Jess burst into laughter the second time..
She doubled over, shoulders trembling as she covered her mouth with a hand, but it did nothing to hide the sharp bursts of laughter spilling out. The firelight flickered against her, casting shifting shadows across her flushed face, her orange eyes alight with sheer amusement.
I sat there, frozen, the shock still settling in.
"I love you, Wanderers."
I repeated the phrase inwardly, testing how it felt in my mind. It didn’t help.
Slowly, I turned to Celia, forcing a small smile as I leaned forward. "You sure you don’t want to change it?" My voice was light, almost coaxing, but beneath it was the desperate hope that she’d reconsider.
But Celia only smirked.
"No," she said simply, her deep blue eyes gleaming. "My dare is final."
Her voice held no room for negotiation, no hint of mercy. Just pure amusement.
I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face. Alright. Fine.
But oh, just you wait.
When I win the next round, I will make sure payback hit her twice as hard. A thousand different ideas raced through my mind, each one more ridiculous than the last. I could already see it.. the moment of revenge, the look on her face when she realized what I’d make her do.
Jess was still laughing, her voice spilling into the night like an unrestrained melody.. until I stood up.
The moment I pushed myself to my feet, her laughter cut off.
She blinked up at me, her expression shifting into something expectant. Anticipation, curiosity... waiting for the inevitable. Celia, on the other hand, didn’t stop smiling. If anything, her smirk widened, her deep blue gaze locked onto me with the kind of mischief that promised she was thoroughly enjoying this.
I took a slow breath. Then, turning, I faced the camp.
The loose camp for wanderers stretched out before me, scattered groups clustered around makeshift campfires, their flames flickering against the darkening sky. The scent of burning wood mixed with the faint, lingering traces of damp earth, the remnants of a past drizzle still clinging to the air. Conversations hummed softly in the background, the occasional laugh cutting through the night.
I steeled myself.
Stepping forward, I wove through the camp, passing by wanderers engaged in quiet discussions or tending to their supplies. A few brushed past me without a second glance, their attention elsewhere. None of them knew what was coming.
I stopped.
I had reached the center... the place where my fate would unfold.
From this distance, I could still see Celia and Jess. They sat near our fire, both giving me an exaggerated thumbs-up.
I ignored them.
Instead, I let my gaze sweep across the camp one last time. The wanderers remained unaware, their murmured conversations blending into the steady crackle of the flames. Some sat hunched over maps, others sharpened their weapons in methodical, practiced motions. No one spared me a glance. Not yet.
I inhaled slowly.
Deep. Controlled. Preparing.
Then I reached into my mind, letting the mist flood in.
Cold and weightless, it crept through my thoughts, numbing the edges, dulling the emotions that would have made this unbearable. I needed to be detached. I needed to be empty.
For a moment, everything stilled.
I exhaled.
And then, with all the force I could muster, I opened my mouth and spoke.
"I LOVE YOU, WANDERERS."
The words rang out, carried by the open air.
And then... silence.
A deafening silence.
The kind that made the world feel suspended as it stretched out like a blade, thin and sharp.
For a moment, the entire camp seemed to pause. Conversations died mid-sentence. Hands stilled over weapons, over food, over flickering campfires. Every head turned, eyes locking onto me like I’d just declared war on common sense.
I felt their stares, countless and piercing, pressing in from every direction. The mist within my mind wavered under the sheer weight of it.
But I held my ground.
Then... the whispers.
They rippled through the camp, hushed yet unmistakable, slipping through the air like restless ghosts. My hypersensitive detection caught every word, every fragment of quiet disdain carried by the night.
"Who the hell is that idiot?"
"Definitely an attention seeker. Ignore him."
"What kind of moron does this in times like these?"
A dozen voices, overlapping. Judgment. Amusement. Mild irritation.
Then, somewhere in the distance...
"He’s kinda cute."
That one nearly cracked my mist entirely.
The murmurs multiplied, rising and falling, a constant undercurrent gnawing at the edges of my focus. Even with my emotions cut off, the sheer volume of opinions clawing at my ears felt too much. If I listened for too long, even the mist wouldn’t hold.
So I didn’t.
I turned on my heel, ignoring the lingering eyes, and walked.. straight back to where Celia and Jess sat.
The moment I reached them, their composure shattered.
Jess was practically wheezing, her entire body trembling with laughter, shoulders shaking as she tried and failed to keep herself upright. Celia wasn’t much better, her blue eyes narrowed into slits, lips curled into a wicked grin as she covered her mouth, her whole frame quaking as if she was about to fall over.
I sighed, releasing the mist.
The moment my emotions returned, my mouth moved before I could stop it.
"Haha. Very funny."
I dropped down beside the makeshift campfire, the warmth licking at my skin. The flames twisted and snapped, their glow throwing dancing shadows against the uneven ground, carving deep contrasts against the worn faces of the wanderers still watching from a distance.
I ignored them.
My focus shifted to the next round.
Jess.
It was her turn now.
I settled back, arms crossed, watching as Celia’s grin lingered, her blue gaze sliding toward Jess with an intentional slowness. I could see it already.. the setup, the impending payback. Hopefully a dare.
I wouldn’t mind giving Celia an idea for one.
A dozen possibilities flashed through my mind, each more devious than the last. My lips almost curled into a smirk.
Then Celia spoke.
"Jess," she said, her voice light, casual... too casual. "Could you tell us more about yourself?"
…What?
I blinked, straightening slightly.
She hadn’t given her a dare. Just… a question. truth..
For a second, I almost felt betrayed.
Why was I the only one who had to suffer?
But then.. curiosity.
I glanced at Jess, studying her reaction.
She didn’t laugh this time.
She just sat there, still, her expression shifting into something more thoughtful.
I leaned forward slightly, my focus sharpening.
Celia and I were both watching now, waiting.
Jess parted her lips to speak.