Reality or Nightmare

The investigator, holding his notebook, intervened, "The surveillance cameras document it. She spoke with the receptionist, saying you had to leave due to urgent work when the staff asked. She stayed that night and left early in the morning."

"No... no... that's impossible," Takashi grasped his head, repeating himself.

"It's not her; she's an imposter," Takashi added defiantly.

"From the photos, we confirmed that your wife has a scar on her right arm, which the receptionist also confirmed when we asked," the investigator said.

The doctor interjected to explain Takashi's psychological state. "Your psychological shock is causing a mix-up between the reality you witnessed before your fall and the nightmare you experienced afterward, which is making it difficult for you to distinguish between what is real and what is a dream."

"It wasn't a nightmare! How can it be a nightmare when I saw my wife's head flying away from her body? I'm sure!" Takashi said, sweating and trembling.

"Alright, we'll leave it at that," the doctor concluded, ending the interview.

Finally, Izumi arrived after a long journey across the ferry, guided by the girl he had met. He thanked her and rushed into the building, running through the hospital corridors to find the room where his father was staying after inquiring at the reception.

With a somewhat violent entrance and no knock, Izumi called out loudly, "Dad!"

What surprised his father wasn't just the way Izumi entered but the evident exhaustion and distress on his face.

On the verge of tears, Izumi approached his father and asked, "How are you, Dad?"

"I'm sorry for worrying you," his father replied.

With sad eyes and trembling lips, Izumi began, "Mom has..."

He couldn't finish the sentence due to a sharp pain he felt in his chest.

Izumi placed his left hand over the pain, gripping his shirt tightly.

"This hurts so much... I can barely speak; it feels like my tears have dried up," he thought aloud.

"Are you alright, son? Are you in pain?" his father asked, noticing his son's physical distress.

Bowing his head and breathing heavily, Izumi managed to say, "Mom..."

"About your mother, there was some kind of accident, and we don't know where she is," his father replied, looking away.

Izumi quickly lifted his head, shocked by what he heard. "What? Dad... you saw him, didn't you?" (referring to the parasite)

"Saw what?" his father responded coldly.

"Do you mean..." Izumi stammered.

Interrupting him, his father said, "Yes, that's right. It seems I had a nightmare because I hit my head on a big rock."

"A nightmare!!! That's a lie!" (Izumi thought loudly), scrutinizing his father, his eyes trembling.

"I just gave my statement to the police a little while ago. They've started searching for her. I'll have to stay here for a while, but it's not serious," his father added.

"What are you saying..." Izumi said, unable to grasp what was happening.

"Did something happen at home?" his father asked.

"You know exactly what happened! Stop pretending! Mom was killed! A monster killed her." For the first time, Izumi shouted in his father's presence, echoing the same description his father had used during the phone call—"monster."

"Did you say that nonsense on the phone? I'm so sorry; I was wrong," his father said.

The conversation between the investigators and Takashi led him into a spiral of doubt. The conflicting stories—his own and those of the investigators—made him lean toward the latter's perspective. One said that his wife had been seen on the surveillance cameras, while the other claimed that the impact of his head against the rock had affected his memory, causing him to mix dreams with reality. All of this made him question what he had told his son during their phone call after the incident, insisting that his mother was missing, not dead.

"What? Does he really think what he saw was a nightmare? She is out to kill you, Dad!" Izumi thought aloud, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Don't worry, son. I'll be fine. I want you to rest for two or three days and go back home. I know this is hard, but hold on a little longer. If you face any issues, call your uncle..." his father added.

Before he could finish, Izumi interjected, tired of hearing untrue nonsense, especially since he had witnessed his mother transform into a parasite right before his eyes in their home. "Dad, I need to tell you something."

His father showed interest before Izumi broached the subject.

"It's about Mom and the monster..." Izumi continued.

As soon as Takashi heard the word "monster," he flinched and shouted his son's name, "Izumi!"

"Please, I don't want to talk about this right now," Izumi said, clenching his fist, tears streaming down his father's face. Takashi broke down, unable to bear any more.

A long silence enveloped the room.

"He's crying; he knows then. He knows that Mom is dead. I wish I could tell him what the monster really is, to explain the creature that killed her. If only Megi were a true ally of humanity, but he's not..." Izumi thought aloud.

Izumi bent down to grab the bag and put an end to the topic. "I brought you some clothes."

"Izumi, where will you stay?" Takashi asked.

"I'll stay here for a while," Izumi replied, placing the bag in the closet.

"But you can't sleep well here. There's a hotel near the beach; you can stay there," his father suggested.

Izumi stepped out of the room, the thought of confronting Megi while he was in the hospital crossed his mind. However, he quickly dismissed the idea, convinced that the timing wasn't right. He feared a betrayal, especially since he desperately needed Megi to help him find his mother's killer and take revenge. He had no choice but to rely on a creature that shared the same nature as his mother's murderer.

On his way out, Izumi asked the security guard stationed at the hospital entrance about the Verdy Hotel where his parents had stayed. He learned it was not close to the hospital, which made Izumi reconsider chasing after his mother and instead wait for her while she was searching for his father.

Izumi headed to the hotel his father had mentioned, Sakurazaki Hotel, located 300 meters from the hospital. Fortunately, this distance was also the maximum range at which Megi could detect enemies. However, it would be too late if the enemy was discovered while she was at the hospital.

Upon entering the hotel, Izumi found it empty, with no one at the reception. He called out loudly, "Hello!" Just then, a young girl hurried down the stairs to greet him.

"Are you the only one staying?" the girl asked as she descended the stairs.

"You..." Izumi exclaimed in surprise, realizing it was the same girl he had met on the ferry.

With a broad smile on her face, the girl called out to her mother, "Mom, we have a guest!"

Fortunately, Izumi was given a room with a view of the hospital building. Standing on the balcony, he watched the hospital…