Morning came quietly to Maidensmith.

It was one of those mornings where the sun did not seem to be in any particular hurry. Its light rested gently over the rooftops, slipped between the trees, and spread across the streets of Western Ravenport.

Maidensmith was an old part of the city.

Not old in the way abandoned buildings were old, or in the way certain parts of Ravenport seemed to have been forgotten by time. Maidensmith was old in a much more comfortable way.

It had simply been there for a long time.

The streets were wide enough for two cars to pass without either driver having to slow down, with sidewalks running along both sides beneath rows of mature trees. Some of the trees were so large that their branches reached over the road, creating patches of shade even in the middle of the day.

The houses were just as varied.

Unlike some of the crowded residential areas closer to the center of Western Ravenport, the houses in Maidensmith stood separately on their own pieces of land. Each had its own driveway, garden, fence, garage, and backyard.

Some were large.

Some were modest.

Some looked as though they had been built decades ago and carefully maintained ever since. Others had clearly been renovated over the years, their old exteriors hiding modern interiors.

There was no particular style that every house followed.

That was part of what made Maidensmith feel like Maidensmith.

A brick house could stand beside a pale-painted one. A house with a wide porch could sit across from another with nothing more than a small garden and a short fence separating it from the sidewalk.

Nobody seemed particularly interested in making the neighborhood look identical.

It was simply a collection of homes that had accumulated over the years.

The morning brought the neighborhood to life slowly.

A man in a gray sweater walked his dog along the sidewalk, stopping every few minutes whenever the dog decided something on the grass was suddenly more important than continuing the walk.

A woman opened the curtains of her living room and looked outside before disappearing again.

Somewhere down the street, a garage door opened.

A car started.

Another house had someone arguing with their children about getting ready for school.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing important.

Just another morning.

A few streets away, Maidensmith became slightly busier.

Small businesses occupied several of the older buildings along the main road. There was a bakery that already had people standing outside, a little café with tables near the windows, a pharmacy, a convenience store, and several shops that had probably been there longer than some of the people who currently lived in the neighborhood.

The main road connected Maidensmith to the rest of Western Ravenport, so it was never completely quiet.

Cars passed through.

Buses stopped at the roadside.

People walked toward work.

Students carried bags and hurried along while looking at their phones.

Yet once someone turned away from the main road and went deeper into Maidensmith, the noise seemed to disappear.

The neighborhood became peaceful again.

It was easy to forget that one of Ravenport's largest universities was only a short distance away.

It was also easy to understand why people stayed.

There was something comfortable about Maidensmith.

It didn't try to impress anyone.

It wasn't the newest part of Western Ravenport, nor was it the most expensive.

It simply looked like a place where people had lived for years.

Families grew up there.

Children who once rode bicycles through the streets eventually became adults who drove through the same streets on their way to work.

Some houses changed owners.

Others didn't.

Some families moved away and returned years later.

Others never left at all.

And among those families was one whose name had been attached to Maidensmith for generations.

The Beaumonts.

Their house stood farther down one of the quieter streets, behind a low wall and a pair of dark metal gates.

It was larger than most of the houses surrounding it, though not so large that it looked out of place.

The front garden was wide and well maintained, with several old trees standing near the edges of the property. A paved driveway led toward the house, disappearing around the side where a garage stood.

The house itself had an older design.

Large windows.

A broad entrance.

A sloping roof.

A front porch that looked as though it had seen countless mornings just like this one.

There was nothing frightening about it.

Nothing mysterious.

It looked like a family home.

And that was exactly what it was.

After being away for some time, the Beaumont family had returned to Maidensmith.

The house had been waiting for them.

The neighborhood had continued without them.

And now, on this quiet morning in Western Ravenport, the Beaumonts were slowly settling back into a place that had once been theirs.

Inside the house, however, the peaceful morning was already beginning to fall apart.

Not because of anything mysterious.

Not because of the family curse.

Just because someone had apparently lost the television remote.

And someone else was being blamed for it.

Beth was on her knees in the sitting room, reaching underneath the couch.

She stretched one arm as far as it could go, feeling around beneath the cushions and dragging her fingers across the dusty floor.

Nothing.

She pulled her arm back and looked underneath the couch again.

"Where the hell is it?"

