LOGINWhen Maya, Lennox, and Willow arrived at the underworld, they desperately searched for its king.My parents grabbed the King of the Underworld's robe while Willow knelt before him. All three tried to speak at the same time, their words tumbling over one another."Your Majesty, we want to see Declan! There's so much we need to tell him!""We wronged him. We want to apologize to him in person and beg for his forgiveness!""Please, just let us see him one more time. Just once. We're begging you!"The King of the Underworld scoffed as he looked at them. "You might want to see him, but have you considered whether he wants to see you?"Then, he waved his hand and a luminous screen appeared before them.As the screen flickered to life, it showed them a baby that was born into a new family.A young woman stood beside the baby, smiling as she used a little toy to entertain him.A man came in carrying a bowl of baby food. He blew on it to cool it before handing it to her.She took the
After that day, the house fell eerily silent.Lennox and Maya stopped talking to each other.The only sound that could be found at the dinner table was silverware clinking against dishes. When they finished eating, they would go to their separate rooms and close their doors behind them quietly, as if afraid of disturbing someone unseen.Willow locked herself inside her home and spent a month drinking herself into a stupor.Empty liquor bottles lay scattered across the floor, strewn haphazardly in every direction. She was curled up in the corner of the couch, staring at the photo of us beside her as she clutched the scarf I'd given in her hands. Every time she took a swig, she would curse herself.Weston was the only one who refused to give up. He messaged Willow every day, sending voice messages after voice messages, his tone growing increasingly urgent with each unanswered text."Willow, why don't we just treat that as a real wedding? Just be mine. I'll treat you better than Dec
A deep, prolonged sigh suddenly echoed through the room. Black mist churned to form a cold, blue electronic that slowly lit up. Soon, the system interface materialized midair.Ghostly blue streams of data flickered around it. Its mechanical voice held no emotion, yet radiated an absolute authority that sounded like it could override every rule.Maya, Lennox, and Willow immediately threw themselves onto the floor and started to beg the system for help."System, we were fools! We were blind! We were all deceived. Weston deliberately drove a wedge between us and tricked us into favoring him!""We never meant to hurt Declan. We were wrong! Please, have mercy and give Declan a third chance. We swear we'll make it up to him. We'll love and care for him the way we should have for the rest of our lives!"Lines of code cascaded down the system interface as it looked down at the three sobbing figures on their knees. Its mechanical voice was deep and heavy, the floating numbers around the in
The forensic examiner entered with a report. His voice was quiet, but every word rang out in the silent room as clear as day. "According to the report, Declan Adler's heart stopped beating at 9:46 p.m. last night."Maya swayed slightly before slowly turning to look at Weston. "Weston, didn't you tell us that Declan opened the door, hit you with the cake, and cursed you out?"Weston's face went deathly pale. He stumbled back a step, clenching his fists."I-I got it wrong… It wasn't last night. It was the day before… No, no, it was yesterday during the day…"The more he spoke, the more frantic and incoherent he became.Willow, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke. Her voice was cold and emotionless. "There's no need to argue. I have proof."Everyone turned to look at her.Willow lowered her eyes and pointed toward the tiny camera in the corner of the living room."I wanted to give Declan the perfect proposal. So, I installed a miniature security camera in the livin
I floated over them, watching as Maya lifted my right hand.Only a thin strip of flesh connected my hand to my wrist as the bones were completely shattered.When Maya jerked my arm up, my wrist flopped crookedly, looking not unlike a piece of old workwear torn to shreds.Sunlight fell on the wound, revealing the white, jagged ends of broken bone. The blood had long since dried into dark red scabs.The thick bedding was soaked through with dried blood. Soon, an overpowering stench of blood and decay suddenly filled the room.Maya froze, a strangled cry caught in her throat.Someone in the crowd whispered, "W-What happened here?""He's dead? How could he be dead?""Oh, my God. When did this happen?"More voices joined in, growing louder and louder until they buzzed like a swarm of flies.Some people began backing away in fear. Others covered their mouths, while a few turned green and ran out of the room.Party decorations still hung from the ceiling, and there were red and gre
The teasing and cheering outside the door grew louder, rising in waves.One of Willow's friends patted her on the shoulder and said with a grin, "Willow, why are you so nervous? One would think that you're nervous about your chances! You mean more to Declan than anyone. Of course, he'll say yes!""Exactly! You've been together for years. Besides, he's been waiting for this day forever. There's no way he'll turn you down!"Lennox and Maya chimed in, both sounding absolutely certain.Maya called gently through the bedroom door. "Declan, stop sulking. Willow's already swallowed her pride and apologized. Come on out."Lennox cleared his throat before adding, "Declan, Willow's a wonderful woman, and she's put so much effort into this. Don't keep digging in your heels."Every guest in the room held their breath, all eyes fixed on the tightly closed bedroom door.The candlelight continued to flicker warmly while balloons floated near the ceiling. The entire area was buzzing with romant







