Reflect on Yourself

(A/N: Enjoy the chapter! Make sure to comment, leave a review, and give a power stone or two if you've enjoyed the story thus far!)

----------

[1 Week Later]

[Narrator's POV]

The man's breaths came in ragged gasps of air, his heart pounding with a force so violent that the damn thing felt like it was going to rip through his ribcage. The room was dimly lit, with its only source of light being the cold, sterile glow of a computer monitor in front of him.

Sweat dripped down his forehead as his eyes widened in a panic looking for any means of escape. But there was none. The only things that he took notice of were the computer monitor with a keyboard, mouse, and a small web camera all within arms reach, restraints that kept him confined to a bolted-down chair, and a metal device that surrounded his neck.

"What the fuck is this place?" he asked himself, doing his best to recall what the hell he did to find himself restrained to a chair like this. Retracing his memory, he recalled being out and about as usual for an early evening stroll, then abruptly feeling a small, yet sharp pain on the back of his neck before falling limp, as if his body was paralyzed. Then, he blacked out and found himself waking up here.

Harada Naoki had always been unassuming — short, and thin, with glasses perched on his nose that gave him an almost scholarly appearance. He was the type of man that you'd pass on the street without a second glance, unaware of the dark secrets he possessed.

But now, there was no hiding.

Before him, the monitor flickered from a standard wallpaper to a video of a mechanical puppet that sported a black suit, a blood-red bow tie, and spiralled red cheeks. "Hello, Harada Naoki," the puppet spoke, its voice distorted but polite. 

"I want to play a game."

"For years, you have used the shadows of the digital world to torment and control the lives of others. Behind the safety of your screen, you watched as your victims squirmed under the weight of exposure, humiliation, and fear. You took pleasure in their despair, binding them to their own devices, leaving them powerless and suffocated by your threats. But tonight, the roles are reversed."

Naoki's eyes twitched as he realized what was happening. 'This was on the news…' he thought to himself. 'Pro hero Manual… he died from something similar… this is a Jigsaw trap and I'm his victim…'

"Your task is simple," the puppet stated, its cruel grin almost taunting the hacker. "The device you find around your neck will tighten with every passing second, suffocating you as the clock counts down, just as you had suffocated your victims with blackmail material and humiliation."

Naoki instinctively reached to his neck, feeling the device that was going to suffocate him. Despite doing his best to try and forcefully remove it with his own hands, the metal contraption was unrelenting in its grasp of Naoki.

"To escape certain death, you must reflect on your actions, but most importantly reflect on yourself. The combination that you must input into the lock needed to remove the device around your neck, and subsequently, the restraints that bind you to your chair, is hidden on this very desktop."

Naoki's fingers couldn't help but twitch in fear as he felt a cold chill creep over his skin. "Think carefully, Naoki. For your survival depends on it," the puppet taunted. "The fear that grips your chest, the suffocating dread that makes each breath harder than the last — this is the very terror you've inflicted upon your victims. Will you find the strength to face the reflection of your sins, or will you succumb to the darkness you've spread?"

"Live or die, make your choice."

The screen flickered back to its original state, the video of the horrific puppet replaced by the unassuming scene of the desktop's home screen. Only this time, on the top right corner of the monitor, a timer for 5 minutes was counting down by the second.

Naoki's pulse thundered in his ears as he frantically scanned the computer screen. His fingers, slick with sweat, trembled above the keyboard as he tried to think, trying to focus on anything other than the tightening around his throat. The seconds ticked down mercilessly, each one bringing him closer to the inescapable fate that awaited him if he didn't act fast.

"Fuck… fuck… fuck…" he muttered under his breath, his mind racing with a million thoughts. Wasting no time, he opened the file explorer first, clicking through folders at lightning speed. But there was nothing except random documents, meaningless files, and empty directories.

Naoki's breath became more ragged and animalistic, his chest heaving with the effort to stay calm, though panic continued to sink its claws into his psyche like a predator feasting on its latest catch.

"Where is it, WHERE IS IT?!" he hissed with malice, his eyes darting to the timer to the top right of the screen.

Four minutes left.

Naoki navigated to the browser, pulling up the search history. It was cluttered with visits to ordinary websites, nothing that could hint at the code he so desperately needed. He scrolled faster, his eyes blurring over the endless list of URLs. Nothing. He cursed under his breath, his frustration boiling over as he slammed his fist against the desk.

Three minutes left.

With his hands positioned over the mouse, his mind was chaotic as he tried to rationalize and put together where the code could be hidden. He opened the command prompt and began typing frantically to retrieve BIOS data, system files, and anything else that might provide any insight. Lines of symbols covered the screen, but none of it made sense. It was all worthless jargon, mocking his need and tormenting him with its intricacy.

The device encircling his neck became tighter, like a chilly metal noose drawing nearer. Naoki flinched, reaching for the device as though he could pull it off. But it remained in place. It wouldn't, he knew. Time was not on his side.

