Warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence as well as various other triggering topics. I will add a bolded summary of the events after they have concluded. Therefore, if you don't want to read these things, skip to the next bold part in the text and read my summary of the events.
9th of January, 9:00 pm, Ruby's room
Ruby returned home hours ago; every light was turned off — something that had become more and more common over the past few weeks. — The kitchen was untouched ever since she left this morning. She ate a quick snack before going up to her room, hesitantly locking the door behind her and drawing the curtains shut.
She is now lying on her bed, still uncomfortable with the situation, but she, alongside Kana, decided that if he were to have cameras installed, he would've most likely already tried to blackmail her. Therefore, Ruby decided to return to her own home so as not to worry Miyako.
She has the new volume of one of her favourite manga in hand, but she just can't focus on it.
Maybe Kana's right…
Am I too hard on Aqua?
I mean, his motives were noble, I guess-
No, that doesn't justify anything,
I don't want to have contact with people like him.
If I really would've wanted to, I could've even sued him,
but what I am doing right now is just being done with him.
Like, can she really be mad at me for that?
She definitely can…
He is still my brother,
and I didn't see him leave his room once in the past week…
For all I know, he could be dead or something, and I don't even care…
I should at least check if he is alive,
not because I intend to forgive him,
but like, human decency.
Like, I would also check on a stranger in this scenario.
But he could read too much into it and try to build up a relationship again,
I don't want that,
I am over him, and making him false hope is wrong.
I should go to Miyako with my concerns, that way I wouldn't hur-
Suddenly, Ruby hears the sound of glass shattering behind her, followed by a decently loud thud. Her head, which was facing away from the window, whips around. In her room is a tall man, completely dressed in black. She can clearly see his face; it's the same guy, the same guy she 'randomly' met countless times before.
"It is me, Ruby. I am here to free you."
She jumps off her bed, running towards the door as fast as she can, reaching for the handle and pulling. Dread sets in as she realizes that she had locked it; a moment later, she is forcefully ripped away from the door.
"Poor thing, you don't need to have fear, soon you'll see it too."
Ruby struggles against his strong grip. He is holding one hand over her mouth; his fat fingers are oily, like he hasn't washed his hands in ages. The other arm is wrapped around her torso, locking her tight against his upper body, unable to move even an inch.
His smell is nauseating. She tries to punch him, to scratch him, to kick him, and to bite him. But the attempts are futile, each one of them only leading to his grip turning tighter, more painful.
"Hmmpf— Hmmmpf… Hmmpf"
The guy pulls his arm away from her torso. But before Ruby can act, he has already grabbed one of her used tops and forcefully stuffed it into her mouth, making her gag.
"Don't fight it, you want this too, I know it."
Ruby tumbles through her room as the man roughly shoves her towards her own bed. With one final strong push, she lies in front of him on her bed. Ruby can't help but think of all the horrible scenarios as she sees the intruder looming over her.
His eyes are filled with something, something Ruby can't quite place, or maybe she is just in denial about what she knows it is. Regardless, the sudden knock on her door pushes these thoughts into the back of her mind again, seeing the possibility of escaping this situation after all.
"Ruby… Can you please quiet down? I can't concentrate like that."
Ruby was never happier to hear Aqua's voice. Yet, this happiness doesn't last long since her attacker also didn't fall on the head. He leans down, using his own limbs to restrain her from moving.
"Ruby?"
The room stays silent as Aqua presses his ear against the door. On the inside, Ruby is fighting, trying her best to escape the man's grasp. Yet there is just no amount of adrenaline that can make a thin 5'1 girl stand her ground against a guy that's easily 5'8 and heavier.
Ruby's heart shatters into a million pieces as she can hear the quiet, yet distinct, sound of Aqua's steps fading into the distance. They continue to echo through her mind even after she can't hear them anymore, adding more fear each time.
"Seems like he left… So we can continue where we left off."
"HMPF… HMPF… HMPF"
Ruby's noises turn more desperate as his hands move up and down her thighs. She is still wearing pants, but his touch alone makes her want to vomit, his warm hands taking away her autonomy in a way Aqua never could've done.
"Are you ready for the next step, baby?"
The guy stops moving and touches her face now, his touch feels really gentle, yet wrong, his yellow teeth smiling at Ruby, their smell making her almost lose consciousness.
"You…"
The voice is deep and filled with poison, almost not human anymore. The guy, who was still rubbing his hands over Ruby's face just a second ago, has stopped, his hand is now resting on Ruby's cheek as he looks over his shoulder.
