Sleep-deprived, mentally exhausted, and dangerously close to losing my sanity—that was me, your friendly neighborhood Caretaker, slowly unraveling like a cheap dollar store sweater.
The Shadow Queen had turned my life into a living game of Russian Roulette. Every time she smiled at me, my brain screamed:
Don't say the name. Don't you DARE say the name!
But that morning… I failed. Spectacularly.
She stood in the kitchen again, perched gracefully on the countertop as if gravity was just a mild suggestion for her. Her oversized hoodie slipped slightly down her shoulder, exposing just enough skin to make my brain short-circuit.
She tilted her head, her crimson eyes practically glowing under the morning light.
"Well, Caretaker? Aren't you going to greet your Queen properly?"
And that's when it happened.
My mouth moved before my brain could intervene.
"Good morning… Mochi."
Silence.
Absolute, horrifying, soul-crushing silence.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
Her playful expression dropped instantly.
She slid off the counter with terrifying grace, her bare feet making no sound as she crossed the floor toward me.
Step.
By.
Step.
My survival instincts screamed RUN! but my legs were too busy composing their resignation letter.
She stopped just inches from my face, her voice a deadly whisper.
"Did you… just call me… Mochi?"
I nodded in sheer terror.
"As in the squishy, sticky rice cake?"
Another terrified nod.
Her lips curled into the most dangerous smile I'd ever seen.
"Well then, dear Caretaker… You've triggered the punishment clause."
Before I could plead for my life, a swirling portal of shadows burst open behind her, and with a flick of her finger, something flew directly at my face—
The pink frilly maid outfit.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!"
One Hour Later…
There I stood. In the living room. Wearing it.
Pink. Lacy. Maid Outfit. Complete with cat ears and a ridiculously oversized bell.
The Shadow Queen lounged across the couch like the smug villain she absolutely was, sipping her bubble tea and recording this entire humiliation on my phone.
"Smile for the camera, Liam!" she teased.
"This is emotional terrorism," I muttered under my breath.
"Correction." She raised her cup dramatically. "This is the price of curiosity."
I've faced many defeats in my life.
But this?
This was a new low.
To be continued…