“You said you’d get me out of there. What happened to that?” Sayaka giggled, a disingenuous and fake smile carved into her lips. The image of her body slumped against the shower wall flashed in Makoto’s mind.

“This is all your fault.” Kyoko stared at him, her eyes cold and dead. Almost as if she loathed the very sight of him. Her wristband’s task flickered in his head.

She died because of him, because he didn’t die. And Sayaka died because he had failed to protect her. It was his fault.

“B-But I—” he whimpered out before he was cut off by the rest of his former classmates rising up from the floor. More reminders of his failed mission.

“I’m sorry.. I don’t understand why you’re—” he couldn’t finish his thought before Kyoko seethed:

“Why are you still alive, Naegi?”

The cold hearted query brought his thoughts to a halt. She was right. Why him, of all people? Some kid with randomly insane luck? The kid who’s nothing without his Ultimate Title. The one who had to wing a raffle just to get into everyone’s dream school. Why was he still alive?

“Yeah, right? You’re the one who deserves to die.” The former pop-star’s grin only grew wider with her taunting.

Makoto could feel hot tears, burning his eyes as they were stuck wide open in anxiety and panic.

“You should’ve died instead of us.” Kyoko and Sayaka drawled in unison, their appearances becoming more akin to when they passed — and so did the others. Wounds, blood and fire surrounded his classmates. The people he tried so desperately to save.

“But I..” he paused, his voice trembling and his voice cracking. “I just wanted everyone to...” the more he tried to convince himself, the more he pushed himself to the edge.

As he woke up from his absolute nightmare, he felt ropes around his arms. He screamed, still traumatised from his visions, kicking and screaming like a maniac as a string of drool slid down his chin. He couldn’t handle it anymore.

CLANG.

His wailing lowered into heavy pants as he turned to look at the floor, not so far away from him. A knife. He wriggled free from his ropes and sat up, taking the weapon into his hands.

“That’s it, join us Naegi.” Kyoko’s voice egged him on,

“Yes, yes! Join us, Naegi!” Sayaka’s voice added more enthusiastically.

He stared down at the blade, his eyes spiralling with pure and unfiltered despair. He’d be free of the guilt. The shame. He didn’t deserve to be ‘Ultimate Hope’, he was a mockery of the word.

“Sure… on my way.” He smiled eerily, finally being taken over by the despair he’d sworn to destroy with the blade up to his neck.