The television remote was nowhere to be found.

She checked the coffee table for what must have been the third time, even though she already knew it wasn't there. She moved one of the cushions, checked between them, then lifted another cushion and sighed.

Nothing.

Beth stood up and brushed her hands against her pajamas.

She was still wearing the same pajamas she had slept in, and judging by the look on her face, finding the remote had somehow become the most important thing in her life that morning.

She bent down again and began looking underneath the other couch.

That was when someone slowly walked past the sitting room.

Bella.

She was still in her pajamas, her hair messy from sleep, and one hand was rubbing her eye as she yawned.

She stopped when she noticed Beth crawling around the furniture.

"Morning."

Beth looked up at her.

Her expression wasn't exactly welcoming.

"Was it you who switched off the TV yesterday?"

Bella blinked.

"No..."

She continued standing there for a moment, still trying to understand why Beth had asked her that.

Then something clicked.

She remembered.

"Oh."

Bella's eyes opened a little wider.

"No. No, it wasn't me."

Beth stared at her.

"It was Bennett," Bella quickly added.

Beth didn't say anything.

She simply walked past Bella and headed toward the stairs.

Bella watched her go.

"Gosh," she muttered. "Beth's already causing heresy in the morning."

She yawned again before walking toward the kitchen.

Beth, meanwhile, climbed the stairs.

She already knew where Bennett was.

His bedroom door was at the end of the hallway.

She reached it and pushed it open without knocking.

It wasn't locked.

That turned out to be a mistake for both of them.

Beth froze.

Bennett was on his bed.

And there was a girl sitting on top of him.

Chelsea.

The daughter of the next-door neighbor.

For a few seconds, nobody moved.

Chelsea looked at Beth.

Beth looked at Chelsea.

Bennett looked at Beth.

Then Bennett immediately pushed Chelsea to the side.

Chelsea lost her balance and fell off the edge of the bed.

"What the hell, Beth?!"

"Why didn't you knock?!" Bennett shouted.

Beth's face twisted in disbelief.

"Why didn't you lock?!"

Bennett opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Beth stared at him for another second before turning around.

She walked out of the room.

Then she stopped. She had barely taken two steps before almost bumping straight into her father.

He was standing in the hallway.

Beth looked at him.

Her father looked at Beth.

Then he looked past her.

Through the open bedroom door, Chelsea was hurriedly getting herself together.

Bennett was standing beside the bed, looking like a man who had just realized his morning was about to become considerably worse.

His father slowly looked back at him.

Bennett sighed.

"Dad..."

His father didn't say anything.

Bennett walked toward the doorway.

"Dad, I know what you're going to say."

He stopped in front of him.

"And believe me, I totally agree with you."

His father raised an eyebrow.

"There is no excuse for what I did," Bennett continued. "It was idiotic, immature, totally reckless and stupid."

Beth stood beside her father, quietly watching him.

Bennett took a breath.

"I'm just..."

He looked down for a moment.

"I'm hoping against hope that you'll give me another chance."

He looked back at his father.

"Which, I admit, I don't deserve."

There was a long silence.

His father stared at him.

Beth stared at him.

Bennett waited.

From inside the room, Chelsea quietly picked up her clothes.

The entire hallway had suddenly become uncomfortable.

Finally, his father spoke.

"Bennett."

"Yes?"

"Why is the neighbor's daughter in your bedroom at eight in the morning?"

Bennett paused.

He looked toward Chelsea.

Then back at his father.

"...That's a very complicated question."

Beth rolled her eyes.

"It really isn't."

Bennett looked at her.

"Nobody asked you."

"You've been caught. You don't get to be selective about who talks."

His father sighed.

"Both of you, stop."

Beth immediately became quiet.

Bennett did too.

For a few seconds, the hallway was silent again.

Then Chelsea emerged from the bedroom, fully dressed and holding her shoes.

She gave Bennett an awkward look.

"Bye."

Bennett nodded.

"Bye."

She walked past the three Beaumonts and headed downstairs. Nobody said anything as she passed.

Once she was gone, Beth looked at Bennett.

"So..."

Bennett sighed.

"Don't."

"I didn't even say anything."

"You were about to."

"I was going to ask if you found the remote."

Bennett stared at her.

