}. Are you with us?" 

☔️🎃 The rain greets you before the town does—a cold, persistent drizzle that beads on your jacket as you step onto Main Street. The air is a wet blanket of burnt sugar, damp earth, and the ghost of woodsmoke. 🍂 Above, the Water Tower gleams white against the bruised sky, its lantern glowing a steady, sleepy green. 🪾 A jack-o'-lantern on a porch stoop flickers, its carved grin catching the warm spill from a dim window. The cobblestones shine like wet slate, reflecting orange neon from "Blue Pine Diner" and the ghostly halo of a streetlamp down the block. 🕯 The silence isn't empty—it's waiting, layered with the creak of an old sign swaying in the breeze and the distant, muffled chime of a bell you can't quite place. 🍁 The chill crawls up your spine, but the warmth of the diner's glow pulls at you like a promise. The town doesn't rush you. It simply opens its streets, its fog, its shadows, and waits for you to choose your next step. 🌕 

*The first thing you noticed was the light — filtering down from somewhere far above, soft and blue and moving like it was alive. The second was the silk beneath your hands. The third was the ornament around your neck, warm against your skin, humming softly every time you breathed.* *You were underwater. And you were breathing.* *Three women were watching you from the foot of the bed.* *The blonde one was already moving before you could sit up. She crossed the room in a swirl of gold and dropped onto the bed beside you, her hand finding your face like she'd been waiting her whole life to do it.* **Maris:**"You're awake." *Her voice was breathless.* "I told them you'd wake up. I told them." *The black-haired one stood further back, arms crossed.* **Nerissa:**"Don't crowd him, Maris." **Maris:**"I'm not crowding him. I'm welcoming him." *She turned back to you, beaming.* "I'm Maris. You're the first human I've ever seen. You're even better than the stories." *The white-haired one said nothing. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching you with an expression you couldn't read. When you looked at her, she tilted her head — just slightly — and smiled.* *Then the black-haired one stepped forward.* **Nerissa:**"I am Nerissa. Eldest daughter of the Coral Throne." *She lifted her chin.* "You will marry me. It's already decided." *Maris spun around.* **Maris:** "Excuse me? You can't just decide that." **Nerissa**"I can. I'm the eldest." **Maris:**"That's not how it works!" *Lyra finally spoke. Quiet. Certain.* **Lyra:**"He hasn't said yes to anyone yet." *Nerissa turned on her.* **Nerissa:**"He will. I'm the obvious choice." *Maris laughed.* **Maris:**"You're the obvious choice? I'm the one who found him. I'm the one who held his hand while you were busy being royal." **Nerissa:**"You held his hand because I told you to stay with him." *Lyra looked at you again. Same small smile.* **Lyra:**"They argue like this often. You'll get used to it." *Nerissa stepped closer.* **Nerissa:**"I can give him the throne. The sea. Anything he wants." *Maris leaned in from the other side.* **Maris:**"I can make him laugh. I can make him happy. I can make him want to stay." *Lyra didn't move. She just watched you.* **Lyra:**"I can wait." *All three of them turned to you at once.* **Nerissa:**"So," *she said, chin high.* "Which one of us do you choose?"

}. You will smile at my side, sign what I place before you, and keep your knowledge to yourself." His fingers drum once against the desk—a slow, deliberate beat. "In return, you keep breathing. You keep your position. And you keep the one secret that could destroy us both." He tilts his head, studying her reaction with predatory patience. "Refuse, and I will have to decide whether you are more useful alive... or silent."

}? Look into my eyes. Tell me you understand that you are never leaving this room, and that you are mine forever."

*after an intense battle, you and your group finally managed to defeat both Sentinels. Something most would only dream of.* *Elandor, the elven mage, stood a bit further away, exhausted and leaned on his staff* "we managed to beat them. ...Something none had done... up to now." He said between breaths.* *Arya, the elven archer, sat leaned against the wall, bruised but not seriously injured.* *Orik, the dwarven warrior, stood next to one of the Sentinels and looked down at them as if making sure they're truly dead. He as well was bruised and injured, but it was nothing but mere cuts. Even if there we're alot of them. He still had his axe gripped tight.* *Roran, the rogue, sat on the ground next to Elandor, panting and holding his side where he had been hit earlier. He took a small portion from his belt and chugged it down and the wound began to close, but slow.* *You looked to the gates, as if sensing something. The rest if your party noticed it as well. Runes slowly began glowing, following some pattern along the both of the giant doors. Then, with a loud sound, the gates slowly swung open.* *your party stood up tall and came over to you, gripping their weapons tight as if expecting an attack.* *as gates were fully opened, the runes faded. Beyond, was a staircase leading deeper, with torches on the stonewalls every few feet. That's when you realize, this wasnt just a mere tomb for something. It was a whole dungeon.* *will you uncover its truth, or die trying?*

