𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚒 | 𝚓𝚊𝚡 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

revenge is a dish best served cold

! mentions of blood & gore !

No. This can't be happening.

My breathing quickened as tears blurred my vision. That journal had everything. If anyone read it, I might just be as good as dead.

I slid down the wall, hugging myself tightly. How could I be so careless and let it slip out of my sight like that? More importantly, who - or what - took it?

My spine prickled with unease at that thought. I scanned the room; everything seemed as serene and peaceful as before, looking untouched except for my missing journal. But something wasn't right: there was an eerie presence in the room.

I bolted out, slamming the door behind me as I leaned against the wall of the hallway. My heart was pounding against my ribcage. The air in my room, usually so comforting and cozy, was now replaced with something sinister. The evil was almost tangible.

A ghost, maybe?

I huffed at the thought. Ghosts weren't real. 

But then...what was in my room?

༊*·˚

At least whatever was in my room, stayed in my room.

It's been hours. I have no choice but to dwell outside of my room for hopefully the time being. The others have avoided me like I have the plague, but that's probably for the best.

Perhaps I'll ask Caine how to deal with this thing.

I sighed and made my way to the main room of the tent, plopping myself down on one of the sofas. The others are on one of Caine's stupid adventures again. Even Zooble, and I thought they were better than that.

I adjusted one of the cushions so that I was able to comfortably lay on it, sprawling across the linen. I clasped my hands on my stomach and stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Earlier, I had overheard Pomni gossiping about how the hell I wasn't abstracted yet, and that maybe there was something wrong with me. The worst part? Everybody believed her, including myself. The last thing I needed was the whole circus turning against me.

Out of nowhere, a glowing portal appeared a few feet away from me, slicing through the air. I watched as Jax, followed by Ragatha, Pomni, Gangle, Kinger, and Zooble walked out triumphantly, and I didn't even need to ask to know that they had a good time. It was evident from the looks on their faces.

Caine swept into the room, accompanied by Bubble. "Welcome back, my superstars! How was your adventure?" he asked. "That was actually a good adventure for once." Jax replied nonchalantly, pretending to inspect his nails through his gloves. Caine's expression brightened.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll be sure to create adventures like that in the future!" Caine remarked enthusiastically. "As for your reward for completing the adventure, Chef Bubble has cooked you all a delicious digital feast!"

"Made with all the love I'm legally allowed to give." Bubble added, a chef's hat atop his translucent head.

I peeked over the cushions and got a glimpse of the food. There were numerous plates of medium rare steaks, grilled chicken, Caesar salads, and even tiramisu as dessert that almost made my mouth water, but I made the mistake of glancing over at Jax, who was chatting with Ragatha, and my appetite disappeared immediately.

Jealousy. The most human feeling in the world.

I returned to moping around pointlessly - or at least I tried to. As soon as I turned around, I was met with Caine's mismatched eyeballs staring at me in the face.