Hello reader! I apologize for the delay on posting this but I have been gettting sick a lot these past few weeks. Anyways, let's get back into the story and see what'll happen to Ritsuko after that one scene at the police department.

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Dark. Pitch black surrounded me. I groaned in pain as I opened my heavy eyes. My head pounded, almost pulsing with a fading pain growing. I had no idea where I was or what went on. It smelled a little funny where I was, but I couldn't identify the smell.

I reached for my head when I suddenly realized I couldn't lift my arms. I moved them a little, but they were held by something. My body was restrained too. It was like I was tied or strapped to something.

Click. Bright yellow flickered on in my face, causing me to flinch and blink my eyes repeatedly to adjust my vision. My eyes darted side to side, when I looked to the right I recognized a familiar person in a chair.

Akito was tied to the chair, mouth taped shut and hands behind his back in what I assumed to be ropes. “Akito!!” I cried out. I tried even harder to move. He looked up at me and started speaking muffled gibberish to me. I couldn't understand him. “What happened, Akito?! What are you doing here? Are you okay??” He nodded slowly to me then he looked to the left, his eyes getting big.

Footsteps made their way to me as I heard a very familiar voice speak, “Oh, Ritsuko. I always thought you were a bit different from everyone, kind of like us. Although, I never expected you to be a Despair Healer.”

“Dominic.” I mumbled in a low voice. I looked to him and glared, “What are you doing?! Why are we here?”

I took note that his glasses weren't on, revealing his sharp cognac eyes even more. “And I thought you were smart.” He chuckled, “Guess I was wrong about that.” He smiled menacingly at me.

I growled, writhing around in my restraints even more. I realized I was tied to a cot. “You! You're the one who helped the twins with all these murders and sabotages! You tried killing Rin!”

His face formed a creepy grin, his eyes piercing practically through me. Where were his glasses? I turned my head to look away. “Funny you think that I would be such a monster. I'm not evil either, Ritsuko.”

Akito looked to me then to Dominic, who picked up a pair of scissors. “You know, I kind of liked you, Ritsuko. You were a person that knew what she spoke of, was smarter than anyone would assume, actually thought things through. I don't get why you would keep something like this from us, Ritsuko. Especially considering I am cursed by the Flower.” He put his hand on his shoulder where I knew his mark was.

I sweated nervously, “I-I did….I tried to tell you! But- I can't… I couldn't tell you until I was sure of-” Dominic frowned, “So you're not really a Despair Healer.”

“No! I really am!”

“So couldn't you heal someone with a curse?” I nodded, “I can! I can!” Cold sweat ran down my forehead. “I could, if only I-”

Dominic interrupted me with a chuckle. He bent over, getting closer to me. “So it's all excuses for yourself, huh?” My mouth closed when I couldn't answer. “Is it?!” He boomed. I yelped in surprise, gasping. “No, it isn't!” I answered, my voice on edge.

He looked at me, tilting his head. “You're such a liar, Ritsuko.” He laughed, “And you're wondering why in the world all this would be happening to poor little you. You knew my pain, you knew everyone else's pain. You knew the suffering these curses cause us. But you didn't do what you were supposed to. The one thing Despair Healers are born to do. It was all because you were selfish and you forgot all about healing us.” He laughed, snipping the scissors.

Dominic pulled a small strand of my hair and cut some of it off. He put it in a bag and set it aside. “But now that I got you where I want you, I can just take that power from you. I'll cut it out of you if I have to. I finally get to see what this whole science behind this Flower business is. I’ll be able to get that all from you.” He gently laid his fingers on my cheek.

I whimpered, looking to Akito momentarily. He looked just as terrified as I was. We both thought the same thing, Dominic's snapped.

My eyes slowly met Dominic's gaze as he reached over for something. “Why don't we start with those eyes?” He looked more than happy to pull an empty syringe out and put it right up to me. “I'll see what I can get out of those. I'll make sure every single procedure is more painful than the last. You'll suffer more than you ever have before. And I'll have your little partner in crime watch before I let them kill him.”

My breathing got rapid and sporadic. I looked to Akito, whimpering loudly, chest feeling heavy. Dominic slipped on some gloves and smiled, “Make all the sounds you want. No one will hear you down here, no matter how loud you scream.”

