MBOMEN 38

Chapter 38. Secret Game (7)
Lyla stared vacantly at the clearly imprinted handprint. The woman brushed off her apron several more times, but the mark wouldn’t go away. If anything, it seemed even more vivid.

“Just my luck. I just put five blankets in to wash, and now I’ll have to do more laundry!”

Muttering, the woman turned away with her basket as if she had no more business with Lyla. The wind blew, making her apron flutter, and the handprint came into view again.

Five fingers spread wide. As it waved from the fluttering apron, it looked like it was bidding farewell to Lyla.

“Lyla, what are you doing?”

At Eustar’s voice, Lyla turned around as if she’d just woken from a dream. Eustar, noticing something strange in her expression, asked,
“What’s wrong? Did you see something weird?”

Something weird? I see weird things every day, Lyla thought. She shook her head and looked back at the seeker. The needle still pointed northwest.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

She spoke calmly and took the lead.

Tentinella Branch 4 — Adiac Headquarters

Marnak, the head of the Adiac branch, prayed in his private shrine whenever he had spare time.

Originally a devout priest, his lifelong wish was for this mysterious “sink” issue to be resolved so he could return to being a simple cleric.

“Director.”

The shrine door opened. Marnak sighed softly and rose, removing his long white robe.

“What is it, Robsker?”

“That man. The one who came yesterday. Something’s wrong. You should see it for yourself.”

Even Robsker, who rarely flinched, had gone pale. Whatever it was, it was serious. Marnak gestured for her to lead the way and followed her quickly.

“What happened? He seemed fine earlier…”

“He was calm, yes. But just a little while ago, he snapped. He’s going wild.”

“Going wild?”

“He’s terrified.”

Robsker’s voice was dark and heavy. She recognized the faces and voices of the truly frightened. Before joining Tentinella, she had been the warden of a prison for the most dangerous criminals.

She had stood beside many as they walked to the gallows, and had seen black cloths pulled over their heads.

No matter how brave, everyone cries like a child when death is near.

When they reached the room, Marnak unconsciously clasped his hands tightly. The man’s eyes, which normally drooped gently, were wide in horror.

And rightly so. What he saw could be called one of the most horrific things he’d ever witnessed. If not the worst, certainly in the top three.

“Help me! Aaargh! Let me out! I can’t stay here! It’s coming for me! It’s coming for meeeee!”

The man was covered in wounds from head to toe, blood splattering as he moved. They were all self-inflicted—scratches he’d made himself.

Some cuts were so deep that raw pink flesh showed. Yet he seemed to feel no pain as he ran around the room, screaming.

“The tagger is coming! It’s going to kill me! No, it’s coming to catch me! Let me out! Hide me! No, no, no!”

Marnak inhaled deeply. At that moment, the man turned to face him and started leaping wildly, bloodied knees flexing. His bloody palm slammed against the glass with a bang!

Robsker immediately stepped forward to shield Marnak, her hand moving toward the sword at her hip. But Marnak quickly stopped her.

“Don’t, Robsker. You’ll only frighten him more.”

“But, Director…”

“Please! Let me out! The tagger is coming! It’s coming for me!”

He kept slamming his bloody hand against the glass. Though it was strong enough not to break, watching the blood spread was painful.

“I’ll go in and speak to him,” Marnak said.

Robsker stepped in front of him, alarmed.

“Absolutely not, sir! He’s lost his mind. Who knows what he might do?”

Marnak looked at her for a moment, then smiled gently. A warm, kind, and self-sacrificing smile.

Robsker’s own faith was far from devout, but whenever she saw Marnak smile like that, she thought, If God exists, He must look like this man.

“It’s okay, Ro.”

“No, it’s not.”

“If I were still a priest and not part of Tentinella, would you still stop me?”

She stared at him for a moment, then replied:

“Yes, I would. No one should risk their life to deal with a madman.”

Marnak smiled again, this time with a tinge of pity. Robsker often found herself wanting to scream and hide his face whenever he smiled like that.

Just like now, she thought.

If only I could knock him unconscious right now… But no matter what, she couldn’t bring herself to lay a hand on Marnak.

“Ro, please step aside. I need to speak to that poor man.”

His gentle tone was a clear final warning. Robsker reluctantly stepped back—but with a firm condition.

“Fine. But I’m going in with you. And if I judge there’s even the slightest danger to you, I won’t hesitate.”

“Of course.”

Marnak’s soft voice felt like it stroked her cheek.

“Yes, Ro. Understood.”

The man had collapsed below the glass, now clawing at his shoulder and arm. Robsker entered cautiously, hand resting on her hilt, ready to draw.

Marnak followed. His brows knit at the sight of blood everywhere.

“Mr. Daycock.”

The man flinched at Marnak’s voice. His eyes looked cloudy and vacant, full of fear, but at least he wasn’t rampaging anymore.

“Mr. Daycock, can you hear me? Do you understand?”

Daycock blinked and nodded slowly.

Marnak reached out his hand. The man, trembling, grasped it. Marnak noticed his filthy fingernails caked with blood and flesh and frowned in sorrow.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Daycock. You’re safe here. No one is coming to—”

“No! Priest, you don’t understand!”

“He’s not a priest,” Robsker tried to interrupt, but Marnak raised a finger to his lips to quiet her.

“Tell me, Mr. Daycock,” Marnak said gently. “What is it that I don’t know?”

Holding Marnak’s hand with one, and still scratching his arm with the other, Daycock trembled and shook his head.

“It’s following me. No matter where I go, it finds me…”

“What is? A monster? Something else?”

A groan escaped Daycock’s trembling lips.

“It’s evil. Truly evil, Priest. The most wicked, terrifying tagger in the world. I never said I wanted to play, but it forced me into the game. Yes, I’m sure of it.”

“Forced you… how?”

Daycock looked up in a daze—not from fear this time, but confusion.

“It tagged me.”

Marnak frowned.

“Tagged? You mean it hit you?”

“No! Not like that! It tagged me! Like in a game! It hit me like you tag someone in a game of tag. Since then, it’s been chasing me. I should’ve become the tagger—but it didn’t want that. It wants to stay the tagger forever. And it’s hunting me…”

“You saw it? What did it look like? What did it do to you?”

Daycock’s scratching paused. Robsker saw pure, indescribable terror return to his face like a storm cloud.

When he opened his mouth, a horrible smell came out—likely from rotten teeth. It was clear this blend of fear and physical suffering had driven him nearly insane.

“I saw it… Yes, I saw it. They were children. Boys and girls. The one who tagged me was a girl. She left a handprint on my pants—looked like mud, but it wouldn’t wash off. Then… she started appearing in my dreams—no, in my house. Under the stairs, under my bed, inside my closet! Oh God, Priest, you have to believe me! If the tagger catches you, that’s it. It’ll chase you to the end of your life. I know it! So please, get me out of here!”