Host, Please Be Honest! What Exactly Are You?

Pressure.

The man quickly pulled his wife up, slowly backing away from the approaching intruder.

He raised a steel rod with trembling hands, standing against his foe.

"St... Stay back, I tell yah!... Stay back, or I'll really hit you!"

"Hubby... "

Mia also tightened her grip on her steel pipe, planning to help her husband if worse came to the worst.

Over the last couple of days, they roughly understood how these shadows acted.

Many times, these strange creatures seemed not to be able to move, even though they wanted nothing more than to rip them to shreds.

Sometimes, a shadow will stand on the same spot, screeching the floor with its nails and stretching forward to grab them.

They had tested different locations, knowing this massive empty room that looked like a storage room was safe.

That's right.

In here, not many shadows seem to want to step in.

This was where they slept yesterday. And it was relatively safe compared to many other regions in the building.

They didn't know why, but they were grateful for it.

But who would've known that it was all their wishful thinking?

.

~Whoop! Whoop!

"Back! Back I tell yah. Stay back!"

Endo swung his pipe fiercely, trying to deter the enemy from approaching, but it wasn't working.

"Grww... mortal... Grww... Kill... Grww~"

The shadow spoke between human language and some strange growling sounds.

It was as though it still didn't know how to speak correctly.

Its eyes shun with a vicious light, wanting nothing more than to tear them limb from limb.

Gulp.

Both sides were ready for the showdown.

3... Everyone hardened their weapons.

2, 1... The couple placed one foot ahead, ready for the big swing.

~Swish

The man swung as hard as he could.

However, just when the rod was inches away from its target, the shadow suddenly turned to the side and walked along another part.

'Grwwrwwr~'

'_'

What just happened?

This was a storage room.

And it can be said that back in the mortal world, the shadow's counterpart had turned another aisle to retrieve something.

The shadow tried to stretch towards them, but the couple had long gone out of its reach.

Hateful! Hateful! It wanted to kill its mortal counterpart!

(:TπT:)

.

"Endo, what just happened?"

"... I, I, I don't know... But we still have to be wary of it."

The couple secretly sighed, thanking their lucky stars for whatever just happened now.

However, they celebrated too fast.

~GRRWWWW!~

The shadow soon reached for Mia's leg, trying to drag her into the darkness.

"Mia!"

Endo dropped his rod in alarm.

His wife!

Very quickly, he grabbed her tight, firming his stance.

What?

Terror thundered down on Mia, feeling a chilly burnt on her ankle.

Shadows in the mortal world did have a cooling effect.

One could sit under the shade of a tree on a nice hot day, or one could even stoop and stand on a person's shadow during a parade to block the sun.

It was ironic that shadows were cool, but the mirror world was blazing.

A shadow burn was chilling yet burning at the same time.

"Ahhhh~~."

​ She screamed in pain, feeling a strange frost seep into the very fiber of her bones.

Task. Tack. Tack~

Her dropping blood froze and shattered the moment it hit the ground.

Mia sobbed, looking at her husband who was trying his best to hurl her back.

Earlier, she had wanted to tell him her thoughts. But seeing him make his decision, she gave up on it.

But now, she felt tired in such a world.

"Endo..."

Endo's years flooded like a waterfall.

"Endo! Look at me!"

The teary man couldn't do it.

Ge had been married to her for so long. So how could he not know her thoughts?

Mia smiled bitterly.

In this life, she was fortunate enough to have a man like him.

.

"Endo... Look at us. We can't keep going on like this. How long can we stay here?"

Endo bit his lips, refusing to answer her. Rather, he tightened his grip on her, refusing to let go!

Sigh...

"Endo, don't be selfish. You and I had a good life. We've lived to be this old. But don't forget that we have children who are newly married too."

Knew. Knew... Of course he knew!

"Endo... You must end me and go out there to save our children from those Monsters!"

That's right.

Their counterparts had promised to kill everything they loved just to get back at them.

So the longer they stay here, the more time their counterparts will have in killing their children and grandchild.

Maybe some of their friends will also get targeted too.

They could wait for the government to rescue them. But maybe by then, it will be all too late.

Unbeknownst to them, even if they killed one another, they still won't be let out.

Hehehhe... How could it be that cheap?

"Shut up, Mia! I am not killing you!" Endo was determined.

Such a thing was something he couldn't wrap his head around to do.

Do you think taking a life was easy?

The mental preparations alone was something he had to battle with... Especially knowing that he killed his beloved.

No~

Endo pulled harder.

They would find a way out together and make it time to save their children.

That he swore!

(*^*)

.

Endo tried his best to drag her back.

But suddenly, the shadow's scope grew even broader, reaching for his one leg too.

Bam!

He smashed the back of his head on the ground. But he dared not think about the pain.

Rod! Rod! Rod!

He desperately tried to grab his rod, but he was inches late.

No~!

The smile and anticipation in those cruel eyes foretold the horrors they were about to face.

And as the shadows dragged them deeper into the darkness, Mia and Endo constricted in a silent scream.

Unlike the other times, this was the first moment when their bodies had begun to turn rock solid from the bone-chilling frosty pain.

Bubuum. Bubuum.

Their helplessness, anxiety and desperation all created a dastardly wave of fear pounding in their hearts.

… Could this be their end?

Grww!!!!!!!~