A raven pecking on the remnants of what once a tragedy. There were lying bodies everywhere…..though the 'bodies' were made of rocks. It seemed like real people, but the detail of the figures made it so.

"Hmm…..it's already starting….."

Throughout the barren and dull land, the monster bird's sinister and gentleman like voice echoed. Rhythmically walking towards the shadowy bird with glowing red eyes was a monster wearing a suit.

"And people say I have a dark humor"

Toffee, the immortal monster looked around with an unhappy expression. He glared at the raven with a complex expression.

"How long are you planning to play this game?"

"It depends….."

"Of course….well, I can't complain that much. I'm just a manifestation of your memory"

The lizard monster raised his hand as he watched it faded for a brief moment before retaining its clarity.

"The festival is almost near…..and the cycle will repeat"

"Once again" Toffee continued

There was a faint smile on Toffee's lips before he walked away with his arms on his back.

Meanwhile…

While at home, Marco was doing his homework…..but he couldn't concentrate with Star intensely staring at him.

"Star….."

"Yeeaaaahhhh?"

"Quit it" Marco put down his pen

".….."

Star silently backed away and slowly closed the door as she left. Shaking his head, Marco went back to finishing his homework. Star returned to her room and lied back to her bed.

"Nope….nothing weird….."

With a heavy sigh, Star to closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep. It was a strange scent that awoken her….

"Hello, young Butterfly"

A talking Raven greeted her in her dream. Just like before, Star was surrounded by barren land while the sky was painted red. Star was a little relieved that Marco wasn't in her dream because she became terrified at what she saw the last time.

"Oh hello, creepy talking bird"

Since it was a dream, Star was not surprised to see a talking raven with glowing red eyes.

"Hmm…..still unaware or rather…you're repressing it"

"What am I pressing?"

"Deny as you want young Butterfly, your cannot escape your mistake forever"

With a sinister laugh, the bird flapped its wings and flew away leaving a fading caw of a raven.

Somewhere…..

Unknown to others, Ludo's castle was mysteriously rebuild and stood solidly. Inside, Toffee walked around the main hall and looked at the abstract paintings hanging on the wall.

"I'm not complaining, but is the visit with the girl's dream necessary?"

"Hmm...it is."

A shadowy crow with glowing red eyes stood on the long rectangular table as it stared at Toffee.

"And people say I'm enigmatic" Toffee faintly smiled

"The deal is absolute and the fate...is inevitable..."

"Not to mention, doomed to repeat"

Toffee made his way to a chair and tilted his head while he focused his attention at the bird with a deep and echoing voice.

"How were you able to achieve it anyway?" Toffee curiously asked

"..."

All Toffee heard was multiple voiced whispered to his thoughts. It looked like Toffee was surprised at first, but regained his composure not long.

"All that's lacking is a pawn" The raven spoke

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this little setback"

With a smirk, Toffee rubbed his chin as he stood up and turned away to leave.

Later that night…..

Marco prepared himself to go to bed and as he tucked himself in bed and closed his eyes, Star's screaming woke him up.

"Star!"

He rushed to her room and found her yelling in her sleep…..again. Worried, Marco shook her and woke up.

"Marco" Star sighed in relief

"Star, what's with you? This has been the third time"

"It's a just bad dream. Nothing to worry about"

Star laughed it off and reassured Marco that everything was okay. Marco knew that was not true so he furrowed his eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Maybe I have a problem"

".….."

"Hey Marco"

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay…..just until I fall asleep"

Marco was about to protest, but Star stared at him with puppy like begging eyes. Unable to say no, Marco sighed as he grabbed a chair and sat beside Star's bed.

"Thanks Marco"

Happy, Star immediately lied back on the bed and closed her eyes until she had fallen asleep.

".…"

Marco then felt sleepy all of a sudden and unable to resist it, he fell asleep as well…..

"Where am I? Huh….I must be dreaming. It's the most logical explanation"

When he opened his eyes, Marco woke up surrounded by rocky terrain and and dreadful atmosphere. In a distance, Marco spotted Star sobbing as she knelt on the ground.

