The Mad Rat's Lab

"Noo, nooooooo! Release me! Release me, I said!" The man shouts as he twists his body. But the four hooded figures holding him, one for each limb, hold him tight, preventing him from escaping. "You have no right to do this! Release meeee!"

A fifth man, leading the group, laughs as he watches the other one struggle. "Why? Aren't we helping you achieve your objective? Fufufu! Hahaha!"

The struggling man glares at him, momentarily stopping his resistance.

"H-how…? How did you know? I did a perfect infiltration job…"

After listening to the man's incredulous voice, the leading figure suddenly turns his head around, but the rest of his body keeps looking ahead. The sudden twist makes the top of the hood wobble, making the man cringe. He knows what hides under the cloth: a chicken's comb.

"A perfect job?" The man chuckles. "That's what you call a perfect job, Sleeping Spymaster?"

The man flinches at hearing his name. "H-how did you know my name!?"

"It's always written on top of your head."

"...ah, right."

After an awkward pause, Sleeping Spy shakes his head and asks in a trembling voice. "H-how did you know? Was it… No, I didn't make a single mistake! I hid it perfectly!"

"Fufufu! Hahaha! You think so, Spy? Nothing escapes my eyes! Nothing! From the second you stepped into this sacred place, we knew your real objective. We knew a∼ll along."

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The man's eyes open wide in fear. What will happen to him?

"But don't worry, my dear Spy. Soon, you'll realize the truth! Soon, there won't be any need for you to feign your belief! Soon… Soon, you'll be one of us!"

""One of us! One of us!"" The four hooded and previously silent men repeat at the same time. ""One of us! One of us!"" They keep repeating the same words incessantly.

The chanting continues until the group stops in front of a large, dark door, when the leader signals for the other four to shut up.

"Don't struggle, Spy. Just accept His blessing! Accept it and enjoy the experience! Fufufu! Hahaha!"

The man with the chicken crest opens a door as he maniacally laughs, revealing a dark hole inside. Then, after giving him just enough time to take in the horrifying vision, the four men throw the struggling man inside.

"N-no, this can't be! Not me! I'm normal! Nooo! NOOOOOOOO!"

"NOOOOOOOO…!"

A sudden shout breaks the night's silence as the man suddenly awakens. His chest goes up and down as he struggles to breathe.

"Haaah, haah… A dream. It was a dream, haaah..."

Fully awake, the man steps out of bed and opens the curtain, letting the moonlight in. He watches the scenery until his breath calms down.

The man then goes to the bathroom to splash water on his face, calming his thoughts. He touches the dark swelling under his eyes and the contrasting white skin, making him look sick.

"...What's wrong with me?"