“Urghh…” The lonely bowed figure rested on the table with his face down brooding in a corner in contrast to the sunny and warm weather outside.

“Sigh… what’s with him today?” Emily grunted as she turned to Coltan.

“I sense strong déjà vu…” He didn’t have much meaning to add to Dylan’s hormonal imbalances.

“Dylly-Willy, spill the beans, what new problems have you encountered today?” Coltan asked.

Dylan immediately raised his head and looked infuriated at Coltan.

“Call me that one more time…”

“Your arguments can wait. Fill us in on what’s been going on with you!” Emily pushed him back to his seat before he could lunge forward towards Coltan.

Dylan calmed down but as the anger left, his lethargy started creeping back again.

“Personal stuff…”

“And you don’t want to tell us?” Emily was upset that he wouldn’t tell.

“I thought we were friends, how could you?!” Coltan was eager to convey what was in both their minds.

“Yeah… it’s hard to explain. Sorry, Emily…”

“I understand… but if you need help, then you know who to find.”

“Why was I not even included in that apology?” Coltan sulked.

Just as Dylan went back to brooding in a corner, he noticed a familiar head of black hair going past the window towards the corridors. They happened to be the very person causing him trouble.

He stood up almost flipping his chair and dashed out. But he didn’t forget to inform his friends of his new pursuit this time. “Guys! I’ll be back, this might solve my troubles..!”

“What was that you said, déjà vu?” Emily looked over defeated.

“Déjà vu…” Coltan nodded.

Outside the corridor, Dylan found himself navigating through a huge crowd coming from both directions, but his target was set and he made sure to grab a hold of him before lunch ends.

“HEY! ROBIN! Hold up!” His screams weren’t enough or was it that Robin wanted to stay out of reach as he propelled himself past the crowd.

“Robin, I know you can hear me!”

“Sigh… why is he so fast or am I just that slow?!” It seems Robin was keen on avoiding the twins for the entire day.

Both were running at this point and there was no turning back for Robin.

“Jeez, come one man-” Dylan finally got a hold of him but was immediately shaken off.

“Stop! Stop chasing me!”

“I just want to talk…”

“NO! There’s nothing to talk about! Whatever happened forget it. Why do you even care?!” Robin was understandably angry towards his actions, but also extremely harsh.

“Now, excuse me… I’m busy, I hope you never bring this up.” Just as he turned he was met face to face with another person.

She didn’t say much besides a simple greeting. “Hi.”

“When did you…??” Robin was dumbfounded as he stood trapped between the twins.

“Do you accept defeat? If, so then let’s go somewhere quieter.” Demi said with an ominous face.

“Sigh…”

“Just sighing isn’t enough, Robin. We saw it with our own eyes, you can’t hide it anymore.” Demi started first to quell the issue.

“And what are you going to do? Help me?! I don’t need help…”

“Don’t yell, Robin. We’re just trying to understand what’s going on. If you can’t tell us that, then what good are we as friends…?” Dylan seemed to be getting a little too emotional about this.

Robin is a good friend and helped out in many things, but when it came time for them to repay the favour they felt a growing gap between them.

“Sorry… I’ll tell you this one last time, I can handle this on my own. Even if leaving the student council ends up as a safe resort…”

“Leave?! But you worked hard there, it would go to waste if you didn’t stay till the next year.” Dylan sounded with great vigour.

“And also, it’s a senior right. They’ll be gone by the time we reach 12th grade…” Demi put forth her views.

“… it’s not just him.”

Both looked at each other with rising frustration and concern. But they were not ready to see Robin waste the last years of high school like this.

“Have you tried telling anybody?” Demi asked in a final effort.

“Yes… but not enough evidence.”

Dylan’s blood was boiling at every word Robin spoke. It was unfair as to why this was even happening and nobody to reach out to and rejecting the only help they could offer. He was not taking his news lightly.

Demi noticed and immediately reached for his back. She whispered him to calm down but it wasn’t working.

“If we’re done. You should get something to eat. Lin is probably waiting for you anyway.”

“Does… he know?” Demi asked a bit nervously.

“Of course not.” He then left without saying a word.

As the tired and descending stomps reduced, the twins found themselves alone on the terrace of the school.

“Sigh… I don’t remember Robin being this frustrating to talk to, and honestly, I don’t blame him…” Demi spoke as she got back up on her feet.

