In the dim light of that basement, Olivia couldn’t fully see that man’s face, but what was very clear was that the man was wearing a mask that only showed his eyes, which she was certain were red.

Olivia’s eyes went wide, her breathing tight, her eyes filled with fear. Her legs and hands went stiff, she didn’t expect to see the person she feared most standing right in front of her.

"....who... are.. you!.." Olivia said with a trembling voice, she couldn’t look away from that man. As if that man wanted her to keep her attention on him. Olivia’s question wasn’t answered at all. He only stared at her deeply, like he was looking at his prey.

Hicck!

The man laughed slowly... his shoulders trembling slightly. His head lowered as if holding back his laughter. Olivia’s brow furrowed. She really wanted to look at Javien’s face, but she had a feeling, if she looked away at any moment that man’s hand would be at her throat.

"Haaa..."

"...It seems like you really forgot about me"

he said then slowly lifted his face. Olivia was confused and stared at him with a cold expression. Then that man’s hand reached for her chin. He lifted it hard and said

" that eyes..." he muttered slowly while looking at Olivia’s eyes sharply.

"i hate that eyes" he said.

"But strangely,..."

"The way you look at me... as if you still know who I am." He smiled thinly.

"I really want to gouge them out" he said quietly. Immediately Olivia pushed that man’s hand away. She backed herself far away from that man. But that man seemed to enjoy watching the situation.

That man scoffed, then slowly stood up and walked toward Javien while smiling coldly.

TAP TAP TAP!

Javien struggled violently, his body no longer able to be controlled. The pain spread throughout his entire body. He could no longer hold back the pain, then,

"AARGH!!!"

His scream echoed, broken and full of pain.

A red aura suddenly exploded out from his body, wild... like fire that had lost control.

Pulsing, wrapping his body with terrifying energy. But behind that,

his body was trembling more and more, his breathing growing weaker... as if that power was eating him from the inside.

His fingers clawed at the floor, his nails almost torn off holding back the pain. The man wearing the hoodie watched Javien calmly.

"You see the little girl standing beside us right now!!" with his calm voice while pointing his ring finger toward Olivia who was holding back tears.

"This is the little girl you thought would save you from the darkness" he said while his pupils stared sharply at Olivia who was sitting helplessly. His eyes, as if mocking her. Then, 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The masked man stood calmly under the flickering lamp light, his hand slowly taking out a small container from inside his robe. The liquid inside glimmered faintly, enough to make Olivia furrow her brow.

"what are you going to do?" Olivia’s voice came out slowly, but clearly trembling while looking toward that man’s hand.

That man didn’t answer. He only stepped slowly toward Javien who was still struggling in the state of being tied up and non-stop pain.

Olivia swallowed, her chest growing tighter watching that situation.

What does he want to do!!

"Javien..." she whispered quietly, almost not heard.

Before that man managed to pour that liquid toward Javien,

Don’t tell me!!

Without thinking she ran toward Javien.

"JAVIEN!"

She rushed and pushed Javien’s body hard to the side, but at the same moment that liquid splashed and hit her.

Olivia froze. Her eyes went wide, her body stopped moving for a moment. That liquid wasn’t like normal water, it felt like something was seeping into her skin, hot and foreign.

"...eh?"

Her body began to tremble. The world around her suddenly changed slowly. Her vision became strange, like something was opening in her sight.

Fine lines appeared in the air, like red and white threads tangled throughout that space. On the walls, on the floor, even on Javien’s body and the masked man’s body.

Thread?

I thought it’s already gone

Olivia’s voice trembled in her mind.

The masked man suddenly stopped moving.

"...you can see that?" his voice was low. While pointing toward something.

Olivia didn’t answer. She was still frozen by that strange vision, as if the world she had seen before was no longer the same. The surroundings that had been dim suddenly looked bright in Olivia’s eyes. Her eyes were stunned seeing that situation.

But, there was something that made her eyes freeze, that thread did indeed look like what she had seen before but the current situation had a slight difference. That thread wasn’t just glowing but it was slightly thicker than the other threads.

Before she could think about what that thread meant.

Suddenly,

a broken groan escaped his mouth.

...Ghh!!..

Javien mouth opened, but no sound came out. His body arched violently as he pounded his chest, his movements desperate and out of control.

Olivia bit her lip hard, her eyes starting to water. She couldn’t do anything watching Javien’s situation. She could only watch with a heaviness in her chest. And that... hurt more than anything.

"Javien!!" Olivia screamed, trying to get up, but her body suddenly felt heavy.

As if something was pressing her down to the floor. She fell back, unable to move.

"Oww! ..why... my body..."

The masked man only raised one ring finger calmly, and immediately Olivia’s body became heavier, as if the entire space was crushing her without mercy. Her eyes grew heavier.

"Don’t interfere," his voice was cold.

Olivia clenched her fists tightly, trying to fight back but her body gave no reaction. In front of her, Javien kept struggling in pain, his red aura growing bigger and more unstable, as if something inside him was awakening.

That man only watched calmly, as if all of this had been expected from the start.

"...finally," he whispered quietly.

Olivia went still, her breathing unstable, her eyes moving between Javien who was suffering and the masked man who stood without emotion.

And in her vision, those threads changed especially on Javien’s body, trembling the hardest as if something inside him was waking up or falling apart.

"...what do you mean..." Olivia’s voice was almost breaking, but that man only turned slightly.

"Now you can only watch," his voice was calm, as if he wanted to see Olivia’s reaction watching Javien’s condition. Olivia glanced toward that man’s arm, there was a scar. She had seen that scar before but couldn’t remember where.

She felt familiar looking at that hand but at that moment, what she cared about was Javien...

Her eyes were fixed watching Javien. His mouth began letting out a lot of blood. The thread that had been trembling began slowly calming, that thread could be seen slowly turning black. Olivia’s eyes were fixed watching that thread change.

But what was more confusing that thread suddenly crept toward her arm. Immediately she was confused about what was happening.

Whyyy!! What is happening??

She looked toward Javien who was throwing up blood, her heartbeat became faster. Then, she thought about finding a way to stop that man.

...Think Olivia think!

She said in her mind. Even though her eyes were already watering... but because she was too scared and panicking watching Javien who was in pain she couldn’t focus at all.

She tried her best to wake herself up but her efforts were useless. But, something crossed her mind.

She remembered something... what happened when she was controlled by something.

Ting!

Thread!! Where is that thread?

She said in her heart while her eyes darted around searching for the thread she had seen when she was being controlled by someone.

But, when she turned her head toward the masked man’s feet. But what stopped her completely was what she saw on the masked man’s robe. A thread. But unlike any she had seen before.

It had no colour at all.