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"I'm sorry–" Reigen sputters, laughing nervously as he processes all the information. “You said you heard… growling?”
“Y-Yes.” Mrs. Nakai nods meekly and violently shudders at the memory. "At first, I thought it might have been a wild dog that somehow got in. I've seen a few out in the forest before, but they usually tend to stay away. So I went to investigate it and…" Her broken voice trails off, and he sees her swallow the lump that's formed in her throat. "A-And that's when I saw it, standing in the hallway."
Clearly, she’s still very disturbed and frightened by the spirit she claims is haunting her parents' old house and shrine. Usually, clients tend to over-exaggerate their reactions in hopes that they pull at Reigen's heartstrings, but he can tell that she's genuinely terrified, and who can blame her? The evidence she's presented is pretty undeniable, especially considering the large set of claw marks that were carved into her leg.
From what he's gathered, the haunting in question is at Mrs. Nakai's parents' estate, out in the countryside, which she subsequently inherited after their unfortunate passing. At first, she wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do with it since Mrs. Nakai lives in the city, so the place had been left abandoned for a few months until she found the time to go out and see if it would be worth fixing up and selling.
She said that nothing seemed off at first, but when the sun started to go down, and they were preparing to leave, she sensed another presence and stated that it felt like eyes were watching her every move. Her husband brushed her worries aside, and while he went to take some boxes down to the car, which was parked at the bottom of the hill, that's when she was attacked.
She says that it pounced on her like an animal, and when she tried to fight it off, that's when it sunk its claws into her leg in retaliation. Reigen saw the wound firsthand. When Mrs. Nakai arrived, she insisted that he see it and took off the bandages just to show him. He had to hold back a violent cringe as it truly looked like she was mauled by a lion that may have escaped the zoo.
Immediately, Reigen thought to assume that it was probably a poltergeist not looking to leave its newfound home, but then the client threw him a curve ball that caused him to rethink his approach to this case entirely.
"It, uhm…" she pauses, her voice meek and unsure as she adjusts in her seat uncomfortably. "It also… did something else."
Reigen raises his head and watches as the husband rolls his eyes at her, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Asuka, we've been over this already," he says, his expression more irritated than concerned. Clearly, he's a skeptic. "Whatever attacked you was just an animal, and you were just seeing things and feeling emotions because of the adrenaline–"
"I know what I felt, Takehiko!" She snaps at him unexpectedly, startling everyone in the room in unison. "I wasn't hallucinating or making things up for more sympathy. What I felt was real, and I'm not going to let you gaslight me into thinking it wasn't!"
The room falls deathly silent afterward, and Reigen's eyes snap over to Dimple, who shoots him the same dubious look.
"Mrs. Nakai," Reigen gently says after clearing his throat and scooting closer to the edge of his seat. "I understand if this may be difficult for you to talk about, but what else did it do to you? It's important that I know as much as I can so that I can determine if I'm the right person to take on this case."
Mrs. Nakai raises her eyes and gazes at him. She keeps her hands in her lap, balled into fists in an attempt to hide her trembling, but Reigen is too perspective not to notice, and truly, he pities her. What happened must still be affecting her in more ways than one. The poor woman has obvious dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep, and although she has her hair tied back, he can see that her scalp is greasy and she smells overwhelmingly of perfume– indicating that she probably hasn't showered in a while either.
She's most certainly in distress, which means that this is serious. This isn't like the usual cases of someone saying their place is haunted, only to find out that it's a total bust in the end. This is real, and Reigen has to fight down the greedy anticipation bubbling in his stomach to show her that he cares and feels nothing but sympathy for how she feels.
After a few beats, Mrs. Nakai seems to make her decision and drops her head back down to the floor. "It… it tried to undress me."
"Nah, I think it was trying to eat her," Dimple tells Reigen as they drive to the location where the supposed haunting is taking place.
"Really?" He glances over to spirit, who sits in the passenger seat– or rather floats in it. "You don't think it was trying to assault her, like she claimed?"
Dimple shakes his head. "No way. If anything, it was probably trying to get her clothes off because fabric isn't exactly something I would consider tasty."
Reigen snorts as he pulls the car up against the curb and puts it in park. "You make it sound like you have experience with that sort of thing."
"I don't, but a few of my old buddies did. They said it's like eating a sandwich with the wrapper still on."
Reigen grabs his phone and the keys to the rental car before stepping out. "You know, I think the fact that you just said that to me so nonchalantly bothers me more than the connotations behind it do."
Dimple phases through the passenger door and huffs. "It's called honesty, Reigen. You should try it sometime."
"Hm. Funny." He hums and turns his gaze to the gate beside them and the seemingly never-ending stairs that go up the side of a surprisingly steep hill. Looking at it in person, he finds himself a little surprised to think that Mrs. Nakai's parents were able to traverse these stairs pretty regularly with no problems.
Dimple whistles at the sight. "That's a long way up. You sure you're gonna be able to make it up there, old timer?"
"Shut up," Reigen snaps at him. "Worry about yourself."
Dimple mutters something under his breath, but Reigen ignores him in favor of focusing on unlocking the gate with the key Mrs. Nakai gave him and filling his mind with reasons as to why a spirit would want to undress its victim. Although Dimple's excuse does make sense, something about it still doesn't sit right with Reigen.
Mrs. Nakai described the spirit as a creature with sharp teeth and long claws, both of which could easily rip and tear every article of clothing from her body to shreds. But when it was happening, Mrs. Nakai made it seem like it was being rather careful with her clothes. She said it seemed like it was searching for the buckle on her pants and trying to slip her shirt up over her head. Of course, when she said that, Mr. Nakai rolled his eyes, once again dismissing her claims, but Reigen, on the other hand, took note of it.
It could mean nothing, and what she was experiencing was just a delusion fueled by the adrenaline she was feeling, or it could mean that there's something more to this spirit, which there usually always is. Either way, it's a detail he's choosing to hang onto. Better safe than sorry.
"Hey, Dimple," Reigen starts as he shuts and locks the gate behind him. "You said that ghosts can't feel sexual desire, right?"
"Ugh, you're still on about this?" The spirit rolls his eyes.
"Yes, I'm still on about this." Reigen narrows his eyes. "It's my job, and I'm trying to piece this all together."
The spirit chuckles at him. "Careful, too much brain power, and you'll short-circuit."
Annoyed by this, Reigen swats at the floating booger, who laughs at his expense when his hand goes right through him unaffected, as always.
"You're so damn annoying. I don't know why I bother keeping you around." Reigen tells him and begins trekking up the steps. "So, are you going to answer me or not?"
Dimple groans and floats by his shoulder. "No. Ghosts can't feel sexual desire… sort of."
Reigen raises a brow. "Sort of?"
