Ugh… why do I always cry over something like friendship, uhhh? I rolled over on my pillow, then bit it. Hmph! I'll find better friends… I rubbed my stomach, glanced at my mobile. Ohhh… shit, shit!! Twenty missed calls from Lyric, Amara, Lucas… ugh, I'm late!
I threw off the blanket, hurrying, and immediately tripped over the floormat. Ugh… my life! I groaned, got up, rushed to the bathroom, and took a fast shower. Where's my cupboard? Why can't I see it? Am I blind now too?
I rummaged through the cupboard, frantically choosing clothes. I settled on a blue top and white jeans, looked at myself in the mirror while drying my hair. Uhh… huh… I whimpered. Why do I look so ugly? I ruffled my hair in frustration. "Mumma!" I stomped my foot. My mirror hates me, and I hate you too, puchu mirror! I changed into a black top and cargo pants, styling my hair hard.
I grabbed my mobile and tossed a mythological book into my bag—maybe it would help me understand this mess. Downstairs, I hurried.
"Mumma! I'm going!" I called out.
My mom wasn't having it. "My sleepy piggy-head daughter, first eat breakfast!"
"I'll come back! I'm already late to go to my friend's house… Mumma, please!"
Her patience wore thin. "It's not my fault! How many times have I told you to sleep early and wake up on time?!"
After being dragged through a full breakfast, I finally left with my sister, taking her scooter. Midway to Lyric's house, I realized—I was wearing bathroom slippers.
"My dear, pretty, cutie-pie sister," I whined.
She glared. "Say what you want, fast! I know you want something."
"Please turn back; I'm wearing slippers, sis!"
I muttered a million curses, rushed back home, put on proper shoes, and finally arrived at Lyric's house.
The maid directed me upstairs. "His house is so pretty… just resembles Lyric," I mumbled to myself.
Lyra greeted me. "Well, well, the empress finally decided to show!"
"I'm sorry I'm late today. Did you find anything in the book or box?" I asked, sitting on the couch.
Lyric sighed. "Same as before… maybe there was a locket in the box, but that disappeared."
Draven continued, "And the book is locked with a key-type thing. We tried to rip it; didn't work."
Anny groaned. "Ugh, why are we even here? We should go ask a priest! Use some common sense! Seriously, whose reckless idea was this anyway, Draven? Why are you even with them in this stupid plan?"
Draven, why are you even with them, huh? I mimicked Anny in my mind. Don't know if they're a couple or what… sometimes I just want to ask directly.
I tried to speak: "I—Anny, but—"
Amara and Lyra interrupted together. "Anny's right. We should take the help of a priest. Lucas, Lyric, and I agree too."
Anny snapped at me: "Elina, you caused all this! And now, with your stupid idea, you're making us die!"
I clenched my hand. My dear friend Amara never takes my side. She's sure I'm wrong. For her, support is conditional.
Lyra sighed. "Elina, accept your mistake if you made a reckless plan. Amara's right."
Lyric added, "Calm down, guys. Elina, I think Anny's idea is correct. Let's try that first."
"Okay," I said slowly.
Draven interrupted, his voice sharp. "Yesterday, Anny wasn't even there. Me, Lucas, Lyra, Lyric—we were. Lyric suggested we come and think things through. No plans were made yet. So who told you Elina did everything on her own?"
Anny mumbled, "Uh… I thought…"
Draven frowned. "She didn't say anything, right? Just don't put your assumptions as objections onto someone else."
Why… why did he take my side? I thought, my heart racing. He usually sides with those who taunt me… not me. Why this time?
Draven continued, "Lyra, Lyric, you were there too… right? Or are you ghosts that don't remember? Elina didn't say anything yesterday."
Silence filled the room.
Lyric apologized to me. Draven forced Anny to apologize. Lyra and Lucas did too—but not Amara. I turned my head, unsure.
Okay… he supported me today… but yesterday, he called me overweight. Hmph!
I froze. "I'll stay and try to open the book," I said quietly. "Just try, not force it."
Lyric volunteered to stay, and Lucas too.
Draven joked, "If you all stay, who'll go to the church?"
