The bell above the diner door clanged violently as it flew open.
Jade stormed in, still half-covered in road dust and fury, eyes darting around the room like a man who'd finally snapped.
Kenny was nowhere to be found, Jade had given him the slip a while back.
He looked around at the retro decor, the checkered floor, the chrome counter. "Nice setup," he said loudly. "What'd this run Tobey, huh? Hundred grand? Maybe more? Vintage shut is not cheap."
The room fell silent. A few locals glanced at him warily before returning to their meals.
Then his gaze landed on Ethan, sitting at the counter with Monte. Already halfway through a plate of pancakes.
Jade marched over, muttering, "This is too good," and reached for the boy's plate.
Monte caught his wrist mid-grab, twisting it sharply. "What the fuck you think you're doing?"
Jade yanked, but Monte's grip held firm. "Get the fuck off me! You're all getting paid for this, right? You work for me!"
Monte's expression hardened. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but fuck off. The kid's trying to eat his pancakes."
Jade shoved him, but Monte barely moved. He stepped in close and drove a punch into Jade's gut. Clean form, controlled strength, and finality.
Jade doubled over, gasping. "Fuck, that hurts. I'm gonna sue the shit outta you. All of you!"
Monte ignored him, sitting back down and stabbing a green bean with his fork. "Good luck with that, asshole."
Jade staggered to his feet, ready to throw himself back into the fight... until something metallic clattered onto the counter beside Monte's plate.
A Glock.
Jade froze. Monte didn't even look at him as he rested his hand atop the pistol.
Point made.
Jade backed off slowly, clutching his stomach. He turned toward the door just as it swung open behind him.
Kenny walked in, breathless from his search.
"What the hell, man?" Kenny barked. "I waited ten minutes outside before I realized you ditched me!"
Jade scoffed and brushed past him. "Yeah, you're welcome for the workout." He shoved the door open and stalked off down the street.
Kenny exhaled sharply, looking around at the tense faces in the diner. "Sorry for the inconvenience, folks."
Monte waved it off, returning to his meal.
Ethan's eyes were wide, practically glowing. "That was so cool, Monte."
Monte chuckled. "Remind me to teach you that when you're older."
Sara stood frozen behind the counter, a dreamy look in her eyes... part admiration, part something darker.
Her gaze flicked briefly to the Glock before Monte tucked it out of sight again.
The voices in her head went quiet, cowed for now. As if they knew she couldn't act while he still had that gun.
Slowly, the diner returned to normal. The clatter of dishes, the murmur of conversation.
A false peace, but peace nonetheless.
Monte and Sara slipped easily back into their rhythm, flirting between bites. Ethan chimed in now and then, delighted by the attention they were giving.
Ethan was finishing the last bite of his pancakes when the door slammed open again.
This time it was Jim. He stormed in like a thunderhead, Tabitha and Julie close behind him.
Jim's eyes swept the room until they landed on Monte and Sara, smiling across the counter at each other, Ethan happily eating beside them.
Julie's gaze followed his and she saw the way Sara was looking at Monte. The soft blush resting on her cheeks, the twirl of her hair.
Something hot twisted in her chest.
Jim stalked up to Monte, his voice sharp. "What makes you think you can just take my son without my permission?"
Tabitha added quickly, "Our permission."
Monte sighed, leaning back on his stool. "Kid was hungry. Brought him over. I told Miranda he was with me."
Jim's jaw tightened. "I don't care. Stay away from my family."
Julie stepped forward, her voice defensive. "Dad, he was just being nice. We should be..."
"Don't start with me," Jim snapped. "And don't think you're off the hook for that stunt you pulled last night."
Sara froze at that, her jealousy flaring at the mention of something happening between Monte and Julie.
Tabitha noticed the stares from the other diners and stepped between them. "Jim, take a breath. We might be overreacting."
Jim exhaled through his nose, turning back to Monte. "Stay away."
Monte sighed. "Alright. If that's what you want."
Jim nodded sharply, guiding his family toward the door. Julie lingered, her face conflicted, before following.
Tabitha lifted Ethan into her arms, the boy still babbling about the pancakes. "They were the best, Mom! Monte was right!"
As they reached the doorway, Ethan waved. "Bye, Monte!"
Monte smiled faintly. "Bye, kid."
Then he turned back to his plate, spearing the last few green beans.
