Typhoon

The apartment was dimly illuminated by the tall lamp standing next to the TV table. Rain lashed against the windows, with it's muffled sound providing an unsettling backdrop.

Seiji was sitting on the couch, looking at his watch, but then his gaze shifted to Hideaki, who remained glued to the window, unnervingly fascinated by the storm.

'It's almost midnight and he keeps standing there, and watching the flood with that big eyes.'  Seiji thought.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind could be heard, one that made the windows shake slightly, and to that Hideaki's grin widened, reflecting in the window like a child marveling at fireworks — except far more disturbing.

Seiji exhaled quietly through his nose.

'So he wasn't just saying that to look 'dark.' He... he really likes it,'  he thought, watching Hideaki almost tremble with delight.

"So when you said you liked storms, darkness, and typhoons... it wasn't just show-off talk after all." Seiji added aloud, with typical dryness.

Another powerful gust of wind, this time accompanied by large raindrops.

Hideaki flinched, as if breaking out of a trance.

He turned his head and looked at Seiji with something between surprise and pride.

"Because I like it," he said quietly, but with a twinkle in his eyes. "It's... cool. Dark. Dangerous, hehehe."

Seiji raised one eyebrow.

"Yes. I see."

And he went back to looking at his watch, as if it were all perfectly normal — though his thoughts were otherwise.

'On the other hand... Of course he likes this. Dark, chaotic... it suits him.'

Seiji contemplated, eyes narrowing slightly as he stared out the window.

"If the typhoon hits hard and a thunderstorm forms afterward, there's a high chance of a blackout," he muttered more to himself than anyone else. "Lightning tends to mess with the grid when the lines are already weakened. I'll need to shut everything down properly. Unplug non-essentials, back up my files... maybe even move the surge protectors higher."

Just then, the LED lamps began to flicker, almost as if the rainstorm itself was causing the power fluctuations.

Hideaki grinned wdiely and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Hehehe... Flickering light..." he muttered this time, his voice turning into eerie tone, his fingers twitching slightly as he stared out the window, seemingly hypnotized by the rain and darkness that surrounded the city.

The neon lights from the shops and the lights from the apartments were reflected in the window and puddles on the sidewalk.

Across the street, isolated figures could be seen trying to escape the terrible downpour.

His grin grew wider, almost too wide, as he delivered the line:

"You know, Seiji... The atmosphere is almost like something out of a horror movie..." his tone playful but carried an underlying menace.

"Kinda, yeah," Seiji responded, acknowledging the unsettling resemblance.

Another flicker of the lamp interrupted their conversation, and Hideaki continued, "I wonder how long this typhoon will last..."

"I wonder that too. The last thing I need is a power surge frying my system. Not with all the data I've got stored. I don't trust this building's wiring during any kind of storms."

"Sure..." Hideaki said with clearly bored look. Then added with a hint of almost soothing mystery in his voice "I wonder if the lights went suddenly out..." A mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"Oh, that would be very unfortunate. Knowing you, I bet you would do something fucked up to me when-"

Just as Seiji was about to finish his sentence, the power abruptly went out, enveloping the room in darkness.

Seiji set his cup down with deliberate calmness.

'Typical,'

His mind was already calculating the possible scenarios.

He glanced toward where Hideaki had been, but now, the spot was empty.

"Hideaki?" Seiji's voice held none of the panic most people might feel. Instead, it was edged with suspicion.

'What is he planning this time?'

He scanned the room, but the surrounding darkness made him harder to do it.

"If this all is just because he wanted to have 'fun'..."

Seiji muttered with a tang of frustration creeping in his voice.

His body tense but his expression was controlled.

"Hideaki, enough with this hide-and-seek. Come out!" his voice was firm, however, he couldn't shake off the sinking feeling that Hideaki could suddenly attack him out of nowhere, and he wouldn't be prepared enough to defeat him.

His mind raced, contemplating the possibilities of Hideaki obtaining a knife from his blood like last time.

Every subtle scratch or shift of weight made him tense, knowing that even the faintest magical sound could reveal Hideaki at work.

Yet the apartment remained eerily silent... until a soft, almost imperceptible slip of nails against skin reached his ears, and Seiji's eyes narrowed.

'Shit... I would need to act fast.'

He thought.

'Where the hell is he? Damn, why did I had to left my phone in my bedroom... That way I could at least light the way around me, otherwise I'm screwed.'

Seiji lamented scanning the room.

