The first thing he saw when he woke up was the ceiling.

Takeshi stared at it for several seconds until he reached a conclusion.

’That ceiling isn’t the one from my room...’

He sat up slowly.

The room contained a single bed, a chair, a nightstand with an unlit lamp, and a window with the blinds lowered. The walls were a light color, with no decorative elements, and the door seemed closed.

He tried to move his right leg.

The pain hit immediately, specifically from the ankle. The left one responded, but without the right, any useful movement was limited.

He checked his stats.

[Health: 74%]

[Sanity: 40%]

[Points: 8]

’Why do I have forty percent sanity if I didn’t die?’

The chat appeared in the upper corner of his field of vision, floating near the ceiling.

[He woke up]

[Welcome to the maximum difficulty level]

[Good luck]

Takeshi read the messages and began analyzing the room.

The window was the first option. He dragged himself to the edge of the bed and lowered himself carefully, using only his left leg for support. He held onto the bed frame and reached the window in three slow movements.

He opened the blind two centimeters.

He was on the third floor. Below was a narrow street with no visible movement. Jumping wasn’t viable.

He closed the blind and evaluated the door.

It was locked.

He looked at the nightstand drawer, which contained a candle, a box of matches, and nothing else.

The room had nothing useful.

He sat on the edge of the bed and processed the situation.

’I think this is the first time I’ve been in such a bad situation... Can I heal my leg with the healing drink from the shop?’

The door opened before Takeshi could try to buy the drink.

"Good thing you’re already awake."

Yuki said as she entered with two cups. She set them on the nightstand and sat in the chair. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Her right arm was bandaged.

"You slept quite a while."

Takeshi didn’t answer right away. He looked at her with a calm, smiling expression.

"Where are we?"

"In a place where no one is going to interrupt us."

She said it as if it were normal.

"It’s a place I got where no one would suspect us."

"Does Akari know where I am?"

"No."

Takeshi processed that.

’Surely Akari will report my disappearance... I just need to escape from here and find someone to help me.’

"Your leg."

Yuki said, looking toward the ankle.

"I can heal it for you. I have access to basic recovery magic that might take a couple of days."

"Really?"

"But in exchange for something."

She said it bluntly.

"No trying to leave my side, no looking for ways out, and I promise that in a week you’ll be able to walk again."

Takeshi looked at the cup on the nightstand.

"And if I refuse?"

Yuki, before answering, picked up her own cup.

"I’ll have to take drastic measures."

Takeshi thought about it for a few seconds before giving his answer.

"Fine."

Yuki smiled and took a sip from her cup.

Yuki left the room an hour later. She told him she was going to get materials for the healing process. She closed the door and Takeshi heard her footsteps moving away down the hallway, followed by a more distant door closing.

He waited two minutes and started to move.

His right leg was still useless for putting weight on. He made his way to the door using the bed and the wall for support. The knob turned without resistance.

He opened the door.

The hallway was short. Two closed doors to the left, one at the far end that was probably the exit. The walls were the same light color as the room and there were no windows in the hallway.

Takeshi moved along the wall toward the door at the end.

When he opened the door, he found a staircase where he could descend the three floors.

’I have no choice.’

He started going down.

The first flight was slow but without issues. On the second flight, his left foot slipped on a step and he had to grab the railing with both hands to keep from falling. The movement made noise—not much, but in the silence of the building it was enough.

He continued down.

He reached the first floor. The exit door was there, with natural light filtering in from underneath.

He reached his hand toward the knob.

"I told you to behave."

Takeshi turned.

Yuki was on the first-floor landing, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

’How could she come down so fast?’

Takeshi didn’t manage to react.

Yuki grabbed his right hand. Takeshi tried to pull it away, but her grip was firm and his right leg gave him no base to resist.

"This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you."

Yuki whispered, and Takeshi didn’t understand until he heard the sound followed by the pain.

In one precise movement, Yuki had broken the fingers of his right hand.

The pain was intense. Takeshi tried to scream, but Yuki covered his mouth.

Yuki held him until it was over.

"Next time it’s the left hand."

She said it in a threatening tone.

"And if you keep being stubborn, I’ll have to do something worse."

Takeshi was leaning against the exit door with his right hand against his chest. His fingers weren’t responding and the pain shot up through his entire hand.

Yuki took him by the left arm and helped him back to the staircase.

Back in the room, Takeshi sat on the bed and checked his stats.

[Life: 60%]

[Sanity: 35%]

[Points: 8]

’If my sanity reaches zero, I don’t know what will happen to me and I don’t want to find out.’

He looked at his right hand. The fingers were already swollen and unresponsive.

The chat floated once more.

[Takeshi at the bottom of the pit]

[Great, no leg and no fingers]

[What’s next?]

Takeshi rested his left hand on his knee and stared at the wall.

Yuki entered with the healing materials and began working in silence.

Takeshi was thinking about one thing only.

’I have to escape from here no matter what!’