"S-star? Why are you crying?"

Marco cautiously approach Star, worried but wary at the same time. Hearing his voice, an injured Star looked at him and grabbed both of his shoulders.

"Marco, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry"

There tears rolling down her cheeks as she repeatedly apologized to Marco.

"Star, what are you talking about?"

"I have no choice, Marco"

It looked like Star can't hear him as she continued mumble words he doesn't understand.

"I-It wasn't supposed to happen!"

Noticing a lying figure behind Star, Marco turned his attention to that and as he widened his eyes when he caught a glimpse on the figure, he returned back to the waking world.

"Uah!"

Marco fell down to the chair he was sitting. Not long and Star woke up as well just when he realized it was already morning.

"Good morning, Marco"

Star looked like she slept well while Marco was not on the other hand.

"Rise and shine, Marco. We don't want to be late for school"

Groaning and a little sleepy, Star dragged Marco's feet downstairs. While on school, Marco took the chance to ask something to Star while on their break.

"You alright, Star?"

Marco seemed to have noticed that Star looked a little distracted and worried since the other day.

"Yeah. Sure. Why'd you ask?"

As Star smiled and looked at Marco, Star widened her eyes when she saw what appeared to be Toffee standing at the corner of the cafeteria.

"Mutant lizard!" Star yelled and point

"Where?!"

Marco stood up and defensively looked around, but turned his attention back to Star with a confused expression.

"He's right over there! Lizard lawyer guy!"

"Star, there's no one there"

While 'Toffee' smiled at Star, Marco doesn't see any lizard wearing a suit. All he saw were Echo creek students.

"It seems someone is going a little paranoid"

Star let out a shriek when she heard Toffee's voice teasing her from behind. The young Butterfly's thoughts were in chaos so she ended up running in panic.

"Star!"

Unfortunately for Marco, Star continued to run unable to hear Marco calling her out repeatedly.

"What's gotten to her?"

Janna walked by when she saw Star running for no apparent reason.

"I wish I knew"

"Weird..."

"I'm going after her" Marco sighed

Star ran and ran until she reached a spot in the school where no one else was present. As she was cornered, 'Toffee" slowly clapped his hands while Star pointed her wand against him.

"Must be difficult to be see things no one else can"

"I'm not crazy"

While she stood in her ground, Marco was running around the hallway and spotted Star charging her wand against...no one. He was confused to see Star rumbling as though she was talking to someone.

"Star..."

Star looked a litle paranoid and stressed so Marco approached her carefully. Seeing Marco with a worried expression, Star mildly calmed down.

"It's okay, Star, there's no one here" Marco softly talked to her

"But but, he's right over...there?"

When Star pointed in a direction, "Toffee" was no longer present so she was greatly confused and dumbfounded at the situation.

"I think you need to relax. You look awfully stressed"

Marco got worried at Star's sudden actions so he suggested she needed to relax as she looked like deprived of sleep.

Later...

Worried, Marco checked everything in Star's room to make her feel more secure and so she could finally have a decent sleep.

"I checked everywhere. No lizard in a suit in sight"

"Thanks Marco"

"And to make sure, I'll be guarding you in case you have another nightmare"

Marco grabbed a chair and sat near Star as he held a cup of coffee in hand. Relieved that Marco was by her side, Star peacefully closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"Well...time for me to sleep...too..."

It may seem uncomfortable to sleep while sitting, Marco didn't mind as long as Star can get a decent sleep. Some time has passed, Marco woke up at the sound of rumbling somewhere in Star's room. Annoyed, he grabbed a flashlight while yawning. Thinking it might be just a laser puppy, Marco tried to shoo away the small figure messing up Star's things.

"W-wah!"

When he pointed the flashlight at the figure, he was shocked to see Ludo hiding in Star's clutter shaking and looking terrified.

"You have to help me!"

