“Yeah Mom, I’m still pretty far from Georgia. This road trip is turning out to be a real marathon,” Johan said with an amused chuckle. Somehow, he managed to cram his tall, muscular body into the tiny car. It was like watching a magician perform an impossible feat.
“...From the moment you found this secret space, you started considering the possibility that I have [Retrograde].”
Like some cliché evil mid-boss villain, Athanas launched into a monologue without being asked.
Before starting his trip, Seojun made sure he had all the necessary things. A toothbrush, dental floss, and toothpaste to keep his teeth clean; pajamas for both warm and cold weather; and a soft, comfortable blanket. He also packed fresh, unused underwear.
“There seems to be some kind of note inside.” Athanas fearlessly reached into the coffin and pulled out a piece of paper.
Wait, [Retrograde] isn’t in there?
Before I could even wrap my head around the situation, Athanas examined the note, his brow furrowed in concentration. “...There’s some strange information scribbled on it.”
Seojun couldn’t believe it when Leah revealed the shocking truth about April’s identity. The whispered rumors of the “murderous scarecrow” that Tracey and her husband had shared didn’t quite fit the puzzle. It was all part of April’s twisted plan, a carefully crafted backstory for a terrifying new persona. But Tracy and Bailey’s memories told a different story—they remembered being killed by April himself, not some mythical scarecrow.
I never expected that reaction from him.
…But I guess it makes sense, considering how harshly I had rejected him every single time before.
Trying to play it cool, I quickly added, “Don’t worry about it if you have other plans.”
“Ah...oh...wow...uh...”
Seojun managed to stutter, his words failing him as he stared at the horrific sight before him. The murderous scarecrow, no longer needing to maintain its disguise, crouched forward with a twisted grin, and the mutilated bodies of Tracy and Bailey lay mangled on either side of it.
I tossed and turned all night, my mind racing with worries and concerns. The realization that the Church of Order was utterly useless had hit me hard and sleep eluded me.
“Hmm...” Seojun mulled it over, realizing confronting the murderous scarecrow, Tracy, and Bailey like this made more sense than trying to punch them. His weak fists would likely just leave him with broken fingers rather than accomplishing anything.
It doesn’t just end with us never meeting again...
To think that Fabio was actually going to erase all memories of their time together.
…I had hoped confessing my love would make him let his guard down, even just a little.