Chapter 8

Amaya was in a good mood when she got back to the house that evening, unfortunately, she walked into a minefield. Her stepmother, Mrs. Nakamura, stood in the centre of the living room, her expression stern and unyielding. Chiyo stood quietly next to her, her eyes downcast. 'What the fuck did I walk into?'"Kneel." Her stepmother shouted as she looked at Amaya impatiently. Amaya blinked, taken aback. "What is happening?" she asked, her confusion evident. Why did she want her to kneel? Was she missing the plot?Mrs. Nakamura's eyes flashed with anger. "You are a rude, ill-bred girl," she spat, "are you still not admitting what you did!?"She was genuinely confused; she had been out all day; what could she have done that angered her so much? "What did I do?""Still refusing to admit it?" She held up a stack of photographs, throwing them to the floor. They scattered around Amaya as the servants in the room saw them. "These were found in your belongings."Amaya's eyes widened as she took in the images. "I don't... I've never seen these before." She said, she tried to search her memories but she couldn't see anything. When were these taken? Why was she with her eyes closed? Why did Chiyo have these? Her stepmother's glare intensified. "Don't lie to me. As your stepmother, it is my duty to discipline you. Today, you will learn your place. Bring me the cane!"Amaya's eyes flickered to Chiyo, who met her gaze briefly before looking away. She wanted to ask how Chiyo had gotten these pictures, but before she could speak, a sharp pain shot through her arm. Her stepmother had struck her with a cane.The pain snapped her back to reality. Instinctively, she caught the cane mid-air, her grip tightening around it. Mrs. Nakamura's fury only grew at her defiance."You brute! Let go!" "These aren't mine!" Amaya insisted, the pain in her arm feeling like scorching heat against her skin."So what if they aren't yours? That is you in the picture is it not!?"She looked at the face in the picture; it was her; it was Amaya. "You slut! A girl raised by that kind of woman couldn't possibly be any good!" Amaya zoned out her stepmother's words, unable to think straight. "Go to your room!" Mrs. Suzuki shouted, her voice trembling with anger. "Your father will be home soon, and he will punish you properly."Amaya released the cane and turned on her heel, walking upstairs in a daze. Once in her room, she blocked out everything, staring blankly at the walls. The images kept flashing in her mind, each one more damning than the last.[Amaya, are you alright?] The system's voice was a gentle nudge in the back of her mind.'I hate high school so much,' she replied, her voice hollow.She wracked her memories, she had never dated anyone, so why? How? How did Chiyo get them? 'Amaya, what happened to you?' She wanted to ask, why couldn't she remember? Was she conscious? Amaya crawled into bed, still in her clothes, the system sensing her distress materialised, coiling around protectively. [Amaya?]She closed her eyes. She wasn't tired, but she felt very heavy. This was it. If her father saw these pictures, would he still want to take care of her?Amaya felt her chest tighten, a growing pressure that made it hard to breathe. Her vision blurred as tears welled up, and her thoughts spiralled into a chaotic whirlpool of fear and self-doubt. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, each beat louder and more frantic than the last.Her breathing became shallow and rapid, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, but the pain didn't ground her—it only added to the overwhelming sensation that she was losing control.The walls of her room seemed to close in on her; the once comforting space now a suffocating cage. She tried to focus on something—anything to calm herself down, but her mind was trapped in a loop of despair. She felt like she was drowning, each breath a struggle, each second an eternity.Was there a way to fight this? If Chiyo had these pictures, then she was screwed, she could give these to anyone and make as many copies as possible. [Amaya!]The snake tried to call out to her, trying to snap her out of her panic attack but to no avail. [Wait for me, I will get you help!]·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙Arthur arrived home, greeted by his parents with their usual inquiries. "How was studying?" his mother asked, her eyes flicking over his appearance, searching for any sign of distraction."It was fine, Mom," Arthur replied, forcing a smile.His father chimed in, "Make sure you don't get too distracted studying with friends. You need to focus.""Yes, Dad," Arthur said, his voice flat. He headed to his room, closing the door behind him and settling at his desk to continue studying. But before he could really focus, he noticed something moving in the corner of his room. He turned his head and froze, seeing a snake slithering across the floor. His heart rate spiked, and he backed away, nearly knocking over his chair."What the...?" he whispered, eyes wide with fear.The snake raised its head, fixing its gaze on him. [Arthur,] it said, its voice clear and urgent.Arthur blinked, certain he was hallucinating. "I'm going crazy," he muttered to himself.[No, you're not,] the snake insisted. [Amaya needs your help.]He stared at the snake, torn between disbelief and concern. "How can you talk?"[There's no time to explain. Amaya is having a panic attack. She needs human help.] And he was the only one who could see it. Arthur's worry for Amaya overrode his scepticism. "What do you want me to do?"