Ice

I didn’t even remember how I got to my room.

One second I was in the garden, lips still tingling from almost,

next second I was face-down on the bed, screaming into the pillow like a possessed kettle.

Bree was losing it in my chest, pacing in circles, tail wagging so hard I felt dizzy.

(MATE ALMOST KISSED US. MATE ALMOST KISSED US. MATE—)

I rolled over, kicked my legs in the air, screamed again.

He apologized, okay? I can’t keep calling him murder king in my head. That’s rude.

But also… murder king almost kissed me.

MURDER KING ALMOST KISSED ME.

I grabbed a pillow and yeeted it across the room.

{Would you two stop it? I’m getting motion sickness just watching this circus.}

Verm’s orb flickered into existence, looking like he’d aged ten years.

“VERM!” I launched off the bed and nearly tackled the floating ball. “Where did you GO? I missed you!”

{Missed you too. I was trying to patch up the plot. Figure out what happens next.}

I froze mid-hug (well, mid-air-hug).

“And?”

He dimmed.

{Nothing. No tasks. No missions. No memory downloads. The story’s gone completely off the rails. It can't be fixed.}

I blinked.

“Wait… no tasks? So I don’t get Elena’s memories anymore?”

{Nope.}

“And no mission? I don’t have to save the king?”

{Apparently not.}

I sat down hard on the floor.

“So I’m just… stuck here? Forever? With no instruction manual?

Like a permanent DLC with no walkthrough?”

Bree whined, flopped dramatically in my chest.

Verm just floated there, looking weirdly sorry.

{Pretty much.}

I stared at the ceiling.

Great.

I almost kissed the murder king (former murder king?)

and now I’m trapped in his kingdom with zero plot armor.

Perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

{On the bright side,} Verm said, bobbing like a smug blue balloon, {you can finally act however you want. Just don’t do anything too crazy or people will think you’re possessed.}

I snorted. “That bright side doesn't look very bright to me”

I flopped onto my back again. “Wait—Bree, you know I’m not the real Elena, right?”

(You are,) she insisted, tail thumping so hard my ribs vibrated. (You’re my Elena.)

“Tsk, such a stubborn pup.”

(I’m a wolf.)

“Okay, princess.”

Verm spun in a slow circle.

{I was gone for three hours and you already have a date.}

Heat exploded across my face. “If you say it like that it sounds insane!”

{It is insane. It’s literally tomorrow.}

I groaned and rolled again, tangling myself in the sheets like a human burrito.

“I know! What do I do?? I can’t just say no to the king! That’s probably treason or beheading or—or both!”

{Just prepare for the date. What’s the worst that could happen?}

Bree yipped, all excited again.

(Yes! Elena! Date!)

I looked around and found my phone wedged between the mattress and the headboard like it was hiding from me.

“You both are useless,” I hissed at the empty air. “I need actual advice. From real people.

I flopped face-down on the bed, opened Reddit, made a throwaway faster than I’ve ever done anything in my life.

r/relationship_advice

ThrowawayForObviousReasons

Title: almost kissed my patient who tried to kill me once. dinner tonight. send help.

Post:

22F “psychiatrist” treating 28M with severe trauma and violent episodes.

He almost strangled me a few days ago. He apologized though.

Then this afternoon we almost kissed in a garden.

He asked me out for dinner.

I said yes.

It’s tomorrow night.

I know this is unethical, illegal, insane, whatever.

When I look at him I feel… safe?? Which is batshit because his hands were around my throat.

Reddit what do I do i am actually going to die

Posted.

I stared at the ceiling, waiting for the sweet release of wisdom or divine intervention.

Comments rolled in like a car crash.

“RUN GIRL RUN”

“This is how every true crime podcast starts”

“Stockholm syndrome speedrun any%”

“Is he hot?”

↳ “YES VERY WHY”

↳ “Then we need pics to judge”

“As an actual therapist: you’re about to lose your license and your life”

“If you die can I have your stuff”

“OP are you writing a book because this reads like one”

I groaned so loud the bed vibrated.

Bree was still prancing in circles.

(Mate! Date! Mate!)

Verm flickered in, looking concerned

{You okay?}

“No. I’m crowdsourcing survival tips from strangers because I have a date with the guy who almost murdered me, then apologized so now my brain has decided he’s my soulmate.”

{You keep mentioning murder, like you're trying to remind yourself...}

"I don't know what you mean by that," I muttered, eyes glued to my phone as I refreshed.

New comment, 112 upvotes already:

“Girl if you go on this date we’re all living vicariously through you but also please leave breadcrumbs.”

I dropped the phone on my face.

I was so screwed.

And tomorrow night I was having dinner with the king.

Fantastic.

I was about to yeet the phone across the room and have a full-on “I give up on everything" moment when something white flashed in the gap where I’d just fished the phone from.

A letter.

Folded.

Neat.

Definitely not there two seconds ago.

I picked it up like it was a bomb.

Unfolded it.

Black ink. Sharp handwriting.

Ice,

I hope this letter finds you well,

the blood debt you owe?

I will collect with interest.

Expect me soon,

Yours truly.

My stomach dropped through the floor.

I stared at the paper until the words swam.

“Roundy?” My voice came out tiny. “Who the hell is Ice?”

Silence.

Then Verm flickered in, dim, quiet.

{Elena.}

His voice was flat.

{You’re Ice.}

I looked at the letter.

Then at him.

Then back at the letter.

“What the actual fuck does that mean?”