Chapter 21: "Graywood's Gone,"───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ────║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 08 - 2027 ║║ Friday║ 2nd Midnight ║Staring at the card laying in front of my perception — where a question yearning for my truthful words is, I can't help but to feel that the words it inject on me seemed to glow in the darkness, as if mocking me and leaving me with fear and tense, and as if taunting me with its demand for the hidden truth.I sat in silence, knowing any words I chose would be twisted and used against me. The cold shadows in the corners of the room grew, crawling slowly towards me, making my whole body tremble with mixed emotions. In my peripheral view, I could sense the card dealer's dark presence watching, waiting eagerly to see what I would say. For some damn minutes, I just sat there immobilized, staring at the question, and the scarlet ink on the parchment shimmering in an unearthly light. The words on it seemed to squirm before my eyes, the letters twisting i

Chapter 23: "A Gift Beyond Enigma,"───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ────║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 13 - 2027 ║║ Wednesday║ Class Day ║The dusty chalkboard in the dimly lit classroom seemed to glow eerily in the moonlight. As the moon rose higher, casting its pale glow upon the scene before me, the faces of the words I was perceiving began to take on a strange, sinister glow of their own.The clock struck midnight, but the classroom was still abuzz in dead silence with activity. The dim candlelight cast eerie shadows on the walls as I feverishly scratched out symbols and jotted down notes. Our weird professor paced between the rows, peering over students' shoulders and muttering under his breath. He watched over us like a malevolent crow, urging us to go further down this dark path of forbidden knowledge.While strangely enough, as if without minding anything in their surroundings — the rest of my classmates sat silently, poring over their own coded puzzles. The flickering

Chapter 25: "Taste,"Warning: R+18───── ❝ K I L L I A N W I L D E' S P O V ❞ ────║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 13 - 2027 ║║ Wednesday║ Class Day ║"Mind if you light me up, too?"I asked as I approached Ruby on the rooftop. The sun had set hours ago, leaving only the pale glow of the half moon and a few scattered streetlights below. It's past midnight already and the dark forest lay beneath us, a sea of blackness under the pale moonlight. Ruby turned to face me, in surprise as her newly-lit cigarette was still sitting between her fingers. And although her features were barely visible in the darkness, I see her lips curling into a sly smile as she took in my figure."I didn't know you smoke," She replied, her voice smooth as velvet in the darkness. I approached her, as she eyed me curiously, the night air felt heavy with anticipation. She sat at the edge of the rooftop, silhouetted against the inky sky as she exhaled a plume of smoke. I shrugged and walked closer holding out my hand

Chapter 27: "A Librarian's Secret," ───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ──── ║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 15 - 2027 ║ ║ Friday║ 3rd Post Meridiem of the Games ║ The library was quiet and still. Dust motes floated lazily in the air, illuminated by the soft glow of the lamps. The shelves were lined with rows upon rows of ancient books, their spines worn and faded with age. And though it's just been days since I had ventured here, I'm fucking sure many of these tomes contained secrets long forgotten by modern man, hidden knowledge that could reshape one's view of the world. The towering shelves of books stretch as far as the eye can see, filling the cavernous library with their musty scent and promise of knowledge. I wander deeper into the library's labyrinthine aisles, running my fingers along those timeworn shelves as I go. The air is still and quiet, filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered. I select another volume and add it to my ever-growing pile. The worn leather sp

Chapter 29: "Luxury of Thralldom,"───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ────║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 15 - 2027 ║║ Friday║ 3rd Midnight of the Games ║The organ music dwelled as I entered the grand ballroom hidden beneath this sinister academic institution. The candlelight glinted off the gold-trimmed walls and crystal chandeliers above, casting dancing shadows across the ornate marble floors. I could see the other students gathered in a few small groups, whispering in hushed tones behind their ornate masks as they sipped blood-red wine from delicate crystal glasses.The air was thick with intrigue and ill intent, a swirling miasma of plots and schemes emanating from these gathered conspirators. I could sense greed, lust for power, and cruel ambitions lurking just beneath the veneer of civility presented by their lavish attire and polite conversation. Dark secrets and ancient knowledge were traded here, whispered in coded phrases over the waltz music that now filled the ballroo