"My, my." Someone utters, "I have never seen a crushed miracle in my whole entire life."

I hear someone speaks and try to look for the person. But I fail miserably. And little did I know, I sense myself calming. The squeezing sensation on my chest is slowly easing; I can catch my breaths; my body stops shaking; and I now feel the relief feeling throughout my system.

What happened? A man suddenly came and I now feel so fine.

"Feeling better, Natsumi?" Someone asks me.

I try to eyed the man, but it's impossible. My sights are still blurred. I groan silently, trying to move my body. My body is on the ground, lifeless and bloody.

"Great job on taking the poison, and up to now, you're still conscious." I can hear his voice and understand him. Then suddenly, I feel myself lifted and I'm now seated, reclining my back onto a hard surface.

"Who are you . . ?" I question in a roughed and breathless tone.

"You don't even have to know."

"I see . . ." I whisper, "T-Then why did you save me? I'm almost out of breath . . . I almost died . . . I almost reached my rest, my freedom."

"Huh," the man scoffs and chuckles. I hear some footsteps tapping on the ground, forwarding near me. Suddenly, I felt him pulled a handful of my hair and forcefully lifts my head.

I slightly wince and look in front. I can see his built, but I can't recognize his face. Everything is blurry and red.

"You don't know, Natsumi?" he questions softly but evilly. "Okay, hear what I'm about say." then he tightens his grip to my hair. "I let you live, because you have to atone your sins."

"M-My sins?"

"Yes, Natsumi. Do you know what are your sins?"

My sins . . . Since I was a child, my father is always telling us that the breath we received is a sin. Because for someone like us, who takes lives, is forsaken by the heavens and don't deserve to be here on this world.

"My sin . . ." I utter, "is being alive."

"Oh, I'm surprised that you knew." he laughs smugly. "Damn you, Natsumi, do you think you deserve to live?"

"No. I deserve to—" die.

"You're wrong," the man cut me. "You deserve to live, because . . ."

Then everything went fast. All I know is that my face is facing the floor again.

Wait. I actually felt what happened. He smashed my head with something hard that causes me to bleed again. It's confusing, because I felt no pain with his harassment.

As my face is on the cold floor, I sense something heavy at the back of my head. The force was strong, making my cheeks pounded severely on the ground. Then I have just found out that he is crushing my head with his foot.

"You deserve to live because you have to suffer."

It is what he says. What did I do that I deserve to suffer?

"Hey, Natsumi . . ." he calls, stamping my head even harder. "You're asking what is the reason of your living, right?"

Although I look pathetic right now, I can't do anything. I can't fight back. All I did is to receive his beatings and just bleed and bleed.

"Let me tell you," he then flip my body—facing front—using his foot. "Because you have to be grateful!!" shouts the man while laughing. "Hah! You know it, right, Natsumi? That you were born alone in this world! Abandoned by your real parents! Of course, picked by the Twains and raised you as a killer! Ha-ha! Beautiful, isn't it? They gave you a reason and meaning to your despairingly filthy life!" then he pauses a moment to collect an air, "that's why . . . be thankful, you little shit!" and lastly, he growls as he pounded my diaphragm like a rugged trash.

I don't understand why it doesn't hurt . . . even just a bit . . . all I know that I lose consciousness for a second and vomit blood again mixed with my saliva. My jaw started to jerk, feeling that I'm running out of breath.

The torture continues. Beating, kicking, stomping, and tormenting this frail body of mine until there's nothing for me to live in.

"Does it hurt, Natsumi? Can you feel pain? Do you? Can you? Huh?" I hear him questioning me.

I only gaze at up half-dead.

"No, right? You can't feel pain, can you?" he adds, "That's correct! You can't feel pain because you've been drugged with a high dosage!"

"Really . . . " I utter, "I thought I was dead."

"Sorry, but you can't die." And again, he begins to barge my body.

Yes, it doesn't hurt. But I'm aware that my internal organs are now crushed. I even heard a breaking of something inside of me. Maybe, few of my ribs are broken.

