It was supposed to be a normal day.

Keyword: SUPPOSED TO BE.

Because apparently, the universe had looked at six people with completely different personalities, shoved them into one group, and decided that peace was a privilege they simply did not deserve. And what better way to spend an otherwise perfectly ordinary afternoon than going to the mall? There were shops to visit, food to eat, things to buy, and approximately seven hundred different ways for this little outing to go horribly, HORRIBLY wrong.

And, naturally, nobody had any fucking idea that they were about to experience the dumbest twenty minutes of their lives.

It all started at approximately 2:30 PM.

Reri had suggested the mall. Whether she had genuinely wanted to spend time with everyone or simply wanted an excuse to visit a bookstore was a question nobody had bothered asking, because honestly, who the fuck was going to question a sovereign over something as simple as shopping? The woman could probably turn a casual suggestion into an official decree if she felt like it. Besides, the mall had air-conditioning, food, and an entire bookstore full of things she could judge people for not reading. What could possibly go wrong?

EVERYTHING. THAT'S WHAT.

Corvus, naturally, had agreed to come along with the enthusiasm of someone being asked to participate in a mandatory group activity. With his matte-black crown resting above his messy black hair, his barbed tail trailing behind him, and his usual unreadable expression firmly in place, he looked like he belonged in a dark fantasy novel rather than a shopping mall filled with screaming children and people walking at the speed of a fucking snail. He had initially planned to observe the others, perhaps browse a few stores, and enjoy a relatively peaceful afternoon. A reasonable plan. An achievable plan. A plan that was about to get absolutely fucking obliterated.

Corruptedheart, meanwhile, was already excited about the electronics and gaming stores. The moment someone mentioned that the mall had a gaming section, his attention had practically left the atmosphere. He was going to look at games, maybe check out some accessories, and possibly buy something he absolutely did not need. The fact that he was going to be accompanied by five other people who could collectively turn a simple shopping trip into a government-level investigation was apparently not a concern. He had survived worse things than shopping with friends.

Probably.

Acro was there, too. The retired racer himself. A grown-ass man with presumably functional legs, a phone, and enough life experience to understand that shopping malls were large buildings containing multiple floors. Surely, out of all six people, HE would be one of the easiest to keep track of. Right?

RIGHT?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

FUCK NO.

Savi had agreed to the outing under circumstances that remained suspiciously unclear. Maybe he wanted to buy something. Maybe someone had convinced him. Maybe he had simply decided that refusing would result in more annoying questions than actually attending. Regardless, he arrived wearing his usual crown and hooded scarf, looking as though every single person in the mall had personally offended him by existing. His two swords, Shock Wave and Wave Shock, were very much not helping his already intimidating aesthetic. He was surrounded by fluorescent lighting, loud advertisements, and people who apparently had never heard of the concept of WALKING IN A STRAIGHT LINE.

He was going to lose his fucking mind before they even reached the food court.

And Once? Oh, Once was just THERE.

The half-human, half-zombie introvert had presumably expected an ordinary outing with friends. Maybe a little walking, some food, a few stores, and then home. Nothing particularly complicated. Nothing that required advanced planning or the intervention of emergency services. He had not signed up to supervise five other people's decisions, nor had he volunteered to participate in whatever collective brain malfunction was apparently scheduled for that afternoon.

Unfortunately for him, the universe did not give a single flying fuck about his expectations.

For the first few minutes, everything was surprisingly peaceful.

They entered the mall. They walked past the first few stores. Reri immediately became interested in something she saw through a bookstore window, Corruptedheart spotted the gaming store, Savi began complaining about the crowds, and Corvus quietly observed the general population with the expression of someone conducting a scientific study on the decline of human intelligence.

Acro was walking with them.

WAS.

At some point, the group began splitting up slightly. Not dramatically, not in any way that seemed particularly dangerous. Reri wanted to check the bookstore. Corruptedheart wanted to investigate the gaming store. Savi was complaining about something that nobody had the energy to investigate. Once was probably wondering how long this was going to take. Corvus was doing whatever the fuck Corvus did when surrounded by people.

And Acro?

Acro looked at an electronics store.

Then he looked at the group.

Then he looked back at the store.

"Hey, I'll catch up."

Four words.

Four innocent, harmless, perfectly ordinary words that would later become the subject of a full-scale investigation.

Nobody stopped him. Nobody questioned him. Nobody thought twice about it.

Because why WOULD THEY?

He was a grown man.

He had a phone.

He knew how to read.

APPARENTLY, THAT LAST PART WAS UP FOR DEBATE.

The group continued walking, completely unaware that their former racer had just begun the most challenging journey of his entire career: finding his fucking friends in a shopping mall.

Meanwhile, Acro entered the electronics store.

He browsed for a little while. Looked at a few things. Maybe checked out something interesting. Then he decided he should probably catch up with the others before they went too far.

Easy, right?

He walked out of the store.

Looked around.

Saw an escalator.

Got on the escalator.

Went upstairs.

And then—

He found himself standing in front of another electronics store.

He stared at it.

Paused.

Looked around.

"...Huh."

Now, any reasonable person might have stopped to check their phone at this point. Perhaps sent a quick message to the group chat. Maybe opened the mall directory. You know, basic survival instincts.

Acro, however, apparently decided that the best course of action was to simply keep walking.

AND THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WAS HOW HE GOT HIMSELF LOST.

Not lost in a forest. Not lost in an unfamiliar city. Not lost in some abandoned building with no signs, no exits, and absolutely no hope of finding civilization.

HE GOT LOST IN A FUCKING MALL.

A MALL.

A BUILDING WITH MAPS.

A BUILDING WITH SIGNS.

A BUILDING WITH INFORMATION DESKS WHERE PEOPLE COULD LITERALLY TELL HIM WHERE THE FUCK HE WAS.

And somehow, this man managed to turn a simple trip to an electronics store into a geographical crisis.

Back with the others, approximately ten minutes had passed.

Reri had finished looking at something in the bookstore and returned to the spot where she had last seen everyone. Corruptedheart had emerged from the gaming store, looking perfectly content. Savi was still complaining about the crowds, because apparently the concept of indoor public spaces had personally offended him. Once was standing nearby, looking like he wanted to go home. Corvus was observing the surroundings.

Everything seemed normal.

Until Reri started counting.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

...

She counted again.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

She slowly turned her television head toward the others.

"...Where the fuck is Acro?"

Silence.

Not the peaceful kind.

Not the comfortable kind.

The kind of silence that occurred when everyone collectively realized that something had gone HORRIBLY WRONG.

Corruptedheart looked around.

"...WAIT."

Once turned his head.

Savi stopped complaining mid-sentence.

Corvus blinked.

Reri stared at all of them.

"WHERE. IS. ACRO."

And suddenly, everybody had a fucking problem.

"I THOUGHT HE WAS WITH YOU!" someone immediately protested.

"WITH ME?! I THOUGHT HE WAS WITH YOU!"

