Chapter One

"I don't know, Adam," I drawled, letting my voice hang in the air as I shifted my position, propping my head up with my hand. I stretched my kinked elbow, feeling the tension ease. It had been about an hour since Adam had finished watching Lord of the Rings, and here I was, ensnared in a labyrinth of theories about how Middle-earth worked.

"That's what I'm saying, man! A goblin's purpose is to br33d, but technically, if they're br33ding, doesn't that also mean that a female goblin can be born?" His excitement bubbled over as he spoke, gesturing animatedly with his hands.

I rolled my eyes, exasperated but entertained by his enthusiasm. "I guess there probably is one somewhere. I consider them like parasites, so maybe they only carry male genes? If you think about it that way, it would explain why they kidnap so many women instead of just mating with their own species." The words spilled out as I pondered the bizarre logic.

Adam's expression twisted in confusion. His soft brown hair curled into his eyes, halfway hiding his face. "No! Wait... yes? Maybe? But there weren't any females birthing them, though?"

I huffed in frustration. "You're talking about ogres, not goblins!"

"No!" His voice rose, the frustration evident. "I don't know. It's all mixed up!"

I began to spin slowly in my desk chair, the familiar creak of the wheels punctuating the air. "Adam, man, don't you have anything better to do than sit here talking about this nonsense? I thought you had some big project to finish during our break!"

Adam nearly choked on his spit, his face contorting into a comical scrunch before blazing red. "Ciprian, I have no idea what you're talking about. None. Zero." The panic in his voice was palpable. "Zilch. Negative."

I leaned back, crossing my arms as I shot him a bored look, mirroring my growing impatience. "I have things to do, and so do you. Finish the damn project, moron."

A pout formed on Adam's lips, and he looked at me with pleading hazel eyes. I swallowed. "Can you come help me?"

I rolled my eyes dramatically but maintained a serious expression, the resolve in my voice firm. "No."

With a trembling quiver of his lip, Adam clasped his hands together. "Come on. Please?"

I held my stern gaze as I reached for the mouse, ready to end the video chat.

"No, wait—" Adam pleaded just as the screen went blank. Stretching my legs, I stood up from my desk chair, momentarily free from the conversation. I had used the urgency of needing him to complete his project just to draw him away from the endless rabbit hole of imagination.

Just then, my phone chimed, drawing my attention. I saw his text: '@$#hole.' A grin crept onto my face as I read it, but it was swiftly interrupted by an alarming emergency alert flashing across my screen. Loud sirens blared from the device, filling my small room with an otherworldly urgency. "Emergency Broadcast Alert," it stated. "Be advised: a rapidly spreading virus is affecting the town of Waynesboro. All inhabitants are advised to stay indoors at all times. Infected individuals show extreme cases of violence and an intense drive to spread the virus. If infected, quarantine immediately."

As soon as the alert concluded, another text from Adam buzzed in: 'Are you okay? What was that message? That is crazy!' I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I was holding and slumped back into my chair, multitasking to respond just as my computer chimed with a video chat request. It was Adam again. Without a second thought, I clicked accept, and his worried face filled the screen.

I scoffed at him, trying to lighten the mood. "What now?"

His gaze flickered away from the camera, anxiety etched across his features. "I'm... scared," he whispered, the weight of his fear palpable.

My heart softened, and I let my expression become more serious. "Everything is going to be fine."

He finally met my gaze, but his eyes still darted around the screen. "Can we sleep with the call on just for tonight? My parents were supposed to be working late at the hospital, so I'm home alone."

"Of course," I replied without hesitation, my protective instincts kicking in. "But you better work on that project," I added firmly. "I mean it."

Finally looking at me directly, a grin broke across his face, nearly lighting up the dimness of his room. "How about in the morning? I'm kind of tired already."

I glanced at the clock on my desk; it was only eight in the evening. The sky outside must have been fading into twilight, and I recalled how he woke up before dawn to help his dad with yard work. "Fine," I said, allowing a little leniency. "In the morning."

His smile widened, his spirit practically radiating through the screen. "For sure!"

Rolling my eyes, I chose not to respond further, feeling his gaze linger on me as I stepped out of my chair once again, the weight of the situation hanging in the air.

"Ciprian?" he called out, his voice breaking the silence.

"What, Adam?" I huffed, my annoyance creeping back.

"Do you think my parents are going to be okay?"

I found myself relaxing on top of my still-made bed, closing my eyes and tucking my head beneath my arms as I replied. "I promise." I tried to project reassurance through my voice. "Go lay down. They'll be home before you know it, and I'll be here until they do. Okay?"

Adam's voice was muffled and soft as he replied, the sound mingling with the faint rustling of his duvet, indicating that he was settling in as I had instructed. "Are you going to sleep already?" He asked. I peered over at my computer screen, which cast a dim light against the stark wall of his bedroom, an empty void that seemed to absorb sound.

"I was planning on it," I called out, my words barely cutting through the stillness. When silence answered me back, I repeated, "Do you want me to stay up?"

The heavy silence stretched, and it dawned on me that he had likely drifted off the moment his head met the pillow. A true talent for sleeping, I mused with a small smile. "Goodnight," I murmured, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Without much thought, I found myself staring blankly at the empty screen in front of me as the night wore on, time slipping away like grains of sand.