𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

𝟐𝟐 | 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

"Is that what I think it is?" My mouth opened in disbelief, eyes zooming at the camera card. "But how – I thought..."

"You wanna know how? Leo took it, didn't he?" a friend said theatrically, a satisfied smile has spread on his face. "Why do you think I voluntarily jumped into battle with someone so Herculean? I'm not stupid."

"So, it wasn't because you were defending my honor?" I asked with a smirk. Otto frowned. Apparently, he expected me to praise him for his sacrifice.

"Hello? Did you hear what news I just told you about, or are you still brainwashed because of the words of Mr. We-Are-More-Alike-Than-Do-You Think?"

"Did you eavesdrop on us?!"

"So firstly – be quieter, and secondly – no, I didn't listen. It's just that these walls are worth the shit."

"It's definitely those walls' fault, no doubt," I stated sarcastically.

"That's all? No praise? Hug? A juicy kiss?"

"Are you really expecting me to reward you for spying on me?" My laughter spread through the room. "Come here, you are a genius!" I whispered and threw myself into his arms. Otto smiled contentedly and pulled away.

"Enough compliments. Even without you, I know how amazing I am," he proclaimed, and we both chuckled.

"What's the plan?" I yawned.

"Are you asking me?" His face made a sour grimace as if I was asking him about quantum physics.

"Honey, it's two in the morning! My part of the brain that is focused on planning things is still sleeping. Actually, it's not just one part. It's everything. I'm having a day off," I remarked, resisting the temptation to lie down in bed and sleep.

"Now it's not the right time for having a day off. The Omniscient Wilder needs you. There's a guy in the next room that I wouldn't want to mess with, and I don't think you do either, at least as far as we're talking about making conflicts, because I'm not sure about the other option including bed activity-" My furious face was enough for Otto to change the direction of his sentence "... so try not to wake him up. We need to get to his laptop, take it to our room, look at the recording again, and I'll show you what I found. Maybe you will recognize it. Any questions?" I shook my head. "Very well. So, let's get to it," he said firmly, and eagerly jumped on his feet. He went first, I was obediently following him, trying to take steps as quietly as possible. Blood rushed to my head, which caused my body to shake, giving me a hard time controlling it.

We stopped in front of the room where Leo was sleeping. Otto slowly pushed into the door, which showed no resistance. I was surprised he trusted us enough not to lock it overnight. The door had just creaked a little, making my heart pound. He can't wake up, I reminded myself as if my words could prevent the worst.

"Otto," I muttered silently. I knew what I had to do.

"What?" he whispered back.

"I'll go, you stay. The more you open the door, the more noise you make," I said, and it was clear that Otto was considering this suggestion. Finally, he nodded, and I pushed my way through the ajar door. I was nervous, even though I wasn't far from the desk where the laptop was. It was only a few steps, but even that could be enough for Leo to wake up.