"Where I live, we call that thing a 'chayote'. Chouchou are supposed to be butterflies." remarks Al.

Grace replies, "That fruit you're holding is called a chouchou. That place where Bella and our other friend here got locked in, is also--"

"Grace!" Bella runs towards him. "Any news about Anjy and Brandon?" "They weren't in the hospital anymore," he replies, solemnly.

V and E look at each other and yell, "Wait, what?!", in unison. Grace walks over to their direction, and gives both of them a pat on the shoulder. "Relaaaax. I found them. It's what took me so long." "How are they doing?", asked Al. "I found them in terrible shape. It's a wonder that they were barely holding on to life, at all. Someone dumped them over a bridge."

((Choose between 1A ("Who did that?") and 1B ("Where are Anjy and Brandon now?")))

Chouchou is such an odd name for a fruit. Wait a second, isn't that the name of the bar you visited with Carlos and Tanja?

E remarks, "That thing's called a chouchou? It's just like that bar Wayne uses as his headquarters."

"Grace!" Bella runs towards him. "Any news about Anjy and Brandon?" "They weren't in the hospital anymore," he replies, solemnly.

V and E look at each other and yell, "Wait, what?!", in unison. Grace walks over to their direction, and gives both of them a pat on the shoulder. "Relaaaax. I found them. It's what took me so long." "How are they doing?", asked Al. "I found them in terrible shape. It's a wonder that they were barely holding on to life, at all. Someone dumped them over a bridge."

((Choose between 1A ("Who did that?") and 1B ("Where are Anjy and Brandon now?")))

Grace rests his back against the pole of a lamppost. "I think Wayne did it." "He's under police custody, right? Did he send someone to do it?", asks Bella. "He escaped. When I was in the hospital, the news report on television reported that he apparently killed everyone inside the police station.", says Grace. "How is that even possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure, and I might be going out on a limb here." You can sense Grace's hesitation. "I think Wayne had some help from one of us." "You don't mean… my dad?" Bella looks visibly distressed. "I haven't seen him after we all attended the Masquerade." "I don't think Virtus would do such a thing. It might be Eros." "Didn't Eros die in front of us, back in Ytiva?"

"What's an Ytiva," V whispers to E, albeit audibly. "That's the Arctic Frost. I was supposed to take you there for vacation before, remember?", he replies. "Oh."

The expression on Grace's face shifts into one of worry. "I assumed that he died because I couldn't find traces of him until recently. I know that he's still alive, now." "Didn't we see him die? We thought we became Eros and Agape thanks to the burst of energy he released!" Bella seems distraught. "Accession doesn't work that way. We don't immediately replace an angel who dies." "I'm not surprised. He always has something up his sleeve." "He duped us all. He fooled me too. Every time I tried to look for him amidst the Possibilities, he was motionless, in Ytiva. The fog that surrounds him is here in Atebus."

"What does all of this have to do with Wayne?", asks E. "I used to be able to look for Wayne with ease. Now, the same fog that surrounds Eros is around him. He's untraceable to me."

E pulls out his smartphone, tapping on its screen a few times. He then says, "Weird. My app can't trace him, either." He shows his phone screen to all of you:

"Maybe he just took out the bug," V snidely remarks. "'Dead Signal' isn't a normal message, is it?", E retorts.

((Proceed to 1B ("Where are Anjy and Brandon now?")))

Grace shakes his head. "Please don't tell me they're dead, Grace.", says Bella. "They're still alive. They were unconscious when I found them, so I switched to my true forme and healed them." "Did anyone see you?" "I doubt it. It would be disastrous if anyone accidentally saw me in--"

"If I may ask," interrupted the informant, "what's this about your 'true forme'?"

"You see," Grace begins to explain, "Bella and I come from another planet. So do E, V, and Al here. Among us, Bella and I are close to what your stories call 'angels'. How you see us right now, with our wings, is not our true appearance. We can't use any of our superhuman abilities as long as we appear humanoid, except for flying."

The informant raises a follow-up question. "What's the big deal about seeing your real form, anyway?"

"For some reason, when mortals see our true appearances, they go "off the rocker", to put it lightly. Never mind that nobody will believe you in the first place. Some of your kind become completely incomprehensible." "It's like acquiring schizophrenia, right?", posits Al. "You can say that."