He strained his eyes through darkness, searching for any sign of the sadistic killer.

Then, he heard Hideaki's eerie laughter.
Seiji followed it, and then he noticed his figure emerging from the shadows...

He was illuminated by faintly coming light from the outside.

And then, Seiji noticed the bloody red knife in Hideaki's slightly shaking hand.

And a disturbing grin spreading across his face.

"You found me! Ehehe!!!" Hideaki giggled, his voice unnervingly high-pitched, his grin stretching unnaturally across his face.

Seiji's breath caught in his throat.

'This is exactly what I didn't want to happen... It's dark as in the ass, I don't know what he will do now, and he has one of his fucked up bloody weapons in his hand.. Heh.. W-what could go worse?'

A cold wave of terror surged through his body, the fact that he was in scenerio he couldn't control, that trying to do it would be hard.

Then he saw it again, Hideaki's grin.. his red eyes, shining gleefully in the street's light. The face of a serial killer he was living with... The face that showed madness that was getting closer and closer to Seiji with each next second.

Seiji's mind was screaming at him to run, to escape. But his legs wouldn't move - paralyzed by the sight of his once-roommate transformed into this violent, laughing monster.

"And now..." Hideaki's grin widened unhinged as he raised the knife, eyes burning with an unholy glee. "AHAHAHA! NOW TRY TO DODGE THIS!!!" he shrieked, lunging forward in a sudden burst of aggression, his movements wild and erratic.

Seiji's body reacted on instinct, his fear finally snapping him into motion.

'Shit! Now he snapped because of what?? No crowds! No spiders on loose! No stress! Nothing triggered him, so what the hell?'

He dodged to the side just as the blade slashed through the air where he had stood moments before.

Hideaki didn't pause - his attacks came in quick, crazed swipes, his laughter grew shriller, his movements jerky and unpredictable as he was at Seiji, making him appear almost otherworldly.

Seiji hardly dodged and weaved, narrowly avoiding Hideaki's relentless knife strikes.

'He went insane, he...'  Seiji analyzed, and then something hit him

'Of course, he went insane. It's because he's Hideaki. Emotional, impulsive. Edgy... And without any morals. Scaring the shit out of me during such an eerie creepy night. It could be only something his twisted mind could come up with... I c-could just ignore him completely but if I won't do anything, he will not calm down. And if he's not calmed down... things are getting worse.'

Hideaki's laughter was growing more manic with each near-miss.

In a sudden twist of fate, Hideaki's blade locked onto the fabric of Seiji's T-shirt,

Seiji's eyes widened, realizing the opportunity to counterattack.

With a burst of strength, he grabbed Hideaki's arm and threw him to the floor with all the strength he could muster, causing his own shirt to rip off in the digged part, painting it with blood, but Seiji didn't care about that.

The sound of their bodies hitting the ground reverberated through the room.

Seiji was looming over the killer, holding him tightly, so he couldn't escape.

"Calm down!" Seiji shouted, his voice hard with urgency.

Hideaki thrashed beneath him, still clutching the knife which slowly began to deform, his eyes wild and bloodthirsty.

"LET ME GO!!!" he shrieked, his voice cracking with manic glee. "I will figure out where your head is! Ehehehe! I WANNA PLAY WITH YOUR BLOOD! I WANNA CRAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR FORHEAD! EHEHEHE! I WANNA SEE HOW THAT SCARLET RED SHINES ON MY HANDS! AND TASTE YOUR BLOOD! EHEHEHE!!"

His laughter broke through the screams, high-pitched and hysterical, as he swung the knife blindly through the dark, uncaring where it landed — as long as it cut.

Seiji's mind raced in panic.

'Crave in my forhead?? Taste my blood? What is he?? A vampire now? He's fucked up to the core!'

His nerves were frazzled, his mind racing with fear and determination. He couldn't die now... He had a mission to complete... a mission to bring his roommate to his senses.

One hand he tightened his grip on Hideaki's shoulder, and his other hand, he struggled to wrestle the knife from his grasp.

"Give this thing to me! It's not safe when it's in your hands!"

Hideaki gasped, by the realization 'His... His head is right before me... hehehehe!' his eyes gleamed with crazed delight, as if this were all some sick play to him - a play he didn't know how to stop.

In one moment, despite Seiji's holding his arm tightly, he tighetened the grip even more. The blood started to drop a little bit more. Hideaki clenged his teeth and using his Magic Ability once again, he hardened the dropping blood from the knife handle.

