Shadow Slave Cinema (reaction fanfic)

'A Spiteful Disciple'

The words flashed before Rain's eyes as she stood rooted in her seat. Calmly, she looked to her left and right, before lifting the collar of her shirt and pulling it over her face. Slowly her hands moved up, until they firmly planted over her mouth and eyes. Pushing with all her might as they decompressed against her face, forcing any air out.

Then she screamed, although what sounded to others was only an audible stifle.

'I'M DOOMED, DOOMED, DOOMED! WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THIS DAMN SCREEN, DOES IT HATE ME OR SOMETHING!??!'

Rain was shrieking both internally and externally. Although the statements did not clarify anything, she already knew what one of them meant. Who wouldn't know in her position?

Clearly it was referring to her and Master.

The damn thing was selling her out to everyone!

'Why even reveal my identity!? There's nothing special about me in this room full of protagonists, I'm a freaking Mundane and the only one here at that!' she wailed internally.

She lifted her face out of her shirt, dragging her palms down, pulling at her eyelids.

"What would it even show? Failed hunts? Getting trolled by Master? Face-planting into the snow like a moron?" she grumbled.

She immediately halted her actions, as her eye violently twitched, her mouth opening in disbelief,

'H-How far would t-this thing go? I-Is there any limit to what it could show…even possibly…a scene....where I'm BATHING!?!' she silently screamed, in utter denial.

She gulped nervously,

"N-No…surely it wouldn't. B-But it is a God…a-and such things are definitely trivial in their eyes…"

Her stomach dropped, an impossibly sickeningly deep feeling seemingly dragging her body down. Although she violently disagreed with the possibility, a silent voice whispered in the corner of her mind, teasing her at the horror that some image of her might flash the entire audience, and worst of all, her idol Nephis.

Her hands shot up as she smacked her cheeks, aiming to calm herself.

"C-Come on now….let's think! Panic is the unspoken killer! There's still two statements that have been presented, and by the laws of probability, it's 100% impossible for everyone to unanimously agree on one of the two" she muttered like a maniac, her eyes twinkling with a flame of hope.

She leaned forward, taking a shaky gasp of air,

"Y-Yeah…YEAH! Master has been confirmed to be clearly connected to Weaver who deals with Fate…and one of the statements has "Fated" smack dab in the middle of it! Everyone will definitely be eager to choose it! A-Also…Master hasn't been stated in any way to have a disciple, so the statement remains completely ambiguous." she silently rambled with increasing speed,

A smile of self-delusion slowly growing on her face,

'YES! Everyone will definitely want to pick a statement with a clear direction! As long as nobody knows about my identity, then I'm safe!' she exclaimed in silent victory, as she leaned back, closing her eyes to control her breathing.

Her chest began to slow in rhythm, before abruptly halting, as Rain violently jolted up with wide eyes,

'As long as nobody knows….as long as nobody knows….as long as nobody knows' the statement echoing in her mind like a spiteful parasite.

Her hands shook as she slowly turned around, her eyes passing over people in the second row, before stopping, landing on one person.

That person was Mordret,

As her gaze glided up to his face, she froze at what she saw, as her entire body visibly paled in color.

Mordret was leaning back, his hands clasped together as he rhythmically twiddled his thumbs…as he looked….directly at her. His eyes gleamed like two hungry beasts, as his mouth contorted into mocking shape.

His lips slowly opened, as they moved, silently forming words.

Rain's legs shook.The silence was too much. Mordret had said nothing, but what he had mouthed had already been directly transmissioned to her mind.

"You can't hide…"

All life drained from her face, as her body went limp, slinking back into her seat like a puddle of jelly. One moment was all it took, and yet eye bags could almost be seen under her eyes. She blankly stared at the screen, before closing her eyes and clasping her hands and bringing them to her face.

Rain wasn't a religious person, but praying seemed like her only viable option.

And praying was what she was going to do.

