021

Blood painted the walls in grotesque patterns, thick pools of it gathering under your feet.

Pieces of flesh and crushed bones were scattered across the ruined floor like broken glass after a brawl.

The metallic stench stung the air, thick and suffocating.

In the silence, a shrill ringtone buzzed from a pants pocket, a doggy keychain hung onto it.

A bloodstained hand slipped into the pocket and answered the call without looking at the screen.

"L/N-kun."

Mori’s sing-song voice oozed from the receiver, the dramatic sorrow in his tone almost theatrical.

"Make sure to buy some sweets on the way home, alright? Elise-chan's been craving them, and unfortunately, I'm much too busy to go himself~"

You lifted your gaze from the corpse at your feet, expressionless.

"Noted," you said simply, stepping over a crushed skull as you made your way toward the exit.

『L/N Y/N (24 Years Old)』Ability: 孤域 (Koi-iki) – The Isolated DomainPosition: Executive

Mori chuckled lightly on the other end.

"Did you bleed? I did tell you to only use your ability this time, after all," he said, as though commenting on the weather.

You wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of your mouth with the back of your hand. The faint copper taste lingered on your tongue.

"I didn't," you answered, tone detached.

"I've completed the mission. No witnesses. But there's a mess at District 6's northern port. Expect some attention."

You had summoned more than your body could handle. Five bubbles at once, one after the other, collapsing entire bodies into pulp.

The internal damage gnawed at your ribs mercilessly.

Right on cue, you doubled over slightly, coughing thick blood onto the dusty floor.

There was a small pause before Mori clicked his tongue, almost amused. "You're lying to me, L/N-kun. Tsk, tsk. That's not very good, is it?"

He laughed quietly to himself. "But no worries. With your ability, not even the victims can be identified. It's almost as if they never existed~"

His tone dropped into a low purr, predatory and pleased. "Now, now. I have a meeting coming up. See you later."

"Yes, boss." You hung up.

You slipped the phone back into your coat and stepped out into the city night like a shadow, leaving behind the mutilated remains and a dozen unsolvable questions.

You doubted anyone would be able to trace it back. They could theorize, sure. But no proof would remain.

Just like before.

You walked past a lamppost, and for a second, your reflection caught in the glass window of a nearby shop.

It was clean. Blank. The blood had not touched you.

Just like when you were thirteen.

That day, you’d crushed a boy the same age as you.

Broke every bone in his body with your bubble until he looked unrecognizable enough to fake as your own corpse.

You never felt a thing.

You were suspected by the police as your body weren't found with your parents'.

Then, Mori came.

A perfect death, planned by Mori.

The detectives can tell from the bloody scene you left behind that the murderer from 11 years ago is still on the loose. And that murderer was already declared as "dead".

The bell chimed as you entered the sweets shop. The lady behind the counter smiled. “Welcome—oh my, you’re pale, dear. Rough day?”

“Strawberry mochi,” you said, ignoring the comment.

She blinked, then nodded quickly. “Of course! Right away.”

It's a relief that with a bubble protecting you from harm, it can also protect you from blood splattering onto you.

After she packed it, you paid and left without another word.

After returning to headquarters, you wordlessly handed the bag to Elise.

She beamed, taking the sweets with glee. "Thank you, L/N~!" she sang, hopping onto a couch.

Dismissed with a casual wave, you turned on your heel and left the room, your steps light despite the exhaustion tugging at your bones.

In the hallways, you spotted two familiar figures approaching from the opposite side. Akutagawa and Chuuya.

Akutagawa stiffened when he saw you, sharp black eyes narrowing. "L/N-san..." he muttered, voice thin with concern.

Chuuya's expression darkened instantly. He was never good at hiding how he felt.

"Oi, you look like shit," he said bluntly, stepping closer.

His gaze swept over you, the unnaturally pale skin, the faint trembling in your fingers, the slight stagger in your steps.

You opened your mouth to dismiss them, but your body betrayed you first.

Your vision swam. Your legs buckled.