I started feeling myself getting control of some objects. A scalpel and an empty syringe floated up just enough for me to see them. I directed them at Dominic's back as he brought the needle closer to my left eye.

Akito kept quiet, eyeing the scalpel and syringe slowly. I hesitated no longer and shot the two object at Dominic. I flinched when I heard him scream. Blood spilled into the ground. I made a nearby blade levitate and cut through the ropes on my wrists and ankles. I grabbed the blade and cut the rope on my waist.

Dominic was on the ground, yelping in pain as he tried to get the sharp objects from his back. This gave me enough time to pull the pocket knife out and cut Akito's body and wrists free. He looked down at his wrists and rubbed them. I carefully but quickly took the tape off Akito's mouth. He let out a big breath and stood up.

“What happened?” I asked urgently. Akito replied, “They didn't take me to the police, that's for sure.” I grabbed his hand, “Come on, let's go!”

Suddenly, Dominic put his hand on my leg, grabbing on. I screamed and tried to pull away. Akito stomped on Dominic's wrist, making him flinch and let go.

I stepped back and pulled Akito with me, up the stairs and to the door. It was locked! “Akito, it's locked!” I jiggled the doorknob. Akito panted, “Then we just gotta break through.” He rammed into it, wincing and rubbing his shoulder. I looked back momentarily to see if Dominic was going after us.

“Hurry up!” I yelled. Akito stepped back and thrusted his foot into the door, it swung open. I smiled at this, taking his hand again and running out with him. The whole house was practically dark, no lights on whatsoever. Some lights flickered on and off, but it didn't help. I stepped forward, looking around the house. There was no sign of Dominic's family anywhere.

“Well, it wouldn't be the first time I killed someone in the dark.” A malicious, honeyed voice echoed behind us. Akito and I looked back, barely making out the figure of Alexandra Koizumi holding an axe in her hand. The hall light flickered on. She wore the mask. It was the mask I had seen earlier.

The girl in the station had the same mask on her face. She even wore the exact same clothes. She took off the mask, revealing her face which had a pleased look. She gasped, “Oh, isn't this great?”

Rosalina came up behind us, I turned and saw her in a similar dress with a black wolf mask. She carried various knives in her hand. Taking off the mask with her spare gloved hand, she nodded, “I did want to finish you off personally, Ritsuko. But he insisted we leave it up to him to kill you.” She pointed off at the door.

“Rosalina, Alexandra…” I quaked, getting close to Akito. They approached slowly but eerily. “He did say that if you two came up alive, it only meant that you hurt Dominic.” Alexandra raised the axe, placing the mask at the side of her head. “I guess you're only getting what you deserve then, huh?”

Akito and I were back to back now, watching each of the twins’ smallest movements. “We'll make sure it hurts just as much. For all the pain you caused us with these curses, and the pain you've caused Dominic.” Alexandra licked her lips and chuckled quietly.

The light flickered on and off as she came up closer to me. Rosalina’s footsteps got closer as I heard her come behind me. “Kill the lights, Rosalina!”

Without even having a chance to react, I heard the light bulb shatter as the light stopped flickering. Now we couldn't see anything.

I found Akito's hand and took it in mine. We heard rapid footsteps coming from both sides. That's when Akito pulled me to the wall and I heard the sound of Alexandra's axe hitting the wall just a few inches above me.

Akito yelped in pain, making it known that he got hurt as well. Rosalina actually giggled. For the first time, I heard her giggle, but this was no innocent giggle, it was psychotic and evil. I growled, taking my pocket knife from my pants and I tackled her. I could tell it was her because of the grunt she let out when she hit the ground.

I didn't hesitate and directly stabbed her in the side with my knife. She gasped, taking a knife and plunging it into my shoulder. I screamed in pain, jumping off of her and crawling away. Alexandra swung the axe another time, this time hitting the ground right beside me.

“Ritsuko!” Akito coughed as he grunted. Alexandra yelped and fell on the ground. “Run!!” I couldn't leave without Akito, so I went back and found him then took him with me away.

Rapid footsteps came up the stairs where Dominic's lab was and for a moment, I saw Dominic lean against the door. “They're getting away!”