Once he done that, he grinned, gasping for air from the ecstasy and madness that took over his mind and tried to stab Seiji one more time.

Seiji stayed eerily calm, though the rising tension in the air weighed on him.

'He's not listening...'

He took a breath, and with one flick of a move, he forcefully took away Hideaki's knife from his grip, just before its pinch reached his head.

"My knife!" Hideaki yelled, shocked.

Then, without warning — driven by a sudden surge of rage — Hideaki flung Seiji aside with unnatural strength.

Seiji crashed hard against the floor, stunned by the force behind the throw.

No one would have thought Hideaki capable of that.

Not even Seiji.

In that moment, pain shot through Seiji's body, making him letting go of the knife that now only was witnessed as a dark red pool of blood.

His gaze snapped to Hideaki, who now, being above him, was grinning like a demon unleashed.

With one hand he reached into the pool of blood, trying to feel it, to gather the fluid again and harden the blood into some sick, sharp weapon.

When Hideaki felt that there was blood on his hand again, he let out an uncontrollable laugh, then he raised his hand and made a thin, sharp knife out of the falling blood streams, which was glinting ominously reddish in the sudden flickering LED light.

"Hehehehe..."

Seiji heard the low, mad laughter - Hideaki was on the move.

'Fuck... Fuck! Fuck!'

Seiji's mind calculated quickly, the urgency of the situation sharpening his thoughts.

He couldn't stay here, not with Hideaki coming at him with such feral intent.

The bathroom was his only closest escape option.

'I need to create distance... to think.'

For a brief moment, the lights flickered violently again — casting the apartment in a stark, ghostly glow.
Then, just as quickly, the power cut out again, plunging them back into darkness.

Seiji's heart pounded in his chest and in one strong move, he grabbed Hideaki by the neck, fingers tightening with desperate force.

Hideaki's eyes widened in shock, the manic grin faltering as the grip around his throat grew tighter.

He let out a strangled gasp, his hands clawing at Seiji's arms, instinctively trying to pull away — but the pressure made it hard to breathe. His movements grew frantic, desperate, as he wheezed, lips parting in a silent cry for air.

Seiji didn't let go.

With one brutal push, Seiji used the moment of Hideaki's breathless panic to shove him violently to the side. Hideaki tumbled with a hoarse gasp, disoriented, his hands clutching at his throat.

Seiji didn't hesitate.

He bolted for the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and locking it with trembling fingers.

His back hit the wall, breath ragged, sweat dripping down his face.

Behind the door, he could hear Hideaki coughing and growling, the shuffle of movement

"EHEHEHE! EHEHEHEHE!!" — and that damn laughter again, now hoarse and rasping, but still echoing through the dark.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as he felt Hideaki's presence - closer, and closer.

A second later, Hideaki's fist slammed against the wood with a thunderous crack, the blow rattling through the frame.

"Seijiii! Ehehehehe!"

Again, and again — each strike harder, more frenzied, the door groaning under the abuse.

"Let me in!!! Ehehehe!" he bellowed, his voice breaking into a manic, unhinged scream. "I just want to play with you... HEHEHE! And hurt you with my toy! Hehehehe!!!"

His pounding grew wilder, fists hammering without rhythm, as if driven by pure madness. The sound reverberated through the apartment like war drums, every strike carrying raw rage and desperation.

"Leeet meeee iiiiiiin~!"

Hideaki's voice, sickly sweet and dripping with malice, seeped through the cracks. He started to fiddle with the door handle violently.

Seiji moved himself out of the door. His hands now gripped the sink, his knuckles turning white.

'This is worse than any bully I've faced.'

The thought pierced through the fear.

'Even the ones that beat me up weren't as terrifying as this.'

His mind raced, calculating his next move.

'I need to think, I need a plan.'

His eyes scanned the dimly lit bathroom. The only place to hide was the bathtub, though it offered little real protection. It wasn't ideal, but it bought him time.

The handle, already old and a little loose, didn't stand a chance. Hideaki, thrashing and yanking at it like a lunatic.

The moment he heard that, Seiji slipped into the cold steel, heart hammering against his ribs as the relentless sounds of Hideaki's chaos on the door continued.

"Fucking door handle! Let me fucking go!! I want to cut Seiji's skin off! And then drain his blood! Ahahaha! I wonder what his blood type is... AB+? A-? B+? A+? Or maybe O? Ahahahaha!" The maniacal laughter outside grew louder, more unhinged.