Hell, she was willing to sell her soul if they answered her plea, whether it be an Angel or a Daemon who responded.

"Gods…Daemons…anyone….I don't care who you are, but if you answer my cry I swear on my soul in two worlds, I'll dedicate the rest of my life to you, and even build a shrine." she solemnly lamented, visible tears of defeat started to swell on her eyes.

As Rain prayed in silence, Ananke watched from the seat next to her, her face a mix of confusion and concern. She sighed before leaning back.

"It seems you do have secrets child…." she whispered.

**************

Cassie looked at the screen in silence, holding her breath.

'A Fated reunion…'

This was it.

This was what she had been looking for, what the strings have Fate had reacted to, she could feel it in every fibre of her body. Her intuition screamed that this was the answer she had been searching for in the last four years.

Four years of misery and agony, struggling to figure out what was wrong with the world, herself and the rest of the cohort.

The mystery of the Third Nightmare.

The corrupted memories.

The missing pieces.

The man-shaped void in the world.

Although Fate was currently tattered in pieces all over the place, it seemed for once that it was on her side. After everything she had been through, suffering in silence, planning, calculating, it seemed like Fate had finally looked at her with kind eyes.

She clasped her hands and leaned forward in serious thought,

"This is it…. we need to choose "A Fated reunion" no matter", she shakingly whispered, unable to control herself.

Cassie knew that it would not be as simple as answering all of her questions and worries. She had long become aware that some unseen force had some sort of control over everyone's mind, and that when they came close to the truth, it would rip it away from them.

The last four years had been a living lie.

But there was one thing that didn't lie, and that was time.

Everytime she came close to the truth and forgot, clues had been left behind. Sometimes she found herself having walked forward a few steps without any recollection, sometimes she found the food in her hands warm and then cold the next second and sometimes, she found herself in tears without a clue why.

Although something had taken control of the world, it didn't have control over time.

Subtle clues that sparked deja-vu existed, and Cassie had become more knowledgeable of them as soon as they had come to this place, from her twitching fingers, uncontrollable shaking to the same reactions she observed in Nephis during the screening of events.

The body and mind were one, but one was more honest than the other.

'It is highly likely that if we watch it, then it won't cause a miraculous change, but it will devise enough information to pull pieces together to build a picture of the truth. Who Sunny is, what role he played in the cohort, what he meant to us….what he meant to ME'

'...'

"....What happened to him in the Third Nightmare, that made him become the hole in the world…" she whispered,

The skin on her face twitched. She paused, slowly bringing her hand up to feel her face.

It was moist.

She had been unknowingly tearing up….

Cassie looked up at the screen, as it flashed before her, like a gateway…. into the unknown….the truth of the world. She was not a Supreme who could wield her Will….but in this present moment…her Will burned stronger than anyone else in existence.

'I will learn the truth,' she vowed, before turning to Nephis, catching her gaze as she faced her.

Cassie raised her finger to the screen,

"A Fated reunion, that one, it's the answer to everything, we need to pick it no matter what" her tone, flat, but loud with audible determination.

Nephis nodded in understanding, as she turned to the others members, who returned a look of equal understanding,

She closed her eyes, bracing herself, as she then stood up and turned to the crowd.

"I think we should choose A Fated reunion" she announced to everyone in the theatre,

'YES!' Rain silently cheered, as eyes widened in curiosity.

"And why….that one?" Jest questioned,

Nephis remained different, calmly responding,

"Naturally, Sunny, has been connected to Weaver, who wields Fate, and "A Fated reunion" is clear as day with its….implication" she said in a carefully,

Jest leaned forward, his eyes narrowing,

"Is that….all?" he hissed in a low tone, blooming suspicion in the other spectators as they held their breath,

"Yes" Nephis responded immediately, only to be met with a scoff from the side,

"Really? To me….it seems like that option means a lot more, than just a simple….implication" Morgan said in a low tone, embodying the role of an interrogator.

