The silence that hung between Skydancer and Jessie as they returned to their apartment was palpable. Jessie, usually the chatterbox, had been uncharacteristically quiet, his mind clearly racing with thoughts. The moment they stepped through the door, though, all that pent-up energy exploded.
Jessie lunged at Skydancer, tackling him to the ground and immediately going for his shoes. "What the fuck, mate?! Did you steal Michael Jordan's shoes or maybe Messi's boots? Let me see those kicks!"
Skydancer, used to Jessie's antics after years of friendship, rolled his eyes but quickly found himself wrestling back, trying to keep his shoes on. "Jessie, it's not the bloody shoes, mate! But if you think you can pry them off, be my guest!"
Jessie, now straddling Sky's legs, was furiously trying to yank off the shoes, muttering, "You're telling me you just suddenly turned into the bloody basketball wizard, and it's not the shoes? Don't bullshit me, Sky. These have gotta be some enchanted Nikes or something. Air Jordans blessed by the gods? Messi's boots? Whatever it is, I'm putting them on!"
Skydancer chuckled, but the struggle was real now. "Can you just f off, Jess? I already told you, it ain't the shoes, you dick! Get the hell off my leg!"
[I guess letting him believe it's the shoes is one way to keep the secret safe. Just try not to lose a limb in the process, yeah?]
Jessie finally managed to wrest one of the shoes halfway off, his face lit with triumph. "Got it! Now let's see if these fit my royal feet."
Before Jessie could slide his foot into the shoe, a shrill voice cut through the chaos.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Sofia, their third roommate, stormed into the lounge, her Norwegian accent tinged with a mix of irritation and disbelief. Her caramel skin, inherited from her South American mother, was flushed with frustration. "I'm trying to study for exams, and you lot are here wrestling like a couple of kids!"
[Ah, a new room mate. Maybe she can knock some sense into Jessie—or at least add to the chaos. Either way, this should be good.]
Jessie, still holding one of Skydancer's shoes, looked up with a grin. "Exams? Weren't they over last week? And next semester's still ages away! What're you studying for?"
Sofie huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm studying for next semester's exams, obviously. Unlike you two, some of us actually plan ahead."
Skydancer and Jessie exchanged a look, their eyebrows raised in unison. "What a nerd," they both said simultaneously, a teasing grin spreading across their faces.
Sofie's eyes narrowed, and without missing a beat, she grabbed a couch cushion and began whacking them both over the head. "Shut up, you idiots!" she yelled, the cushion thudding against Jessie's back as he tried to shield himself with Skydancer's shoe. "And stop acting like children!"
Jessie, still laughing, ducked away from the barrage of cushion attacks. "Alright, alright, I surrender! Just don't mess up my hair—gotta stay pretty for the ladies, y'know?"
Skydancercouldn't help but laugh too, finally managing to wrestle the shoe back from Jessie and put it on. "You're hopeless, mate."
Eventually, the impromptu pillow fight died down, and Sofie, still holding a cushion, glared at Jessie. "Why are you wearing Sky's shoes? And what the hell are you two up to?"
Jessie, with a mischievous grin, couldn't resist. "Oh, you wouldn't believe it, Sof! Sky here's got these magic shoes that made him kick a basketball straight through a hoop—no, scratch that—through the whole damn backboard! The thing shattered like it was made of glass, and the pole? Bent like a pretzel! It was like something out of a superhero movie!"
Sky's eyes widened in panic, and he lunged at Jessie, desperately trying to silence him. "It's nothing, Sofie! Just Jessie being an idiot, as usual," Skydancer said, trying to downplay the situation while dragging Jessie toward his room.
But Jessie wasn't done. "Nah, seriously, Sof! You should've seen it! The ball shot off like a rocket—BOOM! It was insane! I'm telling you, these shoes have some kind of magic juju. Sky's holding out on us, I swear!"
Sofie's curiosity was clearly piqued as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Magic shoes, huh? Sounds like you've got some explaining to do, Sky."
Skydancer could feel the situation spiraling out of control as he practically dragged Jessie toward his room. "Really, Sof, it's nothing! Jessie's just exaggerating, as usual. We're just messing around."
