Sadako's Torture and Collapse
Xu Mo stood before the television as the static cleared.
The familiar sequence played once again—scattered images, then the dry well. The lights in the room flickered as Sadako slowly climbed out, her pale form dragging itself forward.
This time, as she half-emerged from the screen, her gaze fell on a pair of familiar shoes.
She froze.
Her eyes followed upward, only to meet Xu Mo's smiling face.
The sight stopped her cold. That smile—burned into her memory—sent a shiver down her spine.
"We meet again," Xu Mo said lightly.
Panic seized her. Bad memories rushed back all at once. She scrambled backwards, trying to retreat into the television, but it was far too late.
Xu Mo reached out, seized her hair, and yanked her out of the screen.
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave. I've prepared your favorite rope and whip."
Sadako's body convulsed in terror, but her struggles were useless. Within moments, she was suspended in midair, bound tightly by a glowing purple magic rope. Xu Mo's whip, forged of the same energy, gleamed menacingly in his hand.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Xu Mo didn't bother with questions this time. He went straight to punishment.
Only he could hear her tortured screams as her clone shattered into black resentment and dissolved.
The Dark Shackles spell he attempted failed to bind her fragment—it seemed to work only on her true self.
Still, with each clone's destruction, only a fraction of the resentment inside Xu Mo dissipated. The bulk of it remained unchanged, sustained by the dark energy he had fed it.
Unperturbed, Xu Mo returned to his seat and waited.
Almost instantly, the television flickered to life again.
Now he was certain—Sadako was bound by rules. Otherwise, after two humiliations, no spirit would willingly appear before him again.
She emerged slowly this time, hesitating, yet compelled forward. Her trembling hand extended from the screen—only to be seized once more by Xu Mo.
Dragged out, strung up, and ignored when she begged to negotiate, she endured torment after torment.
Xu Mo repeated the process mercilessly, four or five times in succession.
By the last round, her eyes were glassy, her spirit hollow. She no longer looked like a vengeful ghost but a battered puppet, resigned to endless pain.
Finally, Xu Mo sat back on the sofa. "Now, we can discuss terms."
At once, Sadako snapped to attention. Tears streamed down her face. "I promise! I'll do whatever you want!"
The desperation in her voice startled him. For all her malice, she was utterly broken.
What Xu Mo didn't realize was that her clones transmitted sensation back to her true body. An hour of relentless punishment had left even her original spirit shaken.
Now she wanted only one thing: for the torment to end.
"Since you agree," Xu Mo said calmly, "come here in your true form."
The television flared. A figure surged forth—this time moving with terrifying speed, limbs blurring with afterimages. The sheer weight of resentment rolling off her marked the difference immediately.
Sadako's true self had arrived. Her power rivaled even Alessa's.
Xu Mo eyed her with interest. "So strong. Why not resist? I may have dealt with your clones, but your true body could prove more than I can handle."
His words were bait, but Sadako shook her head frantically. "No… no need!"
Fear glittered in her eyes. She no longer looked like an apex predator but like prey beaten into submission.
Xu Mo sighed. "Misunderstood me, did you? I'm not a pervert—you'll learn that in time."
He waved his hand. The rune of Dark Shackles flared, embedding itself into her brow.
Her body stiffened as control slipped away. Xu Mo smiled, satisfied.
"Now, tell me—do you know any other evil spirits?"
Hope gleamed in his eyes. Surely a being like Sadako had crossed paths with others.
But she shook her head quickly. "No. If we meet, we try to devour each other."
So even her kind consumed their rivals.
Xu Mo sighed. "Pity."
"In that case, go to Silent Hill. Stay with Alessa for a while."
"Yes, Master," Sadako answered instantly. Relief washed over her as her form vanished.
Xu Mo leaned back, shaking his head.
He hadn't destroyed her because she had value. In his grand plan, Silent Hill was becoming a horror park, and Sadako was now another exhibit. Fear harvested from ordinary people was renewable—like fields of grain, ready to be reaped again and again.
He had turned spirits into tools, a perpetual source of points.
Satisfied, Xu Mo returned to his room.
"Next is Freddy," he murmured. "Don't disappoint me."
Exhaustion finally overcame him. Sadako had spent the night screaming. He, on the other hand, had done all the work.
Closing his eyes, Xu Mo drifted into sleep, already preparing for his next encounter.
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