Tokyo, Metropolitan Police Department.
Uniformed officers walked in and out—some relaxed, others tense.
Inside the building, a man and a woman approached an interrogation room.
"Mr. Nakano's mental state is unstable. Be careful. I'll be right outside—if anything happens, notify me immediately." The middle-aged man patted Saionji Asako on the shoulder, encouraging her. "Good luck."
"I will, Inspector Shinkawa."
Asako adjusted her earpiece, took a deep breath, and entered.
This interrogation room was unusual.
Its interior was entirely covered in white ceramic tiles—clean, seamless, as if carved from a single block.
The room was pitch-black, with no windows.
As soon as Asako stepped inside, she cleared her throat, using the sound to activate the lights. Before she could speak, a terrified voice screamed:
"Close the door! Close it! Do you want to kill me!?"
A disheveled man with messy hair and an unkempt appearance shrieked at the sight of her, trembling with fear.
His bloodshot eyes, heavy eyebags, and frantic darting gaze made it clear he hadn't slept properly for a long time.
When Asako opened the door a moment earlier, he flinched like a startled animal, veins bulging on his hands as he covered his eyes, as if terrified of seeing something.
"Sorry…"
Hearing him, Asako hurriedly closed the door. The strange design became clear—the door fit the room perfectly, leaving no visible gaps once shut.
She looked at Nakano Ichirō, observing him carefully. When she saw his panic begin to recede, she tried speaking gently:
"Mr. Nakano, it has been five days. Are you feeling any better?"
After the door closed, Nakano seemed far calmer. Squatting in a corner, he kept his eyes shut and didn't react to her voice.
"Mr. Nakano, we know you experienced something terrifying. But this is the Metropolitan Police Department—no one can harm you here. If you don't tell us what happened, it will make the investigation extremely difficult."
"You don't understand… none of you understand…"
There.
Asako's eyes lit up at his first real response.
He had been brought to this special room five days ago—he had called the police himself. But when they questioned him, his mental state was on the verge of collapse. Even psychologists struggled to stabilize him.
"Mr. Nakano, only by telling us the truth can we help you escape this nightmare. I just have a few questions. As long as the information is clear enough, the police can solve the case. You don't need to be so afraid."
She slowly approached him but kept a respectful distance, squatting slightly so they were at eye level.
He didn't respond.
She didn't pressure him—his condition was far better than before, and she couldn't risk provoking him.
Minutes passed.
Asako waited patiently.
Finally, Nakano lifted his head.
Her eyes brightened. "Mr. Na—"
But before she could finish, Nakano's pupils widened in pure horror.
"Ah… ah—!"
He pointed directly at Asako, mouth gaping, but the fear choking him only allowed broken, dry sounds to escape.
The terror in his eyes was so raw it made Asako's heart freeze.
And he wasn't just pointing at her…
He was pointing behind her.
Goosebumps crawled over her skin. She couldn't bring herself to turn around.
No… something was wrong.
Nakano wasn't staring at her back—
He was staring directly at her mouth.
Instinctively, she touched her lips.
Nothing unusual.
But that simple gesture made Nakano snap completely.
It was the final crack in his psyche. He scrambled away from her on all fours, trying desperately to escape.
He stumbled after only two steps, falling hard. When he lifted his head and saw the shadow cast on the tiled wall—
There was his own shadow.
And next to it… the woman's.
Asako was walking toward him. Slowly.
And within the gap of her lips, he saw it:
A bloodshot eyeball pushing outward, stretching her mouth unnaturally wide—but not fully. In the small gaps beside it, tiny eyes were peeking through, rolling, turning…
And suddenly, they all focused on him.
"N-no… no…"
The direct gaze shattered him.
He opened his mouth to scream—
But froze.
In the tiles' reflection, he saw it:
Within his own throat…
Another eye was staring back at him.
That was the final blow.
With a deranged shriek, he forced his fingers into his throat, clawing desperately, trying to dig the eye out.
Only by destroying them—
Only then could he live normally again.
Asako watched the scene, trembling violently. She collapsed, unable to move.
"I-Inspector Shinkawa… h-help…!"
Shinkawa burst into the room.
"Mr. Nakano, calm down!"
He paled at the horrific sight.
"Someone! Help!"
Nakano turned to the tiled wall again, voice hoarse and broken:
"There's… still one in my ear…"
Half an hour later, Nakano Ichirō's corpse was carried out.
Shinkawa's expression was grim.
He returned to his office and stared at a photograph on his desk—
a massive eyeball.
This was the ninth bizarre death this month.
"Hypnotic murder…?"
(End of Chapter)