"Well, it all depends on the circumstance." He explains. "You see, when a ghost or spirit first manifests, it's totally possible for them to still feel it as remnants of their past life, but over time that fades, and sometimes when they act on those desires, they find that it's not as fulfilling as they once thought and it completely negates those feelings entirely."
"Oh. So, do you think that could be what's going on with this spirit?"
"No." Dimple's eyes shift to Reigen suspiciously. "Do you?"
Reigen shrugged and looked up to the magnificent torii gate they were coming up to. "Don't know, too early to tell."
"Uh-huh, sure, you freak. I think you just want it to be that case, so you–" Dimple is suddenly cut off by something, but Reigen continues to walk up the steps, too lost in thought to even see that the spirit hasn't fallen behind until he calls out to him. "Uh, Reigen. Hold up. We've got a problem."
Reigen stops and looks back over his shoulder, finding the spirit behind the torii gate, pushing against an invisible wall that throws him back like a trampoline.
Reigen watches him for a moment and can't help but chuckle a bit and smirk. "What's wrong, Dimple? Having a little trouble there?"
"Shut up," Dimple grunts as he tries to push through again, but the results are the same. "Damn. Who the hell set up this barrier?"
Reigen again shrugs nonchalantly and turns his body to face him, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"No, Reigen. You don't get it." Dimple says while wearing a severe expression. "This is a big problem. I can't get in."
Reigen casually picks at his teeth. "And that's an issue because…?"
"You daft bastard. If I can't get inside, then I can't get rid of the damn thing!"
"Who's to say there's even a spirit inside the place?" Reigen counters. "I mean, it could still just be some wild animal. Plus, if it is a spirit and you can't get inside, then how did it?"
"Reigen, this barrier is probably up to keep it inside," Dimple says, and he has a point.
Reigen looks back towards the top of the steps and sees that the house isn't that far off from where he is. Serizawa wasn't available to come on this job, and neither was Mob, so Dimple was his only option and, therefore, is the only one who can deal with the spirit– if there really is one. He doesn't particularly want to turn back now. Just the idea of choosing to turn tail and run reminds him of the weary expression Mrs. Nakai wore during the consultation and the wound on her leg wrapped in bandages.
Normally, clients and their stories don't get to him like this, but for some reason, this situation strikes Reigen as odd and different than what he normally deals with– a dangerous combination that pries at his curiosity and enables his ability to ignore the danger that lies ahead if he proceeds. Sure, if there is a spirit in there, then he'll be completely defenseless and most likely won't be as lucky as Mrs. Nakai, but if he does nothing and decides to leave now, then this will all just be a big waste of time, despite the fact that he'll have to come back at a later time.
So, against his better judgment, Reigen makes the decision and turns back to begin ascending the stairs once again.
"I guess I'll be the judge of that."
"Reigen!" Dimple shouts, trying to push through the barrier one more time but again being bounced back. "You dumbass. You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Relax," Reigen tells him and vaguely waves his hand, dismissing the spirit. "Look, I'm just going to go scope the place out, and then we can call Mob or Serizawa to come out here and check it out later, alright?"
"Reigen…" Dimple says, but the man is already climbing up the stairs with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, fighting down the fear that’s making its way through his system. "Oi! If you die in there, I refuse to take responsibility for your stupid decision! Do you hear me?"
Reigen laughs. "Need I remind you that I used to do this kind of stuff all the time before you all came around? I'll be fine."
"Tsk. I'm gonna keep trying to find a way inside." Dimple shouts after him. "You better stay alive until then!"
When Reigen reaches the top of the stairs, he finds that the property is just as Mrs. Nakai explained.
Directly in front of him is the shrine. It's in pristine condition, as he expected, with a bright, seemingly polished bell hanging from the ceiling, and Reigen briefly considers going up to it and praying for his safety, but he's never really been one to uphold those traditions, especially while on a job. To his right is a small shed that looks to be empty, aside from some gardening supplies, and to the left is the supposed haunted house.
The entire property is surrounded by thick trees and a dense forest that casts heavy shadows and makes it seem like the woods go on forever. Reigen doesn't at all doubt that the forest is filled with all kinds of wildlife, which leads him to slightly understand Mr. Nakai's skepticism about this being just an animal that attacked his wife, but still– unlike him, Reigen actually knows what all is out there in the world, so he refrains from assuming. For now, at least.
Just to cover all of his bases, he checks the small shed. More often than not, spirits like to tie themselves to places like this, but nothing feels out of the ordinary. Admittedly, though, his opinion hardly means anything in this case. For all he knows, Reigen could be standing in the belly of the beast and doesn't have a clue because… well.
Still, after looking everywhere he can and not finding anything that screams a spiritual presence, he moves onto the house, gazing at the shrine in all its glory along the way. As expected, the house seems pretty traditional and is still full of Mrs. Nakai's parents' belongings, but now, with an added layer of dust that hangs in the air and irritates his nose.
Right away, Reigen spots a few splatters of dried blood leading from the front door up the stairs. He assumes that must have been from when Mrs. Nakai was attacked, and clearly, neither of them has stepped foot in this house since then. Before checking the downstairs, he decides to follow the trail, keeping his eyes and ears peeled until he reaches the room where it all happened. It's a small guest room filled with boxes that Mrs. Nakai was clearly in the process of packing when it all went down.
Obviously, there are signs of struggle. Some of the boxes had been thrown to the side and stepped on, probably crushed under Mrs. Nakai's weight. Reigen also sees the pair of scissors that Mrs. Nakai claims she used to stab the spirit in order to get away. But how could she have stabbed an incorporeal being? That's not possible.
She also stated that when her husband went back inside to investigate after carrying her to the car, he found that the creature had escaped out the window, which Reigen sees is now closed. Now, why would a ghost need to escape out of a window? Reigen ponders. If it's truly a spirit, then it should have the capability of simply phasing through the wall or even becoming invisible until the coast is clear. At least, to his knowledge, that's what they tend to do.
Just then, Reigen hears a noise come from downstairs. A loud clattering sound like something had just been knocked over by something big.
He straightens, forcibly shoving down the sense of panic bubbling in his chest. Maybe Dimple somehow made it through the barrier and is messing with him, he thinks, attempting to be optimistic for once in his life. Still, just to be safe, Reigen refrains from calling out to him and even considers the fact that he may have just imagined the sound in the first place. However, his curiosity doesn't allow him just to disregard what he heard, and quietly, Reigen leaves the room and waits to see if he hears anything else besides his own heartbeat, which has made its way up his throat.
He hears something again, and this time, it sounds like a door sliding open, followed by something that sounds like a dog sniffing around. Maybe that's what it is– some kind of dog or wolf spirit, but even that bit of knowledge doesn't ease Reigen's mind one bit. In fact, it only serves to fuel his fear further and causes him to start to tremble anxiously.
How the fuck is he going to get out of this one?
