[Chapter 4] Run, Reiji, Run

A deafening explosion shattered the silence of the night.

Reiji jolted awake, his chest pounding. His ears rang, his vision blurred, his body paralyzed for a split second. Then, screams—panicked, desperate. Sirens howled through the streets. Fire trucks. Ambulances. The distant cries of people filled the air.

Still half-dazed, he stumbled out of bed and rushed to his window.

A thick plume of smoke painted the sky in black. The glow of fire flickered from a distance—far, but not far enough. An elementary school, twenty-four kilometers away, had been blown to hell.

Luckily, it was night. No students.

But the guards…

People died.

People got hurt.

His stomach twisted into knots.

His phone buzzed.

Reiji snapped his gaze back, his gut already knowing what he'd see. His hands trembled as he grabbed his phone, the screen casting an eerie red glow in the darkness.

MISSION FAILED. REFUSAL CONSEQUENCE ACTIVATED.

Casualties: 12 confirmed dead. 31 injured.

Reiji's breathing hitched. His fingers felt numb. His body cold.

It was real.

His vision swam as he tapped the screen.

A new message.

The same mission.

Driver Trainee Mission: Deliver the Dog.

Target: Stray Dog (Brown Fur, Right Ear Torn).Method: Run it Over.Time Limit: 10 hoursReward: +1 Points (Equivalent to $300 USD).Refusal Consequence: [Reiji's Death]

His heart stopped.

A chill crawled up his spine, squeezing the air out of his lungs. His fingers dug into his phone. His chest felt like it was caving in.

He was going to die.

No, no, no—

BREATHE.

Reiji sucked in a sharp breath and ran.

No time to think. No time to hesitate.

He tore through the streets, pushing past confused bystanders, nearly tripping over himself. His legs burned. His lungs screamed. The world blurred.

Then—

"Reiji, are you o—"

Shouma.

Reiji barely registered his best friend's voice. He didn't stop. Didn't turn.

Didn't dare waste a second.

Shouma stood there, watching his best friend sprint into the night, confusion twisting his face.

But he didn't follow.

Reiji's breath came in short, ragged gasps.

His legs burned. His lungs ached. But he kept pushing forward.

The old storage building loomed ahead, its walls cloaked in rust and decay. The closer he got, the heavier the weight on his chest.

I have to move. I have to move. I have to move.

Bursting through the entrance, his eyes locked onto the white mini truck parked in the center. He didn't stop to question why or how it was there.

He had no time.

A CCTV camera tilted slightly, its lens fixing onto him.

Somewhere in the darkness, a shadowy figure grinned.

A deep, twisted laugh echoed in the void.

Reiji yanked open the driver's side door. It wasn't locked.

His stomach twisted. Why was it open?

No time to think. No time to hesitate.

Get in.

Reiji climbed inside, his hands trembling as he gripped the wheel. The key was already in the ignition.

His fingers hovered over it.

His father never taught him how to drive. He never wanted to.

But right now?

If he didn't drive, he'd die.

He slammed his foot down.

The mini truck roared to life.

The tires screeched against the pavement as he tore out of the lot, racing through the darkened streets.

The explosion earlier had most of the neighborhood's attention. No one was outside. No one to get in his way.

But time was slipping.

Reiji's grip tightened around the wheel.

Where is it?!

Shouma weaved through the crowd, ignoring the burning smell in the air. He got closer, just a few more steps and—

A strong hand clamped onto his shoulder.

His body stiffened.

"Aniki…" Shouma muttered as he turned, already knowing who it was.

Itsuki. His older brother. A police detective. And currently, the biggest roadblock to his curiosity.

Itsuki's sharp eyes bore into him. "Didn't Dad tell you not to go somewhere dangerous?"

Shouma forced a sheepish grin. "I did it out of curiosity. Hehe."

Itsuki let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"Oh yeah?" Shouma smirked. "But I'm a lion."

He straightened his back, puffed his chest, and did his best lion impression—complete with a pathetic attempt at a growl.

Itsuki just stared. Expression blank. Eyes full of disappointment.

"…Still a cat."

Shouma deflated. "Damn, you're no fun."

"Go home." Itsuki wasn't asking.

Shouma frowned, glancing past him. Firefighters were still hosing down the wreckage, police marking evidence points, paramedics tending to the injured. The school—was gone.

And he wasn't getting any answers.

With a sigh, he stepped back. "Fine, fine. I'm leaving."

Itsuki watched him for a moment before turning back to his team.

"Cause of explosion?" he asked his police partner, Kaito Vermillion.

"Underground gas leak," Kaito handed him a report. "Looks like a crack in the pipes. Gas built up over time. One spark, and boom."

Itsuki's brows furrowed. "No signs of external interference?"

"None. Just bad luck, it seems, but definitely suspicious," Kaito said.

Itsuki wasn't convinced either that it naturally occurred. His gut told him something was off.

"Get an inspection team on the remaining pipelines," he ordered one of the officers. "If one had a problem, others might too."

The officer nodded, already making the call.

But Itsuki wasn't done. He stared at the wreckage, the charred remains of what used to be a school. A place filled with life, now reduced to nothing but ash.

Accident, huh?

He wasn't so sure.

Elsewhere…

Far from the chaos.

Haruto stood in a convenience store, facing the biggest dilemma of his life.

"Hmm… Which one should I buy?" he muttered, eyeing the snack shelves like a man making a life-or-death decision.

Spicy chips? Cheese? Seaweed? Maybe chocolate instead? No, bread? Wait—was he thirsty?

His brain short-circuited.

Decisions were hard.

He sighed, shifting from one foot to another. Then—

A soft thud.

Haruto blinked.

The sound came from outside.

He turned his head slightly, glancing at the glass doors. The bright store lights made it hard to see past the reflection.

Another thud.

This time, closer.

A shadow flickered past.

Haruto's stomach twisted.

He had a bad feeling about this.

Haruto stepped out of a convenience store, a bag of snacks in one hand, adjusting his glasses with the other.

He walked along the dimly lit alleyway, avoiding the sidewalk—no streetlights.

Then, he spotted something.

A small brown dog sat under the glow of the second streetlight across the road.

Haruto smiled.

He always liked dogs.

He stepped forward, ready to pet it—

WHOOSH!

A gust of air blasted against him as a mini truck sped past, just inches from his side.

Haruto stumbled back, his glasses slipping from his face. His heart pounded.

Then—

CRASH!

A loud yelp.

The dog's final cry.

Haruto froze.

His stomach dropped as he slowly turned his head.

Reiji's hands were shaking.

His breath came out in short, panicked gasps.

His foot slammed on the brakes.

The truck skidded to a stop.

His entire body trembled. His mind screamed at him.

I had to do it. I had to.

His fists clenched. His lips quivered. His vision blurred.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

His voice cracked as he forced himself to step out of the truck.

Slowly, hesitantly, he approached the fallen dog.

It lay motionless.

Blood pooled beneath its body.

Reiji swallowed hard and pulled out his phone.

Target: Stray Dog (Brown Fur, Right Ear Torn).

His eyes darted to the corpse.

Brown fur… check.

He moved closer.

His breath hitched.

Right ear…

...untouched.

Reiji's pupils shrank.

Not torn.

Not the target.

His mind snapped.

"FUCKKK!"

He bit his nails, his thoughts racing.

Where is it?! Where is it?!

Then—

A voice.

"S-Sir… I-I'm s-sorry…"

Reiji's blood ran cold.

His head whipped around.

Haruto.

He saw.

His glasses had fallen, his vision blurred, but guilt twisted in his gut.

Reiji's heart pounded against his ribs.

Without another second wasted, he bolted back into the truck.

He had to leave. NOW.

Haruto watched as the truck peeled away into the night, the tires screeching against the asphalt.

Silence followed.

He turned his gaze back to the dog, kneeling beside its body.

A quiet prayer left his lips before he stood.

Then, with a heavy heart, he turned away—walking back toward the spot where his glasses had fallen.

A vast, endless darkness.

A lone dog stood at the center.

Shrouded in mist. Trapped in the void.

A deep, amused voice rumbled through the space.

"Hooo… this is not what I asked for, is it?"

A shadowy figure lounged atop a massive throne, his face hidden in the abyss. This was no ordinary being—he was a god, the entity responsible for transporting souls beyond the mortal realm.

Before him, a trembling cultist knelt, forehead pressed against the cold ground.

"S-Sorry, O-Our Heavenly God…" the cultist stammered. "H-He's still new… He just needs time to adjust…"

The god clicked his tongue.

Tsk.

His presence bled through dimensions, his will manifesting in the physical world—through the body of another shadowy figure, seated on an identical throne. A priest. His vessel.

Through him, the god could watch. Could speak. Could command.

A slow, eerie grin stretched across the god's unseen face.

"Well… at the very least, entertain me a little, won't you, bud?"

His hand reached out, fingers curling around the dog's neck. The poor creature whimpered in terror, its form flickering like a dying flame.

Then—

A swirling portal erupted beneath it.

The dog howled as it was sucked into the abyss.

And then—

Darkness.