Chapter 3: Pay For Your Sins
"Dr. Albert, you… are you still you?"
"...What?" Doctor Albert lowered his head slightly, his expression hidden, making it difficult for Elijah to read him.
Then, he heard Doctor Albert speak again. Raising his head, he said with a smile, "I don't seem to understand what you're talking about, Eli. Are you perhaps seeing things again?"
"..." Elijah was silent, staring intently at Doctor Albert, trying to read him.
Minutes of silence passed. Doctor Albert looked at Elijah seriously and asked hesitantly, "Eli?"
After a moment, Elijah finally spoke. "It's nothing. I'm fine; I just thought of something funny for a moment."
"Oh? Is that so? What is it that you thought of?" Doctor Albert asked with a nonchalant voice; however, contrasting with it, his eyes narrowed, and his smile didn't reach them.
The corner of Elijah's lips curled up slightly, and he looked straight into Doctor Albert's eyes. "You see, I think I forgot to tell you about this ever since I started taking counseling from you, Doctor."
"This is another thing I've been seeing ever since I started seeing her," Elijah emphasized.
"Oh? Do tell me." Doctor Albert said, taking a seat and looking at Elijah seriously. His hands clasped together, and he rested his chin on top of them.
"You see, it's strange, indeed very strange, but I didn't seem to have told you how strange it is that I can tell these people I keep seeing and disappearing aren't them anymore, and that…" His voice trailed off purposefully as he added solemnly, "They're replaced by something strange."
"..." Doctor Albert didn't speak; his expression was dark and unreadable.
Although Elijah sensed the atmosphere growing colder and the air tightening in the room, he continued with a forced smile. "You see, when I saw Emily again, she looked exactly the same, sounded exactly the same, and even thought, acted, and remembered exactly the same as before."
"Supposedly, nothing should be strange since it's only been a year, no?" Elijah said, his smile gone, replaced by coldness.
"...But didn't you say you knew she wasn't her because you'd called her parents before?" Doctor Albert said sharply.
"Oh, it seems I did mention that before. I'm surprised you still remember it," Elijah said, emphasizing "remembered."
"Of course, I'll remember; you're one of my few patients, after all," Doctor Albert said nonchalantly, seemingly his normal self.
"I see…" Elijah muttered. Then, he smiled and said, "Doctor, didn't you say you have something to give me?"
"...Just what is up with you, kid? I thought you wanted to say something to me and even stopped me from searching for it," Doctor Albert sighed with a laugh, scratching his head.
"Just go look for it if you don't mind, Doctor. I'll continue telling you as I go," Elijah said.
"Haa… fine, fine, I'll do so," Doctor Albert said, standing up, turning, and starting to search again.
While he searched, Elijah continued. "Doctor, I just want to clarify that I didn't stop you from continuing the search; I just asked you something, and you reacted and stopped."
At his words, there was a faint pause in Doctor Albert's movement, but he quickly regained his composure and resumed searching, saying softly, "Is that so?"
"Mm," Elijah hummed in response before speaking, closing his eyes. "You said the reason I knew it wasn't her was because I asked her parents, right?"
"That was just the second reason, and the thing that confirmed my hunch," Elijah said.
"The second?" Doctor Albert keenly noticed this detail and asked back in surprise.
"Yes. The real reason I knew it wasn't her…" Elijah purposely trailed off, opening his eyelids. "...is because she doesn't have eyes."
"..." Doctor Albert was silent.
"No eyes, just plain black, an empty void, as if her eyes were gouged out and cleaned, as there were no traces whatsoever of blood or veins," Elijah described, not from memory.
"And the reason why I'm able to clearly describe this is not because of how I remembered it, but because…"
"...Doctor, you have the exact appearance as hers today."
"..." Silence. That was all Elijah expected until he heard a small laugh from Doctor Albert, his shoulders jumping up and down slightly.
"Is that so, Eli? You seem to have indeed hidden it quite well all these years," Doctor Albert said, slowly turning around.
From Elijah's perspective, he could clearly see Doctor Albert's true appearance. It was the same, except—he had no eyeballs.
"Eli, I'm sincerely glad you decided to be honest with me," Doctor Albert said, smiling. "Because of this, I finally decided on something else and changed my mind about you."
Saying that, Doctor Albert turned and found what he was looking for. Holding a red box, he placed it on the table and pushed it toward Elijah. "Here."
Elijah looked down at the box, his hand slowly reaching forward. His heart was beating fast, his senses screaming, warning him of impending danger. Despite this, he touched the lid before opening it.
Inside was a piece of obsidian, glossy and shiny but dusty.
"...What—is this?" Elijah asked, hesitantly reaching for it and tracing it with his thumb.
"That is a gift Doctor Albert wanted to give you," Doctor Albert said. Hearing him mention "Doctor Albert" despite his appearance shook Elijah.
"...I see," Elijah muttered silently, his head lowered, eyes narrowed sadly.
He didn't know if Doctor Albert's words were a confession, but it wouldn't change his impression. This person was no longer the Doctor Albert he knew. Like Emily, he wasn't changed; he was replaced.
Elijah felt a surge of pain in his chest. He gritted his teeth, stood up slowly, and said, "Thank you for your time, Doctor."
Elijah pocketed the stone and bowed as he walked away. As he reached the door, he heard Doctor Albert speak.
"I'm sorry, Eli."
Elijah's fist clenched. He frowned. "You don't need to say sorry. No matter what you say or do, this doesn't change the fact that you stole someone's life," Elijah said. He paused before adding, "And since you stole it, bear the consequences and take care of his family properly. And remember this, since you have a great memory: One day, you all will pay for your sins with your lives, whatever you all are." He left and shut the door.
Hearing this, Doctor Albert chuckled. "Pay for my sins, huh…"
Doctor Albert fell silent, puzzled. Why had he let Elijah leave, knowing his identity was exposed? He'd said he changed his mind—from killing Elijah to devouring him—since Elijah wasn't ordinary. Devouring him would make him stronger. But he did neither, and even… gave him the stone that warded off beings like them.
"Haa…" Doctor Albert leaned back, brushing his hair. "It seems I've indeed become weak, to be influenced by this body's measly emotions and affection."
He lowered his eyes and saw a picture frame: Doctor Albert, his wife, and his five-year-old daughter, whom he hugged.
"...Pay for my sins, huh… it seems I have indeed…"
"...sinned, for taking away not only this person's life, but his family's beloved as well."
He suddenly remembered something, frowning. "Eli… whatever possessed Emily's body, it seemed it wouldn't let you off easily, seeing that…" He recalled Elijah's first visit, the overwhelming shadow with countless bloody eyes, surging around him. One stare could kill, but it didn't. This meant the being secretly watched Elijah and wouldn't reveal its power—not yet.
Doctor Albert scoffed, crossing his arms. "Eli said to pay for my sins, but what about him? That kind of obsession from such a malevolent being obviously means he committed a far greater sin than I did."
"Well, whatever it is, it's no longer my business."
"Eli… I wish you with utmost sincerity that…"
"Eli—" Emily called as she opened the door, but sensing the stone, she cried out.
"AHhhhhhhhhhhh"
"...that you survive and live longer," Doctor Albert continued.
"E-Emily…" Elijah was stunned by Emily's reaction. As he wondered why, the stone moved. Just as he was trying to process the situation, a large shadow enveloped him. He raised his head, sweating, and looked up at countless bloody eyes, staring at him, blood dripping as if crying.
"Eli, you—" Emily said. "Do you really hate me that much that you want to kill me?"