"You didn't answer 's question. Where are Anjy and Brandon now?", asks E.

"I'll take you to where they are."

((Choose between 2A (Travel by road) and 2B (Suggest travelling by flight.)))

"Grace, you shouldn't overexert yourself. You've done a lot.", Bella says in a reassuring tone.

"Huhuhu." Grace slumps and sinks into the passenger seat next to Al, and continues, "I can rest a little bit on the way there. I'll just give directions to whoever is driving."

Al starts the engine and begins to drive off, following Grace's instructions.

((Choose between 3 (Listen to the conversation) and 4 (Sleep through the trip.)))

"I would say yes, but we won't be able to carry all of you!", exclaims Bella. "Especially not while I can't hold anything." "I can always try," Grace says.

"Grace! Don't try to lift everyone, you just used your--" Before Bella can finish what she was going to say, Grace lifts you onto his back. Both of you quickly fall to the ground.

"I told you not to do it! You're too weak right now!" It's uncharacteristic of Bella to raise her voice, but she did it just now. She then looks at you, pulling you up. "Are you okay?"

You nod in the affirmative, and glance at Grace, who is still lay flat. He pushes himself off the ground and slowly stands back up. "Using our true formes consumes a lot of energy. I guess someone will have to drive us there. Anyone up for the task?"

((Return to 2A (Travel by road.)))

"If it's okay for me to answer for Grace," Bella says as she visibly strokes Grace's head, "it depends on our role." "Role?", you hear V enquire. "Some of us heal people, while others protect people. Grace and I have healing abilities, that's why we chose to become doctors in our human formes, too." "Do you have to take a profession related to your role?" "Not necessarily. Some of the other ange-- er, healers pursue a different passion or occupation."

"You said something about your dad earlier, Bella." the informant says. "Who is he?"

You suddenly feel the flow of air from the air-conditioning unit feel much colder. Bella is visibly shaking in front.

"He's Wilhelm Doctorow. He's a surgeon too!" "I remember him! I haven't seen him since we arrived in Subeta…", remarks V. "Neither have we! We just… lost him. Grace couldn't find him either, much like what he's saying about Wayne." "Is that why you thought he's involved with Wayne?", prods V. "Grace mentioned that the one who killed everyone in the police station may be one of us. I was worried that it might be my dad for a second… but he would never do that!" "You said it was probably someone named Eros, yeah?"

E rubs his chin. "Eros sounds like something from that TV show that happens to have skating in it." V clears her throat. "I think someone is reading too many of those, whatchamacallit? Boy's love stories?"

Bella heaves a sigh. "He's my brother. It's a long story, but… um, he's kind of destructive." "What?! How could you be related to someone like that?"

"When I say he's my brother, we're not related by blood, but we're from the same family. He was so consumed by the desire to rule our world with passion. You know how people are destroyed by giving in to passion. Some people are driven to kill in jealous fits. Others kill themselves by taxing themselves too much."

"That makes a lot of sense. But why is he like that in the first place?"

"I can only think of Eros being driven by greed. He wasn't contented with being an Angel of Love. He wanted to have dominion over mortals and angels alike. He always wanted to win some of us to his cause, especially Grace here."

"Why is he after Grace?"

"Grace is capable of looking at what we call the Possibilities - they are infinite immediate futures and the probability that they will occur. He cannot change the past or the future on his own, but he can tell people what to do to achieve a certain outcome."

"So he's like some kind of seer?" "You can say that!"

((Proceed to 5.))

"Okay, we're here," Grace declares. The vehicle slows down as Al asks, "Are you sure, Grace?" "What, did you think I'd hide the patients in a place with a lot of people?"

"? ? We're here."

You flex your neck to your right and try to stretch, before opening your eyes. You alight from the vehicle, finding yourself all alone. Standing on the pavement, you scan your surroundings for the person who woke you up, but they are nowhere to be found.

The street is littered with trash, and the simulated sky looks especially dreary. For that matter, it seems like you're the only person here. Your eyes rest on the façade of an abandoned building, judging from foliage scattered all over the ground and overgrown branches that obscure some parts of the building. Although there are neon signs above the front door and on the side of the building, they are all busted. As you approach the front door, you notice that it's locked.