"Ah~ I apologize, Natsumi. Haha . . . Seems like I'm enjoying to beat you like this. You know what, I've been waiting for this to happen."

"W-Why . . . do you . . . hate me?" I say, losing my breath.

"Why, you asked? Heh, it's because of you yourself." he responds, "because of your foul existence, I became someone like you. I shouldn't be a killer. I shouldn't know despair. I shouldn't be like this. But unfortunately, you came and brought a great catastrophe to our lives. Oh, well, assuredly, you wouldn't leave a place without making any harm."

Ah, I did bring misfortunes to his life. Not only to his life, but also to everyone. Really. There are no good things about me.

"Those reasons, Natsumi, I learned how to despise myself. Well, just in this case, I can say that I agree with you."

That right. I despise myself. We are the same. But this won't change the fact that he loathes me.

"Say, Natsumi, how it feels like being tortured? They say, torturing people is your hobby, and right now, look at you." I hear him smirks.

I inhale a deep breath and slowly let it out. "W-Well . . . isn't this bit unfair? I can't feel any pain, so it a-ain't worthy to be called a t-torture . . ."

"Oh, on some point you're right." he sighs, "Ah, what a waste. I didn't think that far ahead."

Well, it doesn't matter. If ever I'd still live in the end, I would still suffer. Nothing will change. No one.

"Stop this nonsense already." Not afar, someone speaks. Familiar voice. And I know who it is.

"Huh? You're saying something, Chance?" said by the unknown man. "How's the live show? Are you having fun of watching her suffer?

"I'm saying that enough of hurting her." Chance answers back with a pissed voice.

"Hurting her?" scoffs this man near me, "You didn't hear her, huh? She said that she doesn't feel hurt. That's why it's fine to beat her. You should be happy, Cain, because she is suffering." And then he presses his foot on my diaphragm. It becomes harder for me to breathe.

I groan as I try to remove his foot on me. But pathetically, I cannot do anything. I'm so worthless. Weak. A loser.

I give up. There's nothing I can to end this.

"Stop it, Clint!"

Clint . . ?

Did I mishear anything?

Is that kind of lie? It shouldn't be. I'm almost dead, but when the name 'Clint' echoes inside my head, I can't help but to stay awake.

Frailty, I look above. "C-Clint . . ? You're Clint?"

"Aww, how unfortunate. She caught me." If this is Clint, then why? He sighs and removes his foot on mine, "Stop spoiling the moment, Chance. You ruined the atmosphere. Tch."

"Only if you stopped hurting her." replies Chance.

"Heh," Clint smirks, "what do you care, Cain? Why are so concerned about her? You two broke up, right? Don't tell me, you still have feelings for this piece of filthy shit."

"That's nothing of your concern." Chance spats.

"Hey, hey. You're saying yes? Hell, I don't understand why do you still love this trash. She's a trash, you know. Damn it." Chance didn't answer back. What do I need expect? I'm worser than a trash. "And yes, I remember! Chance, this lady lying on the ground is the one who killed your mom, isn't she?"

"That's what they say,"

"Mm," Clint hums, "Well, that's true; she killed your mother. You should be glad, Chance. Uh, more like . . . be mad, Chance." then he laughs.

I didn't hear Chance saying anymore, but Clint never stopped his insults. "This woman is called as the Sinful Miracle, because as the bastard child of death, she spared no life even the innocent things. She only cut people through, with or without orders. So . . . what do you think, she should be killed, shouldn't she?"

I have no complaints. That's my life. And I have lived an embarrassing life. Something is wrong in this world, and there's something wrong in the way I live. Ah . . . I just realized, there's no already a way to live.

I focus my eyes on Clint. I trusted him. But he betrayed everything. "Hey, Nat," he whispers and I notice him beside me. "I'm sorry, okay? For betraying you." With his apology, my tears started to fall. I can't still believe that he planned all this. "I just need to do this, to avenge what you have done to my life. I can't detail everything right now. But if we both manage to come out here alive, let's meet again."

