Hum…

Klaus hummed as he walked back to Boon, Joshua flopping in his arms.

"W-why are we going back," Emma said annoyingly.

Klaus looked at her briefly and muttered, "Hm?" He then continued to hum as if nothing had happened.

She stood still before shouting, "Hey! Klaus! Why ar-"

"Cuz. This is where the exit is."

Emma began to walk again slowly. "In Boon?"

"Yeah," Klaus replied while admiring the sign he kicked down the day prior.

Emma looked down at the sign. "This place we're in…it's weird."

Klaus continued to walk and said, "Pff, tell me about it."

Emma flapped her arms and said, "N-no, I mean that…it's weird! I don't know, it feels like when you showed me the mark it all…made sense."

Klaus peered at her through the corner of his eye before saying, "Really does, doesn't it?"

Silence ensued as the two walked through Boon. The scent of body odor reminded them of where they were finally leaving, making even Klaus slightly sentimental. The moss waved them goodbye, extending down to the ground. Babies immediately cried when they saw the two, a reaction never seen before. Parents clutched them, glaring at the two. Whispers ran laps around the two, and the ground felt rubbery as if someone could quickly bounce on it.

Regardless of the odd occurrences, the duo continued to walk side by side, not even batting an eye. They took in the air of Boon until they finally returned to a familiar sight.

"Isn't this…" Emma said, stopping and putting her finger on her lip.

"Yeah, Josh's," Klaus said as he headed into the house.

"Ack! Wait!" She hurriedly ran into the house, following suit.

Klatter!

"Klaus!"

Emma quietly shouted after seeing him knock over some vases.

"Bah, no one's here anyway," Klaus whispered, waving her off.

"No one would dare enter Joshua's almighty castl-"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Klang!

In disappointment, Klaus looked down at the bucket of water he had knocked over. He hesitantly looked at Emma, who stared at him with her fingers on the dorsum of her nose.

"Sorry..."

The two walked around the entire house, searching for the exit, until…

"Hmm...well I didn't want to have to do this but…"

Klaus laid Joshua down on the kitchen counter. Emma watched silently with her hand on her face.

"Oh, Joshua~~" Klaus gently caressed his chest, attempting to wake him up.

He carried on with this action for a few seconds before saying, "If you don't wake up~~you're gay…"

Joshua remained asleep on the counter, motionless. He seemed as if he were having a fantastic dream.

Klaus shrugged and said, "Guess you're gay the-"

"NO!!" Joshua suddenly sat up, huffing and puffing. His eyes darted, alternating between the two standing before him. "Ack!" He suddenly groaned and grabbed his chest. His breath began to quicken.

"Does it hurt?" Emma asked.

Joshua quickly nodded, looking down, his lips losing composure.

"Well, Joshua, we need your help," Klaus said, handing him a bottle of water he had just filled using one of the buckets.

Gulp, gulp…

Joshua rapidly drank the water and looked around. "What…what do you need help with?"

"You know how to get out of here?"

Emma immediately turned to Klaus and said, "You didn't know where it was?!"

Klaus flinched and said, "It had to be somewhere here…"

Emma sighed, shaking her head. "Nevermind…"

"Yeah, I do," Joshua raised his head. "I know where it is."

Klaus patted him on the back as he said, "Hahaha! I knew you could do it, Joshua! I mean, you had to have gotten in here somehow."

"Y-you knew?"

"Knew what?"

"Knew that I wasn't here originally."

"Pff, no. Lucky guess," Klaus said, waving his hand.

Joshua stared at Klaus for a few seconds before sighing and then coughing immediately due to the pain.

"So, how do we get out?" Emma asked, swaying back and forth.

Joshua pointed at the floor. Klaus and Emma looked at each other in confusion.

"Push down on it…it should be somewhere there." Joshua said, moving his hand up and down.

Stomp, stomp!

"Push down he said…" Klaus thought as he stomped on the floor, searching for the exit. He hit every inch before–

Bang!

"Eek!" Emma jumped back and grabbed her shoulders.

"Huh…very interesting," Klaus said while rubbing his chin.

A square shape on the floor had collapsed, revealing a dirt hole leading down. The wood from the floor was bent inward on the hole, barely holding on. The smell of earth leaked, creating an aura on its outer edge. It was pitch black, seemingly having no end.

Klaus peered at Joshua and said, "How are we gonna put you-"

"It's big enough."

Joshua turned and hung his legs off the counter briefly before jumping down.

Klaus took a step back and squinted as Joshua walked past him.

"O-oi, your wound."

"Worry about yourself," Joshua said, pointing at Klaus's shoulder wound.

Klaus was utterly offended by such a bold claim and gasped.

He stomped his foot down and said, "I will NOT tolerate such– WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!!?!"

Joshua had jumped into the hole, waving his hand at them and smiling. Panic ensued as the two left ran over to the hole. The two gazed down but to no avail; he was gone as if he had never been here.

"Just straight in, huh?" Klaus thought as he began to calm down.

They debated with each other very briefly before silence took over. Nothing could be heard, only the soft sound of the wind, seemingly coming through the hole.

The air began to flow more powerfully in the room. Cabinets began to clatter, the steel buckets of water fell over, and the floor rumbled louder.

Klaus admired the chaotic air, finding a vein that flowed from the hole.

"That's..so–WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!!" Klaus exclaimed as Emma jumped into the hole. "Is she sped?!" he thought as he put his hands on his head and paced around the room.

"No choice…"

The frenzied noise of the room faded as Klaus leaped into the hole.