The reaction was instant.
Elliot choked on his own breath. "Dude—what the hell?" he hissed under his breath, face flushing as his eyes darted to me, then away just as quickly.
Noob's jaw dropped, his nervousness replaced by stunned disbelief. "Y-you can't just say that, Chance!" he squeaked, his blue-and-green frame practically trembling.
Guest 1337 let out a low groan, rubbing his temple. "Focus, people. We're not doing this." His tone was sharp, disciplined—his soldier's composure barely holding together.
Shedletsky crossed his arms and muttered dryly, "Some of you really don't value your lives, huh?" Though his voice carried no jealousy, the faint twitch at his mouth betrayed a mix of amusement and secondhand embarrassment.
Builderman's gaze flicked toward Chance with visible irritation, his calm finally cracking. "You'd best keep such comments to yourself," he said curtly, his voice low, but heavy with authority. "You don't flirt with something that might not even be mortal."
Dussekar's jack-o'-lantern grin flickered faintly, his blue fire dimming and brightening in rhythmic pulses. "The fool speaks where silence would spare his fate," he mused softly, tilting his carved head. "Yet truth oft hides behind jest's gate."
Chance shrugged, feigning nonchalance though his ears burned red. "Hey, I'm just saying—divine or not, doesn't mean she's not… y'know, aesthetically pleasing."
Taph, still cloaked and silent in the far corner, turned his hood slightly toward Chance.
The dark void beneath gave no readable expression, but the heavy pause that followed felt like judgment in its purest form.
Two Time's head slowly rose from where he knelt beside me. His eyes opened slightly—sharp, glassy, fanatical.
"You dare…" His voice was soft, yet it carried a tremor that silenced the others instantly. "You dare to speak of Her Excellency with mortal desire?"
The room stilled. Even the fire seemed to hesitate in its crackle.
Chance blinked. "It was a compliment, dude—relax."
But Two Time's trembling smile didn't match his tone. "Compliment?" His words dripped with fragile restraint. "Do not reduce the divine to something so… earthly."
Builderman raised a hand slightly. "Enough, Two Time. Stand down."
Two Time froze mid-breath, his devotion shackled only by Builderman's command. His head lowered again, voice a murmur. "...Forgive my outburst, Your Excellency. I merely defend what should not be profaned."
Through it all, I hadn't moved. My eyes remained closed, my breathing calm, my hand resting lightly against the couch's armrest. Yet, within the silence that followed, I could feel their eyes again—this time, not just in awe or fear, but with a flicker of something else.
Curiosity. Intrigue.
The kind mortals hold for the unreachable.
I finally spoke, voice soft yet echoing through the cabin's quiet.
"Curious, how easily one's tongue strays when faced with mystery."
Every gaze snapped to me instantly. The silver light from the fire traced the outline of my form, the faint shimmer of divinity casting long shadows against the floor.
"Speak no more of beauty nor divinity," I continued, my tone calm, almost melodic. "Both are fleeting illusions to those who do not understand their weight."
Chance swallowed hard, his smirk gone.
Builderman exhaled through his nose—quietly, tensely—and motioned for the others to stand down.
And though the fire burned the same, the air itself shifted, colder… quieter.
Two Time bowed lower, trembling in silent reverence.
None of them spoke again. But the thought lingered—burning faintly in the minds of a few despite the warning.
That for someone divine, she truly was beautiful.
Inside, my thoughts were running wild—chaotic, spiraling, all while my face stayed perfectly calm.
Okay, keep it together. They think you're divine. You're doing fine. Just… don't ruin the act.
On the outside, I looked serene—still as moonlight. But inside, I was one nervous exhale away from falling apart.
If this was roleplay, I'd already won gold.
After what felt like a century of silence, I finally decided to let them breathe.
"You may relax," I said softly, my voice calm and distant. "There is no need for fear."
The tension broke like glass.
Boots shifted. Someone let out a shaky breath. Even the fire's crackle softened, its warmth spreading unevenly through the cabin.
Builderman was the first to speak. "We've all got questions," he said quietly, his arms crossing as his gaze swept over the others. "Guess it's about time we give you answers… at least the ones we've got."
Shedletsky stepped forward a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. We've been stuck here for… I don't even know how long now. Feels like months. Maybe years."
Elliot nodded. "There's no sky that moves, no sunrise or sunset. Just this same night. We don't even know what part of Forsaken this is. Hell, maybe it isn't Forsaken anymore."
Noob nervously fidgeted near the couch. "It's like a weird copy of the lobby… but not. The woods outside don't end. It just loops."
Guest 1337 added, his voice steady and practical. "We've scouted the area more times than I can count. No boundaries, no escape points, no respawn zones. Just… this realm. Empty, cold, and too quiet."
Dussekar's carved grin flickered blue as his staff struck the floor once.
"A realm unmade by hands divine,
Where souls are caught 'twixt dark and time.
Its master cloaked, its rules unspoken,
Our mortal bonds forever broken."
