Chapter 15: strings
"Hurry up, Rex!" I shouted, sprinting back the way we'd come.
"We have to defeat them," I muttered under my breath.
Fifteen minutes of breathless running later, we reached them — figures that looked human from afar, but up close... their skin shimmered like liquid, their eyes too still. They weren't human.
They were **dangerous jelly.**
"I hope Kael's okay…" I whispered a silent prayer.
Then I stepped forward, locking eyes with the one who looked like a woman.
"Hey, girl," I said, steadying my breath. "Show me your watch. Right now. Or Mr. Rex here turns you into actual jelly."
Rex stumbled slightly beside me, still weak from his injuries, but when I said his name, he lifted his crimson sword. Even wounded, his presence was terrifying.
The jelly guy — the one beside her — raised both hands. "Okay, okay! Just… don't hurt her."
He stepped forward and held out his wrist. A floating circle of glowing blue light hovered above it — their version of a watch.
I squinted and read the words pulsing across it:
**"Your personal quest: Take the human form and kill the original host."**
The timer above it hit zero.
A notification appeared over my own blue circle:
**"Accept shapeshifter Sloth as your puppet?"**
I froze for a second. This again? A choice I hated?
But I had no time. I couldn't let Rex get hurt again. I couldn't slow Kael down either.
"…Yes," I whispered.
Another hollow part of my heart clicked shut.
I hated it — *redoing* the past, playing a part I never wanted to play again. But I couldn't become a burden. Not now.
I turned to the jelly woman, repeating the process. Her glowing circle floated into view.
**"Promote shapeshifter Lust as your puppet?"**
"Yes," I said.
My voice didn't shake this time.
Rex blinked. "Wait… Elissa? What are you doing?"
"You remember what you said happens when someone sees another person's quest?" he asked, stepping toward me. "The one who got his quest exposed gets **immediately expelled.** What did you just do?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "But mine's… different. My watch says *if* I see someone's quest, *they become my puppet.* That's the only way I could complete mine. So… I did what it said."
"I didn't get expelled," I added. "But I guess I did get saved."
I looked at him, finally allowing myself a small, grateful smile.
"Thanks, Mr. Rex."
He sighed. "Drop the *Mr.*, would you? We're the same age, probably."
I blinked. "Wait, *what?* You're… you're not thirty or something?"
"I'm sixteen," Rex said flatly.
"What?! But you look—"
"I get that a lot," he muttered.
I didn't respond right away. Just stared at my hands.
"I guess I'm the only one left unscarred in this world," I said softly. "The only useless one surrounded by monsters and heroes."
But then I clenched my fists.
"I won't stay that way."
I looked up, eyes hard. "I should've been the strongest 14-year-old in the world. Not the weakest."
Not like *him*, I thought.
But maybe… like the other *him*.
"We need to go back. He shouldn't be left alone for this long."
"Right," Rex said. "But what about them?"
"You two — follow me," I ordered the jelly beings.
"But wh—" the guy started, but before he could finish, greenish threads bloomed around his body — like vines made of light, flowing through him.
Then something glimmered near my chest. I looked down.
My suit was changing. The pale-white strips along my sleeves shimmered, slowly shifting to a glowing green.
"Your suit's becoming like it was," Rex said quietly. "Just like before."
I nodded.
"If I'm going back to what I used to be…"
"…then that's good."
Because maybe — just maybe — I can become the strong version of me again.
As Rex and I made our way back to the hall, the jelly guy and girl followed silently behind — still bound by the strange green threads. They looked human enough, but the shimmering glow in their eyes reminded me what they really were: *shapeshifters*, now puppets under my control.
After a few minutes of running, we reached the hall again — with just ten minutes left on the timer.
And there he was.
Kael, lying motionless on the cold ground.
"Kael! Wake up!" Rex shouted, rushing to him.
No response. He was breathing, but completely unresponsive — like he'd sunken into a sleep too deep to wake from.
I knelt beside him and slapped his cheek gently, then harder.
"Come on... wake up already."
Finally, Kael stirred. His eyelids fluttered open, and his voice came out hoarse but steady: "…What happened?"
"Nothing," I said, smiling with relief. "You just fell asleep so hard I had to smack you awake."
Rex chuckled, visibly relieved. "Yeah, well... Elari's mission is complete. What about you? Are you alright?"
Kael sat up — no stumble this time. His expression was clearer, more grounded than before.
"Yeah," he said. "I think I'm better than I've been in a long time."
His eyes moved to the jelly pair behind us. "And... them?"
I stood up, brushing dust off my hands.
"They're... puppets now. I did what the mission said."
Kael gave me a reassuring pat on the head, and I felt that familiar warmth — the kind that reminded me that *he* wasn't like the one I used to know. He was the other one. The good one.
But before I could say anything, the strange disembodied voice returned — the same one from before.
"Seven more participants have completed their missions. Now... it's time to move on. Prepare yourselves for the **Class for the Hidden Dungeon**."
Everyone froze.
"In this class, you will face a **Clash of Families**. Each participant must form a group of at least four. There is no upper limit. Your goal: **Enter the Hidden Dungeon and defeat the Seven Rulers**. Each ruler you defeat may grant you unique rewards. There are multiple dungeon divisions. Customize your path however you see fit. Class begins in ten minutes."
A glowing countdown appeared on our wrists.
**[10:00]**
"Ten minutes..." Kael murmured.
"We need a fourth member," Rex said. "Puppets don't count — as they haven't finished their missions i guess so we cant include them they are techinacally just expired puppets"
"Right," Kael said, scanning the hall. "We need someone else."
Before we could decide, someone walked up from the far side of the hall.
He had striking white hair and a charming, almost arrogant face.
The moment Rex saw him, his entire demeanor shifted. Without warning, he sprinted forward — and **punched the guy straight in the face**, knocking him flat to the ground.
"Wait, Rex—it's me!" the guy said, coughing.
"Yeah," Rex growled, "That's exactly why I'm punching you."
"Stop it!" Kael shouted, stepping between them.
Rex hesitated, finally backing off as Kael helped the white-haired boy to sit up.
"So…" Kael said, staring down at him. "What should we do with you, **Lucian**?"