He could go out the window, but Reigen's body refuses to move, too afraid of what chain of events that might cause. If it is a dog – or any kind of animal for that matter – that means that it has great ears and can probably hear every move it makes. Actually, if it's sniffing around as well, then it probably smells him too.
Reigen holds his breath, and now he can hear it walking around and rummaging through something. It's definitely walking on four legs, and that ticking sound must be its claws scraping against the wood floors with each step it takes.
He takes a few slow and deep, shaky breaths before turning his head all around in search of a solution to this situation. These floors are old, and he definitely won't be able to make it back inside the room before it decides to creak under his weight loudly. And if that happens, then that thing will come gunning it for him, and he already knows he can't outrun it. But then again… maybe – just maybe – there's a chance that he can make it out the front door from where he is.
Reigen carefully walks over to the top of the stairs at a painfully slow pace. He can see the front door from where he's standing, and if he can somehow make it down the stairs quietly and out the door, then he might have some slim chance of survival. However, he can hear the spirit's clawed steps clicking down the halls below, pacing– stalking its prey. Reigen's sure that it already knows where he is, and if it has any intelligence whatsoever, then it probably knows exactly where he plans to go and is just waiting to ambush him.
He takes another deep breath to help settle his nerves. Now is not the time to act like a coward and freeze up. It's either fight or flight, he thinks, eyes glued to his goal.
Then, once he's got some form of courage built up, Reigen hesitantly takes the first step down, and when it doesn't creak under his weight, he takes another until he can lean forward and glance into the hallway. The spirit is nowhere to be seen, and he can't hear it anymore, either. Maybe it went away, he thinks, or perhaps it's in one of the rooms, having phased through the wall.
Swallowing the lump that's formed in his throat, Reigen forces his legs to keep moving, and eventually, he reaches the main floor. All still seems to be in the clear, so he continues and tiptoes to the front door. For a moment, he thinks he's heard something beside him, but when he turns his head, there’s nothing there. Even the darkened hallway he looks down is completely empty. At least, he hopes it's empty.
Moving at a painstakingly slow rate, Reigen takes the door handle and starts to turn it in small increments, hoping that it doesn't make a sound.
He counts each click, wincing every time. One… two… three…
He's almost got it, but then, his blood turns to ice when the sound of a distinct, chest-rumbling growl comes from right beside him, vibrating in his ear, sending ripples of goosebumps down every inch of skin and making his hair stand on end. Reigen stiffly turns his head, fully expecting the spirit to be right in his face, baring its sharp white teeth– the last thing he will ever see before being torn to shreds. But instead, he sees something else.
He sees the hallway again, still empty and more like a tunnel, with how dark it grows the further it expands. But now there's something different about it. Everything is distorted and almost wavy as if he's looking through water, where everything is refracted and undulating like ripples on the surface.
Reigen stares and blinks, waiting for the weird effect to suddenly disappear and prove that it's just a trick of the eye. But it doesn't, and it takes him all of a second to realize what he's seeing.
It's fucking invisible.
"Holy shit!" Reigen screams as he instinctively jumps back, slipping and falling straight on his ass. He can't see anything, but Reigen swears he hears its jaw snap shut, presumably over where he was just standing while he scrambles away.
Yep. Fuck the front door, he decides.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit–!"
Reigen desperately tries to climb to his feet and sprint back towards the stairs. The spirit roars at him and gives chase. Reigen's not very fast, he'll admit, but the thing must be pretty big. The entire house rumbles when it slams into the wall, and it causes Reigen to trip and have to catch himself on his hands and knees.
He feels its hand or paw or whatever it has close around his ankle before yanking him back down the stairs.
"No! Fuck!" Reigen curses and instinctively pushes at the air and fights with all the strength he can muster.
He hits something solid, causing the spirit to let out a loud, painful shriek and withdraw before slamming against the wall and shaking the entire house again. Reigen's ears start to ring painfully as the creature lets out a monstrous sound. He covers his ears briefly but quickly realizes that he'll lose his chance to get away if he doesn't move now.
He ducks out of the way, making a break for the hall past the living room. There has to be a back door somewhere, or maybe another window he can jump through– fucking something. But then something swipes him from the side, and Reigen is thrown through the doors of the living room. He covers the back of his neck intuitively, and his back slams into the floor table, knocking the wind out of him and making him gasp.
Reigen forcibly unscrews his eyes open as his entire body throbs like a bruise. He's already so dazed he's convinced he's even seeing stars. The room is spinning, too, as he tries to stand, groaning with every movement he makes, but he can't stop now. He has to get up and–
The beast growls at him again, and Reigen's eyes snap forward, every muscle in his body tensing like a string pulled tight. The spirit has now turned off its camouflage, or maybe Reigen hit it hard enough to make it malfunction if that's how it works.
In any case, he's face to face with a creature that has not one set but two sets of pure red eyes with no pupils or sclera that are all locked onto him like he's a piece of meat dangling from a hook.
It's also now that Reigen also sees its entire body, and he’s starting to realize why the client said she didn't entirely believe that it was a spirit that attacked her but rather something else. It crawls on all fours, but it doesn't look like any four-legged creatures he's ever seen. It has no snout, no nose, besides two slits between its eyes. Its paws, no– hands are like that of humans but with long skin tearing claws, and its face… It's unlike any other creature he's ever seen before, aside from something like an alien from a horror film or fantasy creature, and its body is no different. It's not covered in any fur or hair. It looks almost like the scales of a dragon. It's dark, nearly black, matching the shadows that plague this house, and its tail is long and thick, coming to a point, flicking wildly as it creeps closer.
Reigen breathes heavily, his heart in his throat. He's rooted to the spot, unable to turn his eyes away even though his body is screaming for him to run. It slowly stalks closer, and Reigen braces himself for the inevitable pounce, but then, its eyes snap open wide, and there's suddenly a flash. A bright red flash, like someone had just taken a picture of him, causes Reigen to snap his eyes shut, wincing and hissing at the burning sensation that impairs him.
He turns away, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand violently until the skin feels like it's been rubbed raw. Tears well to the point that it's like he's crying, but it helps soothe the pain, and eventually, he's able to pry them open and see what just happened.
Everything he sees is a strange hue of red, like looking through blood. The shadows that surround them darken even more, and any light he sees is practically a halo that makes his eyes sting even more. He tries to blink and rub it away, but it doesn't change– only the burning sensation has begun to subside, and something else has already started to emerge.
Reigen can't see what the creature is doing behind him, and he knows that he needs to run to get away from it, but for some reason, his body has suddenly grown unnaturally calm. Every muscle in his body starts to inexplicably untense and relax to the point that he almost falls over on himself as he reaches for the other side of the table, trying to crawl over or pull himself up. He grows unnaturally weak and finds himself unable to pull himself any more than he already has.
Something is wrong. Reigen’s body refuses to do what he wants, and he instead ends up lying across the table, completely limp, unable to move even the slightest.
