Chapter 5

The director made a satisfied round of the room.

"See? I told you everything was fine. They're both sleeping peacefully."

My roommate had dissociative identity disorder. His normal personality had surfaced briefly around dawn.

Seeing the hellish scene in the room, he had frantically wiped away all the blood, then stuffed the soiled bedding into a cabinet.

So apart from a faint smell of blood, my mutilated body was hidden beneath a neatly arranged thick blanket, as if I were simply fast asleep.

Dad cleared his throat awkwardly and struck a pose at the doorway.

"See? I told you she's fine. What time is it and she's still sleeping?"

"Her parents are here and she can't even get up to say hello?"

Mom walked a few steps closer and set a meal container on the nightstand.

"Alright, Emma. I know you must be upset. That's why I got up at five this morning to make your favorite noodles."

"Go wash up, eat, apologize properly to your father, write a promise letter, and then we'll take you home, okay?"

It was always like this before. First they'd blow up at me because of Lucas's manipulation, then once their guilt kicked in, they'd make me some food to smooth things over.

The truth is, I never liked noodles. I just went along with it for their sake.

When Mom saw I wasn't responding, she reached to pull back my blanket.

The man in the next bed suddenly shot upright and let out a piercing scream.

"Ahhh! Don't touch it! Everyone out! Get out!"

Mom immediately retreated to the doorway, gasping for breath.

"Emma, why are you being so difficult? Get up now!"

Staff rushed in when they heard the commotion, expertly strapping him to the bed with restraints and giving him another sedative injection to calm him down.

An older staff member noticed the blood between the man's fingers and suddenly frowned.

"Didn't you secure him properly last night? Look at the blood on his hands and sleeves. Did something happen between them?"

The new employee's pupils contracted for a moment before he forced himself to speak.

"Impossible. I watched them all night. They were completely calm."

He patted the edge of my bed. "Hey, everything okay last night? I told you to press the call button if anything happened."

Of course I couldn't answer.

Another staff member looked suspiciously at my bed and reached to pull the blanket away.

"Miss, please wake up. Are you injured? Can you speak?"

A bit of my hair was visible. Just a little more and they would see the knife wounds he'd carved into me.

That's when my dad bellowed.

"My daughter is a girl! A grown man pulling off her blanket—that's harassment!"

"If you need to check, send a female staff member!"

The male attendant stepped back, exasperated.

"Then perhaps your wife could check? Once we confirm she's okay, we'll leave."

Mom nodded. Lucas covered his mouth and began his performance.

"Emma must have been awake for a while now. I remember she's always been a light sleeper."

"When she's in a mood, she just ignores everyone. If you pull off her blanket, she'll probably throw a tantrum."

"Mom, you know how extreme Emma can be. Maybe we shouldn't provoke her."

Dad nodded at this and stood up with a sweeping gesture.

"He's right. Why are we still indulging her? Let's go. I want to see how long this stubborn girl can keep up her attitude!"

Mom kept looking back as they left, but in the end, she followed behind him.

I watched them get in the car and drive farther and farther from the nursing home.

The System sent a notification.

[Host, the return portal is now open. You may prepare for departure at any time.]

Before pressing confirm, I pulled my hand back and followed that car.

[Wait a little longer. I want to see how long it takes them to realize they killed their own daughter with their own hands.]