'I've seen this in horror films... now I understand how the killer's victims feel.'  Seiji's thoughts were clinical, but there was no denying the fear that gripped him.

Suddenly... from the place where was door handle echoed a sound.

Hideaki tore it off with a sharp crack. Metal clattered against the floor as he shoved his weight forward, slamming his shoulder into the door.

"Eeeeekhehehehehehe!!!!!" The creepy yet unhinged laughter echoed again.

Seiji shivered, the sound crawling under his skin.

'I hate that laugh...'  he thought grimly. 'I need him to stop this madness. Now.'

Suddenly, the door handle clicked — but instead of turning, there was a sharp crack.

"EHEHEHEHE!" Hideaki howled.

The door swung open with a long, tortured creak.

Seiji shivered, the sound crawling under his skin. His pulse thundered in his ears, but his thoughts cut through the noise with icy precision.

'He's inside. Hiding won't save me. I need to outthink him.'

His eyes darted to the small bathroom window above the tub. Too narrow to climb through quickly, but maybe enough to scream for help — if he was willing to risk drawing the neighbors' attention.

Another option — grab something. His gaze fell on the metal towel rack, flimsy but detachable. It wasn't much, but in his hands it could become a weapon.

'I can't overpower him. I can only outlast him. Buy seconds, not minutes.'

But then...

"I'm gonna fiiind you, and I'm gonna kiiiill youuu~" Hideaki yelled creepy-gleefully.

Seiji forced his breathing to steady, every nerve screaming to panic, yet his mind working in ruthless, mechanical order.

His grip tightened on the cold steel edge of the tub. He didn't know if he'd fight, or if he'd stall, but one truth burned in him:

'I will not die cornered like prey.'

His eyes darted around the bathroom, desperately searching for something - anything- that could serve as a defense. Then, he spotted the silver showerhead, glinting in the faint light.

'It'll have to do.'

He leaped from the bathtub as quietly as he could and moved to the shower corner, adrenaline coursing through him. Suddenly, a raspy voice cut through the tense silence, sending chills down his spine.

"Heey, Seiiijjiii!!!" Hideaki's tone dripping with sadistic glee

Seiji swallowed hard, steeling himself for what was to come.

"Come out! Ehehehehehe!!!" Hideaki's laugh twisted into something menacing, igniting a sense of dread deep within Seiji.

'Stay calm, don't make any sound.'  Seiji thought, panic gripping him as Hideaki slinked further into the bathroom, eyes roaming like a hawk searching for its quarry.

Seiji held his breath, praying Hideaki wouldn't find him. Each step Hideaki took echoed ominously against the cold tiles, his presence growing closer. Seiji's senses heightened, ready to swing the showerhead as a weapon at a moment's notice.

Then, the footsteps stopped. The silhouette of Hideaki loomed right in front of him.

Seiji seized the moment - And splashed the cold water directly at Hideaki's face.

"What the-?! Fghfbhghfghghf!!!" Hideaki screamed while he was attacked with water. Panic momentarily flickered across Hideaki's features as he staggered back, hair plastered to his face.

Seizing the opportunity, Seiji dashed out of the bathroom, adrenaline propelling him forward to the safety of his room.

Once inside, he reached for his last line of defense - one of his tarantulas.

Hideaki was drenched and furious, steam rising from his body. He didn't have his weapon in his hands anymore. The blood melted right after the water splashed him.

"Seijiiii!!! I'll get to you, and I'll rip your stupid head off!" He yelled pissed off.

Seiji, clutching the tarantula tightly, took a deep breath. "This worked last time, it will probably work this time as well..."

Hideaki charged forward Seiji 's room.

Once there, he saw Seiji standing right in front of him, but strangely confident.

Then, he noticed what Seiji was holding up on his arm. The creature that was illuminated by the phone's flashlight.

"T-tarantula! No! No!! FUCKING HELL NO!!!!!" Hideaki's panicked scream pierced the air, primal fear overtaking his murderous intent.

Taking advantage of his roommate's fear, Seiji inched closer, his movements calculated. "Remember last time? I didn't set spiders on you... But this time, I'm not afraid to use them. I know how scared you are of them, but it's the only way I can calm you down."

His voice held an eerie calmness, imbued with newfound authority.

"Now, if you don't want a spider on your face, you better listen to me."