Beth stared back.

Their father looked between them.

"Dad, I still want the remote. He took it," Beth said.

Benjamin looked at Bennett.

"Can you give her the remote?"

"Oh. Right."

Bennett looked around his room.

After a few seconds, he spotted it and picked it up with a small smile.

He walked over and handed it to Beth.

She took it between two fingers as though she were holding a dead rat covered in sewage.

Bennett stared at her.

"Are you really holding it like that?"

Beth looked at the remote.

Then she looked at him.

"This remote is probably as dirty as that girl you slept with all night."

She walked past him.

Bella happened to be coming up the stairs and smiled when she heard her.

"Are you going to wash that?" Bella asked.

Beth looked at her.

"You should mind your own business."

Bella shrugged and continued eating her sandwich.

Benjamin looked at Bennett.

"Get ready. You and me are going for a walk."

Bennett's expression changed slightly.

"Yes, sir."

Benjamin headed downstairs.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he met Bella and pulled her into a hug.

"I think Beth is going to wash the remote."

Bella smiled.

"Probably."

Benjamin laughed quietly.

"Don't worry. Bennett will go buy another one."

Bella took another bite of her sandwich.

Benjamin looked at her.

"So, how was university yesterday?"

"It was fun."

Bella swallowed and thought for a moment.

"There were many strange things happening. And some pretty fun scandals happening all over the place."

Benjamin smiled.

"Would you be fine with living there, though?"

Bella's smile faded slightly.

"I'm not sure yet, Dad."

Benjamin nodded.

He kissed her forehead before letting go of the hug.

"Well, you'll figure it out."

Bella continued upstairs, still eating her sandwich.

Benjamin watched her disappear around the corner.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

Then he looked toward the stairs where Bennett was supposed to be getting ready.

"Bennett!"

"Coming!"

Benjamin shook his head.

It was still early in the morning.

And somehow, the Beaumont household was already busy.

There was a knock on the door.

At the same time, his phone began ringing.

"Fuck."

Lucas picked up the phone.

It was Kim.

His sister.

He looked at the screen for a few seconds before tossing the phone onto the mattress.

The knocking came again.

"Coming."

Lucas dragged himself toward the door and opened it.

Standing outside were two people.

A strange-looking guy wearing pink stood beside a girl wearing almost exactly the same color.

Lucas stared at them.

Then he yawned.

"Now, what do you two pink penguins want on this peaceful morning of mine?"

The two looked at each other.

Lucas remained in the doorway, eyes half closed.

A few seconds passed.

The girl tilted her head.

"Are you sleeping?"

"No."

Lucas yawned again.

"Just taking a long blink."

The guy cleared his throat.

"We're here to buy information about the location of the Pink Party Room."

Lucas's eyes opened slightly.

"Oh."

He looked at them.

"Pink parties."

He sounded genuinely surprised.

He closed the door.

The two strangers stared at each other.

Inside, Lucas walked back toward his bed.

He grabbed the edge of the mattress and lifted it.

Underneath were several books.

Not a few.

Several.

Lucas searched through them until he found one with the words:

M TO R ROOMS

He picked it up and opened it.

His fingers moved quickly through the pages as he scanned the listings.

M.

N.

O.

P.

His eyes stopped.

"Pink Party Room."

He read the information beneath it.

"Room 446."

Lucas closed the book.

"Oh wow."

He paused.

"Didn't know that's a thing."

He placed the book back under the mattress and lowered it.

Then he returned to the door.

He opened it.

The two strangers were still standing there.

Lucas stared at them for a moment without saying anything.

He looked like his soul had temporarily left his body.

"How much money did you bring?"

The guy looked at the girl.

Then back at Lucas.

"We have five hundred crowns."

Lucas nodded.

"Well, you can give all of it to me."

He held out his hand.

"And I won't ask your age."

The guy hesitated.

Then handed him the money.

Lucas counted it quickly.

Satisfied, he slipped it into his pocket.

"Now tell us," the girl said.

Lucas looked at her.

Then at the guy.

He stared at him for a few seconds.

"Come closer."

The guy leaned toward him.

Lucas leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

"It's room 446."

The guy nodded.

"And if you arrive there and happen to not find the Pink Party..."

Lucas paused.