"Wha…" Reigen heaves as more sensations come to his body, overwhelming him and bogging down his mind like he's fighting sedation.
He's burning up. He can feel heat starting to grow from deep within his gut like a flame and spread through every limb all the way up to his forehead. But simultaneously, there's a sharp chill that runs down the length of his entire spine. The mix of two feels like he's being drowned under a massive tidal wave, and it leaves him feeling numb and completely paralyzed just as the beast walks up behind him.
"What–" he tries to speak again, still fighting even to curl his fingers. "What did you– do to me?"
The beast doesn't give him any kind of response. It just growls, its entire chest rumbling, staring down at him. It's only now that Reigen realizes that there's no way out of this. Dimple can't come to his rescue, and if he could move right now, he most certainly wouldn't be able to get any kind of distance away without this thing leaping on top of him. He's a sitting duck– the entree served on a silver platter.
Which means that this is it. This is how Reigen is going to die– paralyzed, trapped in a house with a spirit that he’s pretty sure isn't a spirit considering what all he's observed, and his sight obscured by essentially a red lens that makes it unbearable to keep his eyes open. He just hopes that this creature makes it quick and doesn't make him suffer.
Reigen opts to shut his eyes and just give in to the forced, relaxed sensation still coursing through his body. Maybe it won't hurt this way, depending on what this thing plans to do with him.
He waits, ready to accept this inescapable fate. However, something unexpected happens instead. Reigen's arms are grabbed and pulled back behind him as he's lifted onto his knees, his spine ramrod straight, head bobbing back. His eyes snap open, and although he can't move, he looks at the beast out of the corner of his eye and observes it.
From what he can tell, this thing can apparently walk on two legs and now sits on its knees behind him. Although slightly shorter and smaller now, it still towers over Reigen, and its teeth are much larger and sharper when this close. It doesn't even have lips to obscure them.
Reigen swallows and he's pretty sure he's still trembling from head to toe.
He can't tell what the creature is doing, but eventually, another set of hands comes around him, taking his jaw and forcibly turning his head to the side to face it. Reigen is confused at first since his hands are still restrained behind him, but then he realizes another characteristic of this peculiar creature.
This thing has four arms. How in the hell did he not see them before?!
Reigen is forced to look at the creature's face, and now he's absolutely positive that the thing is an alien or maybe it's just a monster. Either way, it's definitely not a spirit.
In any case, Reigen inhales sharply as he looks at its teeth one last time before closing his eyes again and imagining his death– preferably his head being bitten off in one bite. Please, let it be quick and painless. Please, let it be quick and painless.
He waits, and once again, something unexpected happens. Something long and wet swipes up the side of his face, and Reigen opens his eyes. The creature no longer seems to be growling, at least in an aggressive manner like it was earlier. Actually, it's almost like it's purring like a cat, lapping at his face.
Reigen grimaces, knowing that his face is now wet and a whole part of his hair is sticking up thanks to its saliva. Is this thing really tasting him before it plans to eat him? Does it have some standards or maybe a preference for its meals? Rude.
"Oi," he says even though he's sure it can't speak any human languages, "I'm not some piece of candy you can just lick until you've taken off all the good stuff. Just get it over with, come on."
The beast gives him one final lap to the side of his face before its tongue moves elsewhere and suddenly pushes its way past Reigen's lips, slipping far enough in to begin exploring wherever it pleases. Reigen makes a sound of protest and tries to move back from it, but again, his body doesn't move one bit. In fact, it practically allows the intrusion to happen, and the tongue of the beast slithers inside his mouth, reaching further and further back until it's almost completely down Reigen's throat.
He wants to gag. He wants to bite down and make the beast stop whatever the hell it thinks it's doing, but there's nothing he can do. He just has to endure, and hold his breath, and hope it's tongue doesn't go back much further lest it ends up down his esophagus.
As it all but throat fucks him with its tentacle-like tongue, he eventually tastes something strange in his mouth. For a moment, it seems like something bitter that he should immediately spit out – something metallic – but then it turns into something sweet instead. Something like honey with the same sort of thick consistency as it runs down his throat and fills his mouth.
Every fiber of Reigen's being is screaming for him to stop drinking it, but of course, there's only so much he can do in the state he's in, and it's already too deep down the back of his throat unless he can find a way to make himself vomit it back up.
After having swallowed enough of the strange liquid, the creature starts to slowly withdraw its tongue right as the reddened world around him disappears in the blink of an eye, and Reigen regains control of all of his limbs.
He forcibly pulls his head back the second he feels he's capable of moving again. He gasps and chokes from the lack of air once the creature's tongue is removed, and it watches him, still holding his arms back behind him while its other hand still holds him by the face.
Reigen blinks at the creature, the feeling of being lightheaded and nearly passing out slowly starting to fade, but now a new kind of headache has just begun to set in. He sees that its tongue is hanging from its mouth. It's long and thick, and there's a bright, glowing red liquid that's dripping from its sharp teeth, connected to Reigen's mouth by a thin spit trail.
As soon as Reigen realizes what the liquid is, a wave of panic washes over him.
That red flash he experienced was something the creature used to paralyze him just long enough for it to feed him its venom without any fight.
Reigen so badly wants to make himself throw up on the spot. No assistance from his fingers is needed. There's no telling what kind of venom this thing has or if it even compares to anything they have on Earth. It could burn a hole straight through him or curdle the blood in his veins in a matter of seconds. On second thought, this thing probably is an alien. For all he knows, its venom could turn him into a creature just like it after some painful reconstruction of his entire anatomy.
"Let go! Let go of me, damn it!" Reigen starts to heave uncontrollably as he tries to fight his way out of it's hold. However, his struggle only lasts for a short time before something else starts to take over his body like before, something that makes him tense and grow as still like a statue.
There's a familiar hot, burning sensation coming from his lower gut that creeps up his stomach, exciting his nerves and causing his pants to become increasingly tight and uncomfortable. Once again, he feels dizzy. His head is spinning, and the heat causes sweat to bead on his forehead. Being the lonely – but fairly average – man that he is, Reigen is all too accustomed to the feeling that's taking over, and he bites his lip, hoping the pain will force it to stop.
But as he knows all too well that arousal isn't so easily extinguished once it's been kindled.
"Hah… w-why.." He whines, leaning back until he can feel himself lying against the creature's chest a bit, involuntarily yearning to get closer to it. "Wha… What do you– ah, want?"
The creature must know what he's asking because, as a response, it moves his hands and begins to grab at his clothes, pulling his tie until it unravels and falls to the floor. Then it goes for his suit jacket and the button-up shirt he wears, and he meticulously undoes all of them. Once it's finished, the beast pulls his clothes off his shoulders and reaches around him, wasting absolutely no time before starting to feel the expanse of his entire chest.