Seiji's fear had faded, replaced by a chilling determination as he felt control shift in his favor over the deranged monster before him.

Hideaki spiraled deeper into his own fear, paralyzed by his intense arachnophobia.

'N-NO! NO! NOO!! NOT THEM! NOT THESE MONSTERS AGAIN!'

He felt his heart pounding against his chest, his breathing becoming shallow, panic overcoming him, tears began to stream on his face.

He contemplated fleeing, desperately seeking shelter from the terrifying spiders Seiji had threatened him with.

'H-he.. He tries to scare m-me... He will release his spiders on me!!'

His nails dug into his palm so hard they nearly broke the skin. His fists trembled.
His jaw clenched with such force that his teeth ached.

'H-He's always so confident!'

But then— a sickly, shaking smile twisted his lips, blending terror with a dark, unhinged delight.

'T-Tch! It pisses me off!'

Hideaki's breath was ragged.

His breathing even more hitched — shallow, rapid. That blend of envy and fury seared through his chest like acid.

And then — he laughed.

"Ha! Hahahaha! T-that's all you can d-do?! Hahaha!"

The laugh was broken, manic, pierced with fear and desperation.

"S-spiders? Seriously?! That's the best you can c-come up with?! Just because you don't have magic? Because you're u-useless?!"
"Pathetic, Seiji! Without magic, y-you're just trash! You think you can c-control me?!"
"Tch... You're n-nothing. NOTHING!"

But deep down, no matter how much he screamed, no matter how hard his nails tore into his palms...

The truth itched at the back of his mind —
He was the one losing control. And Seiji knew it.

Seiji felt a surge of anger at Hideaki's words - each taunt mirrored the torment of his past and the current issues with his bullies at work.

Memories of those who laughed at him for lacking magic flooded his mind, igniting a seething rage within him. His eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on Hideaki's visibly trembling form.

"You think those words have power over me?" Seiji replied, his voice dripping with cold resolve. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."

Hideaki's laughter wavered... then faltered.
The smile died on his lips.

He stood there, trembling, teeth grit, and fists clenched so hard his arms shook.

His own voice echoed silently in his mind, one he couldn't drown out:

'It's not working... He's not afraid of me...'

His knees threatened to give in. His breathing turned shaky.

'I'm p-pathetic... He doesn't even have Magic Ability... a-and still...'

He lowered his gaze, jaw quivering slightly.

The laughter was gone.

Only silence remained — broken by the faint sound of his own heart hammering in fear and shame.

"This ends now. You're not going to play like that with me..." Seiji said, and without hesitation, he lunged towards Hideaki.

The spider eagerly crawled onto Hideaki's face, igniting a storm of panic within him and shattering his facade.

"Get off! Get off! GET OOOOOF!!! FGETOFFGETOFF! FUCKFUCKFUUUCK!!!!! GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY FAAAACEEE!!!" high pitched screams erupted from his throat, he began to cry out loudly from panic.

Seiji's expression transformed into a proud smile as he watched the torment unfold before him. Yet, amidst the satisfaction, a somber realization seeped into his thoughts.

'He has no right to mock me like that...'

The weight of years of pain echoed in his mind.

'This bastard doesn't know what I've endured. How I feel now. He doesn't care about anyone but himself.'

As Hideaki thrashed, desperately trying to free himself from the spider's clutches, Seiji made a calculated move toward the kitchen, the dim light from the balcony casting shadows on the chaos outside.

The rain hammered against the pavement, creating an almost rhythmic backdrop to the turmoil within.

In the kitchen, Seiji searched for a weapon, anticipating Hideaki's potential escape from the spider.

He understood the paralyzing fear that these small creatures instilled in Hideaki's twisted mind, though he himself had felt terror when Hideaki had hunted him with a knife.

Gripping a thick cookbook, Seiji stealthily returned to his room, heart pounding with anticipation.

And inside...

He found Hideaki unconscious on the bed, a tarantula still resting on his face, tears streaked his cheeks.

Seiji carefully lifted the tarantula and placed it back in its terrarium, then examined Hideaki for any signs of stinging hairs.

"All clear..." His voice was barely above a whisper. Then, his eyes caught the faint traces of tears on Hideaki's face.

Seiji exhaled a long, heavy sigh.

The weight of exhaustion and futility pressed down on him.

His mind raced, dissecting Hideaki's actions, his descent into madness.

"I'm... so... done with him." The words slipped out, quiet but resolute.