A strong gust blows against you. A few leaves brush against your cheeks for a fleeting moment, before they dance in the wind. As though you've lost control of yourself, you walk to the door and yank the lock out of the hinge, effortlessly.

You enter the building, and find what seems to be a bar inside. The lighting and choice of furnishings at least give that vibe.

As you look around you, your notice surroundings flicker violently, before fading into black.

((Proceed to 5.))

"Okay, we're here," Grace declares. The vehicle slows down as Al asks, "Are you sure, Grace?" "What, did you think I'd hide the patients in a place with a lot of people?"

"? ? We're here."

You flex your neck to your right and try to stretch, before opening your eyes. You alight from the vehicle, finding yourself in the company of E, V, Al, Bella, Grace, and the informant.

So far, so good.

Standing on the pavement, you take another look at your companions, wondering which one of them woke you up from your slumber.

The street is littered with trash, and the simulated sky looks especially dreary. For that matter, it seems like you're the only people here. Your eyes rest on the façade of a run-down building. There are no plants or trees in sight. Although there are neon signs above the front door and on the side of the building, they are all busted.

A window swings open as a strong gust blows against you.

"Let's go inside," you hear Grace say, as he rests his hand against your shoulder. As you follow after him and approach the front door, you notice that it's locked. Grace produces a key which he inserts on the lock. As he opens the door, you can't help but notice that the view of what's inside is nearly pitch-black. When you enter, however, that is clearly not the case.

"Where's everyone? I thought this is where you brought Anjy and Brandon!", says Bella.

"Did you make me drive all the way here for nothing?", Al asks in an irate tone.

"Chill." Grace stifles a chuckle as he crouches down and uses the cloth on his robes to wipe a spot on the ground that had been covered by grime, revealing a golden surface. After a few more swipes against the floor, the golden surface is revealed to form a square shape. "I hope you guys don't mind going down another trapdoor. After all, there is gold beneath the grime."

"Hello! I'm Tanja with a J," says the clown with a green and white collar. The clown wearing a green suit then continues, "and I'm Tanya with a Y."

The two clowns seem to occupy themselves with the hand movements for pat-a-cake. They then say in unison, "Together, we're the Sugarvine Clowns!"

"There are two of you?!", you ask. Which one was with that other paramilitary guy… was his name Carlos?

"Yeah," the clown on the right responds. She giggles. "You may be more acquainted with J. She's the high-strung one--"

"HEY!" The clown wearing the multi-coloured suit does not seem to take kindly to what her twin said. She smacks the other clown's buttocks. "I'm Carlos' associate. You were probably with me."

((Choose between 1A ("Why are you both here?") and 1B ("Where's Carlos?")))

"I'm a nurse, so I'm here to make sure our patients are doing well," says Tanya. "This place needs some security, so I voluntary deployed myself here," replies Tanja. "Since you arrived with Grace, I take it that he told you what this place is."

You respond in the negative. You remember something about patients, now that Tanya mentioned it.

"This place used to be the original ChouChou. That is, the one that was owned by Wayne's business partner. Before Wayne got involved with the ChouChou chain of bars, this location closed down," narrates Tanja.

Tanya continues where her twin left off. "The ground floor, which you may have noted to be a barren concrete room, was supposed to be some kind of restaurant, but the new owner of the building found out that he wouldn't have a market for that. He was just sitting on the property and waiting for someone to buy it. He didn't get rid of all the abandoned furnishings, but stowed it away down here. That's why this basement still has all the equipment to set this vacated building up into a nightclub of sorts."

((Proceed to 1B ("Where's Carlos?")))

"I thought you were together. Both of you were abducted by the same people. At least, that's what we heard," she tells you. Before you can tell her that he wasn't with you when you woke up in that cottage, she continues, "Carlos managed to escape, after that Unliving guard told him about the modified Simulife chip inserted on him. If you want to speak to him, look for someone dressed as a werewolf."

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

"Greetings, mortal. For what purpose do you seek counsel from me?"

((Choose between 1C ("Are you really an angel?") and 1D ("Do you know Anjy and Brandon?")))