The twins got up quickly, grabbing their weapons. “No they aren't!” Alexandra snarled. Akito and I found the door and let ourselves out. We slammed it behind us and panted, the moonlight being the only light to let us see.

The two of us immediately made a run for it. From a distance, we could hear Alexandra's crazed laughter as she broke through the door, sliding her mask on. “We've gotta lose her!” Akito panted. I gulped, “If we do, we go to the apartments and call the police!” Then I remembered, “Shoot! We can't call the police!”

“Why not?” He asked, breathlessly, turning around a building.

“Because they killed them!!” I answered. Akito bit his lip and looked down. He raised his eyes and looked at me, “Ritsuko, you run to the apartments. Make sure Maiko and my dad are alright. I'll meet you there.”

I panicked, “Where are you going?” Akito explained as he ran, going through some alleys between buildings. I tried to keep up. “She can't get both of us at once if we split up. Hopefully, they'll follow me, giving you a chance to run.”

My eyes widened, “No! You can't keep ahead of them forever!” He looked at me sternly, “I'll hold them off long enough for you to go. I'll catch up when I lose them, okay?” I shook my head. “No, Akito, I can't leave you!”

“Don't you trust me?” He paused, grabbing my shoulders. We both stood frozen, looking at each other. I looked down and nodded, tears coming to my eyes. This could be the last time I would see him. “Yes I do.”

He smiled at me, wiping my tears gently, “Good. Then you'll go and I'll see you there.” He kissed me quickly, putting his forehead against mine. “Please don't hurt yourself.” He already had a wound on his shoulder, bleeding quite a bit. He nodded and took off. I ran the opposite direction, not daring to look back.

I tried not to think twice. He said I could trust him. I needed to show trust by not being reluctant.

I arrived to the apartments, surprised to find the door was open. I opened it and went through, sighing deeply. Michael was there, waiting at the stairs. For some reason, I didn't think twice to even question it.

“Michael!” I panted, running to him. He turned, looking slightly surprised, “Ritsuko. You're bleeding!” He pulled out a lollipop in his mouth. I looked at my shoulder and nodded, “Yeah. Listen, Akito isn't the murderer! The twins and Dominic! They tried to kill me and Akito! They're the real murderers!”

“Really?” He asked, genuinely shocked. “And you got away from them?” I nodded, “They hurt my shoulder. We need to fight them off. They killed the police, they have the whole village to roam and the law can't stop them! We need to report this to someone!”

Michael turned his head and questioned, “Did you even know it was them?” I looked down, “I thought the twins were a little off, but I never suspected Dominic to be so-”

“So violent? So savage?” Michael questioned. “Yes. I don't know what to do, Michael you have to help.” He looked out the door and mused. “It's funny how you can't see things until they’re right in front of you. Then, just when you see it, it's too late.”

I found myself puzzled at his words. He went on, “Now you're asking me for help? I wouldn't know what to do either-”

“I know, but I need-”

“You need help. Yeah, I know. I just find it ironic that those who cry for help from you end up being the ones you ask help for.” He looked to me, “Isn't that interesting?” He stuck the lollipop back in his mouth.

My eyes widened in sudden realization. I retreated a step, putting my hand to my mouth. “Michael. W-what are you-?” He reached into his coat and looked down, “And then when you want trust from those who want to trust you, you end up behind a total backstabber to them. How does it feel to be caught in your own trap, Ritsuko?” He pulled out his invention from school. It was his weapon compass that he made.

Michael pressed something on it and it pulled out a sharp metal blade. “Because to me, it feels amazing.” He smiled at me with a crazy look in his eyes. The innocent, sweet look was gone. It was like a facade.

“Now, all that nonsense and useless stuff you did or said comes back to bite you. All because you didn't do your job.” He burst out laughing loudly, walking up to me. I backed into the wall, helpless and scared.

It wasn't Dominic or Asher who actually worked with the twins. None of them planned out such murders or plans. Dominic wasn't the him Alexandra and Rosalina referred to. No.

Michael was him.

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I was dying to finally reveal this huge plot twist! Now that we know who the real guy behind this was, how will Ritsuko escape them? It's all gonna be way more intense from here on. Thank you for reading.