(NIGHT IN THE LIBRARY PT 11):
TW: Graphic violence, Trauma and psychological distress (including flashbacks and panic attacks), Death and death-related themes, Abuse and manipulation, Emotional distress.
âSoâŚâ Y/N began as Chishiya closed the door behind him.
Chishiya settled into the armchair, crossing his arms over his chest, evaluating the girl from head to toe. Y/N felt self-conscious as she remembered that only a towel was wrapped around her semi-nude body. She tightened it around herself. She should have gone to her room to change. The man chuckled as he noticed her discomfort.
âKuinaâs big mouth already told you that I have a plan to get out of here, and I think you could be a key player if you agree to help,â he said, studying the girlâs reaction.
She tried not to show anything, and her silence gave the man space to continue.
âYou see... I donât know why weâre here or what this place is, but what I do know is that thereâs one constant in this world, something that makes it all workâŚâ
âThe cards,â Y/N interrupted. The man gave a weak nod and waited as he watched the gears turning in her head.
âYou want to steal the cardsâŚâ Y/N whispered finally, surprise etched on her face.
âClever girl,â Chishiya confirmed with a smile.
Y/N swallowed nervously, studying her next move. The man was a strategist, and she needed to play her cards right.
âSo, where do I come in?â she asked.
Chishiya appeared to think for a few seconds.
âYou can start by telling me how you know Niragi,â he concluded at last.
The room fell into a heavy silence that made her shiver. Chishiya seemed relaxed, almost amused. She tightened the towel around her again.
âWhat does that have to do with stealing the cards?â
The manâs smile widened. He was clearly enjoying the exchange. Y/N knew that any information she could give about Niragiâs past could easily be used against her, but the idea of getting out of that awful place was too tempting to ignore. After all... she hated Niragi.
âInformation is power, darling,â he said.
Another shiver ran down her spine, this time from the nickname the man had used. Chishiya stood up calmly, fully aware of how his comment had affected her, and walked toward her, hands in his pockets. He was only a few inches taller than her, but she felt herself shrinking under his proximity.
âThink about it,â he said, casually tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. A slight shiver ran down her neck, and she held her breath. A strange sensation settled in her stomach, a subtle unease that made her feel more awake, more aware of every beat of her heart.
The spell she had seemed to be under broke as soon as the man walked away, passing by her side and leaving through the door, leaving the girl confused, shy, and blushing, at the mercy of the cold, empty room.
That same night, the ghosts of the past that tormented her were replaced by a blonde man who didnât seem to want to leave her thoughts. On the other side of the door, a restless Niragi hesitated to knock. âItâs late, and sheâs probably already asleep,â he thought as he paced back and forth. âShe needs to rest, I should let her rest,â he told himself every time his indecisive fist rose to tap the wood. Y/N had no visitors that night, and when the sun began to rise, and the first rays filtered through the window, the woman woke up with a bittersweet taste in her mouth and the ominous feeling that something was about to happen.
The morning passed normally: Niragi searching for her gaze in the common areas while patrolling, and Chishiya nowhere to be found. It wasnât until the afternoon that things started to take a turn. Y/N decided to go down to the pool to try to deal with the suffocating heat sticking to her skin. There, she found Kuina, who seemed a little uncomfortable and hesitant before giving a small wave for her to come over.
âLooks like we all had the same idea,â Kuina laughed nervously, pointing to the people who had decided to go down for a swim that afternoon.
Y/N smiled and dipped her feet in the water as she sat next to her. The two girls engaged in trivial conversation, exchanging smiles and light jokes. Neither of them mentioned Chishiya, much less Niragi, not even when he quietly approached them, claiming a boy was bothering them by splashing water. Kuina just smiled at Y/N, lowering her gaze to the water as Niragi scared off the poor swimmer. As the sky began to darken and people headed to the bar, Kuina offered to get drinks.
âThatâs fine. Just one... after all, I wonât be able to drink tomorrow,â Y/N accepted.