Sofia's curiosity was piqued, though. Something about the way Jessie had mentioned magic seemed to resonate with her. She watched them retreat, suspicion gnawing at her. But before she could press further, they disappeared into Skydancer's room, slamming the door behind them.
[Good save, but you might want to work on that poker face, Sky. And maybe Jessie should stick to jokes instead of spilling secrets.]
Skydancer nodded, realizing he needed to be better at keeping his secrets under wraps. He shoved Jessie onto his bed, glaring down at him. "Mate, this isn't a joke. This isn't some game we're playing. It's life and death—probably more death if we're not careful. You need to understand that."
Jessie's playful demeanor faded as he sat up, sensing the gravity in Sky's voice. "Alright, alright. What's going on, Sky? What's with all this talk of magic?"
[Finally, the penny drops. Let's see if he takes it seriously or if this turns into another one of his wild conspiracy theories.]
Sky sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out how to explain it. "Look, I need your help. I've got less than a week to make contact with the hidden world—y'know, all that supernatural stuff you're always going on about. Magic, conspiracies, cults—the whole shebang."
Jessie's eyes widened, but he quickly shook his head, pulling out his phone and a wireless keyboard. "Say no more, mate. I've got you covered. Let's see what the deep web's hiding from us today."
[Oh, boy. He's diving in headfirst. This should be interesting. Here's hoping he doesn't accidentally summon something he can't handle.]
While Jessie started tapping away on his keyboard, Sofie, who had been eavesdropping outside, listened intently. The mention of magic and hidden dangers struck a chord deep within her. It brought back a memory she had long buried—a night when she was just a child, and her sister was taken from their backyard. Sofie had seen something that night, something big and not human. No one had believed her, and after years of counseling she had eventually convinced herself it wasn't real.
But now, hearing Skydancer and Jessie talk about magic as if it were real, those memories came flooding back. She knew she should walk away, but she couldn't. Her curiosity and the need for answers kept her glued to the door.
Inside the room, Jessie was working at lightning speed. "Alright, Sky, I've found something. There's a series of unsolved murders here in Melbourne. All the victims had their hair replaced by needles—freaky, right? And guess what? It's been covered up by some shady government agency. But one of the coroners, a True Crime fanatic, leaked the details to a dark web forum. There were occult markings on the bodies and everything."
Sky leaned in, intrigued but wary. "What else did you find?"
Jessie's fingers flew over the keyboard as he hacked into the police database, pulling up more details. "I cross-referenced the info with police reports and found a match—a supposed suicide case in the city. But the details fit the profile—same weird markings, same needle hair thing. Whatever this is, it's right here in the city."
Skydancer's mind raced as he processed the information. "Alright, I'm going to check it out. If there's a connection to the hidden world, I need to see it for myself."
Jessie looked up, concern etched on his face. "Mate, that sounds way too dangerous. You can't just waltz into some murder scene and expect to walk out unscathed."
Nexi's voice chimed in, laced with concern. [Sky, bringing Jessie along might not be the best idea. He's not ready for what's inside, and you know it. You're putting him in danger.]
Skydancer paused, his resolve wavering for a moment before he shook his head. "I hear you, Nexi, but I need all the help I can get. Besides, if Jessie stays outside, in public, he should be safe. It's not like we're dragging him into the thick of it."
Jessie, catching the tail end of Sky's hesitation, gave a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, mate. I'll be your lookout. You do what you need to do, and I'll make sure no one sneaks up on us."
Sky sighed, nodding. "Alright, but remember—stay out of sight and don't do anything stupid. I'll handle whatever's inside."
As they prepared to leave, neither of them noticed Sofie slipping away from the door. She had heard everything, and as she retreated to her room, the old fear and curiosity warred within her. She didn't want to relive those memories, but something about Skydancer's tone, about Jessie's excitement, made her believe that maybe, just maybe, there was truth to their words.
Skydancer and Jessie set out, unaware that Sofie would soon be following them, her own questions and fears driving her into the night.