I never talk back. Even though I don't know everything, I did something that made him really sad. It is my fault, and I can't blame him.

"Well then, I need to go." before he stands up, he wipes my tears. His hands are still warm and gentle. I can't believe that a monster like me, tainted his hands with sorrows and despairs.

"I-I'm sorry . . ." I breathed and cried. And even if it is just a glimpse, I saw him grinned. A grin that my sorry will change nothing.

Then he leaves silently.

And here I am. Lying on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling. This room is a great representation of loneliness. It's cold . . . dark. Full of despair.

In this place will be my deathbed? Maybe.

"Nat, Nat?" It is a female voice. Ah, it's Ash. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Hurt? What on earth? Huh? What's going on?" I ask coldly. "I'm hurt? Really? No way . . . That's just . . . just absurd, right?"

Then I laugh. I carry myself to turn around to face the floor. I inhale sharply. I have to stand up and help them to escape the prison. B-Because . . . I swore that I would save them.

"B-But . . ." I say, losing my consciousness. No, I have to be strong at this time. "If that's a question, then I must to answer." Reposing my hands on the floor, I push myself to sit down. I groan while shaking.

I can say that hope is meaningless to me.

"You don't have to push yourself, Nat. Please rest."

I ignore that fact. Although breathing heavily, I successfully manage to kneel. I look down. My sights are blurred and in any moment, I would fall asleep.

"I may not look fine . . . but trust me, I'm fine."

"It's obvious enough that you are not!" Whoever may say that. I just don't care.

"A-Ah . . . Y-Yes, my body doesn't hurt . . ." I speak with a small smile. "I don't feel pain, yet why . . ? Why? Why . . . this part hurts?" I can't control my tears and I just cried, pointing the middle of my chests. Yes, my heart is in pain.

I sob silently, biting my lower lip. "Where did I go wrong? What did I do wrong? When did everything became so wrong? Is it wrong to be here? All I wanted . . . is to save everyone from all this."

I pause and exhale. Involuntarily, my head nods down. I almost fall on the ground again, but thankfully, I make my hands to support me. "I-I know . . . for someone as lowly as me, have no rights to save someone . . . anybody. Still, I tried to do it . . . but in the end, I failed."

Right now, I don't know what to feel. My consciousness is failing, but my body doesn't. Hope is no more . . . "that's why . . . I'm sorry . . . everyone."

The everything starts to crumble. I sense myself falling. Until my very last breath, I'm trying to run away from death and chase after life. But it's all meaningless now . . .

"Ahh, don't be so hopeless . . . Natnat."

Natnat . . . that name is given by Dennis.

Ah, is he here? I want to see him, but my body is saying that I can't. Oh, well. Then . . . if he's here, I want to hear his voice again.

"Ease now, Natnat. I'm here."

I may not smile physically, but I'm really happy. I'm not really sure, but I feel like crying. Thanks, Dennis. You are not worthy to be called a hero, but you've just become one. In this place, you became my saviour.

"Alrighty. I need to give you another dosage of drug, Natnat. But don't worry, in your current situation, you won't feel pain."

I'm amazed. How did he know?

"Hey, Natnat. I know you can hear me, will you open your eyes?"

I follow his command. In just no minute, I flutter my eyes open.

"Now? Can you see better?"

At this time, what I see is no longer blurry. I can see Den surely. That's not all. My strength is slowly regaining.

"After this, don't hate me, okay? Haha. Because, Natnat, actually . . . the drug I injected in you may paralyzed your body and prevent the poison to spread, but in the end, you will feel severely immense pain."

Ah, I understand. Well, if this will keep me alive, so let it be.

"So, let's go?" Den invites. "Also, Shan is on the way. She'll wrap everything neatly."

I grin. Now I'm relieved.

Dennis carries me on his arm like child and starts to leave the room. I just rested myself. It's not like I can walk by now. I wonder how much drugs I've used? I can't tell. And I don't want to know.

"Den . . ." I call him in a heavy-lidded eyes.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

I sense him grins. "Everything is all for you, Miracle."