âWhy wonât you be able to drink tomorrow?â Kuina asked as she stood up and put on her sandals.
âMy visa expires, tomorrow night I have to play,â she explained, watching her distorted reflection in the water.
Kuina made a sound of understanding and disappeared into the crowd.
Y/N kicked her feet in the water, lost in thought, until a firm, energetic voice spread through the pool area.
âDear neighbors of The Beach!â Y/N turned her head. The Mad Hatter was moving irregularly, followed by several militants as people stepped aside. âNeighbors of The Beach!â he repeated, raising his arms to the sky. His eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, but one could almost imagine his erratic gaze.
âHeâs drunk,â Y/N thought as she watched his stagger.
âMy dear neighborsâŚâ he repeated, this time quietly and tiredly, lowering his arms like a father worn out from scolding his child. âI... I did all this... for you!â Y/N jumped in place with the shout, her legs still submerged, shaking the water.
Everyone in the pool had their attention on the man. Y/N watched as Aguni pushed several people to get closer to the leader. Y/N noticed how The Mad Hatter shook off Aguniâs grip, who seemed to be trying to turn him around.
âLet me go,â he said, trying to break free from Aguniâs hold. âLet me go, they need to know!â he shouted as he shook his arms and pulled away from Aguni. âThey need to know...â He took a few steps, catching his breath. âThey need to know what happens to traitors,â he turned around, and with a gesture, an armed man pushed a boy, not much older than her, to the ground. The boy fell like a rag doll right in front of her.
Y/N saw the multiple wounds on his face and torso, bruises, cuts, and bleeding hematomas. The poor boy had been tortured.
âThis man!â The Mad Hatter pointed. âHeâs a traitor!â
A murmur spread among the crowd.
âHeâs been hiding his cards from me, and not just that,â he took a deep breath and rummaged through his pocket. âHeâs been collecting weapons,â he pulled out a gun, pointing it into the air.
Y/N felt her heart race. She didnât like the idea of a drunk man holding a gun.
âAnd for thatâŚâ The leader inhaled deeply, gazing at the sky, opening his arms. âHe will be punished,â he concluded.
The murmur stopped immediately, and the air became thick with tension.
âNiragi,â The Mad Hatter called, stepping aside and pointing the gun to the side.
The man made his way through the militants, collecting the gun as he passed by his leader. He moved with a light, playful step, as if all of this were just a game to him. However, he seemed to hesitate for a split second when he saw Y/N. From her spot, she could distinguish a broken whisper coming from the man on the ground: âHelp me,â he said, reaching out toward her. She didnât have time to react before two gunshots filled the air, and the hand fell limply just inches from her, followed by a wet, warm thud that made her jump. Thick blood splattered her face, soaking her skin, and the metallic smell filled her lungs, making her feel like vomiting. Her legs moved on their own, lifting her off the spot and running toward the building, unable to process what had just happened.
She didnât know how she ended up in one of the bathrooms on the hotelâs main floor, but she couldnât contain the sudden heat rising in her stomach when she saw her reflection, her face stained with blood. Before she could react, nausea took over, and she succumbed to the wave of discomfort. She coughed a few times, feeling the air become dense. Suddenly, the room grew dark and cold. The girl blinked frantically, but the image wouldnât form in her retina. Instead, she felt a curtain of smoke, transporting her abruptly to another place, another time. The vision, sharp and suffocating, unfolded before her like a movie she couldnât stop. Her mind went backward, and the sound of the blow echoed in her head. She saw the knife, there, so close to her, and then she saw him. A young man, his eyes... brown? Green? She didnât have time to process it, as her gaze shifted to the blood, to the red thread falling from his lips. She raised her eyes as she stepped back, trying to get away from the dying man on the floor. It was then that her gaze met her own eyes in the mirror, still dripping with red ink. She froze in place and tried to scream, but it was useless. She put her hands on her throat, and the terror in her chest grew even larger as she felt the air stop flowing. The last thing she heard before her vision blurred were her desperate gurgles trying to breathe.