Cassie stiffened, as she looked at Nephis in anticipation

Nephis stood her ground, as she turned to Morgan, her face devoid of any emotion like a marble statue,

"I have no idea what you are….implying….sister" she smoothly replied.

Morgans face darkened as she held eye contact, a smile growing on her face,

"I think you know exactly, what I mean sister…." she hissed in a menacing tone, causing all the cohort to freeze, tension building.

Windflower rose,

"What are you leading at?" she said in a serious tone,

Morgan slowly turned her head to meet her gaze, her smile growing relaxed.

"What else? I have reason to believe Changing Star here and the rest of her cohort are indeed familiar with this man….and are in fact, hiding something they know….which is why they are so inclined to pick one of the two options" she sneered as Nephis shot her a glare that would have set anything it hit on fire if they were in the real world.

Silence hung heavy as everyone, stirred at the reveal,

"Is this true?" Seishan questioned, rising from her seat as the Blood Sisters followed,

Nephis still held her gaze with Morgan who neither backed down, holding a taunting look, enjoying their misery.

Panic became clear among the cohort, as their shoulders stiffened, eyes darting, minds racing, looking for a solution.

Nephis finally averted her gaze from Morgan, meeting the audience in anticipation, betraying to show a falter of panic or hesitation,

"We have our….suspicions…." she echoed in an emotionless tone, like a trained lawyer.

Eyes narrowed, while brows rose in interest,

"So why don't you share with the crowd?" Noctis hummed,

Nephis slightly shuddered, pausing,

"W-We have reasons why we cannot divulge", she said in a hushed tone, causing the glares to intensify in suspicion, a snort from the third row causing them to pause.

"So of course, we should follow your selfish request, which benefits you" Beastmaster snarled,

Cassie rose in defense,

"All information revealed is equal in shock to all of us, nobody sees everything", she retorted

Revel chuckled,

"Indeed…it would seem that way" she sighed, leaning forward, as her eyes slowly opened.

"However…."

"It would seem that some are more equal than… others" her tone growing dark as the Blood Sister stood in silent agreement.

Suspicious gazes moved back onto Cassie, as she stood silently on the spot, lost at how to respond, her mouth quivering slightly.

Daeron slowly rose.

"Certainly it would seem that way, however everyone has their secrets" he solemnly remarked

"As prominent Awakened, it is only natural for one to have an abundance of secrets, pushed out of sight from the world….it would be more suspicious to have none" he echoed, stirring agitation in some.

Gilead slowly rose in response,

"Naturally, however it cannot be overlooked that information is being withheld while we are in a predicament where cooperation is crucial" he retorted, the Saints of valor nodding in unison.

Daeron paused, considering the information,

"This…can be overlooked….to an extent"

"Truthfully, I am much more inclined for the first option, which would also solve the issue of suspicion among the crowd." he continued, causing Rain's eyes to widen in panic.

Solvanne raised an eyebrow,

"And why is that?" she questioned

Daeron remained silent, "Firstly, it would quell the suspicion and deny some from gaining an invisible vantage over the rest. Also, I am more intrigued about this "disciple" mentioned, we may learn about who has taught this hidden prodigy."

People silently nodded in agreement with the statement, as panic took Cassie's face.

"I-I am adamantly against it! My intuition as Seer is screaming at me to pick the second option!" she stammered without composure,

"Have you forgotten that Seer's have been crippled for the last four years?" Beastmaster sighed, a look of utter dejection painted on her face.

Cassie's face hardened,

"No, if anything it's the opposite, as high members of Song you naturally have a select few Seers and I know that they also felt what I did and likely reported to you", she replied causing the Blood Sisters to stiffen at the revelation

"Umm what do you mean by feel?" Kim whimpered,

Cassie straightened her back "Yesterday, Fate trembled for the first time in years, and it is not a hidden fact that it has been in pieces" she announced slowly turning to the screen,

"My intuition tells me that the second choice holds a clue to why Fate reacted, and if one thing is known, it is to trust a Seer's intuition!" she echoed in the now silent room.