"Whether or not I am what you think I am does not matter, mortal. Is there anything you wish to ask me?"

((Choose someone else to talk to, proceed to 1D ("Do you know Anjy and Brandon?"), or proceed to "Let's party!" if you don't feel like talking to people.))

"To my right, you will find an enemy of mine, benevolent as they say they are. The one dressed in emerald is who you seek. They may satisfy your curiosity than myself." They give you a smile. "Then, I bid you good-bye."

((Look for someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

Where have you seen these eyes before?

"Greetings! I am the Graceful Witch of the West. Would you like me to grant you a wish?"

As the witch winks at you, it occurs to you that their deep voice is familiar. You ask the witch if they can answer one of your questions, instead.

"By all means!"

((Choose between 1E ("What's that lantern for?"), 1F ("Shouldn't you be a wizard?"), and 1G ("Brandon, is that you?")))

"Oh, it's just a prop. I also have a couple of treats to give away, if you want one." The witch smiles at you, the shine coming from their lip gloss almost blinding you.

"Can I trust that you didn't lace those with poison?", asks someone dressed like Fantine.

"If there's one thing I love doing, it's baking little treats like these." The witch swats the Fantine impersonator away, then looks at you. Setting the lantern on the ground and removing its lid, he pulls out a frosted cookie pop and gives it to you. You thank him.

((Choose between talking to someone else, 1F ("Shouldn't you be a wizard?"), 1G ("Brandon, is that you?"), or proceed to "Let's party!" if you don't feel like talking to people.))

"Did you just assume my gender?" The witch seems to be incensed with your remark.

"No, I--", you say, trying to think of something quickly. There's a small area of hyperpigmentation on their left eye. You then continue, "You look familiar!"

((Choose between talking to someone else, 1E ("What's that lantern for?") [if you haven't already asked this], 1G ("Brandon, is that you?"), or proceed to "Let's party!" if you don't feel like talking to people.))

"Yes. It's me." He hangs his head low. "Maybe you don't want to talk to me. I understand."

"Are you okay now?", you ask.

Brandon raises his head to look at you. "I guess I'll be fine. I know that I've done a lot of bad things. I'm not going to ask for people to understand me, I just ask for your forgiveness and another chance to redeem myself. Since Wayne is imprisoned now, I can take care of Anjy without hurting her in the process."

"Where's Anjy?", you hear Al say behind you. It startles you for a moment.

"Oh, we were together earlier, but she wandered off to get some pumpkin soup. She's wearing cat ears and pink clothes. Not hard to miss."

((Look for someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

Yeah, she's dressed as Fantine, alright. She raises her eyebrow and asks you, "I guess you wanna hear a joke?"

You oblige, and she clears her throat.

"What do you call a surgical procedure for people with bad breath?", she asks you.

"No idea," you hear V flatly say behind you.

"Dontoctomy!", the baker yells in a displeasured voice.

"Got any more of those sweet jokes, miss?", E asks.

"What part of 'don't talk to me' don't you guys get?" The Fantine impersonator folds her arms across her chest. "Scram!"

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

"Will they ever forgive me?" He heaves a sigh and hangs his head.

((Choose between 1H ("Do you want to talk about it?" and 1I ("Who are you, anyway?")))

"I'm a bad person. Even before we got here, I was always against my daughter's romantic liaison with her now-fiancè. I did accept her decision to marry him, but I left my daughter. I did it for her."

"What did you do?", you ask.

"I performed an investigation of my own against a common foe. We all thought him dead, but I found him, live and alive. I hid from all of them, because my anxiety was crippling. I didn't want to cause trouble." He looks up, establishing eye contact with you. "By the way, you know Bella and Grace, right?"

((Choose between 2A (Yes) and 2B (No)))

"You probably don't remember me, but I recognise you," he replies.

"Stop beating around the bush and tell me who you are!", you say.

"Do you know Bella and Grace?", he asks.

((Choose between 2A (Yes) and 2B (No)))

"I'm Bella's adoptive father, Wilhelm Doctorow. You can just call me Wills." He then hangs his head low, again. "I'm a horrible father. I shouldn't have let her worry like that. I'll accept whatever she tells me when she sees me again. I've hurt her too many times out of my own foolishness and selfishness."

