Semua Bab Between Heaven and Hell: Bab 101 - Bab 110

"Is everyone prepared?" Tomoya muttered, his voice laced with a quiet intensity, as he observed through the vast window of the house. The gates creaked open, revealing a procession of officers and three faces he knew all too well. He had suspected this visit was imminent since his earlier interaction with Dryzza and Sai. With a sigh of resignation, he couldn't help but flick his imaginary long hair in a dramatic flourish before turning to the five maids standing in wait behind him. "So, how do I look?" he inquired, purposefully inclining his face toward them, eager for their judgment. In unison, they raised their thumbs, a silent affirmation of his presentation. "Totemo ii desu, Tomoya-sama! Hontō ni, onaka ga yokatta hito mitaina kanji desu." ("You look incredibly good, Tomoya-sama! Like a real person with stomach issues.") Kotomi, the youngest of the maids, smiled as she tapped his shoulder. Haneul, around his age, also tapped his other shoulder. "Geunyeo neun ilgga, T

"Is she asleep now?" Takumi asked quietly the moment Tomoya stepped out of the room, his voice barely louder than a whisper, as if raising it would disrupt the fragile peace inside.Tomoya nodded, his expression a mixture of weariness and relief. "Yes," he murmured. "She needs to recover her strength. Whatever energy she expended earlier took more of a toll on her body than I anticipated."The memory of Samantha collapsing replayed vividly in Takumi's mind. After their unexpected encounter with her, she had crumpled to the ground, her legs giving out as though the very act of standing had drained her completely. Without hesitation, Takumi had carried her to the spot where Tomoya had been resting earlier, her weight feeling far lighter than it should have.He sighed, his gaze drifting downward to Tomoya’s hand, where traces of blood smeared faintly around the spot where the IV line had been connected earlier."You should take care of that," Takumi said, gesturing toward the barely scab

The dining room carried a quiet unease, the soft hum of conversation drowned beneath the weight of unanswered questions. Samantha sat between Kathleen and Junel, her presence serene yet unnerving, as though her return came with a gravity none could fully understand. Tomoya watched her cautiously, his usual carefree aura subdued. Across from him, Christian stared at his untouched plate, his mind clearly racing. Kathleen tried to keep the atmosphere light, but even her attempts faltered when she glanced at the empty seat meant for Takumi. He had excused himself earlier, stating he needed to visit the asylum where he worked with Samantha before her mysterious disappearance. It wasn’t just his absence that unsettled Kathleen; it was the growing realization that Takumi had been deliberately avoiding Samantha since her return. She couldn’t ignore the subtle tension his behavior left behind, as though his avoidance was a silent admission of something he couldn’t yet face. Tomoya's voice b

The room was steeped in silence, the kind that pressed against her ears and made her chest feel heavy. Samantha lay there, her eyes locked on the stark white ceiling. It loomed above her like a canvas begging for answers she couldn’t give. The darkness around her seemed alive, creeping into the edges of her thoughts, amplifying her confusion.The bed Takumi had lent her felt foreign—too soft, too pristine—yet it offered no comfort. Sleep was out of the question, as her mind churned relentlessly. Questions piled atop one another, their weight crushing her resolve. She refused to accept what they had told her. Every word they spoke felt like a carefully crafted lie, a puzzle with pieces that didn’t fit.The air in the room grew colder, or perhaps it was her imagination. Her fingers gripped the blanket as if it were the only tether to reality she had left. But even that felt insubstantial, like everything else in this unfamiliar world. The longer she stared into the void of the ceiling,

Outside, she cast a glance at Takumi’s butler, who stood rigidly by the car. “Not joining us, sir?” she called out with a casual edge. The butler smiled faintly. “I’ll wait here, detective.” Dryzza shrugged and headed into the station. Inside, she spotted Takumi seated at Zach’s desk, his posture deceptively relaxed but his eyes betraying an intensity that made her pause. Across the room, Sai was furiously dialing Zach’s number on the office phone. “Why’d you leave him out there?” Dryzza hissed as she slipped into the chair beside Sai. Sai glanced at her, lowering his voice. “He wasn’t saying much—just sitting there quietly. It’s unnerving.” Dryzza’s lips curved into a sly grin. “Sounds like a golden opportunity.” Without waiting for Sai’s protest, she strolled toward Takumi. She eased into the chair across from him, letting the silence stretch. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Takumi cut her off, his voice steady and deliberate. “I believe I was clear about who I w