Two minutes left.

He was sweating profusely now, his shirt sticking to his back, his glasses fogging up from the heat of his own panicked breath. He wiped them hastily on his sleeve, but it didn't help. He could barely see straight, his vision swimming with fear and adrenaline. He closed the command prompt, the desktop looming ominously before him once more. The timer ticked down with cruel precision, the numbers a glaring reminder of his dwindling chances.

One minute left.

"FUCK THIS, THIS ISN'T FUCKING FAIR!" Naoki screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping that screaming profanities would do him any wonders. "FUCK YOU, JIGSAW! YOU SICK FUCK!" he continued, his voice straining with every syllable uttered out of his mouth.

Thirty seconds left.

"Reflect on yourself…"

The words reverberated in his thoughts, nibbling at the edges of his fear. What on earth did it mean? Trying to break through the cloud of his fear, Naoki attempted to decipher the riddle. "Reflect on yourself... reflect on yourself… reflect on yourself…"

Fifteen seconds left.

Then it hit him. Like a cold, hard slap to the face.

"Reflect… the web camera!"

His hand shot out, fumbling for the mouse as he clicked on the webcam icon. The small lens blinked to life, and there, staring back at him from the screen, was his own terrified reflection. But it wasn't just his face that stared back at him. Written across his forehead, in thick, black letters, was the code. 

The goddamn code had been on him the entire time!

"Fuck!" Naoki screamed, his hands flying to the lock at his neck. He fumbled trying to move the numbers on the combination lock to match the code on his forehead, but it was too late.

Zero seconds left.

The timer hit zero. The device tightened in one swift, brutal motion, cutting off his air supply instantly. Naoki's eyes bulged, his hands clawing at his neck in a final, desperate bid for survival. But the metal was unyielding, the noose now an iron grip around his throat.

He gagged, choking on nothing as his vision blurred. His body convulsed violently, the monitor showing the horrific display of his own demise. The reflection he had been forced to confront, the sins he had tried to ignore, were now the last thing he would ever see.

The screen flickered once more, back to the same video of the cruel puppet.

"Game over…"

[Scene Change]

[2 Days Later]

"There's been another victim?!" Detective Tsukauchi immediately shot out of his swivel chair in his office as he gripped his phone tightly. With haste, he scrambled out of the office, pushing through the hallways that were blurring together, barely acknowledging the worried looks from his colleagues.

"What do we know?!" Tsukauchi barked into the phone as he hurried out to the parking lot. His free hand fumbled for his car keys in the pocket of his signature tan trenchcoat while his mind raced ahead to the crime scene.

"It's the same M.O., Detective," came the voice on the other end, the tension palpable. "Victim's name is Harada Naoki, a small-time hacker. I'll send over the location now."

Tsukauchi swore under his breath as he unlocked his car and slid in, shoving the key into the ignition with a force that almost snapped it in two. He could feel the pressure mounting, the walls of the case closing in as Jigsaw's twisted game unfolded piece by piece.

"I'm on my way," Tsukauchi said, his voice hard as he revved the engine to life. "Tell the team to secure the scene, and don't touch anything until I get there!"

"Understood, sir."

The detective hung up and threw the phone onto the passenger seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity. The city lights blurred past as he sped through the streets, his mind already racing through the possibilities. Another victim. Another sick, twisted message left by Jigsaw. And for every second that passed, the list of potential targets grew longer.

As Tsukauchi sped towards the crime scene, his determination hardened into steel. He wouldn't let Jigsaw claim another life. Not if he could help it. But deep down, he knew this was only the beginning. The real game had just begun, and the stakes were higher than ever.

-------------------------

r/Villains · Posted by u/FanaticHeroLover · Two days ago

JIGSAW STRIKES AGAIN

284 upvotes

The mysterious Jigsaw has claimed another victim in Musutafu, marking the third known incident tied to this elusive villain. While authorities have been tight-lipped about the details, sources indicate that the victim was found dead in an abandoned building, caught in one of Jigsaw's notorious traps. The identity of the victim remains classified, leaving the public in the dark about who Jigsaw is targeting and why. Despite the secrecy, the incident has reignited public fear and concern, with many questioning whether anyone could be next. The police are working tirelessly to track down this dangerous individual, but so far, Jigsaw has managed to evade capture, spreading panic and chaos with each new attack. Public opinion remains divided — while some see Jigsaw as a calculating killer, others are starting to wonder if there's a twisted motive behind his actions.

·

Bop_Bipp - 10 points, 23 hr. ago

Whoever this Jigsaw guy is, he's seriously messed up. Targeting random people and setting up traps? What's his endgame? The whole city's on edge.

·

ClusterBomb - 6 points, 13 hr. ago

This is getting out of hand. If the cops can't catch him soon, people are gonna start panicking for real. Nobody knows who's next or why. They need to catch this guy before more die…

-------------------------