The Breaking Point

"Astra?!"

Leo's heart skipped a beat when he heard Astra's voice, his confusion surfacing in a rush.

"Astra? Is this really you? What's happening—why can I hear you now?"

Lily shot him a sharp, concerned look. 

"Leo?"

Lily's voice was tentative, edged with worry. She took a hesitant step toward him.

The room fell still, a heavy silence pressing in as Rachel froze, uncertainty flickering in her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder.

Horo, however, had his brow furrowed. He knew exactly what was happening.

'So it's started for him too…'

He clenched his fists at his sides, resisting the urge to react to the whispers that had been gnawing at his sanity. Arachne's voice had been a constant presence ever since he'd left the dungeon, her silky, mocking tone coiling around his thoughts like a venomous snake.

'It seems that the Light Star is speaking to the Lion Cub. Is the Dark Star Sleeping~? What a lazy boy. Even though I intervened to give him a chance!'

'Arachne. Just shut up…'

'So disrespectful…' 

She let out a delighted giggle.

 'You should be honored to have my voice gracing your ears, little snake.Yet you have the gall to ignore me?'

Horo's jaw tightened, but he kept his expression neutral. The last thing he wanted was for anyone else to notice his struggle.

Meanwhile, Leo's breathing had quickened. He could still hear Astra's voice, faint but clear, like a signal cutting through static.

'Leo… you can hear me…? I don't have much time—'

His pulse pounded.

'Your mind is becoming unstable. You need to get back to us. You have been influenced by Mors right now…'

A wave of nausea engulfed him. Either his imagination was on overdrive or the voice of Astra was telling him the truth. Why else would he have asked Rachel to rip out the tongue of a woman he had never met!

"Leo? I think we need to speak to Luna. We might need you to go back to the hospital. Y-you're scaring me." 

Luna placed a hand on Leo's arm, in an attempt to calm him, not understanding why he was suddenly so agitated. 

Leo took a deep breath trying to calm himself down by taking deep breaths. He turned slowly to Leo and spoke softly. 

"Don't worry Lily..I'll be fine—-Urghk"

No sooner had the words left his mouth he covered his mouth in an attempt to stop himself from vomiting. 

"LEO!"

Everyone in the room was horrified as blood dark as ink leaked from between his fingers. It wasn't just his mouth, bloody tears began to leak from his eyes. Lily was panicking while Rachel rushed to Leo's side. 

Rachel didn't hesitate. Her hands were already on Leo, moving frantically as she searched for any sign of injury or illness.

What's happening to him? What did I miss? No matter what,I won't let him die! I regret turning away from him last time. It won't happen again!'

Despite her resolve, her limited medical expertise yielded her no results. She had no idea why his body was shutting down again. 

Horo's face twisted in discomfort, his eyes narrowing as Arachne's mocking voice slithered into his mind. He clenched his jaw, pushing the irritation aside.

"Leo ... What did 'Astra' tell you? We need to do whatever it says for now."

"What the fu—urgk" 

He vomited yet another mouthful of dark blood, horror and despair seeping into his gaze as he stared at the dark puddle forming in front of him. 

"She….said I need…to go back." 

Lily, frantic, placed a hand on Leo's trembling arm, her voice filled with panic. 

"What do you mean, 'go back'? What is she talking about?!"

Horo's eyes narrowed, his face hardening as he processed Leo's words. He stepped closer, his gaze now fixed on Leo with a mix of concern and understanding.

"The 'back' she means…"

 Horo murmured, mostly to himself, though it was loud enough for Rachel and Lily to hear. 

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Leo's connection to the game—Astra's words..."

Rachel, who had been quietly trying to process everything, looked up at Horo with confusion at first, but realization began to dawn in her eyes. 

"The game… The VR world…It did save him once before right?" 

Her voice was soft and the question was more towards herself than anyone else.

Horo met her gaze, nodding grimly. 

Lily, still feeling panic threatening to overwhelm her, looked between Horo and Rachel. 

"So if he has to go back in the game? How are we supposed to? We have no headsets here! Could something in the First Aid Kit help him in the meantime?"

Horo shook his head, his expression tense as he looked around for his bag. 

"There's nothing here in the real world that can help him right now. My bag has a headset in it. After my…'changes', I made sure to always have one on hand."

It was Rachel's turn to shake her head. 

"That won't work. Headsets are locked to one user per. You can't give him your headset Adam." 

"Fuck! Where is Leo's headset?" 

Lily's back straightened as she remembered.

"It-It's in the car. LUNA!!" 

The door of the café slammed open, and Luna rushed in, eyes wide with alarm at the sight of Leo, drenched in blood.

"Lily? What's happening?!" she exclaimed, panic lacing her voice as she quickly made her way to Leo's side.

Lily, desperate, pointed toward the door. "We need Leo's headset! It's in the car! Please, go get it!"

Without hesitation, Luna nodded. "I'm on it!" She turned and bolted out of the café, not looking back as she sped toward the car.

As Luna sprinted away, Horo stood frozen, his eyes locked on Leo, who was barely conscious. Rachel was trying to keep him awake, but his body was still shutting down, the dark blood continuing to leak from his eyes and mouth.

"I won't let you die, Leo," Rachel whispered to herself, clenching her fists. She glanced at Horo, her face filled with frustration and fear. "What if we don't have time? What if she's wrong? What if the headset doesn't help him?"

Horo didn't answer right away. His gaze remained steady on Leo as he slowly crouched down beside him.

"I don't know but we don't have another choice." 

His voice was calm but strained, and it was clear from his expression that his own thoughts were racing.

The sound of Luna's footsteps echoed from the hallway, growing louder as she returned, her hands clutching the headset tightly. She skidded to a stop in front of Horo, eyes wide with uncertainty. 

"Got it."

Horo stood, taking the headset from her with urgency. "Let's get him in it now," he said, voice firm.

Lily's voice quivered as she looked between them. "Is this really going to work?"

"There's no time to waste. Just trust me," Horo said, positioning the headset over Leo's head, his face hard with determination.

Rachel, still holding Leo steady, nodded. "Let's hope it's enough."

Horo quickly adjusted the straps, securing the headset in place. 

"Leo. You need to start it yourself. We can't do it for you…"

Luna's throat tightened as tears welled in her eyes, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She fought to keep her composure, but the sight of Leo on the brink of death was pushing her to the edge.

How many times will I have to watch him fall apart?

Leo's breath was shallow, his voice barely a rasp, but he forced the words out.

"Game... start…"

 His body trembled as if the weight of the words themselves was too much to bear.

Suddenly, Leo's breathing slowed, and the blood leaking from his body began to dissolve into black acrid smoke. His twitching hands relaxed, and the bloodstained tears stopped.

Rachel sighed in relief, but her eyes didn't leave Leo's face. "It's working," 

she whispered, almost disbelieving and unnerved by the smoke. 

His life was saved once again. But for how long?