[Go to her house. Now.]Arthur grabbed his jacket and phone, rushing out of his room. He could hear his parents calling after him, but he didn't stop to explain. "So are you going to tell me what's happening?"[I just didn't know who else to go to, you are the only one who can see me.]"Are you some kind of spirit?" [No, I am a system]"Like the novels!?"[Yes]"Wait, so Amaya is.."[Focus on running, she will tell you herself.]Arthur arrived at Amaya's house, breathless and anxious. He knocked on the door urgently, hoping she would hear him.The door opened to reveal a maid who looked at Arthur with a cold, assessing gaze. "Are you looking for the first miss?" she asked, her tone as chilly as her expression."Ah, yes," Arthur replied, feeling slightly unnerved by her demeanor.The maid said nothing more but her judgmental eyes lingered as she stepped aside to let him in. Arthur felt a shiver run down his spine as he made his way to Amaya's room, guided by a vague sense of urgency.He found her curled up on her bed, her breathing shallow and rapid. Panic gripped him as he realized the extent of her distress. "Amaya, what happened?" He reached out to shake her shoulder gently, but she didn't respond, her breaths coming in short, frantic gasps."What do I do? Does she need to go to the hospital?" Arthur muttered to himself, feeling utterly helpless.He took a deep breath, remembering the techniques he'd read about for helping someone through a panic attack. Kneeling beside her bed, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Amaya, it's me, Arthur. You're going to be okay. Just focus on my voice."Her eyes were wide and unfocused, and she didn't seem to register his presence. Arthur tightened his grip on her shoulder slightly, hoping to ground her. "Breathe with me, Amaya. In... and out... slowly. You're safe. I'm here."Gradually, her breathing began to slow, her eyes starting to focus on his face. Arthur continued to speak soothingly, guiding her through each breath. "That's it. Just keep breathing with me. In... and out..."As her breaths became steadier, her body started to relax. Arthur let out a sigh of relief, continuing to hold her hand. "There you go. Just focus on me."Amaya looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. "Arthur..." Her voice broke his heart to pieces, what the hell happened? He had only left her alone for a few hours, she was so happy.He hugged her as she sobbed, Just then, the door opened, and Mr. Suzuki walked in, his face stern but with obvious concern. "What happened here?"Arthur stood up quickly, still holding Amaya's hand. "She had a panic attack. I think she's okay now."Mr. Suzuki's gaze was cold as he looked at his crying daughter, then back at Arthur. "Who did this?"Amaya was unable to verbalise herself, feeling awful that her father had to see her in such a state."Call my wife, and bring a doctor," he instructed the maids who had accompanied him. They bowed and hurried off.Moments later, Mrs. Suzuki stormed into the room, her expression one of disdain. "You're back?" "What happened." "See the kind of daughter you want under your house," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. She pulled out the photos, waving them in his face. "Look at the kind of good thing she has done!" Mr. Suzuki took the photos, his face darkening as he examined them. Without warning, he slapped Mrs. Suzuki fiercely across the face, the sound echoing in the room. She staggered back, holding her cheek in shock."What dare you!""These photos are clearly taken while she's unconscious," he spat, his voice trembling with fury. "Instead of worrying about her well-being, you want to drive my child to the brink of death. You - you malicious woman!" He was so angry, he pointed at her and wanted to slap her again.Chiyo, who had been standing quietly by the door, rushed forward. "Father, please, she was only worried about Amaya. She didn't mean any harm. Don't be mad at her."Mr. Suzuki turned his icy gaze to Chiyo. "Worried about her? Is this how you show concern? By humiliating? Your mother should be ashamed of herself for stooping so low." He used 'your mother' clearly distancing himself from her. Chiyo's eyes filled with tears as she pleaded, "Father, please understand. She was just trying to protect our family's reputation. Amaya's behaviour was too much.""Her behaviour!?" Mr. Suzuki shook his head, his anger unabated. "What behviour? Being unconsious is a behaviour that is shameful? Then you bring shame to me every night as you sleep!" "You are only protecting her! She clearly hangs out with the wrong group of people!" Mrs Suzuki screamed in anger, her cheek still stung from his slap. "Even if she hangs out with the wrong group of people! I am in charge of this area! She is my only child! She should be able to hang out with whoever she wants without fear!" His words stung Chiyo, his only child? Then what was she?He continued, "The shame lies in how you have chosen to handle this. Instead of offering support, you've chosen cruelty."He turned to the doctor, who had just arrived to a family feud. The poor man didn't know if she should announce his arrival or not. "Check on Amaya. Make sure she's alright."As the doctor began examining Amaya, Mr. Suzuki addressed Arthur. "Thank you for being here when we could not. You can go now; we'll take care of her."Arthur nodded, his concern still evident. "If she needs anything, please let me know.""She has me now, she will need nothing." As Arthur left, Mr. Suzuki turned back to his wife and stepdaughter. "There will be consequences for this," he warned, his voice low and dangerous. "The both of you, pack your things and leave."