"...ask whoever is there what look it is that they just entered."

The guy slowly pulled away.

Lucas continued.

"Then come tell me."

The guy looked at Lucas.

Then at the girl.

"But why should I come back to you?"

Lucas smiled slightly.

"Because I have your money."

He pointed toward his pocket.

"And the other information is confidential until you come back."

The guy stared at him.

Lucas stared back.

Neither said anything.

Finally, Lucas closed the door.

He stood there for a moment.

Then he yawned.

His phone was still ringing on the mattress.

Kim was still calling.

Lucas picked up the phone.

"Hola," said Lucas.

"Morning, Luc. I wanted to ask, do you happen to know where the psychology class is?" Kim asked.

Lucas waited for a second, thinking.

"Um... no, I don't."

"C'mon, you go to psychology classes, Luc."

"I have never gone to find out where those are."

"Lucas," said Kim, already sounding annoyed, "can you at least bother to look at your books, then?"

"That wasn't hard to say. See? No need to expect me to be some room hunter like everyone does."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm waiting."

Lucas sighed and looked through the book he'd left on the bed.

He flipped through a few pages.

"It's room 1011."

"Thanks. Byeee."

The call ended.

Lucas threw the phone onto the bed.

"Ugh... I'm so tired."

He threw himself onto the bed too and eventually fell asleep again.

At that perfect moment when deep sleep was just about to give him a hug—

Knock. Knock.

"Uggggh."

Lucas groaned into the bed as he forced himself up.

He was irritated, but before he opened the door, he was already calm and collected again, as if nothing had happened.

He opened it.

It was Jay.

"Heyy, Lucas," said Jay as he walked straight into the room without permission, leaving Lucas standing at the door.

"I really wish I could sleep at Cavewoods," said Lucas as he closed the door.

"You wouldn't believe which room I found today," said Jay as he threw himself onto Lucas' bed.

"Try me."

"Damn, man, this bed is so comfy. Shit, I love it."

"Yeah, I happened to find it."

Jay looked at Lucas, squinting his eyes.

Lucas looked back at him.

Silence fell over the room.

For a moment, it was as if they were both thinking about the same thing.

"I found an alcohol testing room. Crazy, right?" said Jay.

"Damn, that's crazy. You should get your drunk ass out of my room."

Jay laughed.

"Chill, I'm not drunk. But don't you just wonder?"

Lucas immediately interrupted him.

"Oh, no, no. Don't you dare say that. You can go wonder alone out there. I should be going out and doing my deeds."

"Let me sell you the room number."

"It's room 2511. Simple chemistry." said Lucas as he went to open the door.

"Time to leave, buddy."

Jay rolled on his bed for the last time as he slowly up and walked towards Lucas like a zombie leaving the apartment.

Lucas locked the door behind him and followed.

Lucas and Jay left Kim's apartment together, but they split up once they reached the university grounds.

"Man, I need to get some sleep," Jay said, rubbing his eyes.

"Alright," Lucas replied.

Jay headed toward his dorm while Lucas continued walking through the university yard. He eventually made his way beyond the campus, following the familiar path toward the Cavewoods.

The place was quieter than usual.

As Lucas approached, he noticed the gothic groups gathered around their usual spot. They often came here, sitting beneath the trees, talking among themselves, listening to music, or simply disappearing into their own little world.

Lucas slowed down.

He wasn't particularly interested in joining them, but something about the group caught his attention.

He kept walking.

Then a voice came from behind him.

"Did you know that Lucifer knows all of your weaknesses?"

Lucas stopped.

He looked toward the trees and took a slow breath before turning around.

A girl was sitting among the trees, dressed entirely in black. She looked at him with an almost unsettling calmness.

"Yeah, I did," Lucas said.

The girl tilted her head.

"Then you understand why he keeps trying to pull us down."

Lucas remained standing.

"Ah. I see what you mean."

"He manufactures things that can weaken us," she continued. "Things that look harmless. Things that were created for one purpose and slowly turned into something else."

Lucas glanced toward her.

"Like what?"

"Pleasure."

She paused.

"Things that were meant for reproduction become things people chase for pleasure. Things that were meant to connect people become things that destroy connections."

Lucas gave a faint nod.

"That's an interesting way of looking at it."