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD HE BE WITH ME?!"

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!"

"CAN YOU ALL SHUT UP FOR TWO SECONDS?!"

Corvus, who had apparently decided that this was the perfect opportunity to remain calm while everyone else lost their minds, glanced at the nearest directory.

"He probably went to another floor."

Reri slowly turned toward him.

"Corvus."

"Yes?"

"THAT DOES NOT TELL ME WHERE HE IS."

"I'm aware."

"THEN WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SAY IT?!"

"Because you asked where he was."

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO STATE THE OBVIOUS!"

Corruptedheart was already trying not to laugh.

Not because the situation was particularly funny, of course. No. Absolutely not.

It was just the fact that Acro, a fully grown adult, had somehow managed to disappear into the one place where getting lost should have been a minor inconvenience.

"GUYS," Corruptedheart wheezed, already holding his phone up. "I'M SORRY, BUT HOW DO YOU LOSE A WHOLE-ASS PERSON IN A MALL?!"

"STOP LAUGHING AND HELP US FIND HIM!" Once snapped.

"I'm TRYING!"

"YOU'RE LITERALLY RECORDING!"

"FOR EVIDENCE!"

"EVIDENCE OF WHAT?!"

"ACRO'S NATURAL HABITAT!"

Savi pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I swear to every deity in existence, if that idiot has somehow gotten himself trapped in a fucking clothing store—"

"Why would he be trapped in a clothing store?" Corvus asked.

"I DON'T KNOW, CORVUS! THAT'S THE FUCKING PROBLEM!"

Reri was already typing furiously into the group chat.

RERI: WHERE ARE YOU.

No response.

RERI: ACRO.

Nothing.

RERI: ACROBATXNP, IF YOU CAN READ THIS MESSAGE, RESPOND IMMEDIATELY.

Still nothing.

Then, finally, the typing indicator appeared.

Everyone froze.

Corruptedheart practically shoved his face into the phone.

Once leaned closer.

Savi looked like he was about to personally fight the internet.

Corvus simply watched.

A message arrived.

ACRO: wtf

...

...

...

RERI: WHAT DO YOU MEAN "WTF"???

ACRO: where r u guys

ONCE: WHERE ARE YOU FIRST.

ACRO: idk

SAVI: YOU DON'T KNOW?!

CORRUPTEDHEART: BRO IS LOST IN THE BACKROOMS 😭😭😭😭

CORVUS: Describe your surroundings.

ACRO: shops

Corvus closed his eyes.

For the first time that afternoon, the mentalist looked as though he was genuinely reconsidering every decision that had led him to this exact moment.

"He's hopeless."

"YOU THINK?!" Reri practically screamed.

And somewhere on another floor, Acro stood in front of a directory map, staring at it with the concentration of a man attempting to decipher an ancient language.

He had absolutely no idea where he was.

He had no idea where the others were.

He had, however, successfully sent a message to the group chat.

So, technically, he was making progress.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was preparing to launch the most unnecessarily dramatic search operation in the history of shopping malls.

Reri was one inconvenience away from declaring a national emergency. Corvus was attempting to reconstruct Acro's route using the limited information available. Corruptedheart was laughing so hard he could barely type. Savi was threatening to disown someone who wasn't even related to him. Once was seriously considering whether leaving the group behind and going home alone would count as a crime.

And Acro?

Acro had just discovered a second escalator.

He stared at it.

Then at the directory.

Then back at the escalator.

"...Fuck it."

HE GOT ON.

God help them all.

Because if there was one thing this group had proven beyond all reasonable doubt, it was that they could not be trusted to complete even the most basic fucking task without turning it into a catastrophe.

It was a perfectly normal afternoon. Keyword: was. The sun was shining, the birds were doing whatever the fuck birds do, and the house was experiencing a rare, almost supernatural period of peace that would have made any reasonable person suspicious. Reri was reading, Corvus was on his phone, Savi was minding his own business for once in his goddamn life, Once was probably contemplating the meaning of existence or something equally depressing, and Acro was doing absolutely nothing productive, which, to be fair, was probably his natural state of being. Corruptedheart, meanwhile, was wandering around the house looking for something to eat despite the fact that he had already eaten not even an hour ago. Everything was fine. Nobody was arguing. Nothing was on fire. Nobody had threatened to throw anyone out a window. It was practically a miracle. And then the DOORBELL rang.

Nobody moved.

It rang again.

"...Someone get that," Corvus said, not even bothering to look up from his phone because apparently the concept of getting off his ass was a human rights violation.

"You're closer," Savi replied.

"I'm literally sitting on the opposite side of the room from you."

"And yet you're still talking."

"Would you like me to throw my phone at your head?"

"Would you like to try?"

"GUYS," Reri interrupted, her voice somehow managing to sound like a disappointed school principal despite the fact that she was, quite literally, a television with legs. "There are SIX people in this house. SIX. We have six functioning pairs of legs, theoretically speaking, and yet we're treating the front door like it's guarded by a fucking dragon."

"Maybe it is," Acro said.

Reri turned her screen toward him.

"Do you ever hear yourself speak?"

"No."

"THAT EXPLAINS SO MUCH."

The doorbell rang a THIRD time, and Corruptedheart immediately sprang to his feet like somebody had just announced that lasagna was being distributed for free. "I'LL GET IT!" he yelled, bolting toward the entrance before anyone could stop him. There was a loud thump, followed by what sounded suspiciously like somebody losing a fight against the staircase, and then a very convincing, "I'M FINE!" from somewhere downstairs. Reri closed her book. Corvus finally looked up. Savi stared at the ceiling like he was silently asking the universe why it had personally chosen to punish him with these people. Once didn't even turn around. Acro, naturally, started laughing. "BRO GOT TAKEN OUT BY GRAVITY." "I DIDN'T FALL!" Corruptedheart shouted. "THEN WHY DID WE HEAR A SOUND EFFECT?" "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

By the time everyone had gathered at the front door, Corruptedheart was standing there with a MASSIVE cardboard package in his arms, looking like he had just discovered the eighth wonder of the world. And when I say massive, I mean MASSIVE. This thing was nearly as wide as his torso, wrapped in enough packing tape to survive a nuclear apocalypse, and heavy enough that he was holding it like the box had personally insulted his ancestors. There was a shipping label slapped across the top, a barcode, a delivery sticker, and a sender's address. The problem? NONE OF THEM RECOGNIZED THE NAME ON THE LABEL. Not one. Not even a little bit. The name looked like somebody had mashed their keyboard with their forehead and submitted the result as a legal identity. Corruptedheart tilted the box to read the label. Acro leaned over his shoulder. Reri practically materialized beside them. Corvus stood up from the couch, and even Once, who had apparently decided that human interaction was optional today, slowly turned his head.

"...Who the fuck is that?" Acro asked.

"Excellent question," Corvus replied.

"THAT WASN'T AN ANSWER."

"Congratulations. You've identified the problem."