He must feel about the same way Ruby felt when she turned around to see the uninvited guest. But instead of a stranger climbing through her window, it's Aqua, using the same ladder Ruby's attacker had used to get in. His sclera is completely crimson red, contrasting the blue of his once so beautiful eyes.
"I see what this is… Get off her right now."
His voice is low and menacing. Ruby has never once before heard this tone from him. The guy hurriedly gets up, now standing just 2 meters away from Aqua.
"She's my girlfriend, man, you should leave."
One look into Ruby's eyes is enough for Aqua to know everything he needs to; the guy also sees the shift in Aqua's expression, turning even darker. The intruder quickly pulls a knife out in a single, swift motion, using the momentum of it to slice through the air. Aqua manages to dodge back, just in time to avoid being struck head-on, yet he can still feel hot blood starting to flow down his face.
The guy starts to wildly slash through the air. He is slowly moving forward, making Aqua gradually lose ground. Aqua is backing up further and further. He knows that he will soon feel the wall behind him, and then it would all be over. Suddenly, the guy slips, swinging too far, giving Aqua a chance, a chance which he gratefully takes.
The attacker doesn't even have enough time to react before Aqua's fist connects with the side of his skull. The impact was hard enough to send him flying against the door, breaking the lock and making him tumble into the hallway. The knife quietly clattering to the floor.
Aqua looks at his hands for a short moment, unable to understand how he used that much force, then he chases after him. Once in the hallway, Aqua can see the guy desperately trying to get away, heading towards the stairs.
He is holding the side of his skull with one hand, thick blood seeping through his fingers as he tumbles onwards, keeping himself upright with the other while knocking over vases and pictures.
A few loud steps, and another blow connects with his head. This time, it's enough to send him down to the floor, crashing against a big wardrobe. He is still conscious, looking up at Aqua. Now he is the one being loomed over, the one with fear sparkling in his eyes. Yet the same way he hasn't planned on showing mercy to Ruby, neither plans Aqua to show mercy to him.
Aqua uses all his pent-up anger to kick the already wincing guy. A loud crunch, similar to the sound of a thick branch being snapped in two, rips through the hallway as Aqua feels multiple of the man's ribs shatter into pieces. A few more kicks and the intruder is crying from the pain, unable to even speak, much less beg for mercy.
Aqua knows this is sufficient, but something deep inside him burns with so much anger; brighter than it should burn even now. It feels like he isn't in total control of what he does anymore, but he doesn't hate it, really; he just goes along with it. He is almost enjoying his new strength while sitting down on the chest of the hunter who had turned to prey.
Aqua's expression is completely void of emotion, like this was the most normal thing in the world. Then his fist lands right in the center of the man's face. A bone-chilling crunch, then blood spewing towards Aqua, the attacker's nose looking even more deformed than before.
The second punch connects with the mouth, blowing Aqua's own knuckles open from the shattered teeth flying through the air. Some teeth were knocked out clean, while others were broken off, the black decay of their insides becoming visible. Black decay, which is slowly feeding on them… familiar.
The third punch finally grants the attacker the mercy of losing consciousness. Yet, Aqua continues, looking down at the disfigured face before him while placing his hands on the attacker's throat. Both men look equally monstrous for vastly different reasons.
Ruby, who was sitting on her bed, completely paralyzed by fear, finally snaps out of her trance as she hears the sick sounds from the hallway. She pulls the gag out of her mouth and runs out of her room. She halts as soon as she turns the corner. A sick gurgling sound that is 100 times worse than the sound of chalk fills her entire mind.
The sight is like out of a horror movie. Aqua is sitting on top of the guy, his grip around the man's throat tight and professional. He doesn't even look at the man; instead, he looks at the wall, seemingly at something.
Ruby, who was once again frozen from the scene, watches in agony for a moment before sprinting towards them.
"STOP."
Ruby screams in fear as she desperately tries to pull and shove Aqua, who doesn't move an inch, off the guy.
"STOP, DON'T KILL HIM, PLEASE."
Ruby tries again, her eyes becoming watery. Then, something impacts her cheek, strong enough to send her flying backwards, falling over, and landing on her butt.
She looks towards Aqua, holding her burning cheek. Aqua isn't choking the guy anymore; instead, he sits completely still, looking at Ruby, then at his hands.
