Chapter 16 — Abyss of Despair and Agony

Once the party wound down, a satisfied silence settled over the hemisphere. Yasu, full from the delicious feast and satisfied with the celebration, a contented sigh escaped his lips as he rubbed his belly.

Kasumi and Raeleanore also seemed pleased, their faces filled with the satisfaction that comes from a successful celebration. Raeleanore leaned back in his chair, swirling the remainder of the wine in his glass.

"Well, that was certainly one for the books," he said with a chuckle.
Yasu glanced up, noticing the darkening sky and feeling the first few drops of rain hitting his face. "Looks like it's about to rain," he announced, his eyes scanning the heavens with a hint of excitement.

Kasumi and Raeleanore followed his gaze, their expressions registering the change in weather. Kasumi chuckled softly, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Just in time to cap off the perfect birthday celebration," she teased.

Raeleanore chuckled as well, nodding in agreement. "Nothing like a little bit of rain to add some drama, eh?" he said, a playful glint in his eyes.
Yasu grinned, watching as the raindrops began to fall more heavily. "It's going to be a good storm," he declared, already imagining the pitter-patter of raindrops against the windows and the distant rumble of thunder.

Kasumi and Raeleanore exchanged a worried look, suddenly realizing the implications of the rain. The mood in the room shifted instantly, the festive atmosphere replaced by a sense of foreboding as they felt a chill down their spines.

"The wall...," Kasumi whispered, her voice filled with fear.
Raeleanore nodded grimly, his face pale with worry. "I think you're right," he replied, his voice thick with disbelief. "They've found us. We knew it was a possibility, but I never thought they might actually..."

Before they could speak further, the cloaked figure appeared from thin air. They both looked. As Yasu looked, he was met with a glowing red inverted pyramid eyeball.

His father had warned him, "Don't look, you're not immune to it yet!" But Yasu couldn't resist. It was too late. He fell to his knees, his eyes widening in paralyzing terror. Once Yasu opened his eyes, he found himself in an Abyss of Despair and Agony.
"That's this... where am I? It's completely dark in here."

As he looked around, he met his old parents, who had treated him badly and abused him in his past life. The parents both said in unison, "You're a mistake, Machigai. Your life meant nothing. Your whole existence is a fraud — I mean look at you, you can't even tie your shoes!" They laughed as they looked at him in disgust, their faces twisted in devilish smiles. 

Yasu tried to cover his ears to make it stop, but it was of no use.

"No... I'm not!" His voice was a desperate plea against the relentless tide of his past. The memories kept replaying, over and over, a never-ending loop of agony. He felt the cold steel of a knife against his skin, the searing pain of betrayal as he coughed up blood, the crushing weight of loneliness. He saw himself as a child, bruised and bloodied, his grandmother's loving face replaced by the cold, uncaring stares of his parents. He heard the taunts of his classmates echoing through the halls of his school, each word a dagger to his soul.

Yasu couldn't do anything but cry, hoping against hope that it would stop, that he could escape the prison of his own mind.

"Machigai, why are you crying? You should be used to this by now, darling~!" His mother sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "You're nothing but a burden, a mistake we never wanted. You're lucky that old hag saved that useless ass of yours."

His father chimed in, "Look at you, pathetic and weak. You'll never amount to anything. Why don't you just give up and end it all?"

Yasu's heart ached with every word, each one a dagger to his already shattered self-esteem. "Please, stop... I can't take this anymore," he pleaded, his voice breaking.

"Stop what?" his mother mocked. "Stop telling you the truth? You can't handle the truth, can you? You're too weak, too broken."

Yasu's mind raced, and he felt the weight of his past crushing him. The memories of abuse, the loneliness, the constant feeling of being unwanted, all flooded back. "I... I am more than this," he stammered, trying to convince himself as much as his parents.

His father laughed coldly. "More? You're less than nothing, Yasu. You're a mistake, and mistakes need to be corrected. As a matter of fact, you should kill yourself right now."

Yasu's tears turned to anger, a fire burning within him. "I won't let you define me! I'm more than your abuse, more than your words!"

His mother's eyes narrowed. "You think you can change your fate? You're just a pawn in this world, Yasu. Accept it, and maybe you'll find some peace." 

His parents' voices drilled into him, each word a hammer blow. "You are worthless. You are nothing. You will always be alone."

Yasu's internal conflict raged like a storm, tearing him apart from the inside. He yearned for escape, for freedom from the chains of his past, but he was trapped, unable to move or think beyond the pain. His desire for validation and love warred with the harsh reality of his existence, a constant tug-of-war that left him exhausted and broken.

"Please," he whispered, his voice a ragged plea, "make it stop!" 

"Make it stop!" "Make it stop!" "Make it stop!""Make it stop!" "Make it stop!" "Make it stop!""Make it stop!" "Make it stop!" "Make it stop!""Make it stop!" "Make it stop!" "Make it stop!""Make it stop!""Make it stop!""Make it stop!"

But there was no respite, no escape. Yasu was trapped in the Abyss, a prisoner of his own mind, forced to confront the demons of his past and the crushing weight of his parents' cruelty. The darkness closed in, and he was left alone with his thoughts, his hopes, and his desperate, unending struggle for survival.