They were four. only four left, and the arena held a silence that felt wrong, too heavy, as though the walls themselves were waiting for the next scream. Two Time’s black hair whipped behind them as they ran, lungs scorching with every breath, dagger clenched so hard their fingers ached. their heart hammered in a frenzy that felt almost hopeful - that naive, desperate confidence that they had this, that they could outsmart the so-called “newbie.” But the Jason they faced wasn’t clumsy, wasn’t unsure. His movements were sleek, deliberate, almost elegant in their brutality. And when Two Time finally lunged, burning adrenaline blazing behind their strike, the killer stepped aside like he’d been expecting it all along.

The blade came first: pain blooming through Two Time’s ribs in a white-hot flash that stole their air. Their voice caught in their throat, vision warping as blood soaked into their clothes, their second life draining slowly, cruelly, like it enjoyed watching them struggle. They staggered backward, reaching for balance that didn’t exist anymore. The world tilted, the ceiling lights smeared into blinding streaks , and in the blur, Azure moved. No hesitation. No fear. Just a sharp, reckless sprint, his hair slicing through the air like a streak of blue flame. Before Two Time could even curse out a warning, Azure threw himself into the strike meant for them.

“AZURE- DON’T-!” The words cracked apart as he collided with the blow, the sound of metal hitting flesh echoing like thunder against their skull. Two Time fell beside him in shock, scrambling forward, hands shaking as they pressed uselessly against the wound, trying to stop blood that wouldn’t stop. The killer didn’t stay to gloat. He turned and sprinted after Shedletsky, vanishing into the maze of the arena, leaving them with the reality he’d carved open. Two Time clutched Azure’s shoulders, voice breaking into something raw, jagged, pleading. “You can’t die, you don’t get a second life like me, so you CAN’T. You’re not allowed to leave, NOT LIKE THIS-” Their words shivered, tripping over themselves, desperate to bargain with something already leaving.

Azure’s breaths grew thinner, eyes glassy but still focused on them, like they were the only thing worth looking at. His fingers curled into Two Time’s shirt, weak but deliberate, like a promise he’d never planned to keep any other way. His voice trembled, fragile but certain: “I told you I would trade my life for your protection.” The world seemed to slow with each fading word… and then his grip loosened. His hand slipped down the fabric, falling weightlessly, uselessly, to the floor. “I love you so much, my nightshade...” A breathless, last whisper. In that silent drop. Something inside Two Time snapped. A soundless shatter that echoed louder than any scream. Their breath turned feral, mind twisting into something monstrous, something that understood one truth with agonizing clarity: Azure died for them… and now their sanity would follow.

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