It's hardly sexual, but Reigen's body practically melts into the touch against his wishes. A sigh escapes him, and he leans further back against its chest, looking down and watching its hands explore his body like it's never seen a human's anatomy before– never touched it.
Its chest feels like cool leather against his hot back, allowing him to relax even further. Eventually, the creature's hands finally find his nipples. As they start to play with them, Reigen's head lulls to the side, and a moan escapes him. It opens his neck up for the creature, and it slowly begins to drag its tongue across his skin, sending relentless waves of shivers down his body.
"N-no– stop!" Reigen choked, forcing his eyes shut and trying to fight it. This isn't right– it's not even human, but even as he tries to think of whatever he can that usually snuffs out his libido, his body does the complete opposite. He grows hotter and harder until he feels utterly intoxicated with arousal, unable to resist the urges any longer.
Reigen's clothes have completely come off now, and he's stopped fighting the creature entirely. He's inherently gained its trust, too, and it's allowed him to have his hands free, which he is more than grateful for as he grips the edge of the floor table he's bent over, trembling and crying each time the creature's wet tongue laps against his entrance.
As far as he can tell, it doesn't speak any kind of language he can understand. It only makes sounds like growling and grunts and purring, and right now, it's definitely purring. So Reigen is probably correct to assume that it's enjoying this, and lord knows he is, too.
Its tongue slips inside every so often, stretching his entrance open and wetting it at the same time. Reigen is trying so hard to hold himself together, trying to keep himself from unraveling at the seams so early into this, but every time its tongue slithers just a little deeper, he can feel his mind going blank, and more precum begins to bead at the tip of his twitching cock, dripping onto the floor.
"F-Fuck–!" He jolts and slams the palm of his hand down on the table when he feels the tip graze that tender spot deep inside him. "I'm… I'm gonna– cum if you don't–"
He's still entirely not sure if the thing can understand him or not, but it seems to comprehend what he said to some extent before retracting its tongue and letting out a quiet screech that doesn't seem inherently angry.
The creature steps back from Reigen, and he isn't given long to wonder what it's doing before he feels its bottom set of hands take his hips and adjust his position, line him up.
Reigen panics, and he quickly rises to his elbows, looking back over his shoulder to see the way it's situated behind him. "Wait– stop! That's not–"
Reigen chokes his words the second he feels something slip against his hole, something long and hard and slick.
It causes his fight or flight to finally kick in a bit, despite the curiosity he has and the crippling desire that's coercing him into just letting all this happen. He grabs the table and tries to pull himself away, shaking his head.
"No– no!" He shouts and is surprisingly able to get himself almost completely over the table and dig his nails into the carpet.
However, the creature clearly doesn't like the fact that he's trying to escape again and lets out a sharp hiss in response. The next thing Reigen knows is that his wrists are snatched by one large hand and are pinned above his head.
"Wait– please!" Reigen pleads in vain.
His lower half is still on top of the table, and the creature has already crawled up, mounting him again and holding him by the waist with a more firm grip. Reigen can even feel its sharp claws digging into his skin, threatening to shred him if he moves so much as an inch in the wrong direction.
It lines itself up again before impatiently thrusting its hips in an attempt to penetrate him, but Reigen's body instinctively jolts at the pain, and it slips. He feels the entire length of it's dick slide over his ass and up his back. It's fucking huge and long and entirely inhuman. He heaves and tries to breathe, but his chest tightens, and he can't inhale. It's going to hurt. It might even kill him. It–
The creature uses its hand to align itself properly and, without any warning, begins to painstakingly sink in, forcing Reigen to let out a guttural scream mixed with an uncontrollable moan ripped from his core. He tries to fight it, his body tensing and muscles screaming in defiance, but whatever he ingested earlier– whatever is making him unbearably horny– counteracts it entirely, and the pain immediately turns into pleasure.
He's so full. God– no one has ever filled him up like this before. He's never taken something this big, not even a toy. Its cock touches all the right places and hits him so deep he can feel it in his stomach. There's also something thick and round pressed against the curve of his ass. He wonders what it is, but that thought is quickly wiped from his mind as it slowly starts to pull back and thrust back in, falling into a rhythm that had Reigen's mind cracking and shattering like glass.
His eyes roll back, back tightening and bending with each glide of its cock against his prostate that draws whimpers and moans he didn't even know he was capable of producing. Fuck, it's never felt this good before. No one has ever been able to utterly ruin him like this, and it's only been a matter of a few seconds. Things have barely started, and Reigen's already at his limit.
"Fuck–" he curses, his speech slurred, almost incoherent, as his muscles tighten against his will. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck–!"
Reigen's body goes numb from head to toe as he sinks into pleasure and releases stripes of his orgasm all across the floor. He loses control of himself entirely, letting out sounds he could never replicate and letting his drooling tongue hang out like an animal. Reigen knows that if he could see himself from an outside perspective, he'd be shaking his head in disapproval, praying to whatever kind of god that exists out there to save his soul, for he is surely destined for damnation after this sinful display.
Reigen's body goes limp again, and the creature keeps fucking him, not giving Reigen a moment's rest after that mind-numbing orgasm, and it even begins to speed up its thrusts, pressing even further inside him. He waits for the pain to set in, the kind of pain that usually comes with post-nut clarity as everything starts to wind down, but for some reason, it never comes. In fact, Reigen already feels himself gearing up again, his libido returning in full swing. His dick hadn't even been given the chance to grow soft.
It must be because of that venom he ingested. Most likely, it was some kind of aphrodisiac, he assumes. But what kind of creature would have something like that built into their body? Certainly not a ghost or a spirit…
Oh, fuck it, he thinks. Reigen knew this thing wasn't a spirit from the moment he saw it. It's a monster from god-knows-where, and right now, it's fucking him until it's had its fill. If this thing is anything like a tarantula or a praying mantis, he'll definitely end up dead in the end, but who cares?
The least he can do is enjoy this since he's probably doomed anyway.
Now, Reigen almost wishes he could see himself from a different perspective.
At some point, the creature got tired of the position they were in and decided to rise to its hind legs, pulling Reigen with him by locking its first set of arms around his shoulders while the other set took him by the back of the thighs and spread him nice and wide, giving the world quite the view– if the world could see him.
Reigen keeps his arms up and grabs the back of the creature's neck for support, where he feels platting of some kind down its back. It's as hard as a rock, and maybe it's sort of like a shell– another aspect of this thing that only further proves he has no idea what it is, but that thought is again erased from his mind as it abruptly drops him on its cock.
Reigen head rolls back as he lets out the most immoral sounds that he has no control over. His voice lilts with every drop of his body, and what he thinks are whimpers and whines escape his throat, begging the creature for more without uttering a word.
In this position, he can feel everything so much better than before. He can feel how its dick is slipping in but doesn't once slip out as he's raised and then dropped over and over. It presses against his prostate again and again and again, already working him up toward having another orgasm at any minute. He also feels something different now.