((Choose between 3A ("Don't say that!") and 3B ("Didn't you know that Bella was worried sick about you?")))

"Please don't try to lie to me. Even if the person you're talking to may be unaware of your deceit, someone is bound to see through your lies."

((Return to 2A (Yes.)))

"I've told her too many lies and let her down too many times."

"Like what?", you ask.

"I made her believe that mortals were evil by their nature, and prevented her from talking to your kind in fear that she might become corrupted, like the rest of my children. I told her that Orama, that one you know as Grace, was no good for her. I allowed my cowardice to rule me."

You hear him sniff, as a tear rolls down his cheek. "I will speak to both of them later. Please do not tell them that you saw me."

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

"I knew that she would be worried about me, but if I told her, she wouldn't let me do it. I wanted to prove to her that I have gained my courage back. Ever since we arrived in Subeta, I've been nothing but cowardly. That's not to say I wasn't like this in our home planet, either, but my anxiety became debilitating."

You hear him sniff, as a tear rolls down his cheek. "I was just being a burden to Bella, in this state. Even if I had to die in the middle of my investigation against her brother, I was willing to pay that price." He wipes his tear with the hood of his attire. "I will speak to both of them later. Please do not tell them that you saw me."

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

"Nyaaa~", she says, purring softly.

((Choose between 1J ("Meow!" and 1K ("Anjy?")))

Bringing a finger up to her lips, she says, "Nyuuu~?" Given the questioning tone, you wonder if she's actually asking you something.

((Proceed to 1K ("Anjy?")))

"Hey! Glad to see you here," she says.

From behind you, Bella asks, "Are you okay now, Anjy?"

"I'm in the pink of health!" Anjy giggles, moving her head and her gaze, as though she is looking for someone. "It's all thanks to Grace. When Brandon and I woke up, he told us that he found us unconscious and dumped under a bridge. Last thing I knew before that, I was in the hospital. All our injuries were healed, too! It's like Wayne didn't beat us up, at all."

Bella walks closer to Anjy and smiles at her. "That's... To…" Her voice seems to creak in between words. You're not sure what she was supposed to say. Shock colours her face, and she shakes her head. Opening her mouth as if she is speaking, you hear nothing. Bella visibly becomes agitated the more she moves her lips.

"Oh no! Are you unable to speak again?" Anjy tries to rest a hand against Bella's shoulder, just for her hand to pass through her. "Wait, what is this? Why is my hand going through you, Bella?"

Bella shakes her head and covers her face. It seems like she is about to burst in tears.

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

He shows off his prosthetic fangs as he grins. He then asks you, "Are you open-minded?"

((Choose between 1L ("What are you even supposed to be?") and 1M("No, sorry.")))

"They were all sold out of Spiderman costumes, so I had to make do with your dad's pajamas," he replies. He then sticks his tongue out.

"No, really," flatly remarks Al. "What are you?"

"I'd tell you that I vill drink your blahed, but that's bordeline racist." His tongue stuck out once again, you decide that you're not going to get a serious answer out of this guy.

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

"Aw, I was just going to ask you if you were interested in some bedspreads. Buy one take one!"

"Actually, can I take you up on that offer later," you hear Al say enthusiastically.

"Sure. Here's my business card if you or your friends want to buy some bedspreads and sandwich spreads some other time. Enjoy the party," he says.

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

"AUGH!", he yells, startled by your presence. It's as though he saw a spectre. He brings his hands close to his face, just to shake his head before he is able to rub his eyes with sharp-clawed gloves.

"Gah, it's not like I take drugs or anything of the sort, but I keep seeing things that aren't there. Where are those two clowns, anyway?", he mutters.

"This is why you don't smo queed e'ryday, Carlos," E says.

"E, hey, man." Carlos slouches abruptly. "You saw Tanja and her twin around here?"

"Glad to see you're still alive, but what happened when you woke up?"

Carlos leans against a column, and vomits on the ground. E immediately moves closer to him and assists him up.

"Aw, come on, don't tell me you went drinking too!"

Before Carlos could say a word, he collapses in E's arms.

