The One

Message Mess

Karol entered her home and, with all the grace of someone seeking solace, marched straight to her room. She found sanctuary in the shower, the steaming water enveloping her, washing away the day's tension. After drying off, she slipped into her soft, comfortable attire before collapsing face-down on her bed, the cool fabric of her sheets contrasting with the warmth of her skin. Unbeknownst to her, Christian watched from his balcony, an unseen observer, his gaze lingering like a shadow, while a thrill coursed through him at the sight of her through the wide-open curtain.

He silently offered his gratitude to the universe for granting him a glimpse into his mate's secret haven. Suddenly, a sixth sense stirred within Karol, and she jerked her head up towards the window, feeling an inexplicable prickle of awareness. She scanned her surroundings but dismissed the eerie sensation, reaching for her phone while still sprawled in her unceremonious position.

Thirty minutes ticked by in a blur, and then Karol, feeling a tug of responsibility, decided to message her parents before preparing a simple dinner for herself.

-Randale's World-

K: Mummy Daddy. Where are you?

W: Outside, sightseeing with The Ethelwulf and The Salvatore, wassup baby girl?

K: Oh, okay. Then what time you'll be back?

A: Probably around midnight, I guess.

W: Or around 11.

K: Okay then, bye and enjoy your sightseeing with them.

W: We'll do, baby girl.

A: Where are you, Karol?

S: She's at home. She went back right after our lunch date.

K: Yes, I'm at home. Thank you, Sharon, the human CCTV.

W: Where's Christian?

A: Isn't Christian supposed to be there with you? I mean, go out and about like your sister?

K: I'm just too lazy to go out and about, so I asked him to send me back home so I can get some rest and alone time.

S: Lol, typical Karol. Boring~

W: Okay, baby girl, get some rest.

A: Yeah, get some rest.

Tossing her phone aside, Karol ambled over to her study desk where her laptop bag lay dormant, as though beckoning for attention. She unearthed the laptop from its confines, closed the bag with finality, and returned to her bed, settling in with a determined poise.

Leaning against the headboard, she dove into her research on werewolves, her curiosity igniting a fire within her. An hour slipped by unnoticed, lost to the depths of her pursuit, when suddenly her phone emitted a cheerful ping, breaking the silence like a silver bell.

C: Karol, hi it's Christian. (His text provoked a snort of amusement from Karol.)

K: Lol, of course, I know it's you. I did save your number, remember?

C: Hahaha, of course, I remember. I was just messing around with you. (laughing emoji at the beginning and sticking its tongue out at the end)

K: Lol, what do you want Christian?

C: Ouch, cold Karol is back. I just want to ask, do you want to go out for dinner with me?

K: Hahaha, cold Karol is here just for a split second. Anyway, I have to decline your offer because I've already had my dinner. (a laughing emoji at the beginning and a smiling emoji at the end)

C: Oh! Well, it's my bad for being a slow-poke. (sad emoji)

C: What are you doing now? (smiley emoji)

K: No worries about it. Anyway, I need to go now; kinda in the middle of doing my work.

After she sent her message, she glimpsed the time—7.30 pm—before shutting her laptop and wandering downstairs to the kitchen. She assembled a simple sandwich paired with a refreshing glass of apple juice, devouring it quickly before retreating to her room. Once there, she paused to draw the curtain closed over the window, shielding herself from any prying eyes that might linger outside.

Returning to her bed, she commenced her mission: infiltrating Theodulf File Arcade. As a professional hacker, she relished the challenge before her. With deft fingers, she navigated through system defences, cracking codes and slipping past firewalls as if they were mere cobwebs.

Soon, she found herself smirking, smugly declaring, "Piece of cake," as she organised the files, prioritising the crucial ones until she reached the highly classified documents, shrouded behind an extra layer of protection. Hours melted away as she smoothly downloaded the important files, vigilant against detection by the ever-watchful system.

Caught in the intoxicating allure of a particularly well-guarded file, she felt the thrill of the forbidden swirling around her like a trap. Just as she inched closer to breaching the first firewall, her phone dinged again—a pulsating reminder of the outside world. She brushed it off, but moments later, a flurry of notifications flooded her device, echoing through her room like an impatient chorus.

She reluctantly picked up her phone, eyes still glued to her laptop screen, to see a string of messages from Christian.

"Karol" was the first message.

"Karol?" came a follow-up two minutes later, met with silence.

"Karol, you there?" "Karol, where are you?" "Karol, you okay?"

His messages, all marked as read, remained unanswered as she remained lost in her digital labyrinth. Finally, realising she had left Christian hanging, she hastily tapped out a reply, but before she could hit send, another message chimed in.

"Karol, do you want me to come over?"

"Yo, Christian, stop spamming me! I'm here, I'm in my room, I'm okay, and no! You don't need to come over. Just stay where you are." She rolled her eyes, and within seconds, the doorbell rang.

She sighed loudly, mumbling to herself, "For God's sake! What is wrong with this man?" as she headed over to the front door.

The moment she turned the doorknob and pulled the door open, she couldn't help but exclaim, "You seriously don't know how to chill," as if scolding a child, with her other hand resting on her hip.

When the door opened, everyone was stunned and speechless, looking at each other with puzzled expressions before they all burst into laughter.

"Gosh, that was gold," said Beo, still laughing.

"Oh my, sorry,"

Karol quickly straightened herself, scratching the back of her neck and looking apologetic to the four who were busy laughing at her antics.

Anna, chuckling, asked her daughter, "What was that all about?" while trying to hold back her laughter.

"Sorry, I thought Christian was the one ringing the bell because I didn't reply to him quickly enough."

"Gosh, he's that whipped, huh?"

Karol didn't know what to do next except ask them, "Erm, wanna come in?" as she opened the door wide.

"No, no, no need, love. We'll get going now," Beo replied, still chuckling, accompanied by Accalia. They continued laughing softly as they headed to their car and drove away, leaving her  alone at the door and waving goodbye to them.