Ruby's face is filled with regret and pain as she truly looks at Aqua for the first time in a week, her stomach twisting and her heart aching — Her breathing just as irregular as the unconscious guy's —. Aqua's frame is frail, his once shining teeth have started to turn yellowish, and his eyes have turned almost completely red. Apart from all of that, he has huge bags beneath his eyes, his hair is distraught and oily.
Then he gets up, still looking at his hands, then at Ruby's face, then his hands, then Ruby's face. He stands still for a moment, looking at Ruby while towering over the attacker, before he turns and runs. Down the stairs, out of the door, and into the night, leaving behind Ruby and the unconscious stalker.
…
Summary (for those skipping, everyone else, skip this and continue as you would): The stalker broke into Ruby's room and tried to assault her, but Aqua managed to avoid this. Yet, Aqua is not fully himself anymore; he was blinded by rage and beat the stalker almost to death, eventually even hitting Ruby, who tried to stop him. This makes him realize that he's a danger to the people around him. The scene ends with him running away from the house, leaving Ruby behind.
Ruby scrambles over to the injured attacker. There is no need for her to check the pulse; the gurgling sound tells her that he is still alive, yet maybe not for long.
Ruby is just about to pull her phone out to call the ambulance when she hears a familiar voice echo through the room.
"What happened here?"
Ruby looks up, tears filling her eyes as she sees Miyako, standing at the top of the stairs. Ruby hastily gets up, trying to reach Miyako, yet she trips over the attack, sending her to the floor once again, landing right before Miyako's feet.
"I- The- Then- Aqua- This guy- but- help- please-"
She tries to talk, but all she can form are loose words that don't make any sense.
"Don't worry… we'll fix this."
Miyako kneels, helping Ruby stand.
After making sure that Ruby is not in any danger, Miyako looks around the room. Her gaze wanders through her wrecked hallway, over the bleeding attacker, eventually landing on the bloody knife. She slowly walks over to it and uses a piece of cloth to pick it up and place it back down closer to the unconscious attacker. Then she finally calls an ambulance.
…
*HhhAhh…* *hhhuhhh–hhhaaaaghh* *Hhhhh–Aahhh*
Aqua's breathing is loud and uneven as he finally stops running. He is standing under a lone bridge where not even the sound of cars can be heard. If it's from what just went down, or from the ten-minute sprint doesn't matter; his lungs feel like they're about to explode.
He is looking down at his bruised hands, his clothes wet, soaked in blood. The moon, which is reflecting off the nearby river, gives him barely enough light to see.
*Hhhkhhhh–* *HhhhAhhh…HhhhhhAhhhh* *Hhhhh–Kkkhhh*
"T-That wasn't me… I-I-I didn't… didn't want this… didn't do this."
His entire body is shaking, contorting under the harsh winter air and the knowledge of what he had done. He almost killed another man, and what's even worse for him, he struck Ruby.
"H-How did this happen? I-I-I never lose control like that."
Aqua cowers against the cold and hard wall, wrapping his arms around his legs.
*HhKhhhh* HhhhKhhhhh–HhhhUuuhhh…* *HhhhhUh*
"This m-m-might even ruin… her career…"
"I didn't want this… Didn't do this… this wasn't me."
Aqua freezes as he hears the sounds of steps approaching from his left; they are already near, sounding even and calm. They get closer and closer, Aqua closes his eyes and buries his head in his lap, praying for them to pass.
A minute later, Aqua pulls his shaking hands away from his ears; the noise of steps is gone, so he looks up again. Right before him is Tera, standing in utter silence as his face is obscured by the shadows.
"What happened is not your fault. You might've overdone it, but your intent was pure, kindhearted even."
"B-B-But Ruby."
Aqua can see Tera's face now, a gentle smile forming on it.
"You didn't hit her hard, I saw it… She will be fine, you saved her from a far worse fate, a fate which some might even call worse than death."
Tera moves, pulling his pale hand out of the pocket of his suit jacket. He holds it out into the air between him and Aqua.
Aqua's eyes widen as the air above the hand erupts in bright golden flames, blinding Aqua, yet not quite reaching Tera's face. After a moment, the flame dies again, leaving behind a single piece of paper which glides towards the ground, landing in Aqua's lap.
"Look, let's end my test here… This piece of paper is what you need to bring her back… You deserve it after all of this."
Aqua greedily grabs the page, trying to read its contents, but it is just a bit too dark to make anything out.
"T-Thanks, Tera."
Tera looks down at Aqua's bloody frame, summoning him a pair of clothes the same way he did with the piece of paper.
"Don't mention it…"