There's some kind of movement in his gut, a burning sensation that feels too good to ignore. Although a little afraid, his curiosity gets the better of him, and Reigen eventually looks down at his stomach, where he feels this new sensation.
He watches as it noticeably swells each time he's dropped, bulging in the familiar phallic shape of the creature's cock buried inside him.
A part of Reigen's brain immediately recognizes that he should be concerned because that's definitely not normal or safe. He knows that it has to hurt, too. No human should be able to take this, even with the proper training, but his senses are all so fucked thanks to the aphrodisiac, and he can't feel a thing, only the dizzying pleasure that courses through him. His head is absolutely swimming as he leans back into it.
"God– y-you're so… so f-fucking big, ah–" He stutters, feeling his insides being scrambled, but not giving a damn one bit. "O-Oh, y-you're so big– I can feel you … hah, in my– in my–!"
Reigen is cut off when the beast decides it's tired of listening to him and slips its long tongue around and back into Reigen's mouth, burying itself to the back of his throat. And oh god, just thinking about the fact that he's taking it from both ends… it-it's–
Reigen's lost count of how many times he's came, and yet the creature has yet to put its seed inside him even once.
They've switched positions a few times now, and this time, it lies underneath him, watching Reigen closely as he rolls his hips, his hands firmly pressed against its chest to help anchor himself while he bounces on his knees. One set of its four arms holds him by the waist, assisting him ever so slightly, and the others help prop it up so it can watch him ride its dick.
As he does, Reigen blearily wonders if this thing can even ejaculate in the first place. Surely, it must be able to, considering its anatomy, which he has yet to figure out fully.
Truthfully, all he knows and cares about is the fact that it has a cock, and sex has never felt this good or satisfying. He's never had this much stamina before, and the world around them has completely disappeared. Hell, he's even completely forgotten why they're here in the first place.
What was he supposed to be doing? What even is his name? None of it feels relevant, and all Reigen can concentrate on is the fact that his stomach feels like it's moving, rolling with the beast's dick buried deep inside him, causing it to swell and stretch until he's pretty sure it's reached up inside his rib cage, puncturing a lung.
He's positive that he couldn't even speak if tried, so why would he need to? This thing doesn't need him to talk. It only wants him to moan, to cry, and scream and plead for more, which he's given tenfold, so much so that he knows he's lost his voice entirely.
Reigen's head starts to fall back. His eyes are up to the ceiling, rolling back in the same way his spine curved. His legs have also given out, but that doesn't stop the creature from taking his torso in its four hands and essentially beginning to use him as a fleshlight.
How demeaning, Reigen thinks, and he laughs at the irony. Reigen’s not ignorant enough to know that his dignity went out the window the moment he entered this house, thinking he could handle this by himself. Oh yeah, he muses and laughs again. That's why he's here, to find the creature that was supposedly haunting this location. Well, he found it, and Mrs. Nakano – or whatever the hell her name was – was right to think that this thing was trying to assault her if she hadn't escaped when she did.
Oh, well. It’s her loss.
Reigen is thrown back on the ground. He's on the brink of passing out, fighting to stay conscious as the creature fucks him so hard he can feel it in his fingertips. The room is actually spinning all around him, and he can't seem to form a single coherent thought. His senses can't take any more of this punishment.
Every inch of his skin is buzzing, aflame. He can't tell if he's feeling pleasure or pain anymore. Still, moans spill from his lips nonetheless. He's sure that this is how he's going to die. All of these signs are evidence of his body shutting down. This beast is going to fuck him to death, no doubt about it.
Truth be told, there are always worst ways to go out, he supposes. Loads actually. He just wishes he could feel this thing cum and get some satisfaction out of it. It's almost insulting, and his ego is a little bruised. But then again, maybe that's just how these creatures work. They fuck their prey to death and then eat them. At least he won't be alive when it does. Being eaten alive is truly a nightmare, and he doesn't even want to imagine it.
Not that he can, to begin with, especially as the monster cages him underneath its entire body and laps at his chest and neck with its long, venom-coated tongue. He blearily wonders if this is when it plans to bite into him, to take an entire chunk out of his shoulder and tear him apart piece by piece. Something does seem different about how it's acting and how it sounds.
Its thrusts have slowed and it's adjusting its positions again. It moves its hips up and inherently lifts Reigen even more until his entire lower half is off the floor, and he's forced to wrap his legs around the creature to steady himself. They're shaking violently, so he won't be able to hold on for long, but it seems like that might not be an issue.
It growls at him, and although he's not sure what it says, Reigen instinctively reaches up and wraps his arms around its neck. Something is telling him to hold on for dear life.
The beast thrusts slow to a stop, but it's only briefly before it makes some more adjustments, and then it starts fucking him as fast and hard– too fast, too hard. Reigen screams as loud as he can with his already hoarse voice.
It hurts. The pain is slipping through the aphrodisiac, making him hold onto the beast even tighter in fear that if he lets go, it's going to snap him in two– if his spine isn't already shattered from the impacts.
He tries to dig his nails into its skin, but it's so tough and leathery. He's pretty sure that they're bending back as he does, but he's too afraid to open his eyes, too scared to watch as the devil himself waits off to the side, ready to take his soul as soon as the beast is finished with him.
The beast grunts obscenely. It's stopped licking him and raises its head. And then that thing at the base of its cock presses firmly against him, and finally, Reigen realizes what's about to happen.
"No– no!" He shouts uselessly, knocking his fist into its shoulder in an attempt to get its attention. "Stop! I can't take it–"
But as it turns out, he can. Whatever it is goes right inside him with one hard thrust of the creature's hips, and all he feels is white-hot pain shooting throughout his entire body, causing spots to dot across his vision. Reigen's entire spine bends in an unnatural way as he screams with the remainder of his voice, and like he had been hoping for earlier but now regretting immensely, the creature empties its load inside him. It cums in pulses and waves, its knot buried so deep inside him that there's no point in even trying to get away, and Reigen shutters violently from head to toe.
It fills him to the point that his stomach begins to swell with its seed, and he worries he might end up throwing it up with how deep it's buried itself in him.
He starts to slip in and out of consciousness until he loses track of time. It seems like the beast has stopped coming, and eventually, it's satisfied enough to pull itself free, its knot exiting Reigen with an explicit popping sound.
It lets go of Reigen, and he falls to the floor, completely limp like a puppet cut from its strings. Everything hurts. He feels like his whole body has been bruised, inside and out. He can barely keep his eyes open, but Reigen still turns his head and watches as the creature seems to decide it's done with him and walks away. He's not sure where it goes from there as the darkness finally comes to consume him, and Reigen completely loses consciousness.
"Well, Reigen," the doctor sighed as he looked over his chart one more time, even though Reigen was sure he probably had the whole thing memorized by now, given how many times he'd gone over it this last week. "We've run just about every test we can on you, and unless you can tell me you remember anything about the night, we have no clue what happened to you."