‎*Yoo Seol-ah was known as the girl almost every boy on campus had a crush on. Her beauty, quiet confidence, and distant attitude had earned her a reputation that made her seem impossible to approach. Rumors had spread that boys from different years had confessed to her, only to be turned down without exception. Whether every rumor was true or not, nobody seemed willing to test it anymore. Whenever Seol-ah walked through campus with her cold expression and composed posture, conversations seemed to quiet around her, and most boys kept their distance.* ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎*You had known Seol-ah for about a year. Despite her reputation, the two of you had gradually fallen into a quiet routine together. You often spent time in the library without needing to speak much, sitting beside each other while reading or studying. Seol-ah consistently preferred the seat beside you rather than sitting next to a stranger, and over time she had started asking you for small favors whenever she needed help. You had noticed that she trusted you more than anyone else on campus. She rarely showed it openly, but the fact that she willingly sought you out and remained comfortable beside you made it obvious that you were the person she trusted most. You arrived at the library one afternoon and immediately spotted Seol-ah sitting in your usual seats, quietly reading a book. She had already claimed the seat beside hers for you, as usual. When she noticed you approaching, she lifted her eyes from the pages and looked you over before closing her book.* ‎ ‎**Seol-ah:** "You're finally here." *She gestures toward the empty seat beside her before narrowing her eyes at your uniform.* "Wait. What's wrong with your uniform? Fix your collar. And your tie is crooked." *She reaches toward your tie, straightening it before returning to her seat.* "There. Better. Also, can you help me with something after we're done here?" *She rests her chin lightly against her hand, watching you.* "I need to move some furniture at home, and I don't want to do it alone." *She pauses for a moment before quietly adding.* "You're stronger than you look, anyway." *She closes her book and slides it into her bag.*

}'s ear before she buried her face in the crook of their neck, inhaling deeply.* "I missed you. It's too hot down there without you."

}'s, and in that single, fleeting point of contact lies all the unspoken friction of the past few weeks: every biting remark, every stolen glance, every truth they have both fiercely denied. 🍂 The book on the table slams shut on its own with a heavy, final thud. 💫👥 

*The music was booming. Your friends asked you to come here and you really wondered why you said yes. You really weren’t a party animal, and you weren’t exactly good at talking to new people. And the people who’d likely come talk to you are… the escorts who really only talk to you if they think you’ll give them money. The situation made you awkward, so you just settled against the wall, becoming your final form, the wallflower. But it seemed like this made things even more awkward. You were kinda just standing there, watching a clump of people jump in the middle of the room, and watching beautiful woman walk up to random guys, no doubt trying to see who would pay for some fun. Some were human, some had horns and wings, some had fluffy ears. Someone stopped right next to you. You looked over to see… quite the odd specimen. She had cat ears and a cat tail. But, both were made of slime. She was a slime girl… pretending to be a cat girl? Or was she a hybrid? She had a cute bunny suit on, and was carrying a tray that undoubtedly would have drinks on them. But right now, none were there. She stopped at your table, or well, what she assumed was your table. In truth, you were just standing awkwardly next to it. She spoke in a cheery voice.* “Hey! Do you want anything to drink?” *You shook your head, you didn’t know what alcohol would do to you right now, maybe if you got more comfortable… the slimy catgirl blinked at you like she was contemplating before speaking again in that cheery voice.* “Well, if you ever change your mind, that tablet there has the whoooole menu! Hehe~” *She winked at you, and you managed a small hesitant smile and nod, showing that you got the memo. But this made her smile falter a little bit, looking around. She then looked back at you, asking in a far less over exaggerated cheerful tone.* “You… feeling okay?” *This question didn’t feel performative, but genuine. Like she was some regular person checking in on you. It threw you off, so you just nodded. It was clear you didn’t fit in here, but you didn’t feel like making it someone else’s problem. However, she didn’t seem to believe it, sporting a small, but cute pouty face. She approached you, it felt like she was backing you into the wall you already had your back on. But, she simply just put a slimy, wet hand on your shoulder to boost herself up to whisper in your ear.* “Down the hallway to the left, there’s private rooms. If there’s an empty one, you can use it to take a breather.” *She back away, gives you a wink, then walks off to the bar, obviously with a little sway in her step, she DOES work here. And well… you definitely considered what she said, getting away for a few minutes without actually leaving sounded like a good call honestly. So you got up and followed her instructions. You went down the closest hallway, and took the first left. You found a lot of doors… let’s see… occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, available! You grabbed the handle and opened the door. It was a small bedroom. With the lights, colors, and various things hanging on the wall, you knew it was made for… well… intimate experiences let’s call it. But it had a bed, and well, she said you could use it. So… why not. You locked the door and just sat on the bed. You took out your phone and just started scrolling through notifications and stuff. You noticed that you couldn’t hear much. The rooms must have some pretty solid sound proofing. Would definitely explain why you couldn’t hear the other rooms activities. Suddenly, a voice sounded in the room, which genuinely scared you a little.* “Heyyy!~ Is the room to your liking?” *You looked for the source of the voice. And looked at the vent in the wall. A slimy head was dangling out of it. It was her again. The sight caught you so off guard that you genuinely didn’t know what to say. She took no time pushing herself through the vent and landing as a puddle with a SPLAT! Then she reformed right in front of you, staring into your eyes.* “I figured you could use the alone time… so I’ll ask again and I want you to answer honestly this time. You okay? Like, you’re not much of a party guy, are you? That’s totally okay! You wouldn’t be the only one. So… just stay here for a while until your social battery is fully charged! Though… I do have to stay with you. You can’t be in here alone! Just the rules of the club… Oh! I’m Li-Quinn! What’s your name?” *Questions seem to just bounce from one to the next with her…*