Reri snatched the delivery slip out of Corruptedheart's hands and examined it with the intensity of a detective investigating a murder case. "The recipient's name is incorrect, the return address is missing, and there's no indication of what the package contains." She paused. Her screen flickered. "Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. We've received a mystery box from an unidentified sender addressed to a person who apparently does not exist, and nobody here has enough common sense to leave it alone."

"Open it," Corruptedheart said immediately.

"NO."

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE!"

"That's literally why we should open it."

Corvus stared at him for a solid three seconds. "I genuinely want to understand how your brain functions."

"It doesn't," Savi answered.

"THANK YOU," Reri snapped. "FINALLY, SOMEONE WITH A WORKING BRAIN."

"HEY!"

Acro, who had been circling the package like a raccoon that had discovered an unattended garbage can, suddenly crouched down and tapped one of its sides. Something rattled inside. Everybody heard it. Everybody stopped talking. Even Corruptedheart shut his mouth for approximately two seconds, which was probably a new world record. Acro tapped the box again. Thud. Thud. Thwack. Something inside shifted against the cardboard, followed by a faint noise that sounded suspiciously like plastic against cardboard and...something rubbery? Savi took one step backward. Once took two. Corvus immediately told Acro to stop touching it, which, naturally, was the exact moment Acro decided to tap it a THIRD time.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Corvus demanded.

"Checking what's inside."

"BY HITTING IT?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"YES. STOP."

"Okay, but counterpoint: no."

Reri looked like she was one inconvenience away from resigning from society entirely. "Put the box down. Nobody touches it. Nobody shakes it. Nobody attempts to dismantle it with kitchen utensils. And for the love of every book ever written, NOBODY puts it in the microwave." She turned toward Corruptedheart. "That last instruction was specifically for you."

"WHY WOULD I PUT A BOX IN THE MICROWAVE?"

"YOU PUT A SPOON IN THE MICROWAVE LAST WEEK!"

"THAT WAS AN EXPERIMENT!"

"IT WAS A SPOON!"

"AND NOW WE KNOW!"

"We knew BEFORE!"

Meanwhile, Corvus had taken the shipping label and was checking every available detail, looking for a mistake, a clue, ANYTHING that could explain why a package had materialized at their doorstep like a side quest nobody had accepted. The tracking number looked legitimate at first glance, but the information attached to it was useless. No clear origin. No identifiable sender. No description of the contents. Just that weird, unfamiliar name and a delivery confirmation timestamp from approximately twenty minutes ago. "This doesn't make sense," he muttered. "If the package was delivered here, the address should match the recipient's registered information. But if the recipient isn't associated with this address, then either the label was generated incorrectly, someone sent this to the wrong person, or..." He stopped.

Everybody stared at him.

"OR WHAT?" Corruptedheart demanded.

Corvus looked at the box.

"...I don't know yet."

"THEN WHY DID YOU PAUSE LIKE YOU WERE ABOUT TO REVEAL THE KILLER IN A CRIME DOCUMENTARY?"

"Because I was thinking."

"THINK FASTER!"

"Would you like to do it for me?"

"YES!"

"THEN GO AHEAD."

"FUCK YOU."

"Fascinating contribution," Savi muttered.

And just when Reri thought the situation could not possibly become any more irritating, Once, who had been standing quietly near the hallway this entire time, finally spoke up.

"...There's something underneath it."

Silence.

Every single head turned toward him.

Once pointed at the bottom of the package, where a small white envelope had been wedged between the cardboard and the packing tape. It had apparently been hidden beneath the box the entire time, completely unnoticed by everyone because they had been too busy arguing over whether cardboard could be considered a threat to public safety. Corruptedheart immediately reached for it. Corvus caught his wrist. Savi grabbed the package to keep it from tipping over. Acro leaned forward so far he nearly headbutted the wall. Reri snatched the envelope first, because apparently being the Sovereign of the Books and Quills also meant being the only person in this household capable of handling a piece of paper without turning it into a national incident.

The envelope was unsealed.

Inside was a single folded sheet of paper.

No letterhead. No signature. No explanation.

Just one sentence, typed in plain black text.

"IF YOU ARE READING THIS, THEN THE PACKAGE HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO THE CORRECT ADDRESS."

Nobody spoke.

Reri read it again.

Corvus took the paper from her and inspected it, his expression shifting from mild curiosity to something considerably more serious. Savi looked between the message and the box. Once's eye narrowed. Acro stopped smiling. Even Corruptedheart seemed to realize that, for once, this might not be the ideal time to scream something about lasagna.

Then Corruptedheart leaned over Corvus's shoulder.

"...Okay, but what the fuck does THAT mean?"

Nobody answered him.

Because, at that exact moment, something inside the box made a sound.

BZZZT.

All six of them froze.

BZZZT.

Corvus slowly lowered the letter.

BZZZT.

Acro stared at the package.

"... The fuck?"

"THAT'S IT!" Corruptedheart finally got a cutter, lunging forward to cut open the box.

SCHWING.

"... You missed the tape," Savi deadpanned.

"Oh."

Corruptedheart tried again.

This time, he hit the cardboard, sliding the cutter across the scotch tape with a satisfying schhhhh.

"Open it," Reri urged.

Corruptedheart opened it with unnecessary force. "HA—! Wait, wha—"

He looks down like he can see shit. He can't. Not really.

"Oh my SHIT."

Inside were FUCKING phalluses, each a different color, a different size and shape.

"Dear god," Once whimpered from the background, spotting the QUANTITY: 500 tag on the side. "WHO THE FUCK ORDERED FIVE HUNDRED MINI DILDOS ON FUCKING AMAZON?!"

It was supposed to be a peaceful night. A normal night. A night where six friends could sit their asses down, watch a few movies, eat some snacks, and maybe, just maybe, act like functioning members of society for more than five fucking minutes. That was the plan. A simple movie marathon. No complicated schedules, no unidentified packages, no running around the house like a bunch of headless chickens, and absolutely no arguments that somehow turn into international conflicts. Just good movies, comfy blankets, and the beautiful sound of six people shutting the fuck up for once in their lives. And who, you may ask, was stupid enough to think this was going to work? Well. Nobody fucking knows. Because the moment Reri announced that they were having a movie marathon, the entire house immediately turned into a kindergarten with rent to pay.

