"Why? Did something happen?"
Nova came and sat next to Xerxes on the bed. He was still looking around the room, but nothing seemed to be out of place. The pillow was still on the floor, the ugly walls were just as ugly as ever, and the mess of a bed looked the same too.
"Holy shit, Xerxes, you're freezing to death!" Nova had accidentally touched the other's hand, and it was like he had touched ice itself. He shuddered and got the blanket from the bed, rolling Xerxes in it.
"Just sleep if you're that tired, man." Nova left, leaving behind his handy dandy work.
Xerxes's head was devoid of any thoughts, feeling the warmth returning to his body. He simply wanted to sleep now.
The next morning, somehow Xerxes was the first person to go to sleep and the last person to wake up too. He grudgingly threw off the blanket and got out of bed making his way downstairs. It was uncannily quiet this morning. Everyone was sitting on the couch with pale and weary expressions on their faces. In Lucas's case, he was just there, existing too.
Why is no one speaking? Did they have a fight?
Judging from the dreary atmosphere, it seemed more than just an argument, though. Xerxes was cautious with his steps as he approached them. The seat next to Nova, where Gerald usually sat, was empty this time.
Maybe he's using the restroom?
"Good morning," Xerxes tried to break the ice in the room, to no use. He made his way to the kitchen in search of something to fill his stomach, but the kitchen only had utensils with no real food. "We didn't get anything to eat today?" Xerxes guessed that the reason why the others were being so strange was probably because they also didn't get to eat anything.
"The kitchen did a reset while we were sleeping, taking the leftover bread from yesterday too," Kai spoke from the couch. He had his arm placed on the armrest of the couch, his hand supporting his head as he looked over to the kitchen.
Xerxes, defeated, joined Nova and Kai on the couch, but the silence was unbearable. "Is Gerald using the restroom?"
Everyone shifted nervously at the mention of Gerald.
"We don't know where he is," Lucas got up from his seat. "The dungeon will only get more difficult if we dilly-dally any longer. The story has already begun. If we don't move it forward..." He paused. "I'm afraid there will be a disappearance after every night."
So that's where Gerald went...
Xerxes felt bad for him, but at the same time, he didn't know him personally or anything, so he didn't really feel all that upset by his disappearance...
Maybe I should still try to look sad?
"What are you doing now?" Nova followed behind Lucas, who was going up the stairs.
"The ladder. We need it to get to the moon."
Xerxes also got up after hearing Lucas climbing the stairs. He saw Lucas carefully observing the ceiling of the corridor. "There should be an attic in the house."
"So you think the ladder is in there?" Nova asked as he helped Lucas in finding the attic door in the ceiling. Xerxes also tried to find it, but the ceiling was too perfect. It had not a single line of entrance, much less a square opening for the attic.
Lucas impatiently searched every nook and cranny of the ceiling, failing to find the attic door. He brought the dining chair from downstairs.
"What are you doing, Lucas?" Savannah worriedly asked. It wasn't like Lucas to be so restless. He was usually very composed, so she couldn't help worrying about him. "Stay downstairs, don't come up until I say so," Lucas warned advertently. Savannah could only place her trust in him as she watched from the curtail step .
Nova and Xerxes watched Lucas very interestingly as he placed the chair in the corridor. The small space was overtaken by it, so Xerxes moved behind into the bedroom and watched from the doorway. Unlike him, Nova was very fascinated by Lucas's actions. He stood in the other corner of the corridor, unable to take his eyes off which he regretted very soon.
Lucas wasted no time. He stood on the chair; his head touched the ceiling as it wasn't very high to begin with. He prepared his fist, wrapping it in his white long sleeves. His hands balled into tight fists, veins bulging beneath the fabric of his sleeves. Sweat slicked his brow, but it wasn't from the heat—it was the kind of sweat born from frustration.
He took a long deep breath, and without hesitation, he swung his right fist upward, turning his face away slightly. His knuckles and arm collided with the wood with a sickening thud.
Oh, so he's fucking crazy!
Xerxes moved away back into the room to avoid being hit by the wood. Nova had no chance of escaping, though; he could only cover his head with his arms to avoid his face from being injured.
Splinters of the wooden ceiling rained down, the rough impact sending a tremor through the ceiling, and the floor beneath him creaked constantly. His breath got caught as pain shot up his arm, but he didn't stop. He swung again, and again, each strike tearing away the wood ceiling to bits and pieces until there was a hole big enough to fit into.
Lucas coughed a few times afterward, dust and bits of wood flying everywhere in the air. He dusted himself off and jumped right into the black hole, pushing himself up with a push of his hands and arms.
When the racket died down, Nova groused, "Tell me before deciding to go ham. If my precious face had been hit, I would have filed a lawsuit against you." But Lucas wasn't there when Nova looked up from the shield of his arms, leaving behind only the wooden dining chair.