CHAPTER 10: EXTREME

Jill was among the first to enter the waiting room, a large area with a circular table in the center and several chairs around it, as well as seamless sofas against the walls. It looked like a room for professional meetings. Athena excused herself and went back into the corridor. Jill was briefly tempted to try and sneak out, but even if she could navigate that dreary labyrinth, she had no way to leave the Isle of Woe. And she definitely wouldn't want to escape without all her friends with her.

As Jill tried to make herself comfortable, she saw her fellow subjects enter the room. First Azul, then Riddle, Vil, Jamil, and Leona. Jill tried to wave to them for some brief levity, and they acknowledged her, but they still looked rather tired. Jill couldn't blame them; her usual optimism was definitely wavering.

Grim was the last to arrive, and as soon as he spied Jill, he ran up to her and jumped into her lap.

"Jill, it was awful!" Grim cried. "Ya told me that you hated me and you were kickin' me outta Hallowgrim, so I had to fight you, and you were destroyed, but it was a fake you, and—"

"Grim, it's okay!" Jill tried to soothe him. "Your scientist explained it to you, didn't he? That wasn't the real me. Styx just made a fake version to rile you up to test your blot levels during combat." She paused. "…It wasn't easy to fight a fake you, either…"

"So you went through the same thing, huh…?" Grim looked around the room. "You guys too?"

"We had to fight Trey, Rook, and Jade," Riddle answered. "I'm guessing that Jamil and Leona had to fight Kalim and Ruggie, or something like that?"

"Got it in one," Leona said. "Of course, it was pretty obvious that it was a fake—the real Ruggie knows his place. So I wasn't that stressed out, really."

"True, but I think Styx will give us more grueling tests later down the line," Jamil noted worriedly.

"Even so… Styx isn't going to hurt us, right?" Jill asked hopefully. She started to pet Grim in her lap, and he purred contently. "I mean, we all signed that NDA, and part of that deal means that we won't get hurt. Right…?"

Nobody really seemed convinced by that, much to Jill's growing dread.

"It was a solid enough NDA, and the Jupiter Conglomerate would have top-notch lawyers to spare," Azul said. "And yet, I'm baffled at how much they're able to keep out of the public eye. Even if we were legally bound by our contract with Idia, several other students witnessed us being taken. Surely they would raise a fuss?"

"Especially since some of us are famous outside of Night Raven," Vil seconded. "Leona's even a member of royalty. I'd be surprised if there wasn't an incident."

"Maybe they'll cover it up with memory-wiping pens, like in Men in Black," Jill said idly.

"Men in what?" Jamil asked.

"Oh, uh… it's a movie from my world about a secret organization," Jill explained, feeling foolish. "They have these special devices that can wipe a person's mind and make them forget whatever weird thing they saw."

"Sounds dumb… but we have seen Idia come up with all sorts of things," Grim noted.

"It does sound ludicrous," Riddle agreed. "But if Styx did have some way of altering peoples' memories… I wonder if it's for the best."

"For the best? Are you defending them?" Leona asked hotly.

"No, of course not," Riddle said. "But I'm wondering how much the others at Night Raven know about the situation. Our school is known for being tenacious—they wouldn't just sit on their thumbs and hope we come back. If they weren't planning a rescue mission, they'd be trying to find out who took us and why."

"True, but what are you getting at?" Azul demanded.

"I'm worried if… the whole school will learn about our overblots," Riddle finally said, staring at the floor. "My incident was completely disgraceful. All of Heartslabyul had to take some time to fully forgive me. Thankfully, they kept my secret within our dorm walls, but if everyone knew about it… I might not be able to show my face in school again!"

Riddle's words seemed to weigh down the whole room. Grim's overblot was public knowledge since he had run away from home, but the others had their overblot information confined to their dormmates. If the whole school found out who Styx was, in a way that the organization couldn't prevent, and everyone knew about all seven overblots… it would be a catastrophe.

"Maybe it's better if the others forgot this happened," Riddle summed up.

Everyone was quiet, though Leona looked as if he wanted to object. But before he got the chance, Idia and Ortho came into the room.

"I couldn't help but overhear, Riddle Rosehearts," Ortho said. "And don't worry, none of your overblots will be public knowledge. It's our job to keep this stuff private, you know!"

"So you guys do have mind-wiping memory pens?!" Jill asked.

"That's for us to know and for you to never know," Idia answered. He took out his technomatic tablet, which hovered at eye level, and started scrolling through some documents. "Well, even I have to admit this is baffling. Your vitals are normal, your magic and blot levels are normal… so what could have caused all your overblots?"

"Whatever we went through, it's in the past," Azul said. "Like you confirmed, we're not at risk for overblotting anymore."

"I have an idea," Ortho said. "Though you guys might not like it…"

"What now?" Grim complained.

"Six of you achieved overblotting through personal situations that were painful to you," Ortho went on. "This caused your personalities to temporarily warp, doing extreme things that you wouldn't otherwise consider, which in turn made your blot overflow. So… perhaps those certain personal triggers were the cause of your overblots."

"I highly doubt it's that simple," Vil argued.

"There's definitely more to it, but Ortho's theory holds water," Idia said. "Maybe if we made the VR simulation more… personal, we can see if that makes your blot spike up."

"You want us to go through the same events that made us transform?!" Jill cried with horror. "Even if it's just a simulation, that would be awful!"

"I can't go through that again. I refuse!" Azul cried.

"We've all moved on from those incidents. Opening those wounds, even for research, will only cause more harm," Jamil said. The others around the room showed their displeasure.

"I know it'll be painful, but it would be necessary," Ortho pressed. "What if those certain triggers agitated you enough to overblot a second time? We should use this time to see if that's the case, and if we can help treat it."

"But you can't—!" Riddle tried to say.

"Hey!" Idia snapped. "Before you all continue your whining, just remember that I'm the boss! As long as our deal holds, I own you. So I'll be deciding what you do during your stay."

Everyone openly glared at Idia, even Jill. Ortho glared at them in turn, defending his brother.

"Now then, I think Ortho has a good idea. We should—" Idia started, but then the monitor on the screen turned from blue to red.

"What?!" Idia cried. He furiously pressed buttons on his tablet. "A security breach?!"

Ortho put a hand to his temple. "I'm getting a message from the Charon army," he said. "Four intruders have breached our defenses and landed on the Isle of Woe."

"Oh, look at that! So much for your hidden base," Leona chuckled.

"What the Tartarus?!" Idia's hair flickered and turned a brief orange. "Okay, change of plans! Ortho, stay down here and prepare a new round of simulations based on the overblot testimonies. I'll go up and see who these intruders are."

"Alright," Ortho said. "But I theorize we already know these intruders…"

"Are they from Night Raven?" Riddle demanded.

"We'll see," Idia said. "You seven get cozy. But don't get sneaky, because the doors are locked and we have cameras on you. If you need anything, just touch this button near the monitor, and a researcher will come to assist."

"Bye, guys. Sorry for making you wait," Ortho said. "We'll see you soon!"

And with that, the Shroud brothers departed, electronically locking the door behind them.

"'I'm the boss?' Ugh, what an attitude!" Azul scoffed in disgust.

"I imagine Board Game Club will be quite tense from now on," Jamil remarked.

"Idia's like a completely different person," Jill said. "I wonder why he acted so reclusive for all this time?"

"Maybe he was just hiding his true persona," Vil guessed.

"Either way, he's a pain!" Grim said.

As the seven found solace in their irritation, Jill wondered what was happening up in the Isle of Woe.