Reigen sighs and leans back in the hospital bed, once again combing through his memories to the best of his abilities despite the headache it brings on.
He remembers arriving at the location and having to leave Dimple behind since there was a barrier put up. Then he remembers walking up the steps to the property and seeing the shrine, but after that, his memory starts to grow fuzzy, and he has absolutely no memory of anything that has to do with the house itself. He's not even entirely sure how he got to the hospital in the first place, but he supposes that question can only be answered by Dimple.
"Nope." He says, emphasizing the end with a popping sound. "Nothing."
The doctor gazes at him, clearly still trying to determine if he's lying or not. Unfortunately for the doctor, though, even if Reigen were lying, he still wouldn't be able to tell. He is a professional at that sort of thing, after all.
So the doctor relents and flips back to the front page on his clipboard. "Alright then. Since it's late, we're going to keep you here for one more night just for observation. Then, in the morning, after we check your vitals, you can be on your way."
"Thanks, doc," Reigen says with a smile despite the fact that he wants to show his displeasure at having to stay one more night. He hates hospitals. They're always so dreary, and he can't stand being inside one for more than a few minutes. Even when he had to get his head stitched thanks to the rock that hit him while chasing Mob, he was antsy and, on multiple occasions, considered doing it himself at home even though he has no such skill.
The doctor nods and gets up from his chair, but as he approaches the door, he stops and looks back. "By the way, you have a group of people out here waiting for you. Would you like me to send them in?"
Reigen crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, you can send the peanut gallery in."
The doctor chuckles at that. "Alright. Just remember that visiting hours end here in about thirty minutes."
Once the doctor is gone, everyone takes a few seconds to walk in. Mob, Serizawa, Dimple, and then Tome– each one wearing the exact same worried expression that makes Reigen want to send them away so he doesn't have to hear it.
"How long have you guys been out there?" He asks and readjusts his position until he's sitting up straight. It's not painful, thanks to the painkillers he’s been given, but his whole body is definitely stiff. He just can't determine if that's because of the entire reason he's here in the first place or because of the fact that he's been bedridden this whole time.
"Only like– fifteen minutes," Tome says as all but skips over to the side of his bed. "Technically, Dimple was here first and has been waiting here the longest."
Reigen's eyes dart over to him, and he raises a brow. "Oh really?"
Dimple is wearing his usual meat suit today – Yoshioka, Reigen thinks is his name – and he's surprised that this is the first time he's visited him, considering Dimple was the one who brought him to the hospital in the first place. But considering the sharp look he's been receiving from Mob since they all walked in, that could be the reason why.
"How are you feeling?" Mob asks Reigen as he stands at the foot of the bed, his expression softening a bit.
"I feel fine," Reigen answers him honestly. "They're going to keep me overnight and let me go home tomorrow if my vitals come out okay."
"That's great, Reigen-san," Serizawa says with some actual enthusiasm.
"Now the real question is–" Tome leans her elbows into his bed, "do you remember what put you in here?"
Reigen opens his mouth to give her the same answer he gave the doctor, but Mob speaks up before he can.
"Dimple's incompetence."
"Mob!" Reigen snaps.
"My incompetence?!" Dimple barks at him. "I warned him that if I couldn't get inside the place, then he would be all by himself. He's the one who chose to take the risk despite the danger."
Reigen snaps his head to spirit. "Dimple–"
"You should have tried harder to stop him!" Mob argues.
"What the hell was I supposed to do, Shigeo? Reach through the barrier and pull him back down the stairs? I. Couldn't. Get. In."
"Guys," Tome says, but they ignore her.
"Well, we didn't seem to have any problem getting in." Mob counters, his eyes sharpening into a glare.
"Oh yeah, because that means so much coming from you, Mr. all-powerful psychic of the century."
"Will both of you shut the hell up?!" Reigen shouts, causing everyone to jump and whip their heads to him before the room falls deathly silent. "I swear, If I hear one more word out of either of you, I'm calling security and having you both thrown out of here! Got it?!"
Both Mob and Dimple nod their heads in unison, eyes wide and faces painted with guilt like a child who's just been reprimanded by a parent. Reigen lets out a long and slow breath, rubbing his temple as another headache starts.
"Look, I recognize that what happened to me was entirely my fault. Ah– ah– ah!" Reigen raises a warning finger the second he sees Mob's mouth open, which promptly shuts. "Not. Another. Word."
Mob drops his head. "Yes, Shishou."
Then, Reigen continues, "What happened to me is my fault. I knew the danger of going in alone, but I still walked in there and took that risk. Dimple is not to blame for my decision, and that is not up for debate. End of discussion."
No one says a word, so Reigen decides to take it as they all silently agree not to argue about it anymore, and he lets out the rest of his built-up anger in a sigh of relief.
"Good. Now, since it's been brought to my attention," Reigen looks over to Dimple. "Dimple, explain to me how I got here and what happened."
Dimple's brow creases. "You still don't remember?"
"Afraid not," he grumbles.
Dimple crosses his arms and leans back against the wall with his eyes on the ground. "Well, for starters, you were in there for a while."
"How long?" Reigen asks.
"About an hour, maybe a little more."
Why the hell would he be in that house for that long? To be frank, Reigen is the kind of person to procrastinate whenever he can, especially if it means spending more time at the locations he's given just to make it look like Reigen is actually working, but he's never spent that long doing nothing. Well– clearly, he was doing something.
"I couldn't get inside, but you ended up coming out, and you looked…" Dimple pauses, and his lips purse. "weird."
"Weird?" Reigen cocks his head a bit. "Weird, how?"
"You looked like a mess," He says. "Like you had a really rough night and just woke up."
"Well, did I say anything to you? Did I say what happened?"
"No," Dimple is quick to answer. "It was like you were in a trance, and when we got down to the car, you fell over and passed out. I ended up having to possess your body to get you to the nearest hospital."
"Did a spirit possess me?" He asks, and Dimple's face falls, making Reigen even more anxious. "What?"
"There–" he cuts himself off, glancing over at Mob, who's looking at him from the corner of his eye. "There wasn't any kind of trace of a spirit being near you."
Reigen waits a beat for him to explain further, but when he doesn't, he says, "Meaning…?"
"Meaning that whatever happened to you wasn't caused by a spirit." Dimple raises his head, and his gaze meets Reigen's. "We… we don't know what attacked you."
Reigen waits for someone to chime in. He looks to Serizawa and Mob, fully expecting them to either confirm or deny what Dimple is telling him, but neither of them will look his way. They both keep their eyes turned away and their heads hanging down like they had failed a test that was assigned to them.
"W-Well… what about the location?" Reigen asks. "You guys said you went back there, right? What did you find?"
"We didn't find anything, Shishou," Mob says, his voice quiet, defeated. "We saw where there was a struggle between you and… something, but there was no remnants of spirit ever being there, or anything really."
