Chapter 28: I ended up escaping

Breakfast was the same unripe apple as yesterday.

Whether she had encountered her mother in the kitchen or not, the one handing me breakfast was not Happy but Hyun-seo, just like yesterday.

The first bite of the apple was as dry as sand. When Hyun-seo asked if I wanted another, I answered no in the same tone as before.

Drinking water in a way that felt more like an insult than nourishment remained unchanged.

Even the trivial conversation we had after breakfast followed the same pattern.

My artificially induced love for them and their genuine love for me remained unshaken.

But shouldn’t I, at the very least, change the way I kept wavering, unsure of how to process these emotions?

Despite finally reaching the day I had so desperately awaited, I found myself no different from yesterday, and that frustration was suffocating.

Slap!

I knew this couldn’t continue, so I used shock therapy.

As soon as Hyun-seo left for school, leaving me alone in this space, I slapped my cheek hard.

The desperate attempt to clear my mind was, fortunately, effective.

“For love and peace.”

I recited the phrase, revealing the hidden drawer, and reached for the green gem and the half-filled 500mL plastic water bottle.

“No, I need to wait.”

I realized that not even a third of the day had passed.

Lunt had mentioned the event would happen sometime today, but that could mean morning, afternoon, or even late at night.

Deciding against taking action immediately, I returned to the bedding.

A faint smile formed on my lips.

If it happened later, I could see Hyun-seo at lunchtime.

If it happened even later, I could see her again at night.

The thought of waiting to see them filled me with an inexplicable joy.

“What are you doing, Yeres? Just forget it already!”

The clarity from slapping myself faded away.

Once again, my heart wavered with longing for Happy and Hyun-seo.

I forced a frown, shaking my head violently to suppress the influence of Quest Jewel’s curse.

Of course, erasing these engraved emotions wouldn’t be easy.

What I hadn’t anticipated was that the more I tried to suppress them, the more I longed for them.

When I finally realized it, the feelings had already intensified beyond control.

They say that denying something repeatedly only reinforces it.

The more I tried to ignore my feelings, the stronger my yearning became, shaking my resolve.

The images of their faces flashed before me, and I found myself taking deep breaths to calm down.

I was on the verge of succumbing to the question echoing in my mind—Do I really need to escape?

The real problem was that I wasn’t even trying to resist anymore.

I was fully aware that Quest Jewel’s curse was consuming me, yet the joy and sorrow of longing for them felt real.

In the end, I surrendered to the unbearable desire.

With trembling hands, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.

Then, I sent a message to Hyun-seo.

[I miss you.]

[Me too.]

Less than a minute later, her reply arrived, making my lips twitch.

A battle raged in my mind between the instinct to smile and the rational voice telling me not to succumb to Quest Jewel’s curse.

But what did it matter?

I sent another message, then another, and another.

I told myself it was the last one, only to send another after that.

I should have stopped, but I was already addicted to the sweetness.

A sudden thought crossed my mind.

So overwhelmingly sweet that it tasted bitter.

At that moment, I seriously considered how I could forget about Happy and Hyun-seo.

I reflected on the past two days.

When had I been the most mentally clear?

“That’s right.”

A solution came to me—one I had dismissed before.

It was an extreme idea, but was it the right choice?

Whenever Happy tortured me, I remained completely focused.

So, I decided to replicate that state.

Immediately, I got up from the bed, threw my phone onto the floor, and whispered:

“For love and peace.”

Opening the drawer, I retrieved the half-filled 500mL plastic water bottle and sat down on the chair—the stage where Happy had tormented me.

Opening the cap, I poured 10mL of water onto my palm and formed a tiny blade.

I swallowed hard and, without hesitation, drew it across my palm.

“Ugh…!”

A sharp sting erupted, forcing a groan from my lips.

Blood trickled from my palm, slowly painting it red.

It wasn’t a serious wound.

With only 10mL of water, the blade was weak—just enough to scratch the surface.

But at that moment, my ability to suppress emotions kicked in more effectively than slapping myself.

The fog clouding my mind lifted, and my thoughts became crystal clear.

A voice in my head scolded me, reminding me why I needed to escape this place.

The 132nd life exists as a stepping stone to fulfill the 100th mission in the 133rd life.

Staying here forever, indulging in their love, or worse, committing suicide—erase those thoughts immediately.

Just like Quest Jewel said, there are still things you need to uncover today.

And the only way to find them is to escape.

It was all correct.

Nodding in agreement, I pressed against the wound to stop the bleeding.

I no longer let myself be distracted by the vibrations coming from the phone I had thrown onto the floor.

Instead, I fueled my determination to escape.

Having confirmed the necessary items and restored my shattered mind, I decided to check my physical condition.

I felt weak due to my reduced food intake, exhausted from my reversed sleep schedule, and uncomfortable in my own skin after being dry for so long, having spent my life constantly drenched.

But, like the persistent buzzing of my phone, these were minor discomforts I could ignore.

“Ah.”

Then, something strange happened.

Once again, it started with the phone’s vibrations.

Not because they became louder or more urgent, but because, at some point, they completely stopped.

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I picked up the phone.

It was 11 AM.

Just like yesterday, the screen was flooded with missed calls and unread messages.