"Maybe, but I'd trust any Seer… except you" Jest audibly chuckled, earning a glare from Cassie.

The sound of clapping broke the tension.

"Please, please let's be civilized!" Julius joked as he stood up and looked around.

"You lot have such a linear mindset! Have you already forgotten that we now have the opportunity to ask questions again?" he questioned, causing the crowd to stir at the revelation.

He triumphantly smiled, flowing with the momentum,

"Let me repeat! We now once again have up to FIVE questions, assuming there are no variables that have changed the rules. It would be most logical to ask for context behind the two choices, then inquire whether the options will reappear or if we can save them for the next viewing!" he proudly remarked,

"Indeed, this would seem most logical" Daeron agreed while nodding,

Cassie paled, opening her mouth to protest, only silenced, by a hand placed on her shoulder.

"It's better this way" Nephis whispered, causing Cassie to look at her in disbelief before turning away, a visible aura of gloom radiating from her body.

"Shall we proceed?" Julius questioned as he turned in a circle. Silence remained, as everyone seemed to come to an unseen agreement. Julius smiled as he faced the screen and cleared his throat.

"What is the context behind each choice?" he exclaimed.

The screen blinked as new words and statements began to flow, forming sentences.

[From one two came, yet one, two are not. Truth may be hidden, from both the eyes and minds, but one law is unspoken, and that is Blood never lies]

[or]

[Whatever separates, will definitely converge, and what converges will always separate. Fate has no heart to give, and yet it reacts to two, from what has and could have been]

The statements silently blinked on the screen as nobody reacted, thoughts audibly forming and racing. Concentration was only broken by an angry shout, as eyes widened in shock.

"Fuck you! Stop speaking in riddles!" Effie angrily yelled as she raised her fist,

Ling looked at his mother with eyes of admiration, before also raising his arm.

"Yeah! Fark you!" he enthusiastically mimiced.

Jet's eyes bulged, as she swung her arm, smacking the back of Effie's head with enough force causing her to jolt forward. Her eyes burning with annoyance.

"Stop putting bad words in my nephews mouth!" she barked, as Effie's face dawned a sheepish look of realization, as she turned and began to nag Ling for copying her.

"Can these statements be made any clearer?" Julius continued, only to be met with no response.

He sighed and turned around.

"Well there you have it, now we have 3 questions left" he exclaimed while in admiration of the riddle in front of him.

Nobody knew how to react, things had seemingly gone….too well. Eye's moved around in anticipation of a spontaneous change.

But nothing happened, it seemed to have truly given the information for free. This left most puzzled as it contradicted the setting of that which had been built. This "thing", while omnipotent, did not seem to posses a thought process at a similar level, or perhaps it was a level too high for their puny minds to comprehend. It was feeding them information at an alarming rate, without any clear drawback or cost.

As if….it wanted them to know the truth

Why would an entity at such a level even lift a finger to initiate such a scheme? Originally, most had formed a suspicion that the focus of attention, Sunny, was the mastermind behind the ploy. Although he had been revealed to possess power supposedly capable of doing so, possible with some complex Weaving, there were too many missing pieces.

Was he present, and hidden among them, watching their reactions?

Or was he unaware, and doing his own thing in the Dream Realm?

The questions burned in all of their minds. Who was actually behind all of this, and why did they want Sunny to be seemingly….remembered?

Why did it care about Sunny?

The aspiration to learn the truth was more than alive, but they currently lacked the resources and information to form a viable hypothesis. So the only thing they could do, was cast the question aside, and focus and what they already had.

They had to make a decision.

