Chapter 51 - Caught (3)

"We will leave him in your care, sir." The officer said before they left the apartment. 

"You can count on me, sir." Toto said as he responded to their salute.

Once the three officers left Nida's place, Toto stared at Nida worriedly.

"Nida, what happened?" he asked, despite the police officer's having already explained it to him. He knows that his friend's version of the story is the real one.

"Toto, I'm sorry for disturbing your duty, but can you take care of Randell for the meantime?" She said as she gazed at Randell, who was avoiding her eyes.

"I will, but tell me what happened first."

"The truth is..." Nida peeked at Randell again before continuing to speak.

With the same wariness, Randell is still near the entrance of her apartment, refusing to come in or be in contact with Nida.

"Please believe what I have to say, okay?"

"Of course I will." Toto confidently replied.

"Thanks." she said, clearing her throat first.

"We went out on a date outside the city, but when night fell, I transformed into a wolf and killed and injured a lot of people. I'm not sure why or how I became one, but I couldn't control my body at the time, and no matter what I did, I became one."

She stared at her hands as she imagined all the blood that had flowed into her hands that night. "The blood lust and the intent to kill. I can't. I can't do anything but watch everything to happen!"

She said it without breathing, as if she was rapping.

She said everything in all honesty so that they could face it together. She's tired of dealing with everything alone.

However, the look in the eyes of Toto is someone who is not an inch from believing.

'I thought he would believe me?' Nida trusted his words and that he would confidently believe Nida's words, but that is not the thing that is showing in his expression.

She awkwardly laughs, but the disappointment shows in her expression as she looks down on the floor.

"I knew it was too ridiculous to believe, but—"

She was about to say something, but she paused as she unintentionally looked at Randell.

His expression now is not something like it was a few moments ago. The trembling and cowering fade away, and hope is something she can see in his eyes.

Randell finally stood up and took his first step inside the apartment.

"You cannot control those things? Was I wrong for thinking that you're a monster, Am I? You won't do that thing, right? You won't kill me and everyone else again, right? Nida, tell me!" 

He shouted hoarsely. 

Even though he took a few steps forward, he didn't closely approach Nida.

"I really don't have control over it. Randell I'm scared. I am sorry. What should I do?" Nida felt relieved that Randell was trying to understand her and that tears fell down her bloodshot eyes again. "How can I make up with all those people I killed?"

Both of them became teary as they looked at each other's eyes.

"H-how did you become a wolf? Y—you won't harm us anymore?"

"Of course I won't! Why would I? I never wanted this! I am—" She had a lot to say, but Toto got in between them.

"Are you filming a drama right now? a fantasy drama? Nids, Ranz, I am in duty now, please don't play prank like this. You both aren't kids anymore." Toto shook his head. very disappointed and upset to his friends.

"We are not pranking you!"

"It's not a prank!"

Both of them answered at the same time.

"Then what is this?" Toto is now upset with the two who are acting strangely. "You want me to believe that you became a wolf?"

"That is the truth! But that is not the issue here! I killed a lot of people! I don't know if I should turn myself in to the police or how I will make up for what I did!"

Toto looked at her with a frown and said, "Nida, don't be mischievous. I am a policeman now. You can't continuously prank me like this. The two of you even bothered three officers! " He scolded the two, who he saw had no intention of giving up their prank stunts.

"I am sorry for bothering you. I need your help too, Toto."

"What help?"

"Stay with Randell for now; I see divine powers on him, and awakening is a painful process; I hope he doesn't awaken and meet another wolf."

Toto let out a loud sigh as he narrowed his gaze towards Nida. "I can be angry too, Nida."

After saying that, he stormed out of the apartment, leaving the two frozen, unsure of what to do next.

It was the first time Nida saw Toto become totally upset and angry towards her.

She looked at Randell, who was left stunned as well, and was left staring at the door that Toto had opened. 

"W-what should we do then?" Nida asked him.

Randell flinched the moment he heard Nida and slowly moved his gaze towards Nida.

"You said something else to Toto. What was that?"

"Ah, the divine powers." Nida walked towards the door and closed it.

"Y-you don't have to lock the door." He said he is still unsure if he is safe to be with Nida.

"I didn't lock it. I just closed the door. " She said this to give him a sense of security that she wouldn't do anything bad to him. She then sat down on her couch, looking very exhausted. 

"Randell. again I'll be telling you something unbelievable, but please believe me."

She waited for him to answer before she could say what she wanted to reveal.

Randell took his time responding as he still had a slight tremble while observing Nida.

"T-tell me." He finally answered. 

"Actually, I am not the Nida you dated."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I thought this world was fake or an illusion, but the way I see things and how the emotions of all the people are like reality, I concluded that this place is like a parallel world. A world the same as my world but different at the same time."

"Parallel world? Then who are you if you're not Nida? Where is she!" Randell suddenly became agitated, "What did you do to her!"

Nida let out a sigh internally as she felt troubled by Randell's way of listening to her because he was only choosing the words he wanted to hear. 

"Like I said, this is a parallel world. Everything here has a counter part to my world. I don't know what happened to her, but I got swapped with her and took her body. But I never thought that she was a werewolf. If only I knew I wouldn't come out on a full moon."

"Did she go to your world?"

"I don't know. probably?" Randell frowned at her statement that she immediately tried to prevent him from being disinterested in her story.

"Sh-she may be on my body in my world. Anyway, in my world, you're the wolf and I am the priestess, but in here you're the priest and I am the wolf."

"Priest? a guardian in temples who gives out confessions and healing sessions?"

"Yes, yes. Remember that I hurt your shoulder. Do you know what made you heal overnight so that even a scar wasn't visible? ."

"It was the divine powers doing? But I don't feel anything else. "

"You won't feel it now since you're not yet awaken, but don't think of awakening. That was a scam. .Our main goal is to get back to our original life. Your girlfriend doesn't kill anyone, so don't be afraid anymore. " Nida felt strange talking to herself as if she were a stranger.

Randell made small steps forward towards Nida, looking relieved and hopeful. 

"How can we take her back? I want Nida to be back"

"I want to be back in my world too."

Even though this is somewhat the better version of her world, .. she doesn't like to stay here because everyone seems foreign.

"But I don't know how."

"Then how did you end up here?" Finally, Randell could think straight now that he felt relieved that his girlfriend was not the one who massacred a lot of people.

"The train that I was riding broke down, and as I was loitering around the train, smoke emerged, then it transported me into a forest, soon after recognizing the god who called for me. She then transported me here."

"Does that place exist here too?"

"What place?"

"The train. Don't you think it will give us the same effect?"

"Oh! right! I didn't think of that!" She jolted up and was about to touch Randell due to her excitement, but he reflexively avoided her and made a distance again, as if she had a virus.

"Maybe we can go there and try if my girlfriend can go back again here.,"

'Lucky girl' she said, internally feeling envious of Nida of this world's life once again.

"Are you fine coming with me? you're not scared anymore?" she asked since they will worked together.

"I'll be fine."