Both of them reached out instinctively, but it was Chuuya who caught you first, gripping your shoulders tight.

"Oi! Stay with me, dammit!" he barked, alarmed.

You could faintly hear Akutagawa calling your name, but the sound grew distant.

You tasted iron again, blood trickling down your chin as darkness clawed at the edges of your vision.

Before you completely blacked out, you thought you saw Chuuya yelling something furiously at someone down the hall.

And then... silence.

You're back to this familiar place. A place you once were when you were comatose.

The void was no longer empty.

Instead, it was filled with the faint hum of machines, and the cold embrace of fluid surrounding your body.

Your eyes, though open, saw only a distorted blur, blue-tinted and filled with bubbles that weren’t yours.

Beyond the thick glass, a figure appeared.

An old man with wild white hair, thick goggles gleaming with distorted light. His lab coat was stained, yellowed with age and something darker.

He stood with the crooked poise of someone far too used to suffering.

Not his own, of course.

His mouth moved, speaking words that didn’t reach you. But his laughter did.

A shrill, childish giggle spilled from his throat as he pressed a button on the console nearby.

And then—pain.

Agonizing. Searing.

You didn’t scream, but only because you couldn’t. Your body convulsed, nerves set ablaze, your vision blurring as bubbles erupted from your skin, pressing into the glass with violent desperation.

And then—black.

When your senses returned, the scene had changed.

The tube that once imprisoned you now lay in shattered pieces around you. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ruined lab walls.

In front of you, a corpse.

A grotesque mass of meat and crushed bone, so ruined it was almost impossible to tell who it once had been.

But you knew.

The bloodied remnants of the lab coat, the shattered goggles, the unmistakable smell of scorched flesh.

It was him.

The man who made you feel that pain.

You had killed him.

Your ability... had protected you.

The blackness came again, swift and smothering.

When you could see again, a figure stood before you.

A man, shadowed and unclear, as though the very air around him refused to focus on his features.

He knelt, extending a hand toward you.

Something about him stirred an old, heavy feeling in your chest.

A familiarity you couldn’t name.

A memory you couldn’t reach.

You didn't move.

But your body did.

Slowly, the small, fragile hand you inhabited lifted, placing itself onto his.

A silent agreement.

An unspoken contract.

Then, without warning, the nothingness came back, swallowing everything.

The familiar ceiling of the Port Mafia infirmary greeted you, sterile and dim under the evening lights.

You turned your head slightly, the stiff ache of your body making the simple movement feel monumental.

Sitting beside your bed was Mori, smiling at you pleasantly while casually scribbling notes into a small medical file.

"Ah," he said, noticing your consciousness. "You're awake. Good."

He tapped his pen against his chin thoughtfully. "You only slept for a day this time, L/N-kun. I was worried you’d repeat history and disappear for a year again," he chuckled, voice light and teasing like a parent scolding a mischievous child.

You blinked slowly at him, mind still sluggish.

You said nothing, only stared at him with that same blank, waiting gaze he had grown so fond of.

Awaiting orders.

Awaiting purpose.

Mori closed his notebook with a quiet snap and leaned in slightly, resting his chin on a knuckle, observing you with that signature, clinical amusement.

“Though, I must say, Chuuya looked about ready to punch half the building down when you collapsed. How sweet.”

He chuckled, standing with a soft swish of his coat. “I’ve left instructions for Elise to keep you company. Try not to push yourself again, L/N-kun. You’re a valuable asset. I’d hate to lose you.”

This was ironically, said from the man who ordered you to push your limits.

He moved toward the door, then paused with a thoughtful hum.

“You won't receive missions for a while. Do enjoy your break.”

With that, he left you alone in the room.

Outside, the wind brushed against the windows, and from the hallway, Elise’s soft humming grew louder as her footsteps approached.

But your mind was still back there—behind the glass, in the fluid, in the memory you couldn’t place.

Unlike last time, you remembered your dream. And you can't help but feel these dreams hint at something deeper...