Eli and the Professor pulled a lifeless-looking Ren with all they had, the rain pouring on them as they couldn't open their eyes to see how they were pulling, and had repeatedly spat out water and went through their nose.
While that happened, Gao Ming's phone that fell off the wound had dived down with Ren and smashed into the ground, breaking apart while being assaulted by the pouring rain. This was what Ren wanted: to simulate the act of Gao Ming destroying his own phone, making him the one to rid himself of the words of loneliness, envy of a better life, and the deep-seated fear and revenge that had been conveyed through the fictional video chats.
"Ren!" The Professor screamed, but Ren still didn't respond and had his hand grabbing the rope as they pulled up. Already, his body was in front of the balcony, and Gao Ming pushed him. He started moving and swung himself onto the balcony, rolling back into the room.
Eli and the Professor couldn't understand why Ren was doing what he was doing at all.
Ren lay on the ground, drenched and in agonizing pain, his left arm feeling like it had snapped, but it looked like it; his face was thinly scarred on the left side of his face, with flesh being exposed, and blood pouring from it. He couldn't defend himself against Gao Ming.
Gao Ming, on the other hand, was looking dazed, not the usual horrible face to devour anyone he sees, but rather one of confusion. Ren knew that being the rare person not to run, or return malice to him.
Ren forced himself to stand up, groaning from the pain as he limped towards Gao Ming with open arms.
Ren hugged Gao Ming, who was shocked at that. Studies that Ren had researched and seen tested revealed a peculiar, overpowered ability: the profound impact of a hug in times of trouble, not a handshake or a pat on the back, but just a hug. Gao Ming needed it, something to make him realize that Ren had no ulterior motive.
Go Ming, in turn, was shocked by the hug, taking a step back and pulling Ren with him. Grey shadows spewed from under Gao Ming towards Ren.
The shadows wrapped around Ren in a tiny-sized chain design structure all on his skin, tightening themselves by the minute and causing sharp pain to Ren, who wouldn't let go of the hug.
"It's okay," Ren whispered, his whole body now covered in blood and decaying flesh matter, with the stench irritating his nose and making him nauseated, but he would pull through. The pain then peaked, making Ren drop to his knees, trembling as Gao Ming just watched him. A voice went through him, saying. "Such powers can also be yours."
Ren gripped the chains as pain radiated throughout his body. Gao Ming was still standing as the grey shadows departed for Ren; his bones were reshaping themselves to normal, with his neck cracking till it was upright. The disgusting wounds surrounding his body were healing. Gao Ming's body was now glowing a dim, white light.
Ren was shivering aggressively from the pain, his head bobbing as he again attempted to stand up, his face distorting in pain.
Gao Ming turned to look at the mirror in the room, which reflected the world upside down, yet did not show Gao Ming's reflection. He waved his hands, but nothing was revealed. Like he didn't exist, Gao Ming was pondering on that as it reminded him of his room, where... He didn't want to remember that room; it was now part of the past.
Gao Ming smiled at that thought and walked out of the room. The black stains disappeared along with some shadows as he went downstairs.
The pain had subsided from Ren; he only felt a bit of ringing in his head, and with that, he went after Gao Ming. He stopped.
He noticed his left arm wasn't bent weirdly anymore, and his face wasn't scarred anymore, but they all still stung in pain, plus, the shadow chains had vanished.
He heard footsteps from upstairs and found it to be Eli, who was stunned when she saw him.
"You look horrible." She noted, and he just smiled.
"I resolved an abnormality." He said as Eli went to check on him.
"Yes, and survived by luck." She said as she didn't want to touch him due to the numerous things on him.
"What happened?" The Professor came down too. He looked less shocked by Eli when he saw Ren.
"How are you feeling, Professor?" Ren asked. He felt a bit sleepy now.
The Professor gave a thumbs up, and Ren went downstairs without any explanation.
"Gao Ming." He called out, but no response.
When he reached the ground floor, Gao Ming was gone, with all the shadows disappearing. There it was, a black and white portrait lying down. The rain had finally stopped, and the sun was shining.
When he wanted to grab it, a scream came from behind. Ren turned back in fear, but it was the Professor who was coming behind him, his body starting to fade away. Ren went to grab him, but his hand phased through.
The Professor coughed up another round of black blood. "It seems that I can't leave this building."
The professor's body vanished with the shadows, leaving behind another black-and-white portrait.
Ren washed his hands with a small amount of water from the ground before picking up the two portraits.
The portrait left behind by the Professor was of the Professor genuinely smiling. On the back was a beautiful, calligraphic-like writing: (Picture Of Family Member). I heard a voice from within, a voice that made me no longer lie down useless and wait for death to come; oh no, I wanted to experience being alive again.
That was what happened to the Professor; he was in a terminal condition, but then he regained strength when the shadows of the game engulfed the world.
But how?
He checked the second portrait, and it was of Gao Ming and him falling from the balcony, both hugging each other, except Ren was the only one colored in the photo, and the grey chain shadows were binding both of them together.
He checked the back of the photo that Gao Ming left behind to also find writing, just like the Professor's own:
(Photo of family member). The bond of families is the responsibility of every member to maintain. I will be part of you, so if you let people know of my pain.
Ren suspects that just like the voice said when he was fighting with the chain, he too can summon Gao Ming or his powers-whatever that is, if he shares Gao Ming's pain with others.