Card towers are meant to fall down (4)

What is imagination?

Imagination is based on our knowledge. Fragments of stories here and there will combine to form a new one. In the end, nothing is completely new.

There can also be different types of imagination. You can anticipate the future, imagine a fictional reality, or even an alternate reality.

You can imagine positive as well as negative outcomes.

Then, what do I want to imagine? What do I wish for?

…I don't know.

But for now, I will imagine that everything is going to be fine.

Right now, I guess I'm just repenting for wishing DHB faced me instead of Cheon before.

If I had known, I'd have wished a 'friendly' DHB would appear instead.

Well, I guess he wouldn't be DHB if he were friendly. That's why the 'D' is there.

In my peripheral vision, I scanned the surroundings of me and the Dangerous Handsome Black-haired man, searching for an escape route.

Maybe I could disappear between the buildings?

Though, whether I can run fast enough remains to be seen…

I wasn't very familiar with the area either since it's quite dangerous to roam around in this scenario. You never know if there isn't a monster that can go through walls hiding out there.

DHB stared at me as I stood there, frozen, wondering what he would do next.

"…"

"…"

Ending our staring contest, he turned back.

My eyes widened at this unexpected turn of events.

Instead of trying to kill me, the man slowly walked away, not saying anything.

My gaze followed his back as he disappeared in the distance. I wondered if he would change his mind and come back to finish me off.

However, that didn't happen.

I thought back to our last encounter.

I'm sincerely sorry, DHB, I must've really traumatized you…

Hey, does it mean I was successful in imagining a friendly DHB?

Now alone since Cheon had already run away, I also turned back.

Let's go back to the others now.

***

The next day, an incident occurred.

"What?"

Cheon repeated himself.

"There isn't any food left. It was stolen."

We reached the basement, moving a book to open a secret room.

There, as he said, the place was empty.

"Do you have an idea of who could have done this?"

Cheon side-eyed me.

"Not really, but we are only a few to know that the supplies were placed here."

I'm innocent.

After reflexively denying my culpability in my mind, I listed the potential suspects.

The only ones who knew the location of the food are me, Lou-Ann, Norwood, Cheon, Leraje and Cheon's men.

Must've been Leraje then. That guy is even more suspicious than me.

"Where was Andras at the moment of the crime?"

No, let's give him a chance. It doesn't seem like Leraje's style and he has nothing to gain from this…

Who knows, maybe Cheon is actually the culprit?

While I mentally looked for Mr. Scammer's potential motives, Cheon stared at me, his thoughts unreadable. He was about to answer my question when someone hurriedly opened the basement's door.

By the way, isn't it getting noisy outside?

An ominous feeling filled my mind.

"The monsters…"

The man attempted to catch his breath, ending his sentence.

"They broke through the left entrance!"

「"As long as they don't come from a major area, like the left entrance that leads directly to the main roads, we can still repair the barrier."」

I glanced at Cheon who appeared startled. This had happened while his men were supposed to protect the camp along with the citizens.

The worst possibility had happened.

The lollipop in my hand broke in two, the other half falling to the floor as the man urged us.

"We must evacuate now!"

I stared at the pieces of lollipop on the ground, then at the empty room, the screams clearer to my ears now that the door was open.

This was an unplanned event.

Right when the pieces were falling into place and our plan became successful…

I bent down, gathering the broken fragments of candy.

It seemed as if fate didn't want us to complete the scenario peacefully.

After all, weren't stories where the characters struggled more enjoyable?

「I guess I was better at imagining bad outcomes.」

This was such a story.

Norwood put his hand on my shoulder.

"Emma, we have to leave now."

I got up and looked around, but Leraje wasn't with us.

Is he going to be fine?

I finally followed the others outside and saw the absolute chaos there.

「Breaking the left wall was intentional.」

If someone who knew the weakness of our walls and leaked the information…

If someone knew where the food was stored and deprived us of our last ressources…

Why would they do this?

Who could have done it?

I ran after Norwood, trying to escape the place as soon as possible.

"Wait, Norwood, Lou-Ann was separated…!"

I stopped, desperately looking for Lou-Ann through the fleeing crowd.

The profiler, seemingly having heard me, grabbed my wrist before he could lose sight of me.

"We'll reunite with her later. I'm sure she's also heading out of the camp."

I pursed my lips, anxiously glancing behind me while hoping I could glimpse her figure through the crowd.

"I guess so…"

For now, I had no choice but to believe it.

I hesitated.

Actually, it isn't too late to break free from Norwood's grasp and go back there.

「Are you sure?」

I don't know what prevented me from doing so.

I imagined what would happen if I went back there, and if I didn't.

If something happened to Lou-Ann and I only ran away, I would regret it.

But if I turned back now, it would delay our escape and there was no guarantee I would find my friend in this pandemonium. Then, this wasted time may put us in even more danger.

I had to choose what I may regret.

In the end, I didn't turn back.

[Imagination Lv.3 is activated.]

I only ran.

「But it won't change anything.」

I was getting out of breath.

My legs hurt as well.

「Say, Ena James」

Forcing myself to talk, my words came out intermittently.