Chance huffed, leaning back against the wall. "Translation: we're screwed. No doors, no portals, no clue where we are. Just ghosts, trees, and creepy static sounds at night."
007n7, leaning by the window, gave a faint nod. "We can't contact anyone either. Radios, signals, nothing works here."
Builderman's jaw tightened slightly. "Whatever the Spectre is, it brought us here for a reason. It's… watching. Testing, maybe. But it never shows itself."
Noob's voice shook. "You mean that… that thing out there? The one we hear sometimes?"
Elliot grimaced. "Yeah. The whispering? The hum in the walls? That's it. The Spectre."
Two Time finally spoke, voice low but clear, kneeling beside me again. "The Spectre's will bends all that breathes within this realm. Yet even it must yield, should divinity walk its soil once more."
Chance rolled his eyes. "Here we go again…"
"Mock not the unseen," Dussekar murmured, flame dimming to a soft glow. "For darkness hears what mortals sow."
Noob shuffled closer to Elliot, clearly unsettled. "So it's alive? The Spectre?"
Guest crossed his arms. "Feels like it. Every time we talk about leaving, something changes outside. The fog moves. The air gets colder."
Elliot looked toward me. "And now it's different. Ever since you woke up… the static stopped."
The room fell quiet again—just the fire's hiss and the faint creak of the cabin's walls.
Builderman's voice came low, thoughtful. "If that thing reacts to you… then maybe you're not just another survivor."
Two Time lowered his head even further, trembling. "Her Excellency's mere presence unbalances the darkness itself. The Spectre fears her light."
I stayed still—eyes closed, calm as ever.
But inside, my heart was pounding.
So… this world isn't a game to me anymore.
And if that thing really was watching…
Then my awakening might've just broken its silence.
—--
Soon after, the others dispersed—giving me some space, and themselves the freedom to do their own thing.
Chance leaned against the nearby post, his usual smirk returning now that the others were gone.
The firelight caught in his dark eyes as he tilted his head slightly, a familiar glint of mischief shining through.
"So," he began casually, hands in his pockets, "the others might be too freaked out to talk to you, but I'm not one for keeping quiet."
Two Time's head turned sharply, an audible crack in his neck from how fast he moved.
His stare was daggers—cold, venomous daggers. "You will hold thy tongue," he warned, voice trembling with restrained rage. "To address Her Excellency so informally is—"
"—is what?" Chance interrupted smoothly, eyes never leaving me. "Disrespectful? Dangerous? Relax, I'm not gonna summon lightning or anything."
"Silence yourself, blasphemer," Two Time hissed.
I could feel his tension radiating through the floorboards. His hands were clenched, trembling at his knees.
I sighed softly. "Two Time," I called, tone light but firm.
Instantly, he froze. "Y-Your Excellency?"
"Let him speak."
Chance's grin widened just a little, enough to prove he'd already taken that as a win.
Two Time bit his tongue, lowering his gaze, though the anger didn't fade from his posture.
Chance took a slow step closer, his smirk easing into something more curious.
"You know, you're not what I expected. Builderman made you sound like some untouchable entity or something, but…"
He gave a small chuckle. "You seem… human. Calm, even."
I tilted my head slightly, my voice quiet and steady. "Would you prefer I were less calm?"
He blinked, caught off guard, before his grin returned. "No complaints here. Calm's fine. Just… you don't really feel like the others say you do. Divine, I mean."
Two Time made a noise that could only be described as furious breathing, but he dared not speak without my permission.
"Perhaps," I murmured, "divinity is simply not what you imagine it to be."
Chance hummed, half to himself. "Maybe. Still—" his smirk grew a touch more daring, "—you're a lot easier to talk to than Builderman, so I'll take my chances."
That earned him a sharp look from Guest across the room, who hadn't gone far and was clearly pretending not to eavesdrop.
Chance ignored it completely.
"So… Moon Maiden, huh?" he said, tone dropping to something softer, teasing but not mocking. "You got any plans while we're all stuck here, or are you just gonna sit there looking mysterious all day?"
I exhaled quietly, resting my chin in my hand. "Plans? I suppose… to understand this realm. To adapt."
He nodded once, slowly. "Fair enough."
Then, with that same infuriating grin, he added, "If you ever need a tour guide, I'm available. No charge."
Two Time's jaw visibly twitched.
My lips curved into a faint, almost amused smile. "How generous."
"I try," Chance said with a slight bow, though it was clear he didn't mean it seriously.
He turned and walked away before Two Time could explode again, tossing one last look over his shoulder. "See you around, Your Excellency."
The door shut softly behind him, leaving the room quiet once more.
Two Time's glare lingered at the door long after Chance had gone. His voice shook when he finally spoke. "Your Excellency, permit me to end his insolence the next time he approaches."
I chuckled quietly, eyes still closed. "Denied."
Two Time sulked, visibly restraining the urge to protest.
The silence returned, save for the faint hum of the realm beyond the cabin—distant, alive, and watching.
And for the first time since I awoke here, I found myself smiling, faintly amused by the absurdity of it all.