The girl smiled slightly.

"You know about soul ties, don't you?"

Lucas' expression changed subtly.

"A little."

"If you have a soul tie with another person—someone you've developed a deep connection with—you can sometimes feel what they feel. You can sense what they're thinking. Sometimes you don't even need words."

Lucas stared at her.

For a moment, the conversation seemed strangely familiar.

Then something moved behind the tree.

Lucas looked over.

A guy stepped out from behind it.

Lucas glanced around.

He hadn't noticed him there before.

Then he looked toward the chairs.

Someone else was sitting there.

Lucas blinked.

The girl was no longer sitting alone.

There were two.

Then three.

Then five.

Lucas looked from one person to another, trying to figure out when they had appeared.

None of them seemed particularly interested in explaining themselves.

The girl simply continued looking at him.

Lucas gave a small, confused smile.

"Seems your friends are here."

He took a step backward.

"I might as well vanish."

He turned and began walking away.

Behind him, the group remained silent.

Lucas didn't look back.

But as he walked deeper toward the Cavewoods path, he couldn't shake the feeling that something about that conversation had been meant specifically for him.

Bella stepped out of the Beaumont house with her bag hanging over her shoulder and began walking toward the university.

The street was peaceful that morning. There were only a few people walking around, and the occasional sound of a passing car broke the silence.

But the closer Bella got to the main road leading toward Western Ravenport University, the louder everything became.

Cars passing.

Students talking.

People rushing toward the university gates.

Bella looked ahead.

*It's going to be a boring day.*

"Oh, no it won't," the voice suddenly said. "Not if you don't mind talking to the voice in your head."

Bella sighed.

"I hoped you weren't real."

"Well, lucky you. I'm real. How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine. And you?"

"Did you just lie to me?"

"No, I didn't lie. This is my way of feeling fine."

"What a sad way of feeling fine."

Bella smiled slightly as she continued walking, looking around at the people passing by.

"So how are you feeling?" Bella asked. "If you happen to actually feel something."

"Well, I feel as nonchalant as a corpse in a coffin."

Bella smiled.

"Yay. You finally got rid of the boredom."

"Yeah, yeah."

The two remained silent for a few seconds.

Then the voice spoke again.

"If you could shape your day however you wanted, what would you hope to experience today if you knew it was your last day on Earth?"

Bella slowed slightly.

"Wow."

"What is it?"

"It's just... that question is very unexpected."

"I'm guessing you didn't think the voice in your head was that smart, considering it shares your brain with you."

"No... wait." Bella smiled. "Actually, that's true. I just thought you were introverted."

"Magically, I happen to be introverted."

Bella laughed quietly.

"Then what would you do?"

"If I could choose?"

"Yeah."

Bella thought for a moment.

"I'd love to spend the day cruising around on a bike. Or somewhere in the forest taking pictures."

She paused.

"And running around with my cute pussies."

The voice was silent for a moment.

Bella glanced around.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You were about to say something."

"I was just wondering how someone can go from philosophical questions about the meaning of life to talking about cats in less than ten seconds."

Bella smiled.

"They're cute."

"Fair enough."

Bella continued toward the university gates, her earlier boredom slowly disappearing.

*Maybe the day wouldn't be so boring after all.*

Bella continued walking toward the university, still thinking about the voice's question.

Then she noticed a car slowing down on the opposite side of the road.

It was moving in the opposite direction from her.

Two girls were walking along the same side of the road the car was approaching.

Bella glanced at them.

The car slowed even further.

The passenger suddenly leaned out of the window.

Before either girl could react, the guy reached out and snatched one of their phones.

The car immediately sped away.

The girl stood there in shock.

"HEY!"

She started screaming after the car as it disappeared down the road.

Bella stopped walking.

Her eyes widened.

For a second, she couldn't believe what she had just seen.

Then, somehow, she almost laughed.

"You can't believe what just happened," the voice said.

Bella looked ahead.

"You know, I always forget you can hear my thoughts."

"Yeah. Don't forget that when you're planning something evil."

Bella smiled.

"So what? You can't believe what just happened either?"

"I want to hear your explanation."

"I just saw a girl get her phone snatched by a guy in a car with his friends."

The voice burst into laughter.

Bella tried to hold it in.

