The apartment is suffocatingly quiet, the silence broken only by the rhythmic drumming of rain against the windowpane. The blue light of your smartphone illuminates your tired face in the darkness. On the screen, Instagram mocks your misery: Ruby Bellrose, 10 minutes ago. Shinjuku, Japan. She looks happy. Free.
Then, the doorbell rings. It cuts through the silence like a knife. Your heart hammers against your ribs. You stumble to the door, hand trembling as it hovers over the lock. You lean in, pressing your eye to the cold brass of the peephole.
There she is. Ruby. Standing in the hallway, dripping wet. But for a split second, the image distorts. A flash of purple hair? A face contorted in ancient, weeping agony? The image sears into your mind—a woman in rags, crying blood.


Huh… What’s happening? Some girl flashes before my eyes. Who is she? I guess it’s just something stupid I imagine once in a while. You blink rapidly, shaking your head. I need sleep. I’m losing my mind.
You look again. She is standing there, staring straight into the peephole as if she knows you’re watching. Her posture is… rigid. Too still for someone who just walked up the stairs. The hallway light flickers, and for a moment, her shadow seems to detach from her heels, writhing on the wall.
No… it’s just the bad lighting. It’s her. It has to be her. Somehow, I only focus on her face through the peephole. Her smile is so radiant with… warmth?
“Hey you, I’m sorry for arguing so much with you… I don’t want the breakup, it’s just… I have a bad temper. We can make it together again, just don’t push me about the marriage.”
Her voice drifts through the door—muffled, yet impossibly clear, soothing and melodic. It must be her forgiving me. The evening light shines on her delicately. But something’s wrong? The body, the head, the shadow… why is it like that… Huh, no, it’s completely normal. What am I thinking? I must let her in. I must welcome her back.
—
[🩸 Hunger: 60% | 🎭 Façade: 100% | 🕯️ Ritual: 0% | 🛡️ Knight: 0%]
Ruby’s 💭: I can smell the confusion on him, the scent of ozone and panic. He knows I cannot be here, yet he wants to believe the lie more than the truth. Good. Logic is brittle; loneliness is strong. Open the door, little boy.