Eternal Malediction (RE)

Morning arrived quietly over the cabin as soft sunlight filtered through the cabin windows while cold air still lingered faintly within the wooden walls. Outside, birds chirped somewhere near the trees, and distant wind rolled gently through the grass.

It was the next day. The first full morning since they had been thrown backwards through time.

Weirdly enough... Roy had slept well.

Not perfectly because sleeping in a crowded cabin filled with exhausted strangers wasn’t exactly ideal, but compared to most nights, his sleep had been strangely uninterrupted. No nightmares. No all-nighter overthinking. No waking up every two hours staring at the ceiling questioning reality itself because he was unable to fall back asleep.

Which meant Roy woke up in a surprisingly decent mood, but unfortunately, there was one major downside. "...My back is killing me."

Roy lay flat against the floor mat while staring blankly upward at the wooden ceiling.

Since the cabin only had two actual beds, it had naturally been given to the people who were the eldest. Everyone else had been forced to improvise sleeping arrangements across the floor using blankets, coats, or whatever soft material they could find.

Roy’s ’bed’ was essentially just a thin mat, and his spine currently hated him for it. He slowly sat upright with a quiet groan while stretching slightly.

CRACK. "...Damn."

Pain shot through his lower back immediately.

Roy frowned slightly before placing one hand against it and quietly healing the strain away with Prana. Warmth spread briefly through the soreness before the discomfort disappeared completely.

Much better.

Around him, most people were still asleep, with blanket-covered bodies scattered across the cabin floor while faint snoring echoed softly from different corners of the room. Someone near the wall mumbled incoherently in their sleep.

Roy stared at the ceiling for another moment before realising something important. If he waited any longer... The toilet situation would become catastrophic. The cabin only had one bathroom indoors, and the outside toilets weren’t much better.

Meaning if everyone woke up simultaneously, surviving the queue would become its own trial chamber.

Roy immediately stood up; smart and quick decisions save lives.

Quietly, he grabbed his things before carefully stepping around sleeping bodies scattered across the floor. One wrong step probably would’ve caused international conflict.

Victor was asleep against the wall with his arms crossed somehow. Daniel looked half-dead beneath a blanket. Marcus snored loud enough to qualify as a natural disaster.

Roy eventually reached the door and slipped outside, with the old morning air brushing against his face instantly.

The area that the cabin was situated in looked peaceful beneath the early sunlight. Dew still clung lightly to the grass while thin mist lingered near the distant hills.

Several people were already awake.

Aster sat near the fence drinking tea silently while Ethan looked like he hadn’t fully recovered from existence yet. A few others moved quietly between the cabins while freshening up.

Roy stretched slightly before heading toward the outside bathroom area. In one hand, he carried the greatest technological advancement this era had ever witnessed.

A modern plastic toothbrush.

The group had bought several basic hygiene supplies in bulk the previous evening, and somehow even the toothpaste here looked older. Everything in 1985 felt slightly off-brand.

Roy brushed his teeth quietly while staring toward the open fields and trees; the mint flavour from the toothpaste tasted suspiciously aggressive. By the time he finished washing up and splashing cold water against his face, the morning sun had risen properly into the sky.

Approximately nine in the morning. As Roy dried his face, he noticed two familiar figures nearby; Tanaka and Graham stood beside the outdoor sink talking casually.

Graham mostly listened with the same calm smile he always had. "...And then Roy looked at me with genuine hatred," Tanaka explained dramatically while hysterically laughing.

"I wonder why," Graham replied calmly with a slight grin.

Roy approached silently before washing his face again, and Tanaka noticed him immediately. "Oh. Good morning, monkey."

Roy looked at him blankly. "...You’re irritating me before ten in the morning."

"Wawawa."

"I hate you."

Graham smiled faintly at the interaction. "Sleep well?" he asked Roy.

"Surprisingly yes."

"Interesting." Graham looked thoughtful for a second. "You seem calmer today."

Roy didn’t know how to reply to that, so he just nodded, hoping that was the reaction that Graham wanted. Eventually the three returned toward the cabin together. Most people inside were awake now. Some were still lying around half-conscious while others argued quietly over food portions and bathroom schedules.

Normal human behaviour when you’re squashed into a medium-sized cabin with a lot of people, while Roy scanned the room once before noticing something important: Kieran was still asleep.

Actually asleep. Completely unconscious beneath a thin blanket near the far corner of the room. Roy stopped walking, and Tanaka stopped too. Then both slowly looked at each other.

Graham immediately sensed danger. "...What are you two thinking about?"

Roy, crouched slightly near Kieran, was still asleep. Impressive, honestly.

Tanaka folded his arms dramatically. "This guy oversleeps constantly."

Roy nodded once. "It’s actually a problem."

"He’s made us late multiple times."

"Many such cases."

Graham looked down at them quietly, with the atmosphere already feeling concerning.

Tanaka rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking. "I think..."

Roy already liked where this was going. "...It’s time we teach him a lesson."

Tanaka stared at sleeping Kieran, then nodded slowly. "... I agree, partner."

Graham looked mildly concerned now.

Tanaka’s eyes suddenly widened with inspiration. "Oh."

That single word alone carried evil within it; Roy immediately narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Tanaka slowly looked toward both of them with the most criminal expression imaginable, and then he exclaimed. "LET’S TOUCH HIM WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE."

Silence. Complete silence. Even Roy looked genuinely horrified with his face all contorted.

Graham blinked once with a confused face. "...Excuse me?"

Tanaka immediately started evil laughing quietly to himself.

Roy physically recoiled. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"That’s not a normal thought process," Graham added calmly.

Tanaka pointed dramatically toward the sleeping blanket lump. "It’ll wake him up instantly."

"That’s sexual harassment."

"That’s friendship."

"No, we can’t."

Meanwhile beneath the blanket... Kieran’s eyes were wide open. He was completely awake and was absolutely terrified.

He had woken up several minutes ago but chose not to move because he was comfortable and that decision had now become the worst mistake of his life. Kieran remained perfectly still beneath the blanket while listening to Tanaka plan atrocities above him.

Fear unlike anything from the Trial Chambers gripped his soul.

What the hell was wrong with this guy?

Then Roy’s voice echoed above him. "...Actually wait."

Kieran’s heart stopped.

Roy continued. "...Wouldn’t that technically traumatise him permanently?"

"THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING!" Graham replied immediately, slightly getting scared as to where and how quickly this is heading.

Kieran almost ascended spiritually from relief; he has Graham by his side, protecting him. What a saint he is, thought Kieran.

Tanaka crossed his arms stubbornly. "You people lack vision."

At that exact moment, Kieran threw the blanket off himself instantly. "I’M AWAKE."