"Exciting, exciting…this is too exciting! Gods, I haven't enjoyed an event with such emotion in eons!" he exclaimed in pure joy,

Before anyone could react, Cassie rose and frantically shouted at the screen without a shred of composure.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWO!? AND WHAT DOES "WHAT HAS AND COULD HAVE BEEN" MEAN!?" she yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking from the strain.

To her misery….the screen didn't answer.

Her legs buckled as she collapsed. She had never felt such despair in her life. The answer to everything was inches away, separated by a seemingly thin curtain she could almost grasp.

And yet, it seemed to be drifiing away from her with every waking second.

She hated it.

All of it reminded her of how weak and powerless she had been in the forgotten shore, how in all these years she had done everything to change Fate so she could never feel so helpless ever again. She had come so far and done so much.

And now, she was once again helpless, at the mercy of another unknown entity.

Cassie shakingly raised her hands, clutching her face, hyperventilating in shock.

Nephis immediately responded by grabbing her shoulders and gently propping her up, a distinct look of sadness on her usual emotionless face. She couldn't understand the full scope of her misery, and yet, like her ability to sense longing, it seemed in this moment she could feel the waves of despair radiating of Cassie's body, like an endless murky pool.

She hated it.

She wished the cause was some mindhex from an abomination which she could clash with and incinerate, a vile beast she could release all her frustration and rage on.

But it wasn't, it was something much more cruel.

It was emotion.

Something which Nephis couldn't fight, something she herself was unfamiliar and scared of, a concept which she had failed to grasp all her life. She looked at Cassie helplessly limp in her grasp, as her face face tightened.

There was only one thing Nephis could do to help Cassie.

"Can choices be saved and viewed in the subsequent viewing?" she hurriedly asked, not giving the others a chance to take up questions

The screen blinked, slowly changing to form a new statement as Nephis held her breath,

[Yes]

She gasped, the air in her lungs rushing out, as she became slightly light-headed from the revelation.

There was hope,

She looked at Cassie as her breathing noticeably slowe down, showing signs of calming down. Nephis closed her eyes, collecting her thoughts. She found a second chance, now she had to grasp it by convincing the others. She shot a glance at Kai and Jet, as they hurredly moved over, taking Cassie from her and resting her down.

Nephis slowly turned around, only to find gazes of suspicion and spite trained on her and Cassie.

"So? Care to explain what all that was and why you're wasting our precious resources?" Beastmaster snarled, clicking her tongue in agitation.

"Indeed, that was quite a selfish spectacle, now we only have one question left" Cormac echoed, disappointment clear in his tone.

Nephis remained silent.

They were right. What she and Cassie did was completely in the wrong. In this situation, they had their emotions get the best of them and wasted valuable resources that were vital to getting out of this situation. There was no excuse, and there was nothing she could say which would justify their actions.

A rare glint of fear appeared on Nephis's eye's.

She needed help.

Quickly, she turned to Ananke for aid, but the lady could only lower her gaze and she gave an apologetic smiled. Nephis twitched as she began to look over the crowd. Most avoided her gaze or held it with clear spite. But she didn't deter, continuing until she locked eyes with Julius.

If there was anyone who could help them, it was him.

And although it pained her heart to drag him into this, there truly was none else.

She held her gaze as he met hers, his eyes unfathomably deep, hiding years of knowledge and dedication. They looked at each for a few seconds, before he closed his eyes, clearly considering the situation. Then he took a deep sigh, as he opened them and shot her a small smile of sympathy before standing up.

"I think we should save the second option for the next viewing" he lamented, as he adjusted his glasses.

"Why? Are you defending them?" Morgan snarled, as the Valor Saints turned towards him.

Julius held her gaze as he took of his glasses and wiped them, before putting them back on, dawning a smile.

"Morgan of Valor, are you familiar with the Monty Hall Theorey?" he said in a curious tone,

Morgans eyes narrowed,

"I am not familiar with this Monty Hall…. which suggests they were an insignificant warrior if their name has not reached my ears", she said in a low tone.