"Carlos? Carlos?", E says, as he nudges Carlos gently. "Bella? Grace? Any doctors in the house? Y'all got a patient here!"

((Choose someone else to talk to, or proceed to "Let's party!" when you're done.))

You feel something pulling one of your hands. Following Bella's instruction, you find yourself holding a drawstring bag on your dominant hand.

"What's this," you ask her. "Open it!"

Inside the bag, you find a costume item and... a photograph of Jaxon and Ian kissing?

"It's not much, but at least you won't be out of place. Look at the other people here, not everyone is wearing some extravagant costume," she tells you.

"Where are Grace and E," V asks.

"E was calling for a doctor, I think someone may have collapsed," Bella responds. "I'd go there but I can't really touch anyone or anything at the moment."

You excuse yourself for a moment and try on the costume items Bella gave you, in the nearest washroom. As soon as you return, you see a hooded figure approaching your group. "Bella?", you hear him say.

"D-dad?", mutters Bella. "You had us worried sick!", adds Al.

Coming from the crowd, E and Grace approach your group. His forehead wrinkled and his facial expression revealing vexation, Grace faces the hooded figure and asks, "Where were you, Wills?"

"I performed an investigation of my own. Eros is alive," Wills responds.

Bella asks, "Really?"

"You should have told us where you were." Grace says. "We never saw you again after the masquerade! Do you know how worried Bella was? It's not her fault she got worried, right? That was irresponsible of you."

Forcefully taking Wills by the collar, an angered Bella says, "You had me worried! You always do this. You lied to me. When I think everything is going to be okay, you do the same thing, over and over again!"

"I didn't want to cause trouble. My anxiety was crippling, so I hid from all of you," Wills laments. "Please, hear me out."

Bella lets go of Wills, asking him, "Are you saying you're okay now?"

"No." Wills bows his head. "I tried to look into Brandon. I immediately found out that Wayne was using him, but I did not believe him. That Wayne always seemed strange to me, even in the psychotrauma centre. Remember that patient who suffered from brain damage after seeing my true form?"

"Yeah?", the informant asks.

"Instead of rehabilitating the poor man, Wayne locked him up." Wills shakes his head. "There are so many ethical and professional violations."

"Yeah! Everyone who leaves the centre comes out in worse shape," Bella remarks.

Wills nods with a sad expression on his face. "I found out that not everyone leaves the centre. Some people die there, which is understandable if they have any fatal comorbidities. I got a forensic pathologist to work with me. We ruled out suicide, and highly suspected foul play. Before we can finish the investigation, my partner was killed." He continues, "I tracked down the killer. It was a certain Lisa."

"Oh my gosh. So it was connected to Wayne," ponders Bella.

"Lisa is probably his most loyal girl Friday," V states.

"I got another pathologist to look at the results. All of them had very specific pattern of brain damage. They presented with haemorrhages in the frontal lobe, and oedema with perivascular infiltrates in the basal ganglia and cerebellum," remarks Will.

E then whispers to you, "No idea what that all meant but it sounds serious."

Rubbing her chin, Al says, "Considering that many of the patients do not have a history of known drug abuse, it's possible that Wayne had illicit substances administered to the patients in megadoses."

"Correct. I should have called you there, Al. Wayne was drugging all those patients. I don't know how it escaped the notice of pharmacists, nurses, and doctors that the medications we had were not actually reflective of their labels." Wills looks at you all and asks, "There's this bar called ChouChou, right?"

"Yes," responds Al. "Wayne was using it as a base of sorts."

"That location you probably visited does not exist in its apparent form," says Wills.

"Wait, what do you mean?", asks Bella.

"The physical structure is there, but the entirety of that place is the product of experiments involving a colourless, odourless, and tasteless inhalant that causes mass delusions. There is no nightclub there. It's his HQ, hidden in plain sight. Those patrons are mere lab rats to him."

"This is confusing, I can barely keep up," says E.

"It's nothing to worry about, now. The place is closed down." Wills pats E's head. "I'll give you all some room to breathe. This must be a lot to take in. Just enjoy the party."