“Demi, it’s not fair! Why isn’t he doing anything about it?!”

“Dylan! It’s not our place to make a decision for him. If he thinks he can handle it then we have to respect it.”

Dylan didn’t say a word.

“Come on, it’s Robin—the wisest and smartest guy we know— if he doesn’t want to seek help then we should accept that.” Robin would have been quick to correct on her exaggeration, but nobody can deny his quick brains.

Dylan eventually pulled himself up and they both made their way to the ground floor where the cafeteria is at.

“If I’m being totally honest, I think we deserve help more than anyone at the moment…” she seemed to be referencing to the past few days of her life.

“Where did Forsyth even go? She hasn’t turned up after she magically disappeared yesterday afternoon… and she happened to be our only source of safety.”

“How much are we risking our lives, being out and about in public without any protection from the blanks just by assuming they’re not active during the day?”

“You think I have a clue?”

“No, but the suggestion box is open.”

Both groaned as they felt no new viable ideas coming their way and felt the inevitable doom that they had been awaiting.

Just then a quirky individual with bright red hair jumped up from behind them.

“Guys!” She dove right in between the two.

“Headed for lunch so late?”

“Oh! Hi, redhead!” Dylan greeted her with a complete transition.

“Lor! Please, more than filling our bellies we want someone to fill the void in us…” Demi was being dramatic.

“They were selling chicken nuggets at the canteen earlier today… does that help?” Lorraine had nothing to question about Demi’s drama but instead offered a simple solution.

“Good try, but we need more than that…” Dylan peaked the challenge difficulty.

“They are shaped like… cats..?”

They both turned with unimpressed looks.

“Lor..? Don’t mess with our feelings like that…” Demi gave her a little punch on the arm.

“Ouch..” Dylan sounded at the same time.

“Hehe! Sorry! But you still owe me for the milk from last time, so you have to buy me those chicken nuggets right now before they sell out!”

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

She looped her arms around Demi’s and Dylan’s and dragged them along with her.

“So you just really wanted the nuggets, huh?” Demi snickered as she was reluctantly dragged along. Dylan didn’t seem as hesitant because he quite enjoyed his time with Lorraine.

He smiled as he was dragged along for more shenanigans that he would probably never have as much fun with unless they are with his close friends.

“Chicken nuggets, huh …” He noted that information down on his imaginary memo.

Yawns were persistently exiting William’s mouth. Sleep was catching up to him in the silent and tranquil library filled with a smell of old paper. He was very close to knocking himself out cold but could not afford to do that with his pending assignments which seem to have no end. He pressed on and was determined to finish it, so he doesn’t have to see those bloody slides anymore.

But his mind kept drifting off as he kept peeking glances at a notebook under his folder. “I’m worried… Where did Forsyth even go..? Honestly, I didn’t expect her to help and protect us either… but she’s our only ticket to safety. That… monster, those eyes..” William spooked himself from the recollections of last night.

“For a second, I almost lost control of my senses, I couldn’t see, couldn’t move, couldn’t hear or speak… Reaching for the door handle, I could feel my vision fading away and felt like I was reaching for nothing. The room wasn’t even that dark though…”

The sound of his ringtone blasted through the entire library and pulled him out of his trance. The table of bookworms had enough to say with just the disappointment in their eyes.

The owner of the phone, clearly never learnt from his past mishaps with the same scenarios. Flustered he picked up the phone without looking at who was calling.

“He-Hello?”

“Hello, Will. How have you been?” A sweet and cheery voice spoke in a calm manner.

William had to do a double take at the contact and immediately answered back.

“MOM?!”

He has now officially and rightfully owned his place on the wanted list of the library.

“Yes..? Why are you so surprised?”

“Uh… no reason, no reason at all…”

“Okay… So how are you, honey?”

“I am good! Totally fine…”

“That’s great. Anyway, is this a bad timing?”

“No? I’m just here at the library to complete a project.”

“Well, I just wanted to say…”

William could predict exactly what she was going to say and dreaded it, especially with the state of his house at the moment.

“…Your dad called.”

His eyes widened in shock. “HUH?!” He wouldn’t have guessed that in a hundred years.

Before his mom could even explain further, the grumpy librarian marched her way to the table to personally kick him out.

