Chapter 4: Within the Darkness
Subject 0 stepped into an unfamiliar room. Though dimly lit, the contents were clear enough. One half of the room was faintly illuminated, while the other was swallowed by pitch-black darkness.
This was a fairly spacious room in a hexagonal shape. In the visible part of the room, there were many tables.
As he moved closer to the center, he noticed two more doors—one to his left, one to his right.
Subject 0: So... these doors lead to other rooms. That makes three in total, including the one behind me.
Subject 0: But then... what's in the dark?
Confusion clouded his mind when he realized something else: the room was silent. Too silent.
Is this normal? he wondered. That's when he noticed something on the floor.
Subject 0: W-What the—?!
A body lay sprawled on the ground. Its face was shredded, one eye missing, and everything below the waist was gone.
Subject 0: H-Hey...? Hey?! HEEYYY!!
Subject 0 stared at the corpse, utterly bewildered. Why wasn't this person healing? Why weren't they moving again?
There was a dead body in front of him—but he didn't know what death was.
He had lived his entire life in a single room. The only people he'd ever known were the doctors who visited him. He knew nothing. He believed the world was just this laboratory.
For a child who had only ever acted on instinct, concepts like helping others—or even life and death—were completely alien.
As Subject 0 stared at the body, a faint sound came from the dark side of the room. A brief, almost imperceptible noise.
Subject 0: W-What was that sound? Is someone there?
Heart pounding, he crept toward the darkness.
Then, two white eyes appeared in the void.
Two blank, emotionless eyes—staring straight at him.
Subject 0: H-Hey... you there... U-Um... hello?
He couldn't make out the figure's appearance in the dark, but this was the first person he'd encountered since escaping his room. Who were they?
The man behind me... maybe he just needs more time to heal? Or... not? I don't know...
Is this person a doctor...? Or another subject...? Could it be the escaped one...? I don't know anything.
Damn it! I'm sick of not knowing anything!
For now... I'll try approaching slowly.
Subject 0: H-Hello. My name is Subject 0... I think? I'm not sure. My head's a little foggy...
The figure in the darkness continued to stare. No movement. No response. Just watching.
Subject 0: S-So... who are you? What's your name?
Slowly, the figure began to step forward. Its silhouette grew clearer with each step.
It was a child—short, with short black hair, pure white eyes, and two sharp horns jutting forward from its head. No older than four or five.
The child's white clothes were soaked in blood. Its body was covered in wounds. Subject 0 stepped closer.
Child: AARRRRHHH!!
With a sudden, feral scream, the child lunged at
Subject 0.
Subject 0: AAHHH!!
A deep gash tore open in Subject 0's arm. He cried out in terror. In an instant, the child before him had transformed into a monstrous predator—eyes filled with contempt, watching its prey like a hunter savoring the kill.
Subject 0: S-STOP!! WAIT!!!
As he tried to speak again, a sharp pain erupted in his neck. His vision tilted, then dropped to the floor.
Confused, Subject 0 tried to look around—and saw his headless body being devoured by the child.
Subject 0: Gahk... akk...
Blood sprayed from his severed neck as he tried to speak with his decapitated head.
The child noticed the head and crawled toward it.
Its teeth were the last thing Subject 0 ever saw.
Subject 0 was dead.