.
I climbed slowly so as not to make noise, but as I climbed...
-CRASH
The statue fell.
'Shit!'
The bookshelf shook, causing a few books to fall.
I tightened my grip in an attempt to stick to it.
Luckily, the bookshelf stabilized before I could fall.
I almost let out a sigh of relief, but I reminded myself why I was up there.
'Gotta tie the rope.'
I looped the rope around the shelf's edge, securing it just enough.
I then climbed down, listening carefully for the bastard's footsteps.
I could still hear him.
No, I could always hear him.
'The library is big, how is he always near me?'
'Does he know where I am?'
'How?'
Once I got down, I sneaked around the bookshelves until I was closer to him, keeping the rope's end near me.
I jumped out from behind the bookshelf I was hiding behind and yelled, "Hey!"
He instantly turned in my direction.
He glared at me so intensely, I swear I saw bloodlust flooding from him.
"You know, even if you look at me like that, I can't reciprocate your feelings."
"I'm sorry..."
"I like women."
I spoke in a sympathetic tone as if I genuinely felt bad for rejecting him.
"I am flattered, though."
"..."
He stood still, confusion spreading across his face.
Then...
He moved.
Fast... faster than my eyes could track, he appeared right in front of me.
"It seems you wish to die."
I smiled.
And grabbed him tightly.
Pulling him in close.
His expression faltered,
I grabbed the rope and pushed him down using both his and my body weight as leverage.
Then...
-CREEAAKK
His eyes flicked upward.
The massive bookshelf was coming down.
His face twisted instantly.
I tightened my grip on him.
"G-get off m-"
The shelf came crashing down.
And we died together.
Romantic, right?