“Mr Krause, this is the last straw before I ban you for a month again. Get out before I make you.” She was clearly not pleased by the regular offender.

“Uh…uh…” Will was understandably buffering from all this. He had no choice but to abruptly cancel the call and pack up his things.

As he was kindly escorted out, with the wobbling mess in his hands he made his way fumbling about outside the building and into the campus.

On his way out he bumped into some familiar faces.

“Hey, William! Leaving so soon?” A group of friends glanced at him with questionable looks.

“Oh? Navi, hey! Today marks the day I make my first enemy…”

“Good for you, I guess..? Anyway, we’re headed to the gaming café, wanna come?”

“Hmm…” He had various things to worry about before he could let loose and have fun, but it was a tempting offer.

“You answered too late. I didn’t hear a no, so you’re coming whether you like it or not!”

“Hey, it’s Monday!”

“Psh- So? What does that have to do with having fun?”

“Really..?” He was not impressed by how much of a bad influence his friend was.

“Dude, I texted you yesterday and you didn’t even respond. Don’t be a wuss and just join us man…”

“That’s because you texted me about a blind date knowing perfectly well, I don’t give a damn…!”

“But that girl was totally your type!”

“Sigh…” He looked behind Navi to see the rest waiting for his answer and realised maybe he could spare some time and call back his mother while he was there. “Where are we going?”

“Dices Unite— one with the amazing ice tea!”

“Huh?”

“So, you comin’?”

“Yeah… I’m coming.”

Time was ticking a little slower than usual as the lazy employee glanced multiple times at the hour hand of the clock above. Not many customers on the weekdays meant more time for him to relax and take it easy— not that he doesn’t do that when the place is swarmed either.

“Ray, I’m leaving for a bit to take care of some documentations, watch out for Gabrielle in the meantime.”

He nodded at his boss as she stepped out of the door and after the glass door rocked back and forth a group of students barged in. With his boss and Gabbie unavailable he had to do his worst nightmare— talk to the customers.

“Here are your assigned seats and buzzers. Use it for when you need assistance or menu items. The menu is available at every seat.” He had spent his energy for the day, but still criticised as to why these children are here on a Monday instead of doing homework.

Just as he stepped out of the counter hoping there would be no more nuisances on the way, he heard the rattle of the dreaded door once again.

“Ugh…” His dark circles were way too visible now.

A noisy college bunch this time made their way to the front.

“Welcome to Dices Unite, how many of you are here?”

“Hey, don’t pretend like we don’t know each other!” Navi was quite the talker and Ray was the complete opposite.

Regardless, Ray continued, “Four, I’m assuming. Here are your assigned seats and buzzers, press it if you need assistance or menu items. The menu is placed in every seat.”

“Five, actually. He’s waiting outside taking a phone call at the moment.” Navi and the rest grabbed their buzzers and headed on.

Ray shifted his gaze to a person standing outside the glass door with a navy-blue bag hanging from one of his shoulders and ruffled up blond hair as he stood in the heavy winds with his phone glancing left and right towards the streets. Ray stared for a while without a thought. William eventually came in with his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, Ray! Working hard?” He walked up with a sunken expression of sadness.

“…” Ray didn’t say a word, but his face was more than an answer.

“William! Ray straight up pretended like he doesn’t even know us!” Navi screamed from behind a monitor, while the others were busy with headphones on.

“I swear, that guy looks so damn familiar…” Ray started to ponder.

“I genuinely can’t tell if he’s pretending or not.” Navi was baffled.

William snorted and looked over at the crowd.

“Neither can I.”

After inspecting the crowd, he turned back to Ray. “So, it’s only you? Where’s the other coworker?”

“Boss left for some work and the coworker hasn’t showed yet. She’s usually not late…”

“I see…”

Ray finally decided to ask him a question. “Forsyth… where is she?”

“Are we really having this conversation here?” William whispered discreetly stealing glances at his friends.

“It will only sound like bullshit to anyone eavesdropping…”

William was taken aback by the sudden reality check.

“Anyway, I don’t know. Maybe, she’s back at the forest? Or maybe she doesn’t need us anymore?”

“Can’t really reason with her for ditching us, we aren’t that competent.”

“Yeah… so much for saving the world nonsense…”

“What about us being targeted?”

