The day had been crazy beyond belief. I had been chased through the entire city only to end up being injected with some kind of new serum that was making Ezra feel sick. Since then, I'd begun to suspect what the serum had done.
If I was right, then this guy had either bought me some time or had just sentenced Ezra to death outright. While I didn't want to finish the transformation and lose my memory, I also didn't want Ezra to die. I knew it was dumb to keep wanting to help her, but that was just who I was. I was a foolish, naive girl.
Wreckage was okay. A little roughed up but she was still alive, thankfully. Her guitar seemed to have overheated and she was smart enough to back down. After I asked her about her connection to Octavus, all she had to tell me was one thing.
"Don't worry about it."
Which, of course, made me worry more.
As I walked down the sidewalk, Ezra floated beside me, her hand on my shoulders. "Th-There's gotta be something I… w-we can do. I can't go away. I can't go away!"
"You're not going away," I responded, still facing forward. "Liv will help us. I've already texted her and she'll meet us at the sleepover."
"You don't understand!" she screamed. "I'm so close! I'm so close to living!"
"Snap out of it!" I replied. "I promised you a body! I'm not going to let anything hurt you! Listen to yourself!"
Ezra seemed to back off after that, going quiet. I wasn't going to let her just vanish because I knew how much she wanted to live. I mean, I wanted to live too! I guess I could've understood. She'd finally been at her goal and it had been ripped away from her, so it had to have been devastating, especially since her condition had now worsened to the point where she was actually coughing like it was a physical illness. Ezra was a mental figure, so to see this thing affecting her this badly meant this was some serious anti-serum.
I wasn't going to let her die.
The first time I'd been to the Annaki mansion, we'd been planning the fight against Ana. This time I was here for the sleepover. To know Bryson was hosting the sleepover told me all I needed to know, and that was that I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't sure how he was able to get his father, Bennett, to approve, but I wasn't going to question it.
For now, this was my chance to talk to Ace and make things right.
The mansion itself stood on a private beach, and while most people would be deterred by the guards who'd patrol around the place, I was considered to be one of the few to be allowed on the property, given my friendship with Bryson.
As I stepped out onto the beach, my eyes were drawn to the beautiful carvings in the front of the mansion depicting battles that had long since passed. Notable figures I recognized could clearly be depicted.
Braxton, the Squinja Annaki.
"Frigid" Bridget Annaki, the Scourge of the Seas.
Basil Annaki, the False Royal Advisor to a Tyrant King.
These three were among the most celebrated, known for taking down the biggest royal threats in all of cephalopod history, and yet…
I could not see a single mention of Brayden Annaki, the Lone Sheriff who brought the Annakis back together to take down the Enperrial Empire. It seemed Bryson was right. No Annaki wanted to acknowledge that era.
As I approached the front door, it opened, with Edward looking down at me, his orange eyes looking at me from behind glassless glasses. "Ah, you're here. You appear the be the last of the guests to arrive."
Upon my first encounter with Bryson's brother, he had come off as a rather reserved individual, perhaps a bit more uptight than I had expected. However, it occurred to me that his demeanor may have been influenced by possible circumstances at the time, such as the looming threat of banishment, which I had heard Bryson mention before.
"I hope I'm not late," I replied.
"I don't think you are," said Edward, opening the door further to let me walk in. As I did, I was met with the familiar foyer, made up of the same wooden material as the outside. As far as mansions went, this was old-fashioned and yet, it was really clean and tidy, with not a speck of dust on anything. In fact, almost everything looked brand new.
Bryson ran down the main stairs that led to the second floor, skidding across the polished wooden floor and halting right in front of me. "Oh, hey. You're here."
Alex, from the top of the stairs, called out to Bryson, "P-Please don't run down the stairs. Wouldn't want you to get into an accident."
"I'm fine," Bryson responded, shooting a glare. "I'm a machine, fine-tuned."
Edward suddenly coughed out, "Full-of-it."
Bryson glanced downward, looking embarrassed. "Hey, I've had my fair share of wins lately…"
Edward smiled and put a hand on Bryson's shoulder. "And I'm proud of you for it. Just try to listen, okay? Alex is just looking out for you."