"Mira...cle, huh?" I chuckle sadly. "Can you call me once more with that name?"

"Miracle." Gently, he says.

It makes me smile with tears. "Beautiful name, isn't it?"

"Yes,"

"But that name is actually ugly . . ." I whisper. "That name is a lie. There is no such thing a miracle that brings nothing but tragedy."

"Haha, Natnat." and Den laughs, "Don't be like that."

I only grin. "Hey, Den . . ." Again, I call him.

"Yes, Natnat? I'm listening."

"Even though my name is a fake, I promise you that next time . . . I'm going to save you."

"Please do, Natnat." he answers softly, "Though you don't need to do it."

I choose to stay silent now. If we ever come out here alive, then we are lucky. There is no other choice for me. All I can do right now is to hope everything for a miracle.

And after all this, it is my turn to save Dennis. I don't know how to start, but if I can change his sorrows into happiness, I would do it.

Minutes passed and Dennis is still running, looking for an escape. Come to think of it, Dennis is close to Clint. Clint, huh? No matter what I rack my head, I can't see a reason why he betrayed us. This time, I'm thinking what would Den do if he found out that Clint did this. I terribly wish that they won't meet. I really hope so. I don't want them to fight. They are good friends. I know it hurts to know that a very important person you have ever met is the someone who would shatter everything.

"Yosh!" Den suddenly exclaims. "We found the door towards the exit. Nice!"

I sigh in solace. Will everything end here? I don't know.

"Well done, Dennis."

It makes confuse. But I'm sure that I didn't say that. A person is already here, waiting for arrival.

"Ah, if it isn't Clint." answers Den.

Of course. Once you reached the exit, expect a final battle. A battle that will decide who win this game.

If life isn't a tragedy . . . right?

"I've heard that you did something horrible to Lady Natsumi." Dennis says.

"Uh-huh."

"I see. But I can't comprehend your motive, Clint."

"What it is? I'll make it clear for you," replies Clint.

"Your scheme is a real success, I must say," Dennis sighs, slowly putting me down. "But if your ulterior motive is to kill her, then why did you give her a cure?"

"Isn't that obvious, Den? I just want to prolong her sufferings. And in this very end, I will end her life."

I hear Dennis sighs, "Is there nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"Ah? What do you mean?"

"I understand why you want her to suffer. But can't you think of an other way to make her in despair without killing her?"

"I see, I see." This time, I open my eyes and gaze at Clint. He senses my gaze, and surprisingly, he smiles back at me. "How are you, Nat? I can see that you're fine right now than the last time I saw you."

I never replied and gave him a glare. What a sarcastic remark.

"Moreover, I have thought something nice, Den." declares Clint with an evil smirk.

"Tell me," Den says while standing up.

"Ah, you see, Den and Nat . . ." Clint whispers while an insane atmosphere is covering the whole place. It's Clint's murder intent. "It will be boring if I let the lady cold in her blood, because her sufferings will end also, right? Even if she reached the hell, she would forget everything. So definitely a no, no." he sighs. But chuckles right after.

He's terrifying. I only stare at him. So this is how he like when he flipped the other side of his mask?

All I can say is beautiful.

He perfected being a broken person. Sadness, anger, and loneliness . . . they got mixed all together and made a monochrome masterpiece. In a dance of despair, I saw a boy laughing at his reality, pretending that his brokenness became his reasons for living.

"Ah~ What an ugly life, don't you agree?"

Den and I didn't reply. But we agree. It's a despairingly ugly life that you seriously want die already.

"So then, in exchange of taking Lady Natsumi's life . . ." Clint utters in slow, scary manner. "How about I kill you instead . . . Den?"

↭ ♡ ↭

I managed to write this because I'm sad. And this chapter is sad. My story matches with my emotions, so.

Also, I add a soundtrack here and it doesn't belong to me. Credits to Hiroyuki Sawano, he's the composer.

r e m i n d e r :

The next chapter will be on Miracle's point-of-view. Then, see you on next chapter.❀