When he looked up again, Sara was staring at him.
Monte raised a brow. "What's up?"
Sara hesitated. "You… did something with that girl. Julie?"
Monte smirked, leaning closer. "If I did?"
Sara fidgeted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know."
Monte grinned. "You jealous?"
Sara's cheeks flushed. "If I am?"
Monte's voice dropped low. "I can fix that."
Their faces were inches apart now. The air between them thick, warm, and full of tension.
And then...
Ding! Ding!
The warning bell rang from the center of town. Boyd's voice followed, echoing down the street.
"Everybody, come out! It's time for the Choosing Ceremony!"
Monte leaned in before Sara could react, brushing a quick kiss against her lips. She froze, eyes wide, nose scrunching slightly in shock.
Monte smirked, pushing up from his stool and walking toward the door. He glanced back over his shoulder, holding out a hand.
Sara hesitated, her heartbeat pounding in her ears... but she stepped out from behind the counter and took it.
They walked out together into the fading afternoon, joining the crowd gathering in the street.
Boyd stood in front of them, his voice carrying over the murmuring townsfolk.
"It's time for the Choosing Ceremony. Would our new arrivals please come forward and make their decision."
...
The late afternoon light had started to dim, shadows stretching long across the street as the townsfolk gathered near the center of town.
Monte and the Mathews family stepped forward when Boyd called their names.
Jade, unsurprisingly, was nowhere to be seen. Probably off somewhere giving Kenny another migraine.
Boyd held out two simple items in his hands: a smooth gray rock in one, and a delicate flower in the other.
His voice carried across the crowd. "You all know the rules. The rock means you stay in town and follow its laws. The flower means you'll live at Colony House and embrace freedom."
Monte didn't even hesitate. He reached out and grabbed the rock from Boyd's palm. "Town," he said simply.
Donna smirked from the crowd. "No surprise there."
Monte chuckled and stepped aside, folding his arms. "What can I say? I like walls, doors, and locks."
The crowd murmured with faint amusement as Jim and Tabitha stepped forward next.
They exchanged a quiet look, debating in hushed tones for a moment before both reached for the rock together.
Ethan clutched his mother's hand and nodded solemnly. "I pick the rock too."
Boyd smiled faintly. "Alright. Welcome to the town."
Jim exhaled, relieved. "Good. That's that."
But before they could walk away, Donna's voice cut through the quiet. "Not quite."
The Mathews turned toward her. Donna crossed her arms. "Julie still has to decide."
Julie blinked, caught off guard. "Me?"
Donna nodded, "Everyone has to make this choice for themselves."
Jim frowned. "What are you waiting for, Julie? Pick the rock."
Julie stared down at the two symbols. Her jaw tightened. She could feel everyone's eyes on her.
Her parents expecting her to obey, the townsfolk curious, Boyd patient, Monte quietly watching from the side.
For a heartbeat, no one breathed.
Then Julie reached out and picked the flower.
Donna stepped forward, a proud smile tugging at her lips. "Welcome to Colony House, Julie."
Tabitha's voice rose instantly. "No... she's going to be with her family."
Donna shook her head calmly. "These are the rules. Right, Boyd?"
Boyd hesitated, but nodded. "She made her choice. You can visit her whenever you like, but you can't stop her from going."
Jim's temper flared. "We're her parents!"
Donna's tone hardened. "And she's an adult. She made her choice."
The air was thick with tension as Julie stepped away from her stunned parents.
Boyd said nothing, he'd seen this countless times before. The ceremony had a way of cutting families apart and stitching new ones together.
Monte wasn't surprised by her decision. Her parents seemed like good people, but they hovered. Still treating her like a kid when she clearly wasn't one.
As Donna led Julie away toward the hill, Julie turned back once. Her eyes found Monte in the crowd. She smiled faintly and winked.
Monte's mouth curved into a smirk. He didn't need words to understand the invitation behind it.
...
Meanwhile…
Jade stumbled through the outskirts of town, muttering under his breath. His mind was still spinning, trying to make sense of a world that refused to obey logic.
"This is Tobey," he whispered, kicking a rock. "Has to be. He's watching this somewhere close by. Laughing his ass off while I wander around this town like a fucking idiot."
He followed a narrow dirt path that led toward the edge of town, his eyes darting from one broken sign to another.