Bryson was known for his consistent wins, often carrying me as his skills far surpassed my own. One particular match stood out in my memory, where we faced off against the formidable Barazushi Twins. During this match, Bryson took on both opponents and won, all thanks to his mastery of Turf Madness and strategic use of this ability at a single key moment.
However, Bryson was also brash. He had this tendency to rush into battle, and while he did know what he was doing, there'd still be times when he'd be taken out, leaving Ace, Liv, and me to fend for ourselves. Bryson was our shield and we couldn't afford to lose him in a match for even a few seconds.
"Hey, Bryson?" I spoke up. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered with a confident smile. To see Bryson smiling like this, I was a little confused. He was usually serious around me, but here, he was smiling.
"Hey, c'mon!" he shouted, grabbing my hand and dragging me along. "I'm gonna help you with Ace!"
"A-Already?!" I shouted, trying to keep up.
As he led me down one of the many hallways of the mansion, he said, "I'm not letting this continue any longer! You and Ace have built up a lot together and it'd be stupid to let it end over you saying what you said."
What I'd said to Ace was… almost a blur to me. I told him I wasn't the same Amelia, that I was willing to kill Weaver. That wasn't an Amelia even I was familiar with and it scared me.
I tugged on Bryson's arm, slowing him down. "I can't face him…"
Bryson stared at me in utter perplexity. "Amelia, this is important to you," he said. "He told me the whole thing and I think you were going through more of that Turf Madness."
"But what if it wasn't Turf Madness? What if something else is happening to me?!" I practically yelled.
Bryson didn't appear to be in the mood for an argument. His fists clenched, which made me tremble with fear, but he soon let out a sigh. "Do you regret what you did?" he asked.
"Yes..." I replied with sincerity. I truly did regret everything.
"Then you're not changing," Bryson stated calmly. "You just made a mistake."
There was a silence between the two of us after we resumed walking. He said I'd made a mistake, but my brain told me it was totally me. I would've objected, but I felt like it would've gotten me nowhere, especially since it was Bryson I would've been arguing with.
After heading into a room towards the back of the mansion, I saw Ace sitting by an unlit fireplace, holding a comic book in his hands. Our eyes met and I tried to pull away from Bryson. "C-Can't do this…" I mumbled.
Bryson's grip tightened up on my wrist and he slowly walked me to Ace, who looked up at me. With a sigh, he said, "Bry, let her go."
Bryson did as told and he stepped back. I didn't know what to do. Standing here in front of Ace, I was worried. I could feel so much tension until he patted the ground next to him. I didn't hesitate to sit down, but what would I say?
I was about to open my mouth when he said, "Don't."
"Wh-What…?" I questioned.
With a smile, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "You're fine. You doing okay? I heard from Liv what happened with that creep today."
I moved away from him. "Ace… Don't pretend there's nothing wrong."
Ace's smile slipped away from him. We were faced with the reality we both wanted to avoid but knew we couldn't. "Amelia, I don't want to ruin things between us. I knew it was Turf Madness, but I let your words get to me anyway. I shouldn't have hurt you like that."
I shook my head. "N-No, I shouldn't have hurt you like that! I was blinded by rage and I never should've said what I did!"
"Again, that was Turf Madness," he assured.
"But what if it wasn't?!" I retorted.
"Then we'll work through it," he answered. "Look, I was stupid."
"No, I was stupid," I tried to correct.
"You were both stupid," Bryson interrupted. "Anyways… I'm going to go and talk to my brother. You two finish your apologies and meet me in the kitchen, okay? We're going to have the best sleepover and no one here's going to worry about anything!"
Bryson seemed really determined to drive these blues away, which made me appreciate him as a friend. Lately, I'd noticed it'd been a while since he'd called me a noob. Had he changed? Or was this just him after getting to know someone?
After Bryson left, Ace chuckled. "He never ceases to amaze me."
"Why's that?" I asked.
Ace grinned. "He threw this sleepover for everyone because he thought we could use the morale"
A smile appeared on my face. "He really did that for us?"