"Norwood… You're… too fast…"

「Why do you like stories?」

The system window saying that my skill was activated disappeared and I bent down, having difficulty breathing while I felt as if my face my burning.

Norwood looked at me in alarm and frowned.

"Ena, do you have asthma?"

I made a thumbs up, closing my eyes as I struggled to breathe.

Damn it, why did it act up now when I was fine before? Is it that obvious?

"Do you have an inhaler?"

I shook my head.

I never carry it with me.

"It's… fine. I can continue running."

Having barely recovered the strength to speak, I reassured him.

The profiler didn't seem to believe me. However, he didn't have any other choice.

Damn it, I already felt dizzy from eating only lollipops before… It seems like one day wasn't enough for it to go away…

I'll beat my record of swearing today. That's no good.

I started to cough, harder and harder, while attempting to inhale as much air as I could.

Meanwhile, Norwood led us out of the camp and we hid behind a building, concealing our presence from monsters as much as we could.

I held my breath, covering my own mouth, trying to recover from my coughing fit to make the least sound possible.

"…Are you alright?"

Do I look alright to you?

I have no strength left in my legs. Is this the famous cliche where I beg him to leave me behind?

"Hold on just a little, we just need to reach another camp.

I stared at him.

"Do you think they will let us in?"

Norwood was silent.

With the influx of new people—even though there shouldn't be many survivors left because of my plan—the surrounding camps may refuse to accept us.

Moreover, we were chased by monsters and others should also lack food.

I sneered.

At that moment, I heard a monster growling nearby.

Resting my head against the wall, I turned my gaze to the side and saw the creature approaching.

"Norwood…"

However, the profiler had his gaze behind me, seemingly staring at another one coming toward us.

I sighed.

We are encircled, aren't we?

I closed my eyes, attempting to find a solution in the little time we had left as the presences around us multiplied.

However, among them, there was a sound of footsteps that was unlike any other.

"So that's where you were."

And I had another ominous feeling.

「Don't main characters usually have premonitions?」

[Imagination Lv.3 is activated.]

Calmly, I opened my eyes and saw Leraje. The latter nonchalantly kicked a monster to create a loophole in the encirclement and reach us. With his high strength stat, it indeed worked.

「Don't come here.」

Is seemed like something very bad was about to happen.

The scammer turned his head in our direction while fending off the monsters, wearing his signature smile.

"Run away."

「Like in the tragedies I wrote.」

It seemed like fate was getting back at me.

「After all, isn't it a little repetitive if only your own life is in danger every time?」

Leraje calmly took out an harmonica from his pocket and blew into it.

"…———"

As the melody reached the monsters' ears, the creatures all turned their attention onto him.

The scammer only smiled and continued playing, taking a step to the side.

My eyes widened, unable to understand what I was seeing.

However, Leraje was indeed distracting the monsters, creating an opportunity for us to escape.

With less monsters in our path, we could now leave without problem.

But it also meant that the scammer was in as much danger as we were before.

Why would he do this?

I couldn't understand.

It's wrong. It doesn't match his personality. We barely even know each other.

"…———"

I must have missed a clue somewhere.

He has a way to get out of this, right?

I knew I was wasting time, but—

"…———"

Speaking to him was fun.

I stepped forward, distancing myself from the monsters.

Then, I took another step…

And I looked back.

"…!"

Monsters were biting his neck, some others clawing at his sides, but he continued blowing into the harmonica.

There was so much blood pouring out from his wounds.

And I understood.

He actually didn't have any way to get out of this situation.

Meeting my gaze, an everlasting smile on his face, his lips parted, "Don't forget your promise."

I knew what he was referring to.

「"If you guess my goal, I'll tell you how I recognized you."」

His eyes stared at me, shining their usual provocative light while seeming uncharacteristically serious at the same time.

"I guessed it."

Would I ever be able to fulfill my end of the deal?

His eyes wandered to the sky, locking onto the red rankings.

To me, this was ample confirmation that he may have indeed found out what my goal is.

His hand then moved, using his last bit of strength to continue blowing into the harmonica.

"…——…—…"

And the melody stopped.

In a daze, I stared at the scammer, not registering that Norwood was pulling me forward.

I saw his smiling face, his losing their light as his skin appeared a shade paler than before, and engraved it into my mind.

Like a line in a novel, a sentence surfaced in my head.

「At that moment, Luca died.」

A simple sentence.

That sentence was enough to end the existence of someone.

Belatedly, I realized I had never known his real name until now.

'Luca.'

I had only learnt it when he died.

「"Hey, are you alright?"」

A monster clawed at my ankle, making me trip.

I am really out of it today.

I wonder what went wrong. How did it come to this?

However, it wasn't the time to think about it.

Norwood turned back and killed the monster before helping me get up, a complex expression on his face.

Then, I fell back down again, my knees losing strength.

Not only did my injured ankle make it hard to stand, but I was also out of energy.

By the way, I think my foot's nerves didn't respond. I hope it didn't hit the artery…

I tried standing again, leaning on only one foot this time, and stumbled.

I had run too much.

「Are you having fun?」

My hair fell in front of my eyes, covering my face.

Why?

As if laughing at me, an ominous sentence surfaced in my mind.

「From now on, your friends are going to die one by one.」

My heart sank.

Who are you?