An elevated platform is littered with carved pumpkins and cotton that had been stretched out to form spider webs. With what appears to be makeshift materials, people put a considerable bit of effort with the Morostide décor. Purple smoke comes out of some of the pumpkins at the very front of the stage. Engulfing the centre stage, a figure seems to form inside the fog. As the smoke dissipates, the figure is revealed.

"Did you all miss me?"

You see Grace dragging someone closer to the crowd, turning them around to face the group.

"Why did you keep looking at him? Do you know what could have happened if I didn't pull you away?" Grace sounds irate. He strikes his forehead with an open palm, shaking his head. All of a sudden, his tone of voice shifts to a more gentle manner. "You don't want to experience that, trust me."

"Why, what's the big deal?", enquired V.

"That's strike three, V," Grace says with a chuckle. "We've explained it to you so many times," responds Bella.

"Can you guys transform without, y'know, making people go crazy?", E laments, rubbing his chin. "Can't you guys do the heal-y thing if someone does go batshit crazy?"

"Technically, yes, but--" Bella is interrupted by Grace. "We'd rather not subject people to that kind of trauma. Better safe than sorry, right?" Grace shrugs.

"Tanja, Carlos, anyone else who can, please back us up," shouts Bella from the back of the crowd. "We need crowd control. None of--" Her voice creaks. "…should…," she attempts to continue. You can see her mouthing something, but hear nothing. "…don't…," you hear. Shaking her head, Bella covers her face, and falls to her knees.

Walking to Bella's side, Grace says, "I need people to make sure nobody will leave this side of the room. Don't look at the stage. Again, don't look behind you." Having said his piece, he darts towards the stage he so warned people not to see. You comply with his request, not looking at the stage behind you.

You hear Grace yell, "EROOOOOOOOOOOOS!". Something or someone seems to have fallen to the ground, based on the sound of something making impact against hard material.

"Wait a second," V says as she wears her glasses. "Isn't that Wayne?"

"Are you so accustomed to mortality that you fight the way they do? How cute," you presume the person in purple just said. Is he that Eros everyone was talking about? He lets out a manic laugh. "You know very well that the only thing that can do to me is force me out of this pesky mortal's body, but I'm not having it!"

Before you know it, Grace is sent flying to the back of the room, landing right next to Al's feet. Grace tries to get back on his feet, but struggles to even stand back up. Al kneels down to help him up. Grace's limbs appear limp.

"I'm okay. Don't worry about me," Grace says. As soon as he takes a step facing the stage, he falls on one knee. Bella glides past you, heading to the front. You notice something glowing brightly under her right sleeve.

"Storge, don't do it!" Grace stretches out one of his arms towards Bella.

You hear something fall, and notice a faint, purple glow emanating from behind you.

"Whoa, it is Wayne," V remarks. "Is that purple thing Eros? Sounds like a massive prick." says E.

The ground shakes lightly, and you hear a booming noise coming from under the floor. Your group quickly ducks, covers, and hides beside pillars, and on the two corners at the back of the room. A teal glow overcomes the purple illumination you previously saw.

A blaring noise, akin to that of a trumpet, resounds. You feel the earth rocking more violently, throwing you off your balance. Some of your companions move to nearby tables, moving along with them. You stay close to the wall, covering your head with your arms. Although there were some paper decorations taped to the walls, there are no large sources of lighting or furnishings overhead. You should be relatively safe from things falling on you.

A cacophony of colour is reflected on the wall, nearly in sync with seismic activity. Just then, the ground ceases to move. To be safe, you don't venture away from your current location. You close your eyes as the colours shift at an increasing frequency. Your surroundings heat up rapidly. Through your closed eyes, a bright light becomes apparent to you. You inch closer to the wall.

((Proceed to 1.))

Someone pulls you from behind, and turns you around. You open your eyes to find your vision hazy.

Grace admonishes you: "Why did you keep looking at him? Do you know what could have happened if I didn't pull you away?" You're certain it's him because of his voice, and a dark pink mass you can make out on top of a brown figure. He continues, in a more gentle tone, "You don't want to experience that, trust me."

"Why, what's the big deal?", enquired V.

You feel something gently push your upper eyelids down for a few moments. As soon as the pressure is released, you can clearly see the creases of a palm. The hand pulls away from you, and you clearly see Grace and Bella in front of you.