"You think he wouldn't?" Ace responded. "The guy may be tough on the outside, but inside he has a heart of gold!"
"That's… really sweet of him," I said. "I didn't think he'd do something like this."
"You've just gotta get to know him more," Ace assured. "The dude may be cold at first he warms up over time."
I nodded, still thinking about the apology. "Will… you forgive me?"
Ace smiled at me and took my hand. "I will, but… will you forgive me?"
I didn't even hesitate. "Of course I forgive you!"
We hugged each other tightly and eventually walked to the kitchen, both of us feeling like the weight of guilt had been lifted off our shoulders.
As I peeked into the kitchen, I saw Alex and Edward standing by a stove. Alex picked up a noodle in between his fingers, seeming to inspect it. "Hm…"
"You think they're good enough to mix into the sauce?" asked Edward, raising a brow.
"Well, there's a way to find out," Alex responded. "Apparently, if you throw a noodle at a surface and it sticks, it's ready."
Edward seemed confused. "Is that tru–"
SPLAT!
Thrown against Edward's face was the spaghetti noodle that Alex had been inspecting. Alex smiled, looking pretty happy with himself. "Noodles are done!"
I couldn't help it. I tried to stifle a giggle, but I fell onto the floor laughing.
Bryson was in the corner of the kitchen with Liv, seeming more focused on a mixing bowl. "Ace, Amelia, over here," he said.
After I stood up and suppressed a few more giggles, I ran over to Bryson with Ace. After asking about the mixing bowl, I was told we were making cookies as a dessert. After we all worked together and set the cookies onto the pan, we slid them into the oven, and as we waited around in the kitchen, Liv whispered to me, "Hey, you got a minute?"
Looking at her, I had so many questions running around in my brain. She had hidden a lot from me and I knew she'd be hiding more. It wasn't really something that strained our friendship because I still felt she was being genuine and that she only had these secrets for good reasons.
These days, everyone had secrets.
"What's up?" I responded.
Liv took my hand and led me out of the kitchen, her eyes glancing at Alex and Edward for a brief moment before we left. After walking down a hallway a little ways, she looked to make sure no one was around. "Firstly, I wish to apologize. I've been keeping a lot from you guys."
"They're your secrets," I replied. "It's not my right to go digging around in them."
"Thank you for understanding," she said with a smile, but that smile faded when she resumed speaking. "Speaking of digging… I dug a bit more into Octavius' files."
My eyes widened. "What did you find about that guy?"
Liv hesitated, but continued. "He was partly in charge of the program that made the serum, the one that's changing you."
"What?!" I shouted. "He's responsible?!"
"Partly," she corrected. "There was another scientist, but their name was wiped from all the records. I couldn't find a single trace of them."
"So if I want to find out more about the serum, I might have to find that creep…" I muttered. "I really don't want to."
"If anyone's going to know about a cure, it's him, right?" guessed Liv.
"Maybe," I said. But then again, maybe not. He injected me with a serum already, one that made Ezra sick. If Ezra is still around, then it couldn't have been a cure, right? Or did it take time? Why would he go through the trouble to slow down or cure my ailment?
I wanted to know, but this guy vanished without a trace. There was simply no way to find and ask him.
As Liv and I went back to the kitchen, I saw Alex holding what appeared to be a spray bottle. Bryson was standing across from him, his hand nearing the cookies. Alex promptly pulled the trigger and the spray bottle spritzed out water, making Bryson pull away.
"Wait," I whispered to Liv. "Doesn't water hurt inklings?"
Liv shook her head. "There's a limit to how much we can take. We can take baths, play on water slides, all that, but… the ocean and the rain are different. There's something in them we can't come into contact with or else they will hurt us. Any form of purified water is fine."
"Stand down, Bry," warned Alex, holding up the spray bottle again.
"Why? We made them ourselves. Why not have just one before dinner?" asked Bryson.
"Because it's before dinner," Alex answered.
The housesitter and the Annaki boy both squinted their eyes, glaring at each other, making it feel like a showdown.
"I'm warning you," said Alex. "Don't do it."
Bryson reached out for the cookie and was greeted with a spritz of water to the face, to which he hissed and backed down. Edward chuckled, then said, "You can each have two after dinner, alright?"
