Archive of Our Own

Ever since the killing game started, Hajime has been having strange dreams. But not like the type that would make a person think they were on something. At first they were just weird, but relatively normal. Just a basic recurring dream. He’d be in his room, with nothing out of the ordinary. Except for the person sitting on the floor in front of the bed. Hajime swore they seemed vaguely familiar, but they didn’t look like anyone on the island.

It was probably wrong, but Hajime could barely even think it was a person. The way it never seemed to change expression, and yet stared at him with contempt. It wasn’t human, or at least somewhat not human.

At first it just glared at him. Not doing anything aside from just sitting there. Looking like it wanted him dead. It was unsettling to say the least, but nothing he thought he should worry about. Just a bunch of strange dreams. Everyone else was losing their damn mind on the island. So maybe that thing was just a manifestation of all his anxiety bubbling up, or something.

But as the killing game progressed, the dreams started shifting. Soon the thing, person, whatever, started observing him more closely. It looked like it was taking in everything about Hajime, but still with that look of hatred. Then one night, it finally spoke.

“How boring,” it said, with little expression in its voice.

“To think someone like you is who I used to be.”

“Used to- What the hell are you?!” Hajime asked, instantly getting annoyed by its cryptic nonsense.

“Right, you don’t remember. Do I really have to explain?”

“Actually yes. An explanation would be nice.”

The person rolled his eyes, but seemed to consider his options. Or at least feign consideration before making up his mind.

“On second thought…no. I don’t think I’ll give you that luxury.”

“What?! Why not?!”

“Too long. Too boring. And besides…”

The person took a step closer.

“I wouldn’t want you going to anyone for help when I take back what’s mine.”

Hajime’s blood ran cold. He didn’t like the sound of that at all, but didn’t let it show. He got up into the person’s face, almost ready to deck them. He held his hand up to him, balled tightly in fist.

“Look, I don’t know what you think you are, but I don’t care. You’re just the thing that lives in my dreams. You can’t do anything to me. So, I’m not going to be intimidated by some long haired, red-eyed, edgy looking-”

The person interrupted his rant by grabbing his wrist and forcing him to the ground. Hajime tried to rip himself away, but his arms felt like lead and his legs turned to jelly. His wrist was released, and his arm fell to the ground, too heavy to be lifted again. He couldn’t move.

“You really think you’re the one with power here?” the person questioned. Hajime could almost hear the semblance of sarcasm in its voice.

“I am more powerful than you could ever hope to be. I am everything you wanted to be.”

Hajime tried to force himself to stand. Who does this person think they are? But even the anger at this person couldn’t fuel Hajime enough, as he collapsed again under the weight of his own body. All he could do now was glare at the person.

“Like hell I’d ever want to be you! You’re just-”

“I am more than just an apparition, Hajime Hinata. I have control over this space. And soon I will have the freedom you gave me before.”

And that’s when Hajime woke up. Maybe he was going more insane than he thought before. Well, it didn’t matter. The nonsense that guy spouted was just a bunch of empty threats. It had to be. He didn’t believe in much of the magic Gundham talks about, so there was no reason to believe in this. But as the game continued on further still, those threats started feeling less empty. During his dreams, Hajime felt less and less in control as that person continued to appear to manipulate them. The reality created in his dreams began to twist and shift, becoming slowly more fantastical and unnerving. All Hajime did was just watch. It was enthralling in a way, but it also felt like a sign. Whoever he was, that person wanted to show that he could tear down Hajime’s reality if he wanted. 

As if. Hajime wasn’t going to let this guy scare him. He had no power. Hajime was just caught off guard the last time. There was nothing this guy could do that would make him fear him. And so the dreams continued each night, getting stranger and stranger. Until one night, everything was gone. Hajime was left alone in a black void. No scenery, no noise, not even the person. Just him. Well, that was different, but Hajime really couldn’t complain.

“At least he’s-”

Before Hajime could finish that thought, a pair of red eyes blinked into existence. Fantastic, he’s still here. Hajime walked towards the eyes, arms out in an unimpressed, almost cocky gesture. Knowing the person was there, Hajime gave him a wry smile as he continued to approach.

“Putting on a bit of theatrics, aren’t you? Well tough luck, it’s going to take a lot more than to-”

Cut off again, a loud crack echoed through the space as Hajime set his foot down. Before he had time to comprehend the noise, the ground gave out underneath Hajime, sending him falling. The person’s voice started echoing, surrounding him as he fell.

