Chapter 162

## Chapter Guide

**"Uncontrollable Situation"** (暴 (ぼう) 走 (そう) 状 (じょう) 態 (たい) , *Bōsō Jōtai*?) is the one hundred sixty-second chapter of the Shadows House manga series.

## Summary

Margaret grows terrified of her soot power that has gone out of control. The soot ivy has nearly overtaken the entire manor, except for the Relief Room thanks to Evelyn's soot power. Jeremiah uses his soot power to scale the sticky walls by cutting off and regenerating his soot arms, though he uses his real arm to block ivy that comes for Patrick when they reach the top. Patrick is finally able to reach Margaret, who turns horrified when her soot power attacks him on its own. Realizing she may be tainted, she decides to take down the world with her, and begins suffocating her victims, including Patrick who mentally begs for help as he drowns.

## Plot

Margaret had only wished for Patrick to notice her, and is now terrified and in pain from the soot she can't control. Throughout the building, Gilbert and Douglas' Team's cells have also been attacked by the ivy, with Gilbert breaking out but realizing there is little escape. In the Relief Room, the Relief Team and patients have barricaded the room and Evelyn uses her soot power to break down the ivy. This leaves the Relief Room one of the only parts of the manor safe, though Evelyn is worried with the fact the rest of the children aren't equipped to handle the current situation.

Patrick and Jeremiah have reached the Star Bearer residential tower, with Jeremiah deciding to climb the wall with his soot power and Patrick on his back. He manages to climb quickly by cutting off the hands that get stuck and regenerating new ones to Patrick's shock. On the ground, Jeremy and Ricky dissolve soot ivy with water guns to distract Margaret. When asked, Jeremy reveals that he came with the plan to reduce the damage to the manor, and to see Patrick's soot power in action, something Lydia had discovered. Upon reaching the soot flower Margaret is in, Patrick is nearly caught but Jeremiah uses his real hand to block it. He reveals the final reason for helping Patrick: he loves people with burning passion. Thanking his senior, Patrick jumps into the flower and finally reaches Margaret who is overjoyed. She quickly becomes horrified when she attacks him with ivy and forces him into the walls. Coming to the realization she may be the one tainted, Margaret refuses to accept her reality and is consumed by hate for the world that defiled her. Her heightened emotions causes her to begin suffocating the shadows she has trapped. In the walls of the soot flower, Patrick is slowly suffocating and bound. As he mentally calls out for Margaret for help, things go black.

## Characters

* Robert (Background)
* Robert's Face (Background)
* Margaret
* Douglas
* Doug (Non-speaking Role)
* James (Non-speaking Role)
* Jim (Non-speaking Role)
* Laurence (Non-speaking Role)
* Larry (Non-speaking Role)
* Peter (Non-speaking Role)
* Pete (Non-speaking Role)
* Gilbert
* Gil (Non-speaking Role)
* Bertram (Background)
* Bertie (Background)
* Barbara (Background)
* Barbie (Background)
* Susanna
* Susie (Background)
* John
* Shaun
* Evelyn
* Eve (Non-speaking Role)
* Patrick
* Ricky
* Jeremiah
* Jeremy
* Benjamin (Non-speaking Role)
* Ben (Non-speaking Role)
* Mirabelle (Non-speaking Role)
* Isabelle (Non-speaking Role)
* Belle (Non-speaking Role)