"Fine," said Bryson, still glaring at Alex.
"Are we all ready for dinner?" asked Alex.
"Yeah, we should be," said Edward.
After getting our plates and taking them to the table, I sat next to Liv. Across the table from us, from our left to our right, was Ace, Bryson, Edward, and Alex. The food was very enjoyable and everyone was having fun.
A lot of talk was exchanged regarding everyone's day except for mine. I chose to pass on telling the wild and wacky story. As everyone told the story of their day, I could see just how much fun Bryson had around Edward and Alex.
But… then Edward's eyes glanced up, an ear twitching as he quietly said, "Oh no… He's home early."
I watched as Alex's laughter abruptly ceased and his smile faded away. Bryson looked panicked, his jokes and bravado disappearing. I could tell that the sudden change in their demeanor was due to the arrival of Bennett Annaki, a squid whom I had only heard about until that moment.
The father of Bryson and Edward.
This was the first time I had seen him. I took note of Bennett's sparse hair, mostly located at the back of his head, and his piercing yellow eyes that scanned us one by one as he approached to sit at the end of the table. He wore a black suit with a red tie, looking as though he'd just gotten home from work.
As he sat down, I could see Alex's eyes glaring in Bennett's direction. Something told me Alex didn't like Bryson's father, though it made me wonder why Alex kept this job if he didn't like Bennett. What was Alex's motive?
"Flowers are growing nicely in the garden," Alex informed the old squid.
Bennett simply answered, "Uh-huh…" with disinterest. Bryson suddenly snapped to attention, his back straightening as Bennett said his name. "Bryson. You're going to be recorded during this Splatfest for advertisement. We plan to use your combat footage to represent the Annaki clan."
"Yes, Sir," Bryson quietly replied. It was… a long silence after that. Anyone could've said something to break the silence, but with Bennett here, it felt as though it was fear that overcame everyone. Even Bryson, who was known to rebel against everyone, was silent.
After the long, seemingly eternal silence, Bennett stood up and said to Edward, "I'm going to be away for tonight. I have a meeting with one of the other Annaki branches."
"The other other Annaki branch?" Edward questioned.
"You know the one…" said Bennett. "The undesirables…"
The undesirables?
"There's nothing wrong with cousin Torren," Bryson muttered. "He's cool."
"What was that?!" Bennett shouted.
"N-Nothing, Sir," Bryson replied.
"Your pathetic cousin is already an outcast, and his entire branch will soon follow unless they start winning their fair share of matches," Bennett growled. "Annaki has zero tolerance for failure, and those who can't meet our standards will suffer the consequences."
After Bennett left the room and we heard the front door slam, Bryson pushed his plate away. "Not hungry anymore…"
Alex and Edward exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. They shared an understanding, it seemed, and I couldn't quite figure out what they were silently conveying until Alex remarked, "Did your dad's hair recede even further, or was I just seeing things?"
I was bewildered by this sudden remark until I noticed Bryson himself trying to conceal a grin, his mouth covered with a hand. The laughter that had disappeared when Bennett arrived had returned just as quickly when he left.
Was this really what Bryson's life was like?
"Didn't you say you wanted to play some games and tell horror stories?" Edward asked Bryson.
Bryson nodded. "First game I've got planned is a classic. Everyone to the living room!"
I didn't know Bryson was one for any games other than Turf War. As we walked into the living room that was down the hallway from the kitchen, Bryson had a big smirk on his face. As we all sat down on some small floor pillows, Bryson shouted, "Listen up, everyone. We're going to have the best sleepover you've ever had in your pitiful lives! Tonight, we start off with a classic game with a sinister twist!"
Nervous, I asked, "What game? And… wh-what twist?"
"Truth or dare…" Bryson answered. "We'll be going by player's choice and if any of us can't tell the truth or accept the dare, we'll get hit hard with a pillow."
"A pillow?" I questioned. "But… it's just a pillow. Pillows aren't that bad."
Ace shook his head. "They're bad when Bryson's wielding them."
…
…
…Oh. I'd almost forgotten what Bryson was like.
