Page 32 of The Oni's Heart

I knew this game too well.

I reached for my phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I pressed the emergency contact. My thumb hovered over the screen, ready to send a quick message to the one person who might be able to help—just in case things went south. My brother was able to smuggle a phone into the prison, and despite the barriers, he still held some power. But before I could hit send, the footsteps stopped.

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

I didn’t dare turn around. But I could feel the presence of someone, maybe more than one, just beyond the threshold of my peripheral vision.

I was trapped, for now. And I had no idea how this was going to play out.

But I wouldn’t let them take me without a fight.

The air around me thickened with tension. My heart slammed against my ribs, and every nerve in my body screamed for me to react, to be ready. But I kept walking, pretending I hadn’t heard the subtle shift in their movement. My hand brushed the inside of my jacket where my knife was tucked against my side. It was small, efficient, nothing fancy, but it was all I had.

The silence stretched, and I could almost hear their taunting smirks. They were playing with me, letting me think I could outrun them.

Then, a voice broke the quiet, gravelly and filled with venom.

"Thought you could escape, huh, princess?" The voice was low, mocking. "You never learn, do you?"

I curled my lip at their pet name. There were two of them. I’d counted four steps before they closed in on me, just enough to make sure I was surrounded.

"Not so tough without your little knife, are you?" the second voice added. "You know, I’m sure the Yakuza would love to see how you bleed… in more ways than one."

I didn’t turn around. Not yet.

But I felt the cold steel of their weapons shift, the distinct sound of metal sliding against fabric. One of them, the one closest, had a crowbar. The other—a knife, a larger blade that could easily cut through my skin.

I could almost hear the grins in their voices as they taunted me.

"You know, you should’ve stayed home, sweetheart," the one with the crowbar sneered. "You’re just a broken toy, easy to fix. But tonight? Tonight, we’ll see just how broken you really are."

I had no choice. The moment I heard the clink of metal on metal, I spun, moving faster than they expected. The crowbar swung in an arc toward my face, and I ducked just in time, my knife flashing in my hand. But I wasn’t fast enough.

The crowbar caught me on the side of my upper arm. A sickening thud echoed in my ear. Pain shot through my body, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I staggered back, almost falling, but I caught myself against the wall.

"Didn’t see that coming, did you?" The man with the crowbar laughed, the sound grating against my nerves.

I ignored the pain and forced myself to stay upright. I wasn’t going to let them win. I couldn’t. My knife was in my hand, but I needed to be smarter than just swinging it blindly.

I pivoted, aiming for the man with the crowbar’s midsection, but he was ready. He twisted the crowbar in his hands, knocking mine aside. The moment of distraction cost me. The man with the knife lunged, his blade flashing through the air. I barely had time to react.

The cold steel sliced across my other arm, just above the elbow, leaving a deep, stinging cut. Blood welled up, dark and hot, as I barely dodged another strike.

"Come on," the crowbar guy taunted, "this is supposed to be fun."

I fought to keep my breath steady, to force my mind back to focus. The pain was overwhelming, but I couldn’t let it control me. I couldn’t show weakness. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

The crowbar swung again, this time aimed at my legs. I barely avoided it, but not without the bruise of it scraping against my calf. My vision blurred slightly, but I forced it back into focus.

I couldn’t keep dodging. I had to fight back, had to make the first move, had to hurt them before they hurt me more.

I leaped forward, aiming for the man with the knife. My knife slashed through the air, narrowly missing his neck. The man laughed again, taunting me.

"Is that all you’ve got?" he mocked.

I gritted my teeth. They were bigger, stronger. I was faster, and I had to use that speed.

I spun away, dodging another swipe from the crowbar, but the man with the knife was quick, too. He closed the distance faster than I expected, his blade catching my side. I hissed as it sliced through my jacket and into the surface of my flesh.

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