The last one had arrived just thirty minutes ago.

[Yeres, unni.]
[Did you not sleep last night?]
[I was worried this morning because you looked tired, and I guess I was right.]
[Don’t worry about me, just lie down and rest.]
[Sleep well, unni.]

Perhaps self-inflicted wounds were shocking enough that I felt nothing reading these messages.

From then on, I clutched Quest Jewel tightly and prayed that whatever Lunt had mentioned would happen this morning.

Time passed.

11:10 AM.

11:20 AM.

11:30 AM.

…

By the time the clock struck noon, my phone rang.

Seeing Hyun-seo on the screen, I assumed it was lunchtime and she was calling me.

Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to answer, I reached for the green button—

Only for the call to end before I could pick up.

Had she already arrived?

Turning my gaze toward the staircase leading down to the basement, I waited, expecting her to come down.

Then, my phone rang again.

This time, it was Happy.

[Unni, what are you doing right now?]

Once again, I felt a rush of exhilaration at overcoming Quest Jewel’s curse.

When I replied, I deliberately softened my tone, making it sound like I had just woken up.

“I was taking a nap.”

[Good! No matter what happens, stay put! Don’t leave the basement, okay?! Are you listening to me?]

But unlike me, Happy sounded panicked.

As if something had happened.

Her voice was tense, on the verge of breaking.

[Happy! What are you doing?!]
[Sorry, Joy! Just a second, I need to make a call!]
[We don’t have time for that! Get a grip!]

Could it be…?

Was it finally happening?

[Just give me a moment!]
[Cut the call right now! Alpha has appeared!]

The moment I heard Joy’s voice saying Alpha had appeared, excitement surged through me.

My eyes immediately darted to the hidden drawer.

I needed the green gem.

I needed the half-full plastic bottle.

[Unni! Answer me! I know you’re reading this!]
[HAPPY!!!!!]

At that moment, the battle between the magical girls and Dark Moon had begun.

BOOOOM!

A deafening explosion rang out through the phone.

The entire room trembled violently.

The unexpected shock threw me off balance, and I collapsed onto the floor.

“Ugh…!”

[Unni! Are you okay?! I’ll be there soon, just wait for me!]

[Where do you think you’re going?! Hey! You—! KYAAH!]

[JOY! WATCH OUT!]

BOOOOM!

The second explosion shook the space again.

This time, cracks spread through the surroundings.

Fragments of the walls crumbled with eerie creaks, threatening to collapse entirely.

But I wasn’t afraid.

I wasn’t anxious.

If anything, I was exhilarated.

Smiling, I sprinted toward the hidden drawer.

BOOOOM!

[Unni! Answer me! Stay put and don’t do anything—!]

[HAPPY! TURN OFF THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!!!]

The third tremor barely fazed me.

The entire room tilted dangerously, but fortunately, the hidden drawer was now in a downward position, making it easier to reach.

Lowering my body, I slid toward it and whispered:

“For love and peace!”

[Unni? Why are you saying that spell…? Unni???!!!!]

The drawer opened.

I immediately grabbed the green gem and the plastic water bottle.

The tilted room showed no signs of stabilizing.

Everything was collapsing.

Walls cracked, the floor buckled, the entire space twisted in on itself.

Debris rained down from the ceiling, and I instinctively looked up.

The roof was breaking apart.

Another tremor sent new fractures through the walls.

And then—

Just when I feared the ceiling would crush me, something appeared in the center of the room.

A hidden core.

It had been exposed after all protective spells had shattered.

Even the 240mL of water in my bottle was enough to destroy it now.

If I destroyed it, this entire place would vanish.

Without hesitation, I pushed myself up and sprinted toward the core.

At that moment—

A familiar voice echoed in my mind.

For the first time in a while, Quest Jewel spoke to me—

And I stopped dead in my tracks.

[Unni!!! Yeres Unni!!!!!]

Without hesitation, I ended the call.

Quest Jewel’s next command followed immediately.

I entered.

Pressing the screen brought up a password input UI.

I hesitated for a moment.

How did Happy know my birthday?

And how did Quest Jewel know…?

No.

Don’t think about it, Yeres.

Focus on the escape.

Entering my birthday unlocked the phone.

The next screen made me scoff in disbelief.

Location Tracking, Screen Sharing, Live Recording, Camera Sharing.

Every app had a horrifying name.

I deleted them all.

I blocked everything, just as Quest Jewel instructed.

Then, I rushed toward the core.

My breath came rough from moving so suddenly.

Taking one deep breath, I raised the 500mL plastic bottle and poured all of its contents onto the core.

What I wanted was—

An explosion.

Large enough to consume all the water I had left.

BOOM!

With its protective magic gone, the core was destroyed effortlessly.

The distortion in the space grew worse, and soon, the floor shattered beneath me.

And then—

A bottomless fall began.

But I wasn’t afraid.

Right below, I could hear the cold rush of liquid, the distinct sound of water splashing.

Untouched by the magical girls.

Not twisted, not altered.

Just water.

…

…

A faint bitterness settled inside me.

I ignored it and pulled the water toward me.

What I sought—

Was a path.

A way to leave this place.

A never-ending flow to guide my escape.

Using the water as a source, I cast a spell.

And the exit revealed itself.