She couldn't.

A small laugh escaped her, and soon she was laughing along with the voice in her head as they continued walking.

Behind them, the girl was still shouting about her stolen phone.

Bella eventually glanced back.

"Okay, maybe we shouldn't be laughing."

"Probably not."

Bella smiled.

"Yeah."

They kept walking.

"Still funny, though."

"Very."

Bella shook her head and continued toward the university.

Bella finally arrived at the university.

She walked through the same sixth door she had used the previous day and followed the other students through the hallway.

As she walked, she noticed two boys ahead of her talking.

"You know, I've never seen this room before," one of them said.

"Which room?" the other asked.

"I mean this one. Room 1001."

Bella glanced toward the door.

Before she could look properly, the door opened.

A girl stepped out.

Both boys stopped.

"Wow."

"Wow."

Bella looked at them, then at the girl who had just walked out of the room.

She continued walking.

The two boys eventually moved on as well, disappearing into another classroom.

Bella didn't think much of it.

At least, not yet.

She eventually reached her classroom, 1025.

She wasn't late. In fact, not everyone had arrived yet.

Bella found a seat and settled down, waiting for the class to begin.

"Isn't it interesting?" the voice suddenly said.

Bella looked down at her desk.

"What?"

"Being able to talk to another person inside your mind. It's almost like a special connection."

Bella thought about it.

"That's what I was thinking about. There has to be a reason we're able to talk like this."

"Yeah. Aren't you hoping I'm some guy sitting in a basement somewhere?"

Bella almost laughed.

"I doubt you are. You sound like a nerd, though."

"Oh, I'm glad you didn't say creep, weird, or even alien."

Bella giggled quietly.

A few students looked toward her.

She quickly looked down at her desk.

The lecturer eventually entered the room, and the class began.

Business Studies.

Bella tried to pay attention.

The voice didn't seem interested.

"You know, there's really no need to study this."

Bella kept her eyes on the lecturer.

"Why?"

"You can just start a business selling anything people value. Then you figure out how to maintain the business afterward."

Bella smiled.

"What kind of business ideas would you even come up with?"

The voice went silent for a moment.

"Well, you asked for it."

Bella waited.

"I'll go around at night spraying graffiti on people's walls."

Bella's eyebrows rose.

"And then?"

"The next day, I'll come back and offer them my wall-cleaning services."

Bella covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"That's actually a good idea."

"I know. I somehow have plenty of them, young lady."

Bella shook her head.

The lecturer continued speaking at the front of the room while Bella continued having a quiet conversation with the strange voice inside her head.

For the rest of the class, the two of them talked about businesses, ridiculous ideas, and whatever else came into Bella's mind.

By the time the class ended, Bella realized she had barely noticed how quickly the lesson had passed.

Twenty minutes later, Bella was finally outside the university and heading home.

The streets were becoming quieter as the afternoon went on.

"So, what's your favourite ice cream?" the voice asked.

"Chocolate," Bella replied.

"Chocolate."

They had answered at exactly the same time.

Bella smiled.

"You should go buy one," the voice continued. "I'm currently eating one."

"That's a great idea."

Bella changed direction and walked toward the nearby ice cream truck that was almost always parked around the area.

She bought herself a chocolate ice cream and continued walking home.

The two kept talking as she walked, jumping between random topics until Bella finally reached the Beaumont house.

When she entered, Beth was sitting in front of the television as usual.

"Afternoon, sis."

Beth looked toward her.

"Hey. Look."

She held up a new remote.

"I got a new one."

Bella stared at it.

"Seems Bennett went to buy it."

Beth immediately started laughing.

Bella shook her head and walked past her, heading toward the stairs.

She had barely reached the top when she suddenly stopped.

Bennett was walking toward her.

Except...

He had no hair.

Completely bald.

Bella stared at him.

Bennett walked past her without saying a word.

Bella remained frozen on the stairs, speechless.

The voice was silent for a moment.

Then:

"...What happened to him?"

Bella slowly turned her head to watch Bennett disappear down the hallway.

"I don't know."

She looked toward Beth downstairs.

"Actually..."

Bella sighed.

"I think I know."

The voice laughed.

Bella continued upstairs, still trying to process the sight she had just witnessed.