"Who goes first?" Liv asked.
Bryson bellowed, "Hmph, I'm going to kick things off by picking Amelia! Truth or dare?!"
I was still trying to adjust myself on the cushion I had settled on, caught off-guard by his sudden announcement. "What?!" I stammered.
Bryson repeated, "Truth or dare?!"
My mind raced, and without thinking, I blurted out, "Truth!" - my nerves getting the better of me. I was clearly shaken.
Bryson raised a brow. "Hm… What to ask," he muttered over and over until he finally said, "Aha! What is your greatest fear?"
My greatest fear? There were a lot of things I was afraid of. "I guess my greatest fears are… being rejected and being alone forever."
This seemed to stun Bryson, the Annaki boy blinking and losing his own composure now. "I… can relate to that," he replied. "Alright. Your turn. You can choose anyone."
Looking around the room, I set my sights on Ace. "Ace. Truth or dare?" I asked.
"Dare," Ace replied with a grin.
Hm… I decided to go with something simple. I was never really all that creative. "Um… Do a handstand?"
Ace had no problem with that, backflipping and landing on one hand. "This good enough for ya?~"
I was really impressed. "Definitely!" I answered with a smile. "Your turn, I guess?"
Ace's arm froze mid-gesture as it looked like he was about to point at Liv when the doorbell suddenly rang. We were all puzzled, including Edward, who stood up and said, "I wonder who could be knocking on the door at such a strange hour?"
Curious, I stood up and followed Edward. I had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that wouldn't go away. Who could've been at the door when it was approaching the later hours of the day?
After Edward reached the door and opened it up, I received my answer. It was Callie and Marie. Edward stared for but a moment before asking, "What brings you to the Annaki mansion so late, Miss Marie?"
Marie, sighting me behind him, smiled and said, "Business."
I ran back to the living room, my eyes wide open. "Squid Sisters!" I shouted.
While Ace and Liv looked shocked, Bryson didn't. This surprised me as he replied, "Oh, them? They're here, like… at least once every few months…"
"M-My old bosses…" muttered Alex. "They pop in every so often to chill with us."
What?! To chill?!
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner that I knew them," Bryson explained. "I didn't want to upset you because I knew about the bad experiences you had with them in the past. I was waiting for the right time to bring it up, and I didn't expect to see them here tonight. I didn't want to ruin tonight by bringing up bad memories. It seems like you've been going through a lot of bad things lately, so… it started to feel like there almost wasn't a right time to tell you.
"Wait, wh-what?" Alex questioned. "Bad impression?"
"It's... complicated," I answered, leaving it at that for now. Right now, my mind was focused on the fact that Callie and Marie were here. It was way too much of a coincidence. What were the odds that I would run into them twice today ?
While I appreciated their past help with Octavius, once today was enough. Now they were here at the sleepover? I was pretty sure they were outright stalking me.
"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey!~" shouted Callie as she held out two Tentacola cans. "Who wants soda?!"
Ace and I shared a brief gaze. I opted not to freak out at this time. Maybe it really was a coincidence? I really doubted it was a coincidence, but what was wrong with wanting to believe it was, right? I mean, Alex said they were once his bosses.
Speaking of Alex…
I looked in his direction as Callie greeted him with a hug. He said they were his bosses, and my brain could only think of very few interpretations of that scenario. According to Liv, he used octarian military tactics. He was also very jumpy (and shooty) when Liv confronted him on the day we ran into Ana.
Did he work for the Squid Sisters in the way I thought he did? Was he one of their special "agents"? How could I find out? That was when I'd realized… what game we were playing. Yeah, it was a long shot, but…
I whispered into Ace's ear and he nodded with a wink and a smile. "Hey, Squid Sisters! I'm a big fan!"
Callie grinned at Ace. "It's always nice to meet a fan!"
Marie walked into the room and simply sat down on an extra pillow, looking at me with a small smile. "Hey."
I didn't answer, waiting for Ace to resume the game. It was his turn, after all. Sure enough, Ace did as I'd asked. He pointed a finger towards Alex and asked, "Truth or Dare?"
