Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 629: Understanding [2]

Chirp! Chirp!

Birdsong rang out gently in the distance, with my head still bowed while I tousled my hair. The heavy quiet that ensued pressed down hard, trapping me in my swirling thoughts. At last, I lifted my gaze and slumped back onto the bench.

"Right, there’s no need to go that far."

I was overdoing it.

There wasn’t any reason for me to push to such extremes.

Even if I picked that path, I lacked the power to pull it off. Plus, the situation hadn’t spiraled to total ruin yet. I still had a shot at turning it around.

"Well, that’s that."

I glanced at Kyle with a grin.

"Thanks to you, my mind’s much sharper now."

A sense of relief washed over me somewhat.

I knew exactly what steps to take next.

"Oh, right."

I turned to Kyle.

"I’m wondering, what made you get into this field? You mentioned I never bothered to ask before, but I’m doing it now. If you tell me, I swear I’ll work to bring back the old Seth someday."

Those flashes of clarity had revealed a few key truths.

In short, this world didn’t suit me at all. No matter my efforts, acceptance would never come. Kyle, the Matriarch, all the people around me... They resembled me but differed. Fakes, every one of them, just like myself.

With that in mind, fixing it all meant returning to my original world or undoing the changes. But could it even happen? Truthfully, I had no clue, yet a gut feeling whispered that it could.

Regardless, I was determined to attempt it.

"You..."

Noting the shock on Kyle’s face, I flashed a smile.

"Well, you were spot on."

I gave a casual shrug.

"I’m not the Seth you knew from childhood. Still, I am Seth—no mistake there. Just a version hailing from far away."

I chose my words with caution. Recalling the first restriction barring me from mentioning the system to anyone, I stayed vague. Kyle wasn’t fully human anyway, so perhaps it was safe, but risking it wasn’t wise.

If he pressed for details, I’d simply stay quiet.

"Though I’m not sure, I believe I can restore him. Well... no guarantees, but I’ll give it my all."

"..."

Kyle remained silent.

His eyes fixed on me.

He looked torn. Even without words, I could read his inner turmoil clearly.

I just grinned. This wasn’t the Kyle from my past, yet he stayed true to form. I predicted his response perfectly, and it came as expected...

"You... really can?"

"Like I said, no promises, but I’ll try. I don’t know how I arrived here, but it ties to the Seth you remember. He... started this whole chaos."

That part rang absolutely true.

I reflected on the Malovia events with the cult and those quick visions. Though just a fleeting idea at first, spending more time here made it feel solid.

Haha, it stretched credibility a bit.

Yet it might be the nearest to reality.

I shrugged.

Locking eyes with Kyle directly, I eased back into the chair, tension melting away. For the first time in ages, my mind broke free from its burdens. Rather than wrestling the chaos, releasing it brought true peace.

Kyle had nailed it.

I dodged problems. Avoidance was my way.

Now, I’d dodge this whole world.

"I just... want to go back home."

A short, surprising hush followed my murmur. Raising my eyes to the sky—familiar yet alien—I smiled softly.

Yeah, home called to me.

This place didn’t fit.

Turning to Kyle and his dazed look, I stretched out my hand toward him.

"What do you say? Up for teaming up? If it crosses a line for you, feel free to block me. You’ll at least know my plans and stay in the loop. Mind you, I might not heed you, but I’ll ponder it briefly."

"..."

Kyle shut his eyes, hand rising to his face, lips twitching faintly. As though my words struck him as absurd.

Actually, the whole scene probably seemed ludicrous to him.

His gaze dropped to my outstretched hand, then he let out a sigh.

"...I don’t trust you. I truly don’t. But I’ve got no option except to trust you."

With that, he grasped my hand and shook it firmly.

"Seth..." he whispered low, "I’ll definitely bring him back."

I studied his face before glancing aside.

Yeah.

***

Right after exiting the hospital, Zoey wasted no time calling the Guild to send multiple vehicles to the site. A glance at Rowan revealed he was mentally unstable. His condition was dire, meaning a stint in the psychiatric ward seemed inevitable for now.

Zoey's heart grew heavy upon seeing Rowan.

Still, as memories from the hospital ordeal rushed back, all she could do was grit her teeth—

She pivoted toward the shadowy SUV parked nearby, striding over as its door swung open, then climbed inside. The engine thundered alive, propelling the car forward. From the backseat, she reclined her head on the cushion, mulling over her words for the Guild.

Yet at that moment—

"..."

Zoey drew the compact gadget from her pocket, her fingers toying with it deliberately.

Referring to the Seth who vanished amid the operating room crisis.

He turned out to be a phony.

Regret filled her for her harsh treatment, and his baffled response to her rage made it evident he knew nothing of the room's horrors or Rowan's sister. He simply wasn't present.

Fiery-tempered by instinct, she wasn't dim-witted. Blind faith in appearances wasn't her style; she saw the test as ideal for confirming if this Seth was authentic.

Deep down, curiosity gnawed at her about the gadget's outcome. Was he truly as twisted as Liora described?

And indeed, he was a phony.

No reaction stirred from the device upon contact with his blood.

Zoey's outburst stemmed purely from Seth being the attack's clear victim. The aim was blatant: spark division among them. She feigned it to avoid alerting the perpetrator.

Yet she grasped the reality fully.

It was a cunning plot to breed hatred toward Seth.

Zoey balled her fist, torso tilting ahead while her jaws clenched fiercely.

Thoughts of the child girl squeezed Zoey's chest painfully. This worsened with the recall of her body's sudden vanishing from the hospital. Her location baffled everyone now.

That said, judging by the hospital events...

Zoey squeezed her eyes shut, inhaling a frigid gasp.

Please be phony. Please...