Insanity opened his eyes, heart pounding as he found himself surrounded by the lifeless bodies of his friends. Moxie was impaled, Auforus's corpse lay rotting, and Calypso was dying in his arms. The scene was too much to bear, but just as quickly, it all vanished. He jolted awake, drenched in sweat, realizing it was all just a nightmare.
Looking around, Insanity sighed in relief, finding himself back in his bedroom. He got up, the unsettling feeling still lingering as he made his way to the kitchen. There, a meal was already prepared for him. Before he could react, Calypso sneaked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a warm embrace.
"You're sweating," she noted softly, concern in her voice. "Are you nervous about something, or...?"
"It was just a nightmare," Insanity replied, trying to shake off the tension. His voice was calm, but Calypso could sense something deeper.
She blinked, watching his straight face, and then remembered something. "Oh! It's Snow's birthday today. We should head to the diner we always went to," she suggested with a playful grin.
Insanity groaned, letting out a long sigh. "I don’t want to go."
Calypso frowned and playfully smacked him on the head. "You're going."
After some time, Insanity found himself in the fancy clothes Calypso had picked out for him, reluctantly heading to the diner. The place, still run by Auforus, looked the same as always. As Insanity walked in, Auforus was sipping his coffee, waving at him.
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"It's good to see you again," Auforus greeted with a warm smile.
Calypso nodded, happy that they were all together again. "Snow’s growing up to be a fine young lady," she commented.
Insanity rolled his eyes and scanned the diner, spotting Moxie. He noticed Mara clinging a little too close to Moxie’s arm, making him visibly uncomfortable. Insanity walked over, shaking Moxie’s hand.
"How are you doing?" Insanity asked.
"Fine," Moxie answered simply, his expression neutral.
Insanity noticed how much taller Moxie seemed, his presence more imposing than before. His once human-like face now had patches of darkness creeping across it, and his regenerated arm—lost during the battle with Wrath—still had a strange, ominous aura around it.
Soon, Snow and the other girls came out from the back, waving happily. The group sang, shared drinks, and finally gathered for the cake. By then, Mara had passed out from drinking too much, so Moxie had to carry her like a princess, much to Insanity's amusement.
As they wrapped up the evening, Insanity felt a strange sensation—a small but distinct sense of bloodlust from far away. His instincts flared, and he glanced at Moxie, who simply told him to stay calm.
“I’ll find out what it is,” Moxie reassured, his voice calm but resolute.
As they were leaving, Insanity’s eyes were drawn to a nearby hospital. There, a child stood at the window, staring directly at him. The child’s gaze sent chills down his spine, the bloodlust he felt now more concentrated. He blinked, trying to shake it off, but the unease remained.
Calypso called out to him, "Come on, we’ll be late."
Insanity nodded, hurrying after her, but his mind lingered on that child. Something was off, and his gut told him that this kid would be dangerous in the future.