When she woke up, she was in her bed.
She opened her eyes, instinctively bringing her hands to her neck as she felt the cold air open her airways.
"If you decide to strangle yourself again, I wonât help you," a voice said.
Y/N looked up to see Chishiya coming out of the bathroom, drying his hands with a white towel.
"W-what happened?" she asked, forcing her voice.
"Normal after a trauma. Sometimes a stimulus can make your mind take you back to that moment. It's like a short circuit in the brain, nothing really to worry about," he replied nonchalantly, collapsing into the armchair beside the bed.
"Nothing to worry about?" she repeated, doubtful.
"Itâs just your mind trying to process it, nothing more," Chishiya shrugged.
Suddenly, a knock made her jump.
"Open up. I can hear her from here, I know sheâs awake," a muffled voice came from behind the door, followed by several more knocks.
Chishiya rolled his eyes.
"Itâs been thirty minutes like this," he informed. "Do you want to let him in?" he asked, raising his eyebrows with a curious and amused look.
Y/N flinched when the image of Niragi pointing a gun at the man in front of her flashed vividly in her mind. Involuntarily, she pulled the sheets over her body, covering part of her face as if she was a little girl hiding from a monster.
Chishiya's smile widened even more.
"I thought so," he said, getting up and walking towards the door. "She doesn't want to see you," he spoke firmly.
"Doesnât want to see me? Who do you think you are? Iâll break down the door if you donât open it in five seconds. It shouldnât even be locked, or have you forgotten the rules of The Beach?" Niragiâs voice came from the other side, and Y/N could almost imagine him pressed against the door.
"Do you want to reveal there's a locked door? Itâs Y/N's room, Niragi⌠let's see who takes the fall," Chishiya laughed as he crossed his arms and leaned against the door with an amused huff.
There was no response for a few moments before the manâs voice softened.
"Y/N⌠I know you can hear me. I⌠Iâm sorry, okay? I was just following orders, itâs my job as a militant⌠I didnât think it would affect you that much, I⌠I just didnât think."
Y/N noticed the almost imperceptible crack in Niragiâs voice. She didnât answer.
"Come see me when this crazy guy opens the door," he stayed silent for a few seconds. "And if itâs still closed when I come back tomorrow morning, Iâll break it down," he concluded with one final knock that made her jump. Chishiya just laughed.
Y/N sharpened her hearing and heard Niragiâs footsteps slowly fade away down the hall. After a few moments of stillness, Chishiya moved away from the door and walked over to her with his hands in his pockets.
"That idiot is really in love with you, huh?" he laughed.
Y/N felt the heat rise in her face.
"No, itâs not like that," she replied, averting her gaze.
Chishiya smiled mockingly.
"Whatever you say." He paused and became thoughtful. "It must be hard meeting someone from your past here. Borderlands changes people."
Y/N turned her gaze to the window, its glass reflecting the illuminated room against the dark backdrop of the night.
"I guess. He wasnât like thisâŚ" she began. "Though, to be honest, I wouldnât say itâs just Borderlandsâ fault⌠life, the world itself, was never very kind to Niragi," she sighed thoughtfully.
Chishiya nodded from his place. He had sat on the bed, his body turned towards her, encouraging her to continue speaking while nodding in apparent understanding to each piece of information Y/N absentmindedly provided.
By the time the sun rose the next morning, the girl had fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion, and Chishiya left the room with a triumphant smile on his face. He only needed a few of his hidden cards, a stolen gun, and a scapegoat to make her trust him and get her to tell him everything. Casually, he walked over to the breakfast table where Kuina was serving herself.
"Did you get what you needed?" she asked in a low voice as he stopped beside her.
"Of course I did" he smiled.
I hope you all enjoy this extra chapter after the long wait! đ
Thanks so much for your patience â Iâm excited to share more with you all. As always, let me know your thoughts, and happy reading! â¨
