BETWEEN WORLDS | Ryohei Arisu x Reader

Ashes Of Deception

Haeru stiffens beside me, her muscles coiled, ready.

"Y/N, go. I'll handle this."

"But—"

"JUST GO."

I hesitate. I don't want this to be the last time I see her. But she's right. I back away, the door creaking as I pull it shut behind me, leaving it slightly ajar in case she needs an escape.

I turn and bolt down the hallway—only for a hand to grab me and yank me into another room. My heart slams into my ribs as I reach for the gun Haeru gave me—

But it's Kuina.

She smirks. "Feisty one, huh?"

Relief floods through me, but before I can say anything, I hear soft footsteps.

"You should've figured it out sooner."

I don't turn immediately. I know he's leaning against the doorway, watching me like a predator studying its prey.

"I did," I say evenly. "I was just waiting to see what you'd do."

Chishiya chuckles. "Interesting. And what did you learn?"

I finally look at him. His expression is the same as always—calm, unreadable, with that amused glint in his eyes that makes it impossible to tell whether he's toying with you or testing you.

I step forward, closing the distance between us just enough. "That you enjoy watching people scramble for answers you already have." I tilt my head slightly, voice steady. "That you knew who the Jack of Hearts was long before Arisu figured it out. You were just waiting for the right moment."

He hums in amusement, his gaze sharp. "And what moment would that be?"

"The one where it benefits you the most."

His smirk deepens slightly. "You make it sound like I was playing a game within a game."

"Weren't you?"

Chishiya doesn't answer immediately, and that tells me enough. He exhales a quiet laugh, his expression never shifting. "You really are perceptive." He steps forward now, close enough that I catch the faint scent of smoke clinging to his hoodie. "But tell me something, Y/N." His voice dips lower, calculated. "If you knew, why didn't you act?"

I hold his gaze, unshaken. "Because I was watching you too."

Something flickers in his eyes. He doesn't expect hesitation from people—he expects panic, desperation, blind trust. But I'm not like the others.

For a brief moment, neither of us speaks. The fire crackles in the distance, the weight of the night pressing down on us.

Then Chishiya grins, stepping back. "I have to say, you're much more interesting than I thought."

I watch as he turns to leave, his pace unhurried. But just before he disappears down the hall, he glances back. "Try not to die before the next game shows up. I'd hate for this to end too soon."

And just like that, both him and kuina are gone out the door leaving behind only the faint echo of his amusement and the unshakable feeling that this is only the beginning.

My walkie-talkie crackles. "I FOUND A CLUE! Saiko says he's on the fourth floor."

I take off running, smoke thickening as I reach the top. Tatta, Asahi—and Haeru.

I nearly collapse in relief, but then I notice it—a cut along her hip, thin but deep. She meets my eyes, daring me to say something. I don't. Not now.