Julius stood still as he blinked,

"Well he wasn't a warrior, but something far better…a prominent radio-host you uneducated brat" he mumbled under his breath

"WHAT?" Morgan roared, her patience running thin.

Julius shook his head and smiled, "Never matter his origin, my point is, he was involved in a particular event which suits are own, which has it's own little theory, that was VERY important for winning" he cooed in a leading tone,

"How does it work?" Gilead questioned as he leaned forward,

"Glad you asked! The theory is focused on probability, and it explains why in a situation where you have to choose between options, it is mathematically proven that to take a different choice after one option is revealed, increases your overall odds of choosing the correct option" Julius enthusiastically dronned as he paused to look around.

He was only met with blank stares.

He sighed, as he rephrased his words, "In other words, it is beneficial to keep the current choice as we happen to know that it is a winner and will get better results by choosing between it and another, after the next viewing" he worded slowly, allowing the info to seep into the barbaric brains of the spectators who only knew how to fight,

Everyone remained in silence, contemplating the statement. It was indeed enticing whether it would be beneficial to save the second option, especially after learning that mathematically it was proven to yield "better" results, although a few were stumped in contemplation about how some "viewing" could be better than another. However, they were troubled whether they should let the enticing revelation get the better of them or hold spite and refuse it at the behest of the cohort not gaining what they secretly knew. Eyes twitched as different scenarios ran through their minds.

Julius remained standing as mutters sounded around him, a confident smile on his face.

Confident it was, as he needed to hide the blatant lie he had just told.

Anyone with even a slightly decent knowledge of math would have realised and called him out for phrasing the mechanics behind the theory wrong. However, he had taken a risky gamble.

A gamble that the only thing on the minds of the Saints, was violence, scheming and gaining power…..NOT a slightly polished mathematical education.

And it seemed his gamble had somewhat paid off, as some could clearly be seen having favor in the method. The only two who weren't in contemplation were Rain and Saint Cormac.

Cormac had been alive for a long time, and thus had a full education before the Nightmare Spell descended, so he was well aware that what Julius said was a blatant bluff. But he was willing to let it slide, as he secretly believed in Changing Star's cohort, more than any of the corrupt clans and legacies. He met eyes with Julius, as he gave a quick nod before looking away.

The only one left was Rain, and unfortunately she was out of the loop, a puzzled look on her face.

'Hang on….isn't he completely wrong? Isn't it suppose to be the other way round, I watched this in class!' she mumbled in realization, a spark of pride igniting in her body at the prospect of using what she had learned in school, outside of the classroom.

A stupid grin crept her face, as she turned, preparing to correct the old fart on his silly mistake.

However, before she could open her mouth, she found that same old fart, staring right at her. His gaze was so serious and strained, Rain felt like she was a child about to get yelled at by her parents for doing something wrong. She stood silent as she held his gaze, neither moving.

Julius rapidly blinked as he tilted his head left and right, beckoning her to look around.

Rain silently nodded in confusion as she slowly turned her head, catching different people muttering among themselves, as realization dawned on her.

'Oh.'

'Oh..'

'OH!'

A smile crept on Rain's face as she realized that what he had said, and the effect it was having on the people around her.

'She was being saved! Everyone would want to pick the second option now…and then there was a chance that if her option was saved…it still wouldn't be picked!' she silently cheered as she took in the sight with delight, looking around delusional smile.

And delusional it was, as she had got it completely wrong, and in fact….it was the first choice which would be selected while the other was saved. But Rain was not in the right of mind, her thoughts still rushed afer her earlier panic.

Julius took note of the sight as his face now held a look of remorse,

"I'm sorry child…but you'll have to lose your secret first" he whispered, similarly having observed Rain's body language earlier like Ananke.

The crowd momentarily came back to attention, as a figure stood up,

"I think it's a great idea!" Rain enthusiastically chimmed, throwing a triumphant glance at Mordret, only for him….to return it.