“I tried to show you how little control you had. But you didn’t pay attention.”

Hajime hit the ground with a resounding thud. The person then lightly touched down in front of him. Hajime leapt to his feet to face him, ready to fight if he had to.

“But I suppose that’s only a benefit to me. Your guard has been down this whole time.”

Hajime tried to throw a punch, but his arm was immediately yanked back as something began to coil around it. Then he felt the same sensation around his leg. As his vision readjusted, Hajime saw ink black tendrils slowly creeping up his body. Thinking quickly, he used his other arm to rip the tendrils off himself. Now seemed like a good time to finally back off. Hajime started to slowly back away from the person, still holding his defensive stance.

“Stay away from me, you freak!”

The person’s expression finally changed. Something resembling a smile appeared on his face. It was only there for a split-second, but it was cruel and sadistic. For an emotionless being, he did seem to like toying with him.

“So now you realize how little you can do?”

Hajime didn’t want to hear the rest of the speech. He took off at a sprint away from the person, desperate to escape him. As he ran, the person’s voice started to surround him again. Hajime covered his ears, trying so hard to block him out.

“Running from me is pointless.”

“Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!”

“This place is mine to control. I am a god. And you are just a talentless, helpless, nobody.”

Not paying attention to where he was going, Hajime collided directly into the other person, getting knocked off his feet. The moment he fell, the black tendrils coiled around his arms again. He tried to pull them off but they pulled in response, chaining him to the floor. Soon more began to wrap around his legs as Hajime continued to struggle. The person just watched him in a similar way he did the first few nights. The emotionless contempt was still there, but now it was mixed with a very faint, but demonic satisfaction.

“You can’t escape the mistake you made, Hajime.”

The person knelt down to his level, meeting Hajime’s now frightened gaze.

“Y̸̳͍̑̕ǒ̶̦ṳ̴̌̌̌ ̸̜̎̎̒c̶̛̳̣̣̓̕a̵̬͐̃͘n̸̥͇̎ͅ’̵̢͙͕̍̊ţ̷̼͍̋̓͌ ̴̢̏e̶̞̐͝s̴̭̆̈̌ĉ̴̢͔̱̆ą̸̘̑̾̍p̸͎͒͛e̸̼̐̐̓ͅ ̵̢̜̆̍͒m̶̰̹̥͒̉̀ė̷͍̹̄͜”

A smile appeared on his face again. And as it did Hajime felt himself being pulled into the floor. It finally dawned on him. He was being trapped. The whole point of this was to keep him captive in his own mind. Panic overtook Hajime as he began an even more desperate struggle against his captor.

“No…no NO! I’m not going to take your place here! I won’t let you hurt anyone using my body!”

“You don’t have much of a say in that. And I have no need to ‘hurt’ anyone. I just want to be free of this prison. It would be…well, far less boring, at least.”

He was sinking lower and lower. Becoming even more trapped, and far more scared than he ever felt in his life. In a moment of pathetic, desperate, helplessness he called out for rescue.

“HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!”

Hajime’s captor rolled his eyes again, almost embarrassed by the display.

“This is your own mind. No one can hear you.”

Hajime continued to scream, begging for help despite knowing it was useless. He could feel himself being fully enveloped in darkness. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t move. He could barely breathe. Hajime felt like he was dying. It was over. Whoever this was had won and could take over his life. Hajime couldn’t escape. He tried to let out what he thought to be his last cry for help before he was trapped forever. And to both his and his captor’s shock someone came to his rescue.

Hajime was abruptly woken up by Akane, shaking his once limp form.

“Akane, that’s enough! He’s awake now.” Fuyuhiko said sharply.

Hajime was greeted by the other four remaining people, all crowded around his bed.

“Dude…” Kazuichi breathed.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Akane added. 

“We heard you screaming from across the island and thought you were getting murdered.”

Hajime remained silently for what felt like an eternity. He didn’t know whether to tell the whole truth, or just come up with a lie on the spot. So he went with the worst option. Against his better judgement, Hajime decided the nightmare didn’t amount to much as told the others as such.

“I’m fine, really. I didn’t mean to freak you all out,” he said, trying to ease everyone’s nerves.

“It was just a weird nightmare. It didn’t mean anything.”