Reigen swallows against the lump that's formed in his throat. "So, if my understanding is correct– what you're saying is… you have no idea what attacked me."
"We're sorry, Reigen-san," Serizawa says.
Reigen bites his tongue to keep from snapping at him. Truthfully, he doesn't want anyone to apologize to him. He doesn't want to hear them say that at least he's alive or remind him of how things could have been a lot worse. He wants answers.
Reigen wants them to say that they found the creature that did this to him and took care of it already so that it never hurts anyone again. Hell– he would even be content just knowing that there was a spirit out there, to begin with, and that it just took off like a coward but that they were at least in the process of hunting it down. But no. Instead, he's left with absolutely no answers as to what happened, no memory of the incident even occurring, and a deep sense of feeling lost and conflicted that makes him want to crawl under the blanket and sleep this off until he can go home and do it all over again.
"Reigen," Dimple says, "if you want, we can all go back there once you're out so we can see if something jobs your memory or–"
"Just get out," Reigen says as he puts his face in his hands. He can feel the headache he has starting to worsen, making his eyes strain.
"Reigen-san…" Tome starts, but he doesn't want to hear it, not even from her.
"Please. I'm tired and frustrated, and I just want to be left alone right now," Reigen tells them, trying to keep his voice level so as not to seem as angry as he actually is. "I'll be getting out of here tomorrow. We can discuss it more then."
They're all quiet for a beat, but Reigen refuses to look up at them and see their pitiful looks all directed at him. He doesn't want pity. He wants answers.
"Okay, shishou," Mob says and is the one to stand first.
Tome is next, and as she does, she puts her hand on his shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Shoot me a text if you need anything."
"Sure," He says, feeling an involuntary smile start to pull at the corners of his lips, but he’s not in the mood for such fondness.
He listens as they all start to walk out, but as the door is about to shut, one person remains in the doorway, and Reigen already knows who it is.
"Shishou, why didn't you call me?"
Reigen sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He lifted his head and looked at his former student. He stands in the doorway, his back facing him to hide his expression, but Reigen can tell from how his shoulders are bowed that he's upset and disappointed.
"I thought we agreed that I wouldn't call you on such short notice anymore," he replies.
"But it wasn't on short notice," Mob says and whirls around to him. "You could have left and then called me, and I would have come with you."
"Mob, you don't work for me anymore." Reigen huffs. "Besides, I'm fine. I'm alive and just have a few bumps and scrapes. That's all."
Mob's expression sours as he looks at him. "I don't like to see you in the hospital, shishou– for any reason."
Mob leaves right after, and Reigen can't help but feel overwhelmingly guilty. In hindsight, he's right. He should have just gone and called him or Serizawa and waited until one of them was available for the job. He's not sure what he was thinking, and things definitely could have turned out worse. Mob would never forgive himself if something happened that led to Reigen's demise, but… well, it's a little too late for regrets now.
Reigen tossed and turned all night. Hospital beds have always been uncomfortable, to begin with, but tonight, he's exhausted, and what's keeping him up are the strange dreams that flash in his mind and startle him before things become clear for him to see.
He sees a staircase with dried puddles of blood leading up to the second floor. Long hallways filled with deep shadows that seem like they'll leap at him at any second and consume him. And then four glowing red eyes that peer at him, holding him in a strong, inescapable trance until he's forced to open his eyes and take a moment to calm down in hopes that it will restart his system, in a sense.
It's only now that Reigen notices how unbearably hot he feels despite the fact that the window beside him is open, allowing a cool breeze to fill the entire room, and there's a fan on that he asked for since he can't sleep without some white noise. None of it seems to be helping, and he can feel sweat gathering underneath his hospital gown, as well as a strange pull at the back of his mind that's telling him to get out of bed.
He doesn't feel tired anymore. In fact, he's wide awake, even though the clock beside him says that it's 3 a.m., and he's been waking up every thirty minutes to an hour since the lights went out. He figures that maybe it’s because he's tired of being confined to this hospital bed or the fact that Reigen’s already looking forward to getting out of this hell hole and back to Seasoning City since Dimple had brought him to the nearest hospital still out in the countryside, but now he's wondering if it's because of another reason.
As he props himself up in his bed, Reigen closes his eyes and sees those glowing red eyes on the back of his eyelids. He swears he can hear a whisper coming from somewhere inside the room, but when Reigen looks around, he unsurprisingly finds himself completely alone. Even the darkest corners of the room aren't dark enough to hide anyone… or anything for that matter.
It's getting hotter, and Reigen's body is urging him to get out of bed and move, so he does. He feels a bit better once he's standing, but it only lasts a second before another wave of head spreads through his system, like fire ignited in his bloodstream. He heaves and thinks that maybe a splash of water on his face is exactly what he needs right now, and slowly makes his way to the bathroom.
He turns on the faucet to the coldest setting and takes a handful, throwing it against his face and letting it soak into his skin. It helps, but only for a short amount of time. He's pretty sure that his face is so hot the water has already evaporated and is rising off his face as steam. He looks up into the mirror, expecting his face to be red, evidence of an unexpected fever, but instead, it's not his face he sees that is red but rather his eyes.
They glow like the end of a hot iron pulled from the fire, cutting through the shadows that surround him since he didn't bother turning on any lights like the eyes of a monster in a horror film. He should be concerned. He should be screaming and running to get the nurses or a doctor– or to call Mob, for that matter– but for some reason, he's completely calm and instead focuses his mind on the call he hears, beckoning him somewhere– somewhere far from here.
Reigen decides he has to find where it's coming from. He has to find the source of the call to find the answers he's searching for.
Reigen leaves the hospital surprisingly easily. At this time of night, most of the nurses and doctors are all distracted by other patients who need more care and assistance than he does, so he all but walks right out the front door and simply allows his legs to guide him to wherever he needs to go.
The sound or whatever it is that's pulling at the back of his mind leads him down the empty, darkened streets. He has no idea where he's going. Still, he refuses even to consider the idea of turning around and going back because something is telling him he's going the right way. It isn't until he finds himself standing at a familiar gate with stairs leading up the side of a hill that he realizes where he's been led.
Mrs. Nakai's parents' house.
Did he really walk all the way here? That would explain why his feet hurt. He realizes now that he didn't even bother putting on shoes before leaving, or clothes for that matter. Oh well, he thinks, although his head feels like it's a fog. Still, something in the back of his mind says he won't need any of that where he is going.
Conveniently, the gate isn't locked, so Reigen walks through and slowly closes it behind him. It whines and creaks as it swings, but despite who might hear it, Reigen doesn't care. It's late at night, and he's already made up his mind that something else is more important.
He can hear it. The sound of a deep, primal growl up at the top of the hill, waiting for him– beckoning him to come forth, and Reigen happily accepts its invitation with a smile.