Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure (Part 2)

(122) TTotSS: Mustn't Let Them See Me Cry!

Jonah was calm during the walk to the treasure vault, chatting and smiling along the way. Too calm and cheerful for Grim's taste. It just didn't make any sense that he would not panic from seeing Azul.

"There you go," Jonah said as he rolled out the carpet in the treasure vault. The carpet shook itself before tilting its head. Jonah chuckled, patting it. "Now you stay here, okay? We don't want to make Senior Kalim worried again, right?" The carpet nodded and Jonah stood up from his kneeling position and left the room, joining with Grim who stayed at the entrance. The cat watched the boy closed the door before stepping back. "And done!" he said, wiping his hand on his pants from the imaginary dust.

Grim pressed his lips together, letting out a whine behind his throat. "Jonah?" he called, high pitched voice filled with worry. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Jonah glanced at him. "Yeah." He turned toward him, tilting his head with a red eye filled with confusion.

Wait. Since when he had red eye? His eye was supposed to be black, right? Or maybe green because of his drowning counter curse? Is that why he wasn't panicking because the counter curse protects him?

"I'm perfectly fine actually," the boy continued.

"Even with Azul and the twins being here?" Grim asked again.

Jonah nodded. "Yeah. If they want to come, then they should." He reached to Grim and pat his head, but Grim didn't purr or rubbed his head against his palm as usual. "What about you? He didn't hurt you, right?" Grim just shook his head, he didn't dare to spoke anything, too confused with this. Jonah smiled. "Good, that's what matters."

"But what about you? You mentioned something about a false alarm."

The boy sighed. "Yeah..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought I caught the culprit of Kalim's mood swings."

A gasp came out from Grim. "You did?!"

"Yes and no..." he chuckled, "I thought I did but I just...collapse."

"Eh?"

"I think I passed out...? That was what Senior Jamil mentioned." He's using first name basis? Since when? "He said he found me in the hallway. Maybe because of over-exhaustion," he shrugged.

"Don't just shrug this out!" Grim squeezed Jonah's cheeks. "You just said you collapsed! You're sick?! The Octavinelle are here as well! Will you be fine?"

But Jonah just stayed calm, reaching for Grim paws and smiling gently. "I will. Trust me."

He wanted to believe this. He really did. Jonah would never lie.

But something just doesn't add up.

-----

Grim wasn't the only one who was suspicious of the whole situation.

Listening to the conversation, Jade pulled his fedora down to cover his eyes. He already knew something was right the moment they entered the lounge. Azul might be as well, but he was too caught up with his emotions and anxiety. Floyd was with him to anchor him and snapped him back from his thoughts, leaving Jade to investigate.

Everything about Jonah didn't match up. There was just no way he wouldn't get a full-blast panic attack from seeing Azul when he was shaking like a leaf by only hearing the twins' voice. However, he had some suspicion from what Azul told them about Grim's Scarabia situation. If Jonah was correct, and someone was hypnotizing Kalim, then there's a chance that Jonah might get hypnotize too. Which add more problem with potential order to shut up from the culprit.

This will be troublesome. But they need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

But first, he better get back to the defense practice. He had been gone a bit too long for a bathroom excuse.