Ludo suddenly leaped at Marco's face and repeatedly shook him as he desperately pleaded to Marco.

"Get off!"

Marco pushed off Ludo from his face and kicked him in a corner.

"You have to help me!"

He pleaded again as he jumped off at the back of Marco's head and pulled his hair causing Marco to scream. Marco randomly ran back and forth in order to pull off Ludo.

"Marco!"

Star woke up at Marco's yelling and the sound of her stuff falling from one place to another. Grabbing her wand, Star rushed to Marco's side and widened her eyes when she saw Ludo attached to a struggling Marco.

"Get off him!" Star prepared to fire a blast

"Don't shoot, don't shoot!"

Star almost blasted Marco if he hadn't warned her beforehand. Manually, Star used both of his hands to forcefully pull Ludo off Marco's head.

"He's after me!"

After Star threw him in a corner, Ludo desperately and fearfully pleaded again at the two confused teenagers.

"What are you talking about?" Star prepared to blast Ludo

"He wants to get me!"

"Who's HE?"

Before Ludo can respond a dark portal opened up and shadowy appendages grabbed his body, but Ludo resisted. As Ludo dug his fingers on the wooden floor, he looked at the two.

"The devil..."

After he softly spoke those words, Ludo was completely pulled in and the portal disappeared in an instant.

"I-I...I'm gonna process all of this..." Marco looked a little traumatized

"Yeah...sure...

A little shocked, Star walked away not sure how to react at the unexpected scene that had just unfold. While Star and Marco head back to sleep, Ludo on the other hand...

"Former comrades...zombie like dragging Ludo. Another suspicious activity" Buff frog wrote in his notebook

Buff frog had just popped out of the ground and looked around. After a few minutes of drawing the castle the what once blown up by Star, but was somehow rebuild...he saw Ludo being dragged by his former minions with glowing green eyes and groans like a zombie.

"Something is not right. Must find out more of suspicious activity" He wrote in his notebook again while talking out loud

Ludo, shaking, was forcefully dragged by his former minions that seemed to be in a trance and zombified state of mind inside the castle. In the main room, Ludo saw how his pets were caged in a magical prison.

"There's the little pest"

Toffee reached out his palm and coldly referred to Ludo as a little pest. Surrounded by his hypnotized minions, Ludo stood on his ground and frowned at the shadowy demon dog.

"Here"

Ludo tossed the other half of the magic royal wand to Ludo who immediately pointed it against the demon.

"Hah!"

As he fired a blast, the magical energy backfired and caused him to be blasted instead. Confused and furious, Ludo beat up his own wand.

"..."

The demonic dog looked at Toffee and softly growled at him. Strangely, Toffee smiled and shrugged his shoulders as he raised his hands up.

"Face it, you can't to a being that doesn't exist...yet exist..."

"What do you want?"

There was hostility in Ludo's voice as he stood up and tried to intimidate Toffee...which failed.

"Hmm? I see...if that's what you want"

Toffee looked at the silent shadowy dog and "spoke" to him with multiple voices and demonic whispers.

"Throw him in the dungeon along with those things...for the time being"

Through the window, Buff frog used his binoculars to observe Toffee and talking to an unknown shadowy dog.

"Note: Lizard suit guy not dead. Also, black dog looked very dangerous. Must observe more"

Not wanting to be spotted, Buff frog back flipped away and escaped the scene. Unknown to Buff frog, Toffee looked out the window and watched Buff frog back flipped away.

"What do you want me to do with...that?" Toffee pointed at Buff frog

"Let the unexpected interference be. This will come in handy in the near future"

The demonic dog changed its form to a raven and flew passed by s tapestry. Toffee then walked towards the tapestry and sinisterly smirked.


Chapter 03:

"Marco, he's right over there!"

"There's no one there, Star!"

"Why can't you see it? Why only I can see him?!"

"Because I'm not real..."

Star's hallucinations continued and started to get worse. Marco worries about Star's situation and her constant insistence that Toffee is always there, but he gets a visit from the red eyed devil...