Obsession... What's That? I Just Wish Someone Would Help Me Escape - Chapter 75
It was almost time for bed.
If I didn’t return on time, I’d be punished, so I was about to head back.
The kitten in my arms whimpered weakly and then went limp.
“Hey, little kitty?”
Seeing its tiny body struggling to breathe filled me with a sudden wave of anxiety.
What do I do? Did it hit its head when it fell?
Cradling the kitten, I rushed back to my cell.
If I ask Johann or Enrique for help…
With less than five minutes before lights-out, I sprinted.
“Huff, cough…”
I clasped a hand over my mouth and stared blankly at the blood now splattered on the floor.
My entire body ached, feeling even weaker than usual.
I’m dizzy. Why is my frail body still the same?
I thought I had been freed from pain earlier, but now it’s worse than ever.
Blood dripped steadily from my nose and mouth.
It wouldn’t stop—this was serious.
– Current Karma Score 68%, Danger Zone. Exceeding 70% will trigger extreme physical deterioration.
No way, could it be that using too much power while under this status effect causes some kind of rebound?
Put it simply, will you…
As I staggered down the corridor in agony, I spotted Johann leaning against the wall.
“Where do you think you’re sneaking off to in the middle of the night without permission? Want me to teach you a lesson until morning?”
Playing at being a guard, he blinked when he saw how pale I looked.
I collapsed, coughing violently.
“Hurk… The kitten… I think it’s hurt.”
“You look like you’ll be dead in five minutes.”
Despite his harsh words, he scooped me up effortlessly and headed toward the infirmary.
Surprisingly, he didn’t take me to the incinerator.
“Did you get into a fight with that cat? Pushing yourself too hard again?”
Not worth answering, nor did I have the energy to. Holding the kitten tightly, I closed my eyes.
“Hey, why isn’t it breathing?”
Startled by Johann’s lowered voice, I forced my eyes open.
The faint breathing I had felt from the kitten in my hands had completely stopped.
“Hey, little kitten.”
The smart kitten who always responded… was silent.
* * *
The kitten lay limp, its tongue sticking out.
Tears started to fall, dripping from my eyes as I gazed at the tiny creature.
It was the first time I’d cried since being imprisoned.
“Are you crying?”
Johann leaned down to study my face, his voice uncharacteristically cautious compared to his usual emotionless tone.
I tilted my head back, trying to hold back the tears.
“I’m not crying.”
“You definitely are.”
He muttered as he wiped the tears from my face with his fingers.
You know, when someone says, “Are you crying? Don’t cry…” that’s exactly when the dam breaks.
“Waaahh! Damn it!”
Johann looked incredibly flustered by my pitiful sobbing.
“Hey, don’t cry. Who did this? Should I go kill them for you?”
“Some fucker ruined everything! Why can’t I even save a single kitten?!”
“Okay, okay, calm down. Stop sounding like an air raid siren.”
He carried me quickly into the infirmary while I continued bawling.
Setting me down on a cot, he perched on the edge and placed the tiny kitten on his hand.
“The heart’s stopped.”
Seeing me on the verge of breaking down again, Johann quickly shook his head.
“No, no, I was wrong. It’s not dead. It’s just… not breathing at the moment.”
Isn’t that the same thing?
Sensing that he was trying to console me in his own way, I didn’t say anything.
He kept rubbing the kitten’s little body, occasionally blowing on it.
“Coming back from the dead is common enough, isn’t it? Like you.”
“I didn’t even get to name it yet. If it dies, I swear I’ll kill everyone here and then end it all myself…”
Johann stared at me blankly as I muttered darkly.
“What were you planning to name it?”
“Ball. His full name, Furball.”
Sniffling, I answered.
Johann frowned slightly but said nothing.
“Come on, Hammer, hang in there.”
He muttered as he rubbed the kitten’s back and belly.
He got the name wrong, but it was a surprisingly kind gesture.
I held my breath, watching the kitten, motionless in his hands.
After about twenty minutes of rubbing, the kitten’s mouth barely twitched.
“Johann, did you see that?”
“I think if we keep going, we can save it.”
It was well past lights-out.
The infirmary door suddenly swung open.
Standing there with his arms crossed was Damien, dressed in his uniform.
“What are you two doing here? Return to …”
“Captain, I feel like I’m about to die. Will you stay and watch my final moments? I’m your (ex) fiancé, after all.”
I smiled pitifully, then coughed up blood.