Then he saw it, a squat concrete structure half-buried in the ground, its rusted door was slightly ajar.
A storm shelter.
Jade grinned bitterly. "Oh, perfect. This has 'hidden camera' written all over it."
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, the metal groaning in protest.
The storm shelter was small and suffocating, the kind of space that seemed to shrink the longer you stood in it.
The walls were plain, just a collection of stacked gray stones.
Jade shined his phone's light around the room, muttering under his breath. "Okay, Tobey… you really outdid yourself this time. Whole fake town, local actors, creepy cult aesthetic... Bravo."
He took a step deeper inside, the metal door creaking shut behind him. The sound made his stomach twist.
The beam of light skimmed across the walls. Looking around, he saw nothing but dust and old stains.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. That the walls were watching him.
He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, man, you got me. Come on out, I'm officially freaked. You win, Tobey."
Silence.
Then his phone light flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Jade frowned and gave it a shake. "Don't you..."
The light went out.
"...fucking dare."
The dark was instant and absolute.
He took a cautious breath, the air heavy with dust and the faint scent of metal. Then, slowly, faint red lines began to appear on the walls, faint as the veins under his skin.
Jade froze, heart pounding. "No…" he whispered.
The lines twisted and branched out, connecting, forming something alive. Something that wasn't there a second ago.
A symbol.
Roots spreading. Tangling. Writhing across the stones like veins of molten iron.
Jade stumbled backward, his breath catching. "What... What the hell is that?"
The lines pulsed. Once. Twice. Faster.
The red glow grew brighter, sharper, until it felt like it was coming from inside his skull.
He screamed and dropped his phone, clutching his head. "Get out of my head! Stop... Stop it!"
The floor tilted. The walls spun. The red light seared behind his eyes, burning the shape of the root symbol into his brain.
He collapsed, his body jerking violently. His head hit the concrete, hard, but he barely felt it.
Convulsions tore through him. His muscles locking and twisting as he gasped for air.
Every time his eyes flicked open, the symbol was there... flashing, pulsing, alive. Even though there was nothing on the wall.
"Stop! Please, stop!"
His voice broke, raw and desperate.
Then the flashes stopped.
Silence fell.
Jade's body went limp, his breathing ragged.
The light on his phone flickered weakly back to life, the beam landing on the bare stone wall.
Smooth. Empty. No marks. No symbol.
Jade's eyes fluttered open, his pupils blown wide. He turned his head slightly, groaning.
The wall was blank, but in his mind, the symbol burned like an afterimage.
And he couldn't make it go away.
Jade stumbled out of the storm shelter, gasping for air. The cool evening wind hit his face like a slap, but it didn't clear the fog in his head.
His breathing was ragged, uneven. Every heartbeat pulsing that same symbol behind his eyelids...
A red Symbol, that pulsed, almost like it was alive.
He stumbled forward, half delirious, muttering under his breath.
"It's real… it's real… it's all real…"
Behind him, inside the shelter, something shifted. A faint shimmer of white in the dark.
The Boy in White standing there, smiling faintly.
Silently watching.
...
By the time Jade staggered back into town, the sun had sunk behind the trees.
The last light was dying, painting the sky bruised purple and black. He was wild-eyed, sweat-drenched, stumbling through the street like a man chased by ghosts.
Kenny spotted him from the steps of the Sheriff's Station, sighed, and muttered, "Oh, for fuck's sake…"
He jogged over, grabbing Jade by the shoulder. "Come on, crazy. What the hell are you doing? Where have you been?"
Jade spun, grabbing him back. "The symbol, man... it's stuck in my head! I can't get it out! I saw it!"
Kenny blinked. "You saw what?"
"The symbol!" Jade shouted. "It's in my brain, I can still see it! It's like it's burned in there..."
Kenny tightened his grip. "Alright, alright. Relax. You're fine."
Jade shook his head violently. "No, I'm not fine!"
Kenny's tone changed, firmer. "We need to get inside. Now. You can freak out all you want after sundown, but if we're out here when it gets dark, we're dead."
That sobered Jade instantly. His pupils blew wide. "Then let's go! Let's go!"
Kenny groaned. "Calm down, man. We've still got a few minutes. Just follow me."
Jade fidgeted like he was wired, eyes darting to every shadow as he hurried after Kenny toward the station.