"That's strike three, V," Grace says with a chuckle. "We've explained it to you so many times," responds Bella.

"Can you guys transform without, y'know, making people go crazy?", E laments, rubbing his chin. "Can't you guys do the heal-y thing if someone does go batshit crazy?"

"Technically, yes, but--" Bella is interrupted by Grace. "We'd rather not subject people to that kind of trauma. Better safe than sorry, right?" Grace shrugs.

"Tanja, Carlos, anyone else who can, please back us up," shouts Bella from the back of the crowd. "We need crowd control. None of--" Her voice creaks. "…should…," she attempts to continue. You can see her mouthing something, but hear nothing. "…don't…," you hear. Shaking her head, Bella covers her face, and falls to her knees.

You hear Grace say, "I need people to make sure nobody will leave this side of the room. Don't look at the stage. Again, don't look behind you." Having said his piece, he darts towards the stage he so warned people not to see. Your eyes follow his movement, and it's then that you catch a glimpse of a scintillating, peach-coloured light leaving the room.

Lunging at the figure in the purple dress, Grace yells, "EROOOOOOOOOOOOS!", his hands fully straightened and pointed at his target's neck. He pushes Eros -- as Grace identified him -- to the ground, kneeling over him. With the leverage he has, Grace sharply thrusts both of his middle fingers against the sides of Eros' neck.

"Wait a second," V says as she wears her glasses. "Isn't that Wayne?"

"Are you so accustomed to mortality that you fight the way they do? How cute." Eros brings his hands up to grasp Grace's wrists. He pulls them downwards, away from his neck. He then lets out a manic laugh. "You know very well that the only thing that can do to me is force me out of this pesky mortal's body, but I'm not having it!"

Eros hooks his hands through Grace's armpits, lifting himself and Grace off the ground. He then hurls Grace to the crowd gathered on the back of the room. He lands right next to Al's feet.

Grace tries to get back on his feet, but struggles to even stand back up. Al kneels down to help him up. Grace's limbs appear limp.

"I'm okay. Don't worry about me," Grace says. As soon as he takes a step facing Eros, he falls on one knee. Bella glides past him, presenting herself to Eros. You notice something glowing brightly under her right sleeve.

"Storge, don't do it!" Grace stretches out one of his arms towards Bella.

Unfazed by Grace's plea, Bella seems to sign something to Eros. A wide grin spreads through Eros' face. He forcefully brings his arms down, head facing skyward. His body falls to the ground, revealing an unconscious Wayne wearing a prisoner's uniform. A glistening, aethereal purple cloud hovers over him.

"Whoa, it is Wayne," V remarks. "Is that purple thing Eros? Sounds like a massive prick." says E.

Bella, her body increasingly becoming translucent, kneels on Wayne's side. She lays her hands -- which have been fading in and out of reality -- over him. He opens his eyes, wordlessly staring at the heliotrope smoke above him.

As Grace crawls towards the stage, Bella stands back up, facing the crowd. The ground shakes lightly, and you hear a booming noise coming from underneath the ground. Bella does a few hand signs, her entire body flickering at increasing speed.

The purple cloud moves closer to Grace, spreading to encircle him. As he visibly struggles, a teal-coloured light emanates from his head, engulfing him completely. Unlike the burst of light you saw coming out of Wills earlier, this light isn't blinding.

((Check the spoiler underneath this one if you want to find out what the original text says. Then proceed to 2.))

Valiant is he who will defend us, From the tyranny of our passions. Alas! His light is waning, As the night approaches. Who will vanquish the twilight?

Only the endurance and patience of a mother Can quell the anger of her broken son, But what of those who never experienced Such warmth, such bliss, such love! Greed corrupted what was once a pure soul.

In a struggle between siblings, Who will emerge victorious? Is it the one who keeps his confidence, Or the one lured by the snares of anger? Stability is more favourable than volatility.

Passion gains the upper hand, Clouding vision and judgement. With sight corrupted, The heart gives in to rage, Itself destroying rather than healing.

You see a vital sign monitor to your left. There is little fluctuation between the numbers in the screen, two of which you surmise as your blood pressure. Glancing at your right arm, