Why Didn't You Close the Door?

How could he let her go alone? How could he leave her to face a tragic fate all by herself?

Lynch knew that her corruption was ultimately caused by that stack of photographs he had brought. He bore undeniable responsibility for this.

Then let's face it together, partner. If we fail, we die together.

Clinging to that thought, Lynch squeezed into Officer Natalie's soul world, witnessing her will being tormented repeatedly by the agonizing truth—watching her collapse step-by-step until the defenses of her soul shattered completely.

This time, it's my turn to protect you.

Feeling no disdain for the truth, only pity, Lynch tried to envelop the officer's soul with his consciousness, attempting to block the filth that was twisting her. Yet his attempt to shelter and protect her was completely useless. The filth passed right through his consciousness, continuing to torment Officer Natalie's soul while filling Lynch's own mind with despair.

As expected, I can't help her fight it directly, but I have to do something!

Right, external forces can't interfere with a soul; she has to do it herself.

Lynch offered continuous encouragement inside the officer's soul, trying to reignite her willpower and spark her desire to fight back.

However, it was entirely ineffective. Her closed-off soul seemed to deny his very existence; his voice couldn't reach her despairing soul at all.

I can't even influence or interfere to this extent? Am I forced to just watch her get tortured into a monster?

If this is what fate has arranged, then I can only...

Fuck that! I'm never giving up.

Fine, the filth denies me and ignores me. But you—you owe me five favors, and you dare pretend not to know me? I'll make sure you remember me right now.

So Lynch shifted his target. Empowered by divine authority, he forcibly tore open the officer's soul world and manifested himself within it.

My divine authority might not be able to deal with the twisting, but it can deal with you! I don't care if you deny me or not, I'm standing right in front of you whether you like it or not.

Grit-toothed and bloodshot-eyed, Lynch raised his cane sword and charged toward the weird, twisted horrors born of the filth. In the final moments before impact, he finally heard a soft wail behind him:

“Lynch.”

The soul world froze in that instant.

In the next second, the entire world shattered into pieces. Boundless twisted entities dissolved into a rain of foul blood and shredded flesh, instantly engulfing them both. Right as he was about to be swallowed by the gory filth, Lynch gasped, snapping out of his daze.

Thud. He realized he was tightly embracing Officer Natalie's body as they fell hard onto the floor. What had felt like a nightmare repeating millions of times over long years in the dream world had lasted only a brief moment in reality.

Please let it work, please let her be okay.

Lynch prayed frantically in his heart, ignoring his own pain to check the body in his arms at once.

Yet what met his eyes was a terrifying sight: the officer's body appeared to be melting.

A massive amount of blood mixed with shredded flesh seeped out from her skin, emitting a nauseating stench. In the blink of an eye, it covered her entire body uncontrollably.

No!

Did it fail in the end after all?

Lynch didn't know why he cared so deeply about someone he had known for barely over twenty days, nor did he care to find out.

All he knew was that the person in his arms had her eyes tightly shut, her face deadly pale, turning into a large pool of pus, blood, and shredded flesh.

Memories of their past interactions flooded his mind. Sorrow and pain gnawed at his heart. With bloodshot eyes, Lynch ignored the foul blood smeared across her face and pressed his forehead against hers once more.

Red mist surged out from his body again, attempting to penetrate the physical body in his arms. Yet no matter how hard he tried, Lynch's consciousness was repelled, unable to enter ever again.

I won't accept this! Right... CPR!

Don't you dare die on me! Come back!

Lynch let out a suppressed wail. Having completely forgotten that he didn't even know CPR, he pressed his mouth straight onto Natalie's pale, bloodless lips.

The pungent stench, the sour, sickening taste of the blood, and the prickle of breath against his face—all of it made Lynch extremely agitated. But there was no time to care about any of that now. He had to...

Wait, something felt off?

Mid-kiss, Lynch suddenly realized something, his eyes snapping wide open. But before he could react, the tightly closed eyes right in front of him fluttered open.

Their eyes locked.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Right! Her face was covered in fleshy sprouts earlier—how could I see her skin and lips now? It must be because the sprouts fell off! The blood and flesh that looked like she was melting were just the sprouts shedding! And she's clearly breathing, which means she's completely fine!

I figured that out so quickly—I really am a genius.

As he watched her eyes shift from confusion to clarity, Lynch's blank mind finally grasped the cruel reality of his situation.

Help! I don't want to get beaten to death by the person I just saved!

He jerked his head back to pull away, but just as he was about to pull back, he felt his mouth being held tight...

After who knows how long, Lynch finally managed to free his mouth, and the two figures slowly separated.

Natalie lay limp and weak on the floor, softly biting her lower lip. Her watery gaze remained fixed on Lynch's bright red face without blinking.

I must be lightheaded from lack of oxygen... why else would my face feel so hot? Thinking this, Lynch averted his gaze, spat twice to clear the blood from his mouth, and blurted out, “Now you can't run away. Remember, you owe me seven favors now.”

...

The watery gaze instantly turned into daggers, and her white teeth clamped tightly together. Officer Natalie's weak body moved slightly—or rather, her leg moved—as her toe kicked Lynch's shin very softly.

It was a very familiar feeling. Through this most professional method, Lynch finally confirmed that the woman had likely regained her sanity. However, given how weak that kick was, it seemed the corruption had taken a heavy toll, leaving her in a severely weakened state.

“Don't move around. Let me take a look.”

Gently wiping away the blood on her face, Lynch leaned in close, carefully examining her as he touched her skin. Sure enough, the sprouts that had grown out of nowhere were shedding, turning into pools of bloody water and revealing her original skin beneath.

Fortunately, her skin was mostly intact, feeling smooth and soft to the touch. The terrifying scenario of her body covered in bloody holes hadn't come to pass. Her skin was just pale and bloodless, cold to the touch—a clear symptom of severe blood loss.

Should I unbutton her clothes to check other spots? Hiss, I'm not a pervert! Huh? Why did her body temperature suddenly spike? And she's getting some color back... wait, she's turning redder and redder. Hold on, what am I doing?

Finally realizing what the problem was, Lynch saw Officer Natalie's face flushing deep crimson as she glared at him with gritted teeth. He let out a dry laugh and hastily pulled back his guilty hands, saying awkwardly, “Don't misunderstand, it was purely a medical examination! You... hey!”

Before he could finish speaking, a hand grabbed Lynch by the collar and yanked him down.

He was wrapped in an embrace. Though her limbs were weak, Lynch could still clearly feel that the officer was hugging him with every ounce of strength she possessed. In that moment, relief, lingering fear, joy, and terror intertwined, giving him his first real taste of mixed emotions.

Surviving against all odds—the feeling of being alive was truly wonderful, and the feeling of surviving together with her was beyond words. Feeling a swell of emotion in his chest, Lynch wrapped his arms around Officer Natalie in return, holding her tightly, terrified that the joy of this moment might be nothing more than an illusory dream.

Their eyes met again, their warm breath palpable between them.

Their faces drew closer and closer until they pressed together once more.

The door to Room 304 was suddenly kicked open, and a clamor of voices echoed from outside.

“Natalie! What happened just now? Are you okay... Uh, why didn't you two close the door...”