Draped in the clothing of a prisoner in Maruki’s world- held in the visage of black and white against the all homely presence of what could have only been the counselling room in Shujin Academy. The brown leather chairs, the green tiled floors along with beds lined up with translucent pink curtains- the study which held a chair and a hundred dozen pieces of information lined up in books and sticky notes.
The door was shut away and locked.
Across him two cognitions shimmered into cognitions. There was a faint glow around them- signifying that they weren’t real.
Two of the walls towards the study table shifted as the atmosphere changed.
Maruki sits in a sterile, quiet room, wrapped in a scratchy emergency blanket. His brown hair is shorter, but his face tells a different story—his eyes, hollow and lifeless, sit sunken beneath dark circles. The low hum of fluorescent lights buzzes above, and the faint sounds of police chatter filter through the thin walls. He doesn’t seem to notice the cup of lukewarm water placed in front of him or the soft murmurs from the officer seated across the table. His hands tremble slightly as they clutch at the edge of the blanket, his knuckles pale.
“You’re doing great, Maruki-san. Just take your time,” the officer says gently, voice calm but firm. “Can you go over what happened again? From when you and Rumi arrived at the house.”
Maruki’s eyes shut close as he gritted his teeth against the tentacle.
Maruki exhales sharply, his gaze unfocused. “We were just... visiting,” he whispers, as though saying it out loud might somehow make it worse. “It was supposed to be a normal day. We’d been planning to see Rumi’s parents for weeks. When we got there, nothing seemed wrong at first. Just—nothing out of place.”
His voice falters, and he shuts his eyes tightly as if trying to force away the memory. He can’t.
“Rumi... she went ahead. She opened the door. I didn’t think—" His voice breaks. “There were noises—scuffling—and I just thought maybe it was the television, or... I don’t know. I didn’t react. I didn’t react.”
He slams his hand lightly against the table, anger and regret bleeding into his voice. The officer doesn’t stop him, just nods and waits.
“When I walked in... they were already there. The men.” His breathing grows uneven, and his fingers tangle into his hair, pulling as if the pain will anchor him. “They had guns. Rumi’s parents—her parents were—”
”STOP IT!” A voice yelled across the maze though it didn’t quite sound like the confident tone from earlier.
Maruki’s eyes dart toward the officer now, searching, almost desperate. “You have to understand. She was terrified, but she ran after them. She went after them! She wasn’t thinking—she just—” He gestures vaguely, hands shaking as he tries to recreate the moment in the air. “One of them turned back. He hit her with the gun—hard. She dropped to the floor, and there was blood—so much blood. I didn’t even know if she was alive.” He stares blankly down at the table, his voice hollow now. “I didn’t catch them. I couldn’t stop them. They ran out, and I... I stayed. I—I tried to help her parents. I did everything I could. I tried to stop the bleeding—I thought maybe if I could hold on, maybe if the police got there soon enough...”
Maruki suddenly looks up at the officer, his eyes wide and pleading, his voice cracking with desperation. “Did they make it? Her parents—can they... are they going to be okay?”
2/3
Draped in the clothing of a prisoner in Maruki’s world- held in the visage of black and white against the all homely presence of what could have only been the counselling room in Shujin Academy. The brown leather chairs, the green tiled floors along with beds lined up with translucent pink curtains- the study which held a chair and a hundred dozen pieces of information lined up in books and sticky notes.
The door was shut away and locked.
Across him two cognitions shimmered into cognitions. There was a faint glow around them- signifying that they weren’t real.
Two of the walls towards the study table shifted as the atmosphere changed.
Maruki sits in a sterile, quiet room, wrapped in a scratchy emergency blanket. His brown hair is shorter, but his face tells a different story—his eyes, hollow and lifeless, sit sunken beneath dark circles. The low hum of fluorescent lights buzzes above, and the faint sounds of police chatter filter through the thin walls. He doesn’t seem to notice the cup of lukewarm water placed in front of him or the soft murmurs from the officer seated across the table. His hands tremble slightly as they clutch at the edge of the blanket, his knuckles pale.
“You’re doing great, Maruki-san. Just take your time,” the officer says gently, voice calm but firm. “Can you go over what happened again? From when you and Rumi arrived at the house.”
Maruki exhales sharply, his gaze unfocused. “We were just... visiting,” he whispers, as though saying it out loud might somehow make it worse. “It was supposed to be a normal day. We’d been planning to see Rumi’s parents for weeks. When we got there, nothing seemed wrong at first. Just—nothing out of place.”
His voice falters, and he shuts his eyes tightly as if trying to force away the memory. He can’t.
“Rumi... she went ahead. She opened the door. I didn’t think—" His voice breaks. “There were noises—scuffling—and I just thought maybe it was the television, or... I don’t know. I didn’t react. I didn’t react.”
He slams his hand lightly against the table, anger and regret bleeding into his voice. The officer doesn’t stop him, just nods and waits.
“When I walked in... they were already there. The men.” His breathing grows uneven, and his fingers tangle into his hair, pulling as if the pain will anchor him. “They had guns. Rumi’s parents—her parents were—”
Maruki’s eyes dart toward the officer now, searching, almost desperate. “You have to understand. She was terrified, but she ran after them. She went after them! She wasn’t thinking—she just—” He gestures vaguely, hands shaking as he tries to recreate the moment in the air. “One of them turned back. He hit her with the gun—hard. She dropped to the floor, and there was blood—so much blood. I didn’t even know if she was alive.”
He stares blankly down at the table, his voice hollow now. “I didn’t catch them. I couldn’t stop them. They ran out, and I... I stayed. I—I tried to help her parents. I did everything I could. I tried to stop the bleeding—I thought maybe if I could hold on, maybe if the police got there soon enough...”
Maruki suddenly looks up at the officer, his eyes wide and pleading, his voice cracking with desperation. “Did they make it? Her parents—can they... are they going to be okay?”