Rain immediately became confused,

"Doesn't he want my identity to be revealed…. why isn't he arguing against my point? She mumbled,

"Indeed it seems like the most suitable course of action" Daeron echoed,

Song rose in protest,

"This doesn't change the fact that they will gain hidden information while we are left in the dark!" Beastmaster angrily retorted.

Daeron paused, as he cast his gaze onto the first row, meeting Nephis's eyes and holding her gaze. Neither back down as they both looked at each other in silence, before Daeron slowly exhaled for a few seconds, before turning back.

"Yes they will gain more, but we will also gain more….with negotiations, we may ask them to reveal what they have discovered after the viewing…..is that right?" he finished while side-eyeing Nephis.

"We will do the best to our knowledge" she calmly replied.

Cassie looked alarmed, as she opened her mouth to object, but was silenced by an hand that landed on her shoulder.

"This is our best option" Nephis whispered,

Cassie stood in silence, as the whole room awaited her answer

"Ok…" she defiantly whispered.

Ananke rose and clapped her hands,

"Right! Now we shall proceed with the first option, and save the second for the next viewing. Following that, Saint Tyrs and Roan will summon their daughter, and we can proceed whether we select the saved option or choose the latter" she calmly stated.

Heads nodded silently, although some were more lenient and stiff then others.

"W-What if something changes after this viewing that affects what happens next?" Luster quietly stammered, earning him a few looks he shrunk from.

"Good call!" Noctis laughed as he leaned back, seemingly enjoying every moment of what should be an intense moment.

Julius rose once again,

"Any in objection of using our last question to ask whether any known or unknown changes will take place after the viewing?" he politely exclaimed

Some mouths opened to disagree, but the words all died on their lips as they quietly closed them, clearly tired and eager to push things along.

"Great! Dear screen, will any changes known or unknown, to our current knowledge after this viewing take place?", he said with a smile

The screen blinked

[No]

"Then let's move things along, we've taken quite a while!" he jokingly exclaimed.

Valor and Song still held animosity towards the selection, but the favors were held against them, so they couldn't object. If this was a situation in the real world, violence and blood would be everywhere, but here it was different.

"Fine, proceed" they both dejectingly replied,

Julius turned to face the screen once again, "We would like to select A Spiteful Disciple, and then save A Fated reunion for the next viewing." he slowly worded, careful not to mistakenly say something that would change the outcome.

The air finally softened, seemingly relaxed that a conclusion had been met.

One person, however, was currently quite the opposite, with a look of fear and realization.

"WAIT! NO! THE OTHER ONE! NOT THE FIRST OPTION, THE SECOND!" She wailed internally, having finally realised what had happened.

But it was too late, as the screen began to change, color blooming once again, forming a new image.

"WAIT!" a yell exclaimed from the crowd, causing people to turn

Rain almost cried tears of joy at the revelation that someone seemed to help her.

"Uumm… I would also like some popcorn" Windflower awkwardly stated, a sheepish look on her face, a bucket soon manifesting as Daeron looked at her with a look of amusement.

Rain's mouth hung open.

'ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!' She screamed internally as loud as she could, as the image finally formed.

Rain slumped and grabbed her knees, panting heavily.

She could feel a trickle of foreign essence seeping into her soul, and a river of adrenaline coursing through her blood.

Eyes slowly moved, as they planted themselve on Rain from all directions, a mixture of curiosity and rage.

Mordret had to cover his mouth, to prevent himself from laughing out loud again.

Rain remained still, a simple defeated smile on her face.

"Just kill me" she whispered.

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Quite the filler chapter i'd say, but I think it's necessary to grow the development and keep it accurate, which my main goal is.

Heh, technically this whole fic is a filler, since it's a reaction story :)

Shoutout to my old math teacher who made lessons fun and reminded me of Monty Hall's game theory

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