Alex looked back with a straight face. "Truth."
"What kind of work did you do for Callie and Marie?" asked Ace. Bryson immediately raised his pillow, ready to strike if Alex refused to answer.
"Dance choreography," Alex immediately replied. Bryson put his pillow down in disappointment.
Huh?!
"Dance choreography?!" I cried out.
Marie spoke up to confirm this. "Yep. Alex here helped us practice dancing."
"He's pretty good at it!" Callie shouted.
"And I'm Deep Cut's choreographer too," Alex added.
"Excuse me?!" I almost screamed out. "Deep Cut?! How many celebrities have you worked for?!"
"Nope," Alex replied. "You only had the one truth to ask and I've given you more than enough."
And thus, the game continued on until we eventually got bored. I wanted to ask more questions, but I felt like I wouldn't get anywhere after the answer Alex initially gave me. If he really was a choreographer for the Squid Sisters at one point, then I was at a dead end. But maybe I could get more answers down the line…
The clock was ticking towards midnight and the entire house was engulfed in pitch darkness. In the living room, Bryson sat upon his pillow, his face illuminated by a feeble flashlight beam. His glasses were off, revealing his wide, piercing blue eyes as he told us spine-chilling tales of monsters.
From an inkling with a hook to a ghost in the hallways, Bryson's hair-raising stories left me feeling increasingly paranoid and fearful. Liv also seemed to be affected, but Ace didn't seem bothered at all.
"He could hear the footsteps coming closer," Bryson continued, resuming one of the many tales. "Although the door was locked, he feared it wouldn't be enough, as three of his friends had already been snatched up mere minutes earlier!"
My brain was rattled. My heart was pounding. My hands were trembling. I'd never let a scary story get to me before, but it was the way he told it that made me uneasy.
Bryson had a wicked smile on his face as he continued, making me all the more skittish. "The footsteps grew louder… and louder… AND LOUDER. The inkling was scared out of his wits! Then, just as it sounded like the monster had reached the door, the footsteps stopped!"
My eyes widened. "DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!" I screamed.
"Woah, take it easy," said Ace, holding my hand.
"S-Sorry!" I replied. "Just… on edge."
Bryson made a cackle that made the fearful feelings return. "A sinister laugh came from BEHIND THE INKLING!"
I gripped Ace's hand tightly, then said, "Alright, I think that's enough!"
"Aww, c'mon! I was getting to the really good part!" Bryson complained.
"It's fine," said Ace. "We can tell more stories tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" I questioned. "How long does this sleepover last?"
"As long as the Splatfest," said Liv. "We're going to be doing some serious planning while we participate."
"And this mansion has a special training room that only us four will have access to," Bryson explained. "You did tell Nem, right?"
"I'm not going to lie," I admitted. "I didn't even read the initial invite message you sent out. I was too depressed."
"That's fine…" said Bryson. "Just be sure to tell Nem."
Something seemed off to me. Bryson was… so different today. This was his biggest change since I'd first met him, and I needed to know why. He used to act so serious, but now he was acting just like a kid. Was this the real him? "Bryson? Why are you acting so… different lately?"
He looked at me with uncertainty. "It's… complicated. I'm going through things."
"Was all your behavior up until now just… fake?" Liv questioned.
Bryson put on his shades with a growl. "You listen here. When I'm around you guys, there's nothing fake about me. I'm just… tired, okay?"
It was then that I noticed Bryson shiver. There was a single tear on his cheek, barely revealed by the dim lighting in the room. I don't think Liv or Ace could see it. I had to strain my eyes just to notice. Was Bryson beginning to crack?
"We'll talk about this later," said Ace. "Let's go to bed for now."
And that was that. I wanted to talk to Bryson more, but he just kept quiet when I asked more questions. Ace told me that he would tell me more about Bryson later, but I was stuck in this world of confusion. What was up with him?
When the clock struck three in the morning, my eyes opened wide. I felt completely refreshed and alert as if I had just gotten a full night's sleep. That wasn't right…
I could hear Pineapple warble in the hallway, the smallfry getting a little loud. Not wanting my friends to wake up, I got out of my sleeping bag and walked over, and just as I stepped into the hallway, my eyes met an unwelcome sight.
It was the girl from my dream before, the one with milky-white pupils and white tentacle hair. She was holding Pineapple with a look of surprise on her face. With a faint tremble in her voice, she softly called out, "Amelia," her words seeming to linger in the air long after they were spoken.
I turned around and booked it. I didn't want to be here! The hallway seemed to stretch on and on, infinitely expanding. No matter how far I ran, I couldn't get any further away from her. I could hear her call me again! "AMELIA."
"Go away!" I screamed with desperation.
A dark void spread out from her location and engulfed me, sending me falling into an abyss where I descended for what felt like a long time.
I eventually felt my descent slow down over time until I landed upon invisible ground. This void was so familiar. I've seen it a lot in my dreams, and yet I still feared it. Walking alone in it always gave me the creeps, but at least I couldn't see that girl anywhere…
A spotlight shined down upon me, then upon a figure in front of me. It was Ace, a serious look on his face as he held a Hydra Splatling in his hands. Looking at me, he said, "I'm sorry. I have to do this."
As he began to walk away, I tried to chase after him, but he could walk faster than I could run. "Ace?! Wait! What's going on?!"
It was no use. I couldn't reach him. He was simply too far away now, and as I screamed out his name, begging for him to come back, I felt a hand grip mine. Turning around, I saw Bryson. "We need to go! It's too late!" he shouted. The ground rumbled beneath me and I could smell smoke.
"What's going on?!" I asked.
"You're overthinking everything."
I turned around, looking up at Marina, who had a sad smile on her face. "Hey," she greeted. "Let's, uh, clear everything out and we can have a talk, okay?"
She waved her hands and Bryson vanished. The void became a small room with a beige couch and nothing else. As she sat down, she patted the spot next to her. When I sat down, I looked around me. The walls were barren, with only a pastel pink paint coating to give it some semblance of warmth.
"What exactly is going on?" I asked.
"Oh, just another dream," said Marina. "Your mind is going through a lot."
"Why is Bryson different when he's at home?" I asked.
She smiled. "Right to the point, I see."
"I have the feeling that's why you're here," I clarified.
"From what you've seen of Bryson and his life, from what you've seen of his father, you know Bryson is undergoing a lot of stress," said Marina. "But he's also with his brother when he's home. You can tell that Alex is also like a brother to him."
"What does it mean when he's with us and not as laid back?" I asked.
"Are you as laid back when you're with your friends?" asked Marina.
That confused me. "What do you mean?"
"You're always worried about what they're going to think of you," she reminded me. "A turfling wears many masks, and I have no doubt that humans do the same. There's a mask when we're alone, a mask when we're at home, a mask when we're with people, a mask when we're around enemies, and a mask when we're with our closest friends. You're still a little tense around your friends. You've hesitated to tell them about Ezra before, and hesitated even further to tell Nem-Nem."
That hit me like a brick. "Uh…y-yeah…" I muttered.
She put a hand on my shoulder. "Bryson's going to act a little differently at home than he does around his friends, and that's okay. You at least got to see a side of him today. He's slowly opening up to you all and this sleepover was the way to do it. I think only Ace knew what Bryson was really like. There is no 'fake' side. There's only the mask you're wearing at the time."
"Then what's the real me?" I asked.
"Maybe you should talk to Ezra about that," Marina suggested. "Now, then. It's time for you to wake up, okay? We need to talk."
That confused me. "But… we just had a talk?"
She repeated again. "Amelia… We need to talk."
"We need to talk, Amelia."
"Amelia?"
"Amelia, wake up!"
I jolted awake, looking around me. "Huh?!"
It was morning. I could smell pancakes coming from the kitchen. Ace was sitting next to me. "I wanted to talk to you about Bryson. You know, to explain things to you?"
After some thought, I replied, "It's fine. I think I've figured it out."
"Are you sure?" he asked. "It's pretty important."
"He's just slowly opening up to us, right?" I replied.
Ace seemed a little confused, but he shrugged. "Uh, yeah. He is."
"I've got all the info I need," I said.
