Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary!

Chapter 830: Rain [3]

Tik! Tik⎯

The sound felt repetitive.

It just wouldn’t stop, growing louder by the second.

At first, I wasn’t certain where it was coming from. It seemed close, but every time I tried to focus on it, my thoughts started drifting.

My head felt heavy.

So did everything else.

I tried opening my eyes a little wider, but it was hard. Something heavy seemed to press at my chest.

“…..”

There was a floor beneath me.

Pale tiles, with a dark line running between each one. My shoes rested neatly beside each other, and when I tried to move one, it stayed where it was.

‘Hmm…?’

I slowly raised my head.

That simple motion felt a lot more difficult than I expected. Everything felt heavy.

A wall appeared in front of me. Then a door, with a narrow panel of frosted glass near the top.

There was something written beside it.

I blinked, trying to read it.

But it was blurry. I could hardly make out my surroundings.

Tik! Tik!

The only thing that remained constant was the repetitive tick of the clock.

Then my attention slowly moved towards the chair beneath me. A narrow armrest pressed against my elbow, and several identical seats stretched along the wall on either side. They were all fixed to the same metal frame.

‘Where…?’

It all felt like a fever dream. I could hardly make out what was happening.

There was a desk farther down the room. Nobody stood behind it, although a small stack of papers rested near the edge.

A light above it hummed quietly.

I could hear that too.

Tik! Tik!

But the tick of the clock overwhelmed everything.

My gaze lowered towards my lap.

Both hands rested against my knees.

The fingers were spread slightly, lying flat against the fabric of my trousers.

“…..”

Something about that bothered me.

I tried lifting my hand, but it didn’t move.

For a moment, I wasn’t even certain whether I was trying properly. I could think about moving it, but the thought never seemed to reach my fingers.

‘Come on.’

My thumb moved, albeit barely.

Then it stopped again as my head felt heavier.

I drew a breath, but there didn’t seem to be much air in it. The feeling reminded me of being trapped inside of a small room with little to no oxygen left.

It felt suffocating. .

Tik! Tik!

Suddenly, I felt something coming from my right. I noticed it from the corner of my eye and slowly looked to the side.

There was someone sitting a few chairs away.

My expression changed slightly.

I couldn’t make out their face, but the outline was there. I could make out their cardigan, and grey pants. The way they were sitting too.

It was just… like mine.

Another head turned.

Then someone on the opposite side of the room did the same.

My fingers pressed faintly against my knees. Before I knew it, more and more people appeared inside of the room.

‘Why is…?’

I could hardly finish the thought before my mind grew hazy again.

The people continued looking at me.

Their bodies remained facing the front. Only their heads were turned, and from where I sat, it was difficult to tell whether any of them were breathing.

I looked towards the empty desk.

Then at the main door.

Was I supposed to go there?

I tried leaning forward to no avail. My body simply refused to move.

“Are you waiting?”

Then a voice came from next to me. It was close. Much closer than the person sitting a few chairs away.

I tried turning my head, but it stopped halfway.

“…..”

‘Waiting for…?’

My lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. I swallowed and tried again, feeling something tighten at the back of my throat.

Still nothing.

Tik! Tik!

The clock continued to tick.

A tense, yet suffocating silence took over the space.

I could feel the people looking at me, although my eyes were fixed on the closed door now. There was a thin strip of light beneath it.

A shadow passed across that strip.

My breath stopped.

Then—

“For the appointment.”

The voice echoed next to me once more.

“…Are you not waiting for the appointment?”

*

“Haa—!”

I sat up.

The blanket slipped from my chest as I reached towards my throat, taking a breath that hurt on the way in.

Then another.

“Ha… Haa…”

Hastily, I looked around me.

My room.

I… was in my room.

I turned towards the desk, then the window, struggling to make sense of what I was looking at as the soft light of the computer dimly lit the otherwise dark room.

Nothing was moving besides the rain running down the glass, each tapping feeling loud within the otherwise quite room.

I pressed a hand against my forehead.

‘It’s hot.’

Very hot.

For several seconds, I remained seated, waiting until my breathing started settling. Only then did I look down.

My shirt clung to my chest.

The blanket beneath my hand was damp, and when I moved, I could feel the wet sheet against my back.

“…..”

I pulled the blanket aside.

The bed was soaked.

For a while, I simply stared at it.

Then I slowly rubbed the side of my head and looked towards the window.

The rain was heavier.

It struck the glass constantly, making it difficult to see much beyond the faint outlines of the buildings outside.

‘The appointment…’

My hand stopped against my forehead.

That was…

“…..”

Subconsciously, I looked towards my hands.

Unlike before, I could feel them now, and they were resting on the bed now. I lifted one, turning it slightly before curling my fingers.

Tik! Tik!

My head turned.

The clock in the room continued moving.

I watched it for several seconds, my fingers slowly tightening against the sheets.

But then, they slowly started to relax. I thought to everything that had happened and realised that I had reached the point where the doctor could now almost summon me.

It wouldn’t be long before I went into a coma like the others.

“Hahah.”

A laugh escaped my lips before I knew it.

I lowered my head, pressing my palm against my forehead again. The more I thought about the situation, the more amusing I found it.

Tik! Tik!

The clock continued ticking.

“Hahaha.”

I laughed again, my shoulders moving slightly as the rain struck the window.

“Hahahahaha.”

***

The rain never ceased. It engulfed the entirety of Sines, growing heavier with each passing moment, as though something was approaching, and the skies themselves were warning of its arrival.

“I don’t see the rain stopping anytime soon.”

“…..”

The words were followed by silence.

Amidst the silence, the figure spoke again.

“How long must I wait? Why are we dragging this out?”

Rain tapped against a window, harder this time. The sound continued for a little while before another voice finally answered.

“…Just a little longer.”

“But why? What even is the point?”

Something scraped within the darkness.

A chair, perhaps.

“If you give the order, I’ll get rid of him this instant. There’s no need to keep wasting time over something like this.”

“But can you…?”

The movement stopped.

This time, no answer followed.

“You’ve seen what he’s capable of.”

“I have, yes.”

“…In that case, you must understand why we’re waiting.”

The reply came a short moment after.

“But I can still get rid of him.”

“…..”

A faint sound escaped from the darkness.

It was difficult to tell whether it was a sigh or a laugh.

“I’m still certain he’s hiding something. There’s no point in risking anything when there’s no need for us to do so.”

There was a short silence.

Then the first voice spoke again.

“He might not last long at this rate.”

“Then there’s even less reason for you to go.”

The rain grew louder for a moment.

Neither voice spoke until it settled.

“And…”

The quieter voice returned, softer than before.

“This is more fun, isn’t it?”

“…..”

A small chuckle followed.

“He’s already starting to fall apart. Why must we dirty our hands when it’s unnecessary? He’s bitten more than he can chew. Once targeted by VILE – 1048, there’s no escaping. He’ll continue to be haunted until he’ll fall into a coma.”

“And you’re certain he won’t be able to do anything about it?”

“That’s why we’re here, right?”

The answer came a moment after.

For several seconds, the only sound was the rain against the window.

Then the voice continued.

“We’re slowly destroying the small empire he’s built. Slowly… people will come to learn of his true nature, and the monster that he truly is. And he won’t be able to do anything about it as he slowly falls into a coma.”

There was no response.

Then, a chuckle followed.

“…And the moment he falls into a coma, the BUA will directly execute him for his crimes.”

The chuckle turned into a laugh.

“That does indeed sound quite entertaining.”

“What do you say?”

A brief pause followed.

“This is quite a good return message, isn’t it?”