“I don’t know, either. I did think about it, but it might just be a coincidence, but I remember meeting my blank and happened to be the only one who was able to progressively see it. And the blank that broke the window was after me too…”

“You’re the target?”

“I don’t know for sure, but maybe..?”

“But why not us? Why not Forsyth, maybe?”

“Did I tell you about the blank’s spawning grounds or whatever?”

“Yeah, the twin’s school?”

“That could be the potential place for more blanks and that’s where they are coming from. So, if Forsyth were to pursue them…”

“It would be the school.” Ray nodded as he approved the idea.

“Besides that, I think she can move about wherever she wants not just the forest or Angus. I met her once in the busiest street, wearing my face! So clearly with a vessel she is unmatched and unstoppable.”

“So, is it time you tap out?”

“What?! Why should I retreat now?”

“Will, do you even realise the situation we are in? Did you stop to think about your how much of an impact you or any of us have made?”

Even though he posed it as a question it was understood that he expected only one answer that he felt the need to say out of his own mouth. “That’s right, zero.”

“How can you say that?! Without me discovering blanks, we would just be living out our lives without knowing about afterlife, vessels and ghosts wandering amongst us, and is not just considered fiction anymore!”

Ray was filling up with frustration at his words.

“William, do you think you discovered them, when they have been walking amongst us all this time? My question to you remains the same: why do you insist on getting involved?”

“Because… because…” It seems he was finally stumped and defeated by his words that he had nothing to defend his actions with. As he reflected through the past few days, he realised, getting himself and everyone involved, and investigating wasn’t something he could afford to do.

All of this was beyond him or any human to comprehend, it was as if a piece of fiction was suddenly playing out in this world, and he admitted that he was not the protagonist.

“Will…” Ray held back from his harsh revelations. “Okay, maybe your conspiracies might have a chance to be true. We’ll just have to wait and see.” He realised that the truth being revealed to a person is as painful to watch as the person experiencing it and toned down his words.

“Hm? An entire speech about my faults and now you support them?” William found it amusing but recovered quickly enough in the guise of deception and changing the topic.

The mood started to lift a little and their serious conversation turned into a casual one along with Navi getting involved for no reason.

The telephone started to ring at the staff only area and Ray left to check it out.

“Hello?” He answered.

A female voice with a hint of concern spoke timidly through the phone.

“Hello..? Is this Dices Unite…?”

“Yes.”

“Okay! I’m calling to ask for Gabrielle Bellrose?”

“… who is this?”

“Oh! I’m her roommate… I just want to know if she’s around?”

“She hasn’t showed up to work yet.”

“I see… then, I won’t be disrupting work. Sorry to have bothered you-”

“Wait. I want to know where she is?”

“…Umm… I’m afraid I can’t answer that, because I don’t know myself…”

“What do you mean…?”

“I don’t know if I should be telling you this but, I haven’t seen her since Sunday morning…”

“I tried calling her several times but it seems she left her phone locked up inside her room.”

“And she didn’t tell you about leaving?”

“Yesterday morning, I saw her heading out without a word and I hadn’t seen her come by since…”

“What about college?”

“I obviously looked around and waited for her to show, but she never did.”

“How did you get this number?”

“It was on a memo pad and I knew it was her work place phone.”

“I see…”

“Sorry again about the inconvenience, I was just worried about her. I’m sure she will be back soon.”

“…” Ray didn’t say anything.

“Okay, then I’ll cut the call and thank you for your help…”

Just as he placed the phone down, he was already being called by his boss.

“You better not be slacking.”

“It seems Gabbie won’t be coming today…”

“Is that so? She should have just told me she was sick from all that happened on Saturday…”

“What… happened on Saturday?” Ray’s interest was piqued.

She narrated the whole story from her perspective. She assumed Gabbie was sick from her pale complexion and came to the conclusion that it was getting so bad she had left after making a scene at the staff room.

Ray nodded along to that story and listened to every detail. But he was certainly not ready for the tangent he had to hear about his boss’s tea set shattering on the tiles.

After gaining very little knowledge of her whereabouts, he makes his way out of the room and instinctively glanced back at the clock.

“35 minutes more… got anything to fill up that time with?” William suggested as he lounged on one of the closest seats to the counter.

There was already too much on William’s plate and Ray did not wish to add more to the heap.

“There is this one game… but play it on your own.”

“Why?”

“I’ve got something to handle…”