Anny insisted, "Draven, you will go to as I said it," but he grinned dramatically. "I believe in demons. If I go, I'll burn—please, spare me!"
Somehow, after their bickering, it was decided: Lyric, Lyra, Amara, Lucas, and Anny headed to the church for help, while Draven and I stayed behind.
I begged Amara to stay, but Lyra grabbed her first. Amara left with her, and it stung. Am I really her best friend?
Left upstairs, I fiddled with the book, desperate to crack its secret. Suddenly, Draven sidled closer—not too close, but enough to feel my nerves buzzing.
Time felt frozen. I stumbled, he smiled, and our eyes locked. He finally said, softly: "Sorry…"
"Did I do something wrong?" he continued.
I stayed silent.
He repeated, "Sorry… sorry… sorry…"
"Ma'am, please talk now, my Topper madam," he said. I glanced at him, smiling for the first time feeling this close. No one had ever pampered me like this.
He poked my arm gently, reminding me of the dream I once had where he tugged at my clothes.
I said, "Finally! Well, you should have gone with Anny. Why stay here? Go to your bestie."
He poked my face. "Why are you angry with me? What did I do?"
"Wow… you don't even know your fault!"
He said, "Then tell me, nah."
I responded, "No, nothing!"
Draven insisted, "Yes, say, ma'am! Answer, yes, yes, yes!"
Our playful 'yes-no' argument continued until… a sharp pain! A needle pricked my finger. Blood dropped onto the book. We realized where the needle had come from—it was stuck to the cover.
Draven quickly covered the blood with a handkerchief. "Why are you so clumsy?" he teased softly.
We stayed locked in eye contact for a long moment, ignoring the footsteps.
Lucas interrupted, "Guys, we're here. I'm out of breath!"
I shoved Draven lightly and looked out the window.
Lucas asked, "Did you taunt her again, Draven? She's angry again?"
Lyric shook his head. "You two are like children, triggering each other. One kid is as cold as the other is troublesome."
Draven and I shouted in unison, "We're not!"
Lyric waved us off. "Okay, okay… chill. Did you open the book?"
I said, "Well, we couldn't open the book."
Draven, rubbing the back of his neck, asked, "So, what did you find?"
Anny sat beside Draven. "It's a very powerful dark energy entity. It can lure us, attract us… it will do anything we want… then turn against us."
Amara added, "The entity wants a soul… a body to rule over… to trap people in its tragic run of the world."
Lucas continued, "We told them about the book and shared pics. They warned: no blood should drop on any of these objects. If it does, it gains power."
Lyric nodded. "For now, no problem. Keep the book safe. We can't do anything until blood is spilled. Good thing it didn't open."
Draven stretched his arms. "I agree. So, until blood drops, no mystery opens, and it ends the story of mystery too."
Lyric suggested, "Let's have dinner and sleep over here tonight. For now, we don't have danger from it; it just gives us nightmares and paralysis attacks, but it can't harm us."
Lucas put the box and book on a high shelf.
I invited Amara downstairs. "Let's go."
"I'll come back after the restroom," she said.
I nodded. "Okay."
Amara came out and noticed the glowing locket in my bag. Is this hers… or from the box? How did it get here? she thought to herself.
She reached for it. The locket's jagged edges sank into her finger like tiny, merciless blades. Pain burst through her nerves, sharp and stabbing, a hot fire that shot straight up her hand.
She gasped, clutching her finger as a thin line of blood welled up, glistening dark and heavy. Each heartbeat seemed to press the wound deeper, and the metal dug mercilessly, leaving a raw, open gash.
Blood dripped steadily, almost as if the locket itself was drinking it, spreading across the edges of the sharp design. She panicked, shaking, whispering, "Oh no… oh no… what do I do now?!"
Worried, she kept silent. What if they all blame me? It's better not to tell anyone, and I already washed it fastly so nothing goes wrong.
Breath coming in short, shallow gasps, she pressed a cloth to the wound, the metal still cutting against her skin with each tiny movement.
She finally headed to the dining table, all tense but safe… or so she thought, because the storm that stopped for a little bit didn't mean it was over. It meant it would grow bigger and cause devastation.