"OKAY, EVERYBODY, LISTEN UP!" Reri announced, standing in the middle of the living room with her notebook in hand, looking like she was about to announce the results of a national election instead of choosing a fucking movie. "I HAVE PREPARED A LIST OF MOVIES FOR TONIGHT, AND WE WILL BE WATCHING THEM IN THE ORDER THAT I HAVE DECIDED." Corruptedheart, who was currently lying upside down on the couch with his legs hanging over the backrest, lifted his head. "BOOOOOOOOOOO." Reri's screen immediately turned toward him. "I HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED SPEAKING." "AND I'VE ALREADY LOST INTEREST." "YOU ARE THE REASON BOOKS HAVE WARNING LABELS." "THANK YOU, I'M VERY INFLUENTIAL." "THAT WAS NOT A COMPLIMENT, YOU OVERGROWN PINK HIGHlighter." "I'M TAKING THAT AS A COMPLIMENT TOO." Corvus didn't even look up from his phone. "At this point, I think you should start taking everything as an insult. It would improve your survival instincts." "BRO??? 😭" Acro wheezed from the other side of the couch, and just like that, the first argument of the evening had officially begun before they had even turned the television on. ON GOD, THESE PEOPLE COULD ARGUE OVER THE EXISTENCE OF AIR IF SOMEBODY GAVE THEM ENOUGH TIME.

AND THE WORST PART? THE MOVIE HADN'T EVEN BEEN CHOSEN YET. Reri wanted a critically acclaimed cinematic masterpiece because apparently she was the only person in the room with a functioning appreciation for the arts. Corvus wanted something with an interesting plot, well-written characters, and enough symbolism to keep him mentally occupied for the next three business days. Savi claimed he didn't care what they watched, which was a FUCKING LIE because the second somebody suggested a romantic comedy, he immediately started listing reasons why it would probably be terrible. Once wanted something entertaining that wouldn't require him to think too hard, and Acro wanted something he could watch while eating without having to look at the screen every five seconds. Corruptedheart? THIS MAN WANTED EXPLOSIONS. "I DON'T CARE WHAT WE WATCH AS LONG AS SOMETHING BLOWS UP," he declared, sitting upright with the most serious expression any of them had ever seen him wear. "WE COULD WATCH A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE AND I'D STILL WANT AN EXPLOSION." Corvus finally looked at him. "Agricultural machinery accidents exist." Corruptedheart's eyes lit up. "WAIT, ACTUALLY?" "NO," Reri interrupted immediately. "WE ARE NOT WATCHING FARMING ACCIDENTS." "THEN WHY DID HE BRING IT UP?!" "I'M GOING TO THROW MYSELF INTO THE NEAREST LIBRARY."

FORTY-FIVE MINUTES. THAT'S HOW LONG IT TOOK THEM TO CHOOSE A MOVIE. FORTY-FIVE. FUCKING. MINUTES. THEY HAD SPENT ALMOST AN ENTIRE HOUR ARGUING ABOUT WHAT TO WATCH, AND BY THE TIME THEY FINALLY AGREED ON SOMETHING, Reri had developed a personal vendetta against democracy, Corvus had quietly questioned every life decision that led him to this exact moment, Savi was threatening to watch the movie alone in his bedroom, and Acro had somehow fallen asleep while sitting upright. ONCE HAD BEEN EATING SNACKS THE ENTIRE TIME, THOUGH, SO AT LEAST ONE PERSON HAD ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING. Eventually, Reri managed to force everyone into a compromise, which was basically her choosing the movie while the others complained about it for another ten minutes. The lights were dimmed, the curtains were closed, the blankets were brought out, and the snacks were placed on the coffee table. For a brief, beautiful moment, the living room actually looked cozy. The television cast a soft glow across the room, the air smelled like popcorn and whatever snacks Acro had smuggled in from the kitchen, and the pile of blankets on the couch looked so inviting that even Savi stopped complaining long enough to claim a corner. IT WAS PEACEFUL. IT WAS COMFORTABLE. IT WAS ALMOST WHOLESOME. WHICH MEANT THAT SOMETHING WAS ABOUT TO GO HORRIBLY WRONG.

"EVERYBODY READY?" Reri asked, holding the remote like it was a sacred artifact.

"YES," Corvus answered.

"NO," Savi replied.

"FUCK YEAH," Corruptedheart shouted.

"wtf," Acro added, still half asleep.

Once raised his bowl of snacks. "Can we start the movie before I finish everything?"

Reri stared at him. "YOU'VE ALREADY EATEN HALF OF IT."

"AND?"

"THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST THE ENTIRE NIGHT!"

"SHOULD'VE BOUGHT MORE."

"YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GOING TO START CHARGING YOU RENT FOR EVERY SECOND YOU SPEND IN MY PRESENCE."

"Can I pay in snacks?"

"...I HATE YOU ALL."

And finally, the movie started. The opening scene played, the music began, and everybody actually shut up for once. Corvus was watching with the concentration of a man studying for his final exams. Reri was practically glowing with pride because her movie choice was finally receiving the respect it deserved. Savi had wrapped himself in his blanket and was pretending he wasn't interested, despite the fact that he hadn't looked away from the screen once. Once was sitting on the floor with his back against the couch, eating his snacks in peace. Acro had finally woken up enough to follow the plot, and Corruptedheart was leaning forward with his chin in his hands, actually paying attention for the first time all evening. Twelve minutes passed. Twelve beautiful, glorious minutes of silence. And then Corruptedheart opened his mouth. "...WAIT, WHY DIDN'T HE JUST CALL SOMEBODY?"

Reri stopped breathing.

Corvus slowly turned his head.

Savi's eyes closed.

Acro paused mid-chew.

Once continued eating because he had apparently accepted that this was simply his life now.

"BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE A PHONE IN THAT SCENE," Reri explained through gritted teeth.

"WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE THE MOVIE IS SET IN THE PAST."

"WHY DIDN'T THEY INVENT PHONES EARLIER?"

"CORRUPTEDHEART."

"WHAT?"

"PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP."

"BUT I'M ASKING QUESTIONS!"

"ASK THEM TO YOURSELF."

"THAT'S BORING!"

Corvus pinched the bridge of his nose. "I would like to formally request a different viewing arrangement."

"What does that even mean?" Acro asked.

"Put him in another room."

"OH, FUCK YOU GUYS."

"YOU STARTED THIS," Savi muttered from beneath his blanket.

"I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PLOT!"

"THE PLOT IS TRYING TO ESCAPE YOU," Reri snapped.

Acro was laughing so hard that he nearly dropped the popcorn, which Once immediately took advantage of because THIS MAN HAD THE REFLEXES OF A PROFESSIONAL THIEF WHEN FOOD WAS INVOLVED. Corruptedheart noticed approximately three seconds later and grabbed the bowl back. "BRO, STOP STEALING MY FOOD!" Acro looked at him. "YOUR FOOD?" "YES!" "THAT'S MY BOWL." "IT'S OUR FOOD." "YOU'VE EATEN MOST OF IT!" "SHARING IS CARING!" "THEN SHARE YOUR FUCKING HANDS AND STOP TOUCHING MY POPCORN!" Reri had officially stopped watching the movie. Corvus was staring at the ceiling. Savi was questioning whether he could legally emancipate himself from a friend group. AND ONCE, SOMEHOW, WAS STILL EATING.

BUT THEN, AFTER ANOTHER TEN MINUTES OF ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT, SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENED. THE MOVIE ACTUALLY GOT GOOD. Like, REALLY good. The plot picked up, the characters started making questionable decisions, and the story became just interesting enough that even Corruptedheart had stopped asking questions every thirty seconds. Everybody gradually settled down again, and the living room grew quieter as the film reached its more emotional scenes. The light from the television flickered across their faces, the snacks were slowly disappearing, and the blankets had somehow migrated from their original positions to cover approximately seventy percent of the couch. Acro had stopped laughing and was now watching with genuine interest. Corvus leaned forward slightly. Reri hugged her notebook against her chest, completely invested. Savi had stopped pretending he didn't care, and Once was resting his head against the couch, his attention fixed on the screen. Corruptedheart, meanwhile, had slowly begun leaning sideways. A little bit at first. Barely noticeable. His head tilted, his shoulders relaxed, and before anybody realized what was happening, he had slumped against the person sitting next to him.

Nobody said anything.

Because, for once in their lives, NOBODY WANTED TO RUIN IT.

The movie continued playing, but Corruptedheart was no longer watching it. His eyes had gradually closed, his breathing had evened out, and the hand that had been clutching the blanket was now loosely curled against his chest. He had fallen asleep. RIGHT THERE. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOVIE. AFTER SPENDING THE LAST HOUR SCREAMING ABOUT EXPLOSIONS AND HISTORICAL TECHNOLOGY. And whoever he had leaned against was now faced with a very important dilemma: move and risk waking him up, or remain trapped in the exact same position for the foreseeable future.

Acro noticed first.

He looked at Corruptedheart.

Then at the person he was sleeping against.

Then back at Corruptedheart.

His expression slowly transformed into the most obnoxious grin known to mankind.

He opened his mouth.

Corvus immediately pointed at him without looking away from the television. "Don't."

Acro closed his mouth.

A few seconds passed.

He opened it again.

"Acro."

"BUT BRO LOOK AT HIM 😭"

"ACRO."

"HE WAS LITERALLY YELLING ABOUT EXPLOSIONS FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO AND NOW HE'S—"

"IF YOU WAKE HIM UP, I'M THROWING YOU OUTSIDE."

Acro pressed his lips together, physically fighting the urge to laugh. Reri glanced over, noticed the situation, and her entire expression softened despite her best efforts to maintain her reputation as the group's resident authority figure. Savi looked over too, scoffed quietly, and pulled the spare blanket off the armrest.

"He's going to get cold," he muttered, draping it over Corruptedheart without making a big deal out of it.

Once looked up from his snacks.

"...That's actually kind of nice."

"Say another word and I'll take the blanket back."

"Okay."

A pause.

"You're nice."

"SAY ONE MORE WORD."

Once immediately returned to his food.

And that was how the movie marathon continued. Not because they had suddenly learned to behave, and definitely not because they had stopped being an absolute disaster of a friend group, but because somewhere between the arguments, the popcorn theft, and the forty-five-minute debate over movie selection, they had settled into something comfortable. Something familiar. Something that felt a little like home. Nobody announced it. Nobody made a speech about friendship. Nobody stood up and declared that they cherished each other, because PLEASE, THESE PEOPLE WOULD RATHER EAT THE COUCH THAN BE THAT EMOTIONALLY HONEST. But they stayed. They shared blankets. They passed snacks around without keeping track of who took the most. They let the sleepy one keep sleeping. They argued over the movie's ending, and then they started another one even though it was already getting late.

And when the next movie began, Reri quietly lowered the volume.

Corvus adjusted the blanket so it wouldn't slip.

Savi pretended not to notice that he was still sharing his.

Once offered the last handful of snacks to the others, then immediately regretted it when Acro took them all.

And Acro, for once in his entire existence, kept his voice down.

For approximately six minutes.

"...Guys?"

Four heads turned toward him.

Corvus narrowed his eyes. "What."

Acro gestured toward the sleeping Corruptedheart.

"...Who the fuck is gonna wake him up when we need to go to bed?"

Silence.

Reri slowly looked at the clock.

Savi looked at the couch.

Once looked at Acro.

Corvus took a deep breath.

And somewhere beneath the blanket, Corruptedheart shifted in his sleep, mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "lasagna," and settled right back down.

"...We're never moving him, are we?" Once asked.

"No," Savi replied.

"Absolutely not," Corvus agreed.

Reri sighed, picked up the remote, and pressed play on the next movie.

"FINE. EVERYBODY SHUT UP. WE'RE WATCHING ANOTHER ONE."

Acro grinned.

"BEST NIGHT EVER."

"YOU'RE ALL PAYING FOR THE ELECTRICITY."

It was supposed to be a normal afternoon. Emphasis on supposed to be, because apparently the universe had looked at the BEYOU group being peaceful for approximately five minutes and decided that was more than enough. Reri was sitting on the couch with a book in her hands, Corvus was minding his own business on his phone, Savi looked like he was mentally calculating how much money it would cost to move somewhere nobody knew his name, Once was eating snacks that nobody remembered buying, and Acro was lying upside down on the other couch with his legs hanging over the backrest. Meanwhile, Corruptedheart was on the floor staring at the ceiling. He had been doing that for the past three minutes. Nobody knew why. Nobody wanted to know why. Unfortunately, Reri made the mistake of looking at him.

"Why are you staring at the ceiling?"

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"Life."

Corvus didn't even look up from his phone. "That's unfortunate."

"CORVUS, I HAVEN'T EVEN SAID ANYTHING YET!"

"And somehow you've already made it worse."

Acro snorted from the couch, nearly dropping his phone on his face. Savi clicked his tongue, Once continued eating, and Reri quietly returned to her book, deciding that whatever was happening on the floor was probably not worth her time. For a glorious few seconds, peace returned to the household. Then Corruptedheart sat upright so suddenly that he nearly headbutted the coffee table.

"GUYS. I HAVE AN IDEA."

"No," said Corvus.

"You don't even KNOW WHAT IT IS!"

"I know you."

"THAT'S NOT A VALID REASON!"

"It has been every other time."

Acro was already laughing, which was unfortunate because Corruptedheart took that as encouragement. He scrambled to his feet, pointed at the entire group like a teacher who had just caught the class passing notes, and announced, "WHAT IF WE PLAY SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN?"

The silence that followed was genuinely impressive. Once stopped chewing. Reri slowly lowered her book. Acro lifted his head from the couch. Corvus finally looked up from his phone, his expression so blank that it somehow conveyed more disappointment than an entire lecture. Savi turned toward Corruptedheart with the kind of look usually reserved for people who put pineapple on pizza and then defended themselves in public.

"...I'm sorry," Reri said carefully. "You want us to play what?"

"SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN!"

"WE HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!" Savi snapped. "WHY ARE YOU REPEATING IT LIKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF YOUR BIRTH WASN'T EMBARRASSING ENOUGH?!"

"WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO ME?!"

"BECAUSE YOU KEEP GIVING ME REASONS!"

"Can we at least hear the rules before we start committing crimes?" Acro asked, sitting up. "Personally, I'm interested in seeing how this goes."

"Of course you are," Corvus muttered.

"Don't act like you're not curious."

"I'm not."

"You're literally sitting upright now."

Corvus looked down at his phone, then back at Acro. "...Coincidence."

Silence. Then Corvus opened his mouth again.

"Can I leave if Corruptedheart starts talking?" he asked.

"HEY!"

"That wasn't a joke. I need to know my legal options."

Once held out a snack. "Eat something. You're getting cranky."

"I'm not cranky."

"You're arguing with a person who has been lying on the floor for ten minutes."

"...Fair point."

And somehow, despite the fact that at least three people had already expressed their desire to escape this conversation, the game actually began. Corruptedheart grabbed a handful of paper scraps, wrote everyone's names down, folded them into tiny squares, and threw them into a bowl. Reri watched him mix them with the deeply concerned expression of someone observing a man attempt surgery with a spoon. Once helped by shaking the bowl, which was unnecessary because the names were already mixed, and Acro contributed by trying to flip the bowl like a basketball. He missed. The papers scattered everywhere.

"ACRO."

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

"YOU THREW A BOWL OF NAMES AT THE WALL!"

"I SAID IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

Savi stood up. "I'm leaving."

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE, WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED!"

"WATCH ME."

Corruptedheart grabbed Savi's sleeve before he could get more than two steps away, then immediately released it when Savi turned to stare at him. "Okay, sorry. BUT PLEASE. JUST ONE ROUND."

"One round," Savi repeated, sounding as if he were negotiating the terms of a hostage situation. "If this becomes unbearable, I'm blaming you personally."

"That's fair!"

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I KNOW!"

After the papers were collected and the bowl was finally placed somewhere Acro couldn't reach it, Corruptedheart drew two names. He unfolded the first slip with the dramatic flair of a man announcing the winner of a million-dollar lottery.

"ACRO!"

Acro immediately pointed at himself. "THE PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN ME."

"The paper has chosen you," Corvus corrected.

"THE PAPER KNOWS I'M ICONIC."

"The paper was folded by Corruptedheart."

"...I'm taking that back."

Corruptedheart unfolded the second slip.

"SAVI!"

Savi stared at the paper. Then he stared at Corruptedheart. Then he stared at the ceiling, perhaps hoping that the roof would collapse and save him from whatever nonsense was about to happen.

"No."

"YOU CAN'T SAY NO TO DESTINY!"

"I can say no to a piece of paper."

Acro was already standing, holding out an arm toward the hallway like a gentleman escorting someone to a very questionable appointment. "After you, Your Highness."

"Touch me and you'll lose that arm."

"See? He's excited."

"I'm going to throw you through a window."

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!"

Reri pinched the bridge of her nose. Corvus had started recording, not because he wanted to participate, but because he wanted evidence for the inevitable court case. Once offered Savi another snack as emotional support, which Savi rejected with the dignity of a man who had never once accepted help in his entire life. Eventually, after several threats, two unnecessary arguments, and Acro dramatically asking whether he should bring flowers, the pair entered the designated room. The door remained unlocked, just as Reri had insisted.

The rest of the group waited outside.

For approximately four seconds.

Then Acro's voice came through the door. "SO, DO YOU COME HERE OFTEN?"

"WE ARE IN SOMEBODY'S HOUSE."

"THAT DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION."

"YOU'RE THE REASON PEOPLE INVENTED SILENCE."

Corruptedheart folded over laughing. Once sat on the floor, eating his snacks and looking completely unsurprised. Reri covered her face with both hands, while Corvus quietly added a caption to his recording: Two grown men discover the consequences of being friends.

Inside the room, Savi was contemplating whether the floor would be a reasonable place to live permanently.

When the timer finally rang, Acro emerged looking perfectly satisfied with himself, while Savi walked out with the expression of someone who had just returned from war. Nothing had happened except an argument about whether a chair counted as furniture if it had only three legs, a debate about the existence of ghosts, and Acro attempting to convince Savi that his crown would improve with glitter.

"I hate this game," Savi declared.

"YOU LOVE US!"

"I can love people and still wish they would shut up."

"THAT'S BASICALLY OUR GROUP MOTTO," Once said.

And that should have been the end of it. It genuinely should have been. Reri had already started putting the papers away, Corvus had returned to his phone, and Savi was walking toward the kitchen to recover whatever remained of his sanity. But Corruptedheart, whose survival instincts were apparently decorative, suddenly snapped his fingers.

"WAIT. WHAT IF WE ALL GO IN TOGETHER?"

Everyone stopped.

Acro turned around so quickly he nearly tripped over his own feet. "ALL SIX OF US?"

"YES!"

"IN THE SAME ROOM?" Once asked.

"YES!"

"FOR SEVEN MINUTES?" Reri added.

"YES!"

Corvus stared at him. "Do you hear yourself when you speak?"

"NOT REALLY!"

"That explains a lot."

Savi slowly turned back from the kitchen. "Absolutely not."

"PLEASEEEEE."

"No."

"PLEASEEEEEEEEE."

"NO."

"WHAT IF WE BRING SNACKS?"

Once looked up. "...I'm listening."

"ONCE, YOU CANNOT BE BOUGHT WITH CHIPS," Reri said.

Once looked at the snacks in his hands. "I disagree."

Somehow, the idea gained momentum. Acro wanted to see whether six people could survive seven minutes in a room without starting an argument. Corruptedheart wanted to prove that they could. Once wanted to bring the snacks. Reri agreed on the condition that nobody would be pressured into anything, and Corvus claimed he was only participating because someone needed to supervise the others. Savi said he would rather swallow his own crown, but when everyone started heading toward the room, he followed them while insisting that he was only going to make sure nobody broke anything.

Naturally.

The room was not particularly large. It had a couch, two chairs, a small table, and approximately zero square meters of space left once six people crowded inside. Acro immediately claimed the couch. Once sat on the floor and placed his snacks beside him. Corruptedheart squeezed onto the couch next to Acro, Reri took one of the chairs, and Corvus leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Savi stood in the middle of the room, looking around as if he had just realized that every single exit in his life had led him here.

"Why are we standing around?" Corruptedheart asked.

"Because there is nowhere to sit," Corvus replied.

"THERE'S A CHAIR."

"Reri is sitting on it."

"THEN MAKE HER MOVE."

Reri slowly looked up from her phone. "Finish that sentence."

Corruptedheart immediately sat down.

"Good choice," she said, returning to her phone.

Acro was laughing so hard that he had to lean against the armrest. Savi eventually claimed the remaining chair, though he sat on its very edge as if he expected the furniture to betray him. Once opened a packet of chips, and the sound echoed through the room.

"That is the loudest thing I've ever heard," Corvus said.

"It's a bag of chips."

"It sounded like a building collapsing."

"Would you like some?"

"...Yes."

Once handed him the packet without another word.

The timer started.

Seven minutes.

It started with something stupid. Of course it did. BEYOU couldn't have a normal afternoon if their lives depended on it, but this time, nobody was laughing. Nobody was threatening to eat somebody's crown, nobody was trying to make a terrible joke to lighten the mood, and nobody was filming the argument to turn it into a group chat meme later. The six of them were gathered in the living room, and the tension had been building for so long that even the silence felt angry. Corruptedheart was upset because he felt like nobody took him seriously. Corvus was tired of being treated like the bad guy every time he said something blunt. Reri was exhausted from being everyone's unofficial therapist despite never applying for the position. Acro had been avoiding conversations he knew he needed to have. Once had spent weeks pretending things didn't bother him because he didn't want to ruin the mood. And Savi? Savi had so many things he wanted to say that he'd somehow convinced himself that saying none of them was the better option. Six people, six different problems, and approximately zero people willing to communicate properly. Somebody made a comment, somebody else took it personally, and within minutes, the entire living room had become a courtroom where everyone was the defendant and the prosecution.

"Can you PLEASE stop acting like everything I do is a fucking joke?!" Corruptedheart snapped, pointing at Corvus. "I'm actually trying to tell you people something, and you keep making comments like I'm some idiot you have to babysit!"

Corvus crossed his arms. "Then maybe stop treating every disagreement like a personal attack."

"OH, I'M SORRY! DIDN'T REALIZE I NEEDED A FUCKING PERMIT TO HAVE FEELINGS!"

"And there it is."

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!"

"It means you ask for honesty, then get angry when someone gives it to you."

"BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE HONEST WITHOUT BEING AN ASSHOLE!"

"AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITHOUT TURNING IT INTO A PERFORMANCE!"

The room went quiet.

Corruptedheart stared at him. For once, he didn't have an immediate comeback, and that alone should've been enough to tell everyone that Corvus had crossed a line. But before anybody could intervene, Savi spoke from the other side of the room.

"He's not entirely wrong."

Corruptedheart turned toward him so quickly that the little heart clip in his hair nearly shifted.

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"You heard me."

"OH, SO NOW EVERYONE'S GANGING UP ON ME?!"

"Nobody is ganging up on you!" Reri interrupted. "CAN WE PLEASE HAVE ONE CONVERSATION WITHOUT EVERYONE SHOUTING OVER EACH OTHER?!"

"THEN TELL THEM TO STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE!"

"I AM TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW!"

"AND I'M TALKING BACK!"

"THAT'S THE FUCKING PROBLEM!"

Acro muttered something under his breath, and Once shot him a look. It was a small interaction, barely noticeable, but Reri caught it. So did Corvus. So did Savi. Apparently, everybody had been keeping score of everybody else's behavior, and now the invisible scoreboard was being thrown directly at their heads.

"Can we not do this?" Acro finally said. "We're all upset. Let's just calm down for a second."

Corruptedheart laughed, but there wasn't anything funny about it. "Oh, NOW you want everyone to calm down?"

Acro frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're always doing this! You wait until everybody's already pissed off, then you come in acting like the reasonable one who's going to save the day!"

"That's not fair."

"ISN'T IT?!"

"No, it isn't! I'm trying to stop this from getting worse!"

"YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT! YOU'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO STOP THINGS FROM GETTING WORSE, BUT YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING WHEN THINGS ARE ACTUALLY GOING WRONG!"

Acro's expression changed.

Once looked at the floor.

Corruptedheart continued, "You make jokes when people are upset, you tell everyone to calm down, and then you act like the problem disappeared because nobody's shouting anymore! Sometimes people don't need you to make them laugh, Acro! Sometimes they need you to actually listen!"

Acro opened his mouth, then closed it again.

For once, there was no clever response. No joke. No casual little shrug to make it seem like the words hadn't gotten to him.

"...I didn't know you felt that way," he said eventually.

"YOU NEVER ASKED!"

That one hit harder than Corruptedheart had expected. Even he seemed to regret the volume of his voice, but he didn't take the words back. Acro looked away, jaw tight, and for the first time that afternoon, he stopped trying to mediate.

"Fine," he muttered. "Then tell me what I'm supposed to do. Because apparently everything I've been doing is wrong."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!"

"IT'S WHAT YOU'RE MAKING IT SOUND LIKE!"

"GUYS!" Reri shouted.

Nobody listened.

And that was when Reri finally snapped.

"OH MY GOD, WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP FOR ONE SECOND?!"

Everyone stopped.

Reri stood in the middle of the room, looking at all five of them with an expression none of them were used to seeing. She wasn't rolling her eyes. She wasn't smiling. She wasn't trying to hide her frustration behind a sarcastic comment. She looked genuinely exhausted.

"I'm so tired of this," she said. "I'm tired of being the person who has to fix everything. I'm tired of remembering everyone's problems, checking on everyone, trying to keep the group together, and then watching you all tear each other apart because nobody wants to admit they're hurt. I keep trying to make things better, and you know what? I'm starting to resent all of you for expecting me to do it."

Nobody spoke.

"Every time you fight, I feel like I have to choose between you. If I defend one person, somebody else thinks I'm taking sides. If I tell everyone to calm down, I'm suddenly not listening. If I stay quiet, I'm apparently letting everything fall apart. What am I supposed to do? I can't be responsible for everybody's feelings all the time!"

Corruptedheart looked at her, his anger fading into something more uncertain.

"Reri, nobody said you had to..."

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT!" she interrupted. "That's the point! Nobody says anything! You all just expect me to notice, to understand, to fix it, because that's what I've always done. And I let you. That's on me, too. But I'm not doing it anymore."

She looked away, blinking rapidly before picking up her book from the table.

"I want to be your friend. I don't want to be the person who has to hold this entire group together with tape and a prayer."

Corvus lowered his gaze.

Once looked like he wanted to say something, but Reri wasn't finished.

"And before anyone tries to turn this into another argument about who's the worst person here, just stop. I'm telling you that I'm hurt, too. I'm telling you that I'm tired, and I need you to hear me without making me prove that I'm allowed to feel this way."

For a few seconds, it seemed like everyone might finally understand.

Then Savi ruined it.

Not intentionally. That was the worst part. He wasn't trying to hurt her. He was simply so accustomed to defending himself that the words escaped before he could consider what they might do.

"Nobody asked you to do all that."

Reri slowly turned toward him.

"...What?"

Savi's expression shifted. "I didn't mean..."

"Then what DID you mean?"

"I mean you keep acting like everything is your responsibility, but nobody forced you to do it!"

"BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU PEOPLE!"

"AND WE NEVER SAID YOU DIDN'T!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU MAKING IT SOUND LIKE IT'S MY FAULT FOR CARING?!"

Savi fell silent.

Reri let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "You know what? Forget it."

"Reri, wait."

"No. I'm done explaining myself to people who only start listening when I'm already at my breaking point."

She walked toward the hallway, leaving her book on the table.

Nobody stopped her.

And that was when Once finally spoke.

"Can I say something without everyone interrupting me?"

His voice was quiet enough that everyone had to stop talking to hear him.

Corruptedheart turned toward him. "Of course."

Once gave a humorless little smile. "That's what you always say."

The smile disappeared.

"I'm tired of being the person nobody worries about."

Acro looked up.

Once continued, "I'm tired of making jokes, pretending I'm fine, and listening to everyone else's problems because I don't want to add more to the pile. Every single one of you has something going on, and I know that. I know you have your own problems. But sometimes I feel like I could disappear for a week, and nobody would notice until somebody needed something from me."

"That's not true," Acro said immediately.

"Then when was the last time you asked me how I was doing?"

Acro froze.

Once looked at Corvus. "You notice everything about everyone. You can tell when somebody's lying, when somebody's angry, when somebody's trying to hide something. But you never noticed that I stopped talking as much?"

Corvus's expression tightened.

Once looked at Savi. "You keep telling people to toughen up, but you don't even let yourself admit when something hurts you."

Savi looked away.

Then Once turned toward Corruptedheart.

"And you keep making jokes about being annoying, about everybody hating you, about how nobody takes you seriously. But when people actually try to talk to you about something, you turn it into a shouting match before they can finish. Do you know how exhausting that is?"

Corruptedheart went completely still.

Once swallowed.

"I'm not saying I'm better than any of you. I'm not. I do it, too. I stay quiet when I should speak up. I pretend things don't bother me, then get angry when people don't magically figure out that they do. But I'm tired of being the friend who's supposed to be okay because I'm not the loudest person in the room."

Nobody interrupted him.

For once, everyone was listening.

And somehow, that made it worse.

"Once," Acro said quietly, "I'm sorry."

Once nodded, but he didn't smile.

"I know."

It wasn't forgiveness. It wasn't rejection, either. It was just an acknowledgment that an apology had finally arrived, and that it had arrived after the damage was already done.

Savi rubbed his forehead, looking increasingly frustrated with himself. "Can we please stop acting like we're enemies? We're friends. We shouldn't be talking to each other like this."

Corruptedheart stared at him.

"Then WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING IT?!"

Savi's head snapped up. "Because I'm fucking tired, okay?! I'm tired of everyone expecting me to be the cold one, the rude one, the one who doesn't care! I make one sarcastic comment, and suddenly I'm the asshole. I don't talk about my feelings, and suddenly I'm emotionally unavailable. I try to help, and somehow I still manage to say the wrong thing!"

"THEN STOP PRETENDING YOU DON'T CARE!"

"I DO CARE!"

"THEN ACT LIKE IT!"

"HOW?!"

The question echoed through the room.

Savi looked at everyone, his frustration finally spilling over into something much more vulnerable.

"HOW DO YOU WANT ME TO ACT LIKE I CARE WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY IT WITHOUT FEELING STUPID?!"

Nobody answered.

"I don't know how to comfort people. I don't know what to say when someone's upset. I get angry when I'm scared, and I get sarcastic when I don't know how to explain myself. I know that. I'm trying to work on it, but you all keep acting like I can just flip a switch and suddenly become somebody else!"

His voice grew quieter.

"And I'm scared that if I actually show you how much I care, you're going to use it against me someday. So I act like I don't care first. At least then I can pretend it doesn't hurt."

Corruptedheart's expression softened for a moment.

"Then why didn't you just tell us that?"

Savi looked at him.

"Because I didn't know how."

The room fell silent again.

It was such a simple answer. Such an ordinary, painfully human answer. And it made the entire argument feel even more horrible, because beneath all the shouting and accusations, there were six people who wanted to be understood and had somehow spent the entire afternoon making sure nobody could understand them.

Then Corvus spoke.

"I don't know how to do this, either."

Everyone looked at him.

He stood beside the table, his arms no longer crossed, his expression unusually difficult to read.

"I know I'm blunt. I know I can be insensitive. I know I sometimes treat understanding someone like it's the same thing as actually helping them. And I know I make people uncomfortable when I point out things they'd rather not talk about."

He looked at Savi.

"But I don't do it because I think I'm better than you. I do it because I want to understand what's happening. I want to know why people act the way they do, why they say one thing when they mean another, why everyone expects me to figure out what they won't tell me."

Savi's expression hardened again. "You could try asking."

"I know."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because sometimes I think I already know the answer."

"And sometimes you're wrong."

Corvus looked at him for a long moment.

"...I know that, too."

It was the closest thing to an admission Corvus had offered all afternoon, but it wasn't enough to undo everything that had happened.

"I don't like being treated like I'm heartless just because I don't react the way everyone else does," he continued. "I care about you. All of you. But I'm not good at showing it the way you want me to, and I'm tired of feeling like I have to prove that my feelings are real just because they're not obvious."

Corruptedheart looked down.

Corvus continued, "But I also know that I can't expect everyone to understand me when I refuse to explain myself. I can't keep saying that I'm trying to understand people while refusing to let them understand me."

For a moment, he seemed as though he might say something else.

Instead, he picked up his things.

Acro noticed immediately. "Corvus?"

"I'm leaving."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm leaving. I need some time away from this."

"Okay, but you don't have to leave like this," Acro said, stepping toward him. "We can talk about it."

Corvus looked at him.

"Can we?"

Acro stopped.

"Because every time we say we're going to talk about something, we turn it into a joke or tell everyone to calm down. And then we act like everything's fine because nobody wants to be the person who admits it isn't."

Acro's expression fell.

Corvus glanced toward the others.

"I'm not saying I don't care about you. I'm saying I can't keep doing this right now."

Then he walked out.

The door clicked shut behind him.

And for some reason, that tiny sound was the loudest thing anyone had heard all afternoon.

Nobody moved.

Corruptedheart stared at the door, his expression slowly falling apart as the reality of what had happened finally caught up with him. Savi stood completely still. Reri was somewhere down the hallway, and nobody knew whether she wanted to be alone or whether she was waiting for someone to follow her. Once had gone quiet again, but this time, nobody was going to mistake his silence for being okay. Acro remained near the doorway, looking like he wanted to chase Corvus and apologize for every single thing he hadn't said sooner.

"...So that's it?" Corruptedheart whispered.

Nobody answered.

"He's just leaving?"

"He's upset," Savi said.

"WE'RE ALL UPSET!"

"I KNOW!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS IS NORMAL?!"

"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!"

Savi's voice cracked, and the sudden vulnerability of it stopped Corruptedheart mid-sentence.

Savi looked away, jaw clenched.

"I don't know what to do, okay? I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how to talk to people when they're hurt without making it worse. I don't know how to tell you that I care without feeling like I'm giving someone a weapon and asking them to use it against me."

He looked toward the door.

"And now he's gone, and I don't know if he's coming back."

Once sat down on the couch, staring at the floor.

"Maybe we should give everyone some space."

Acro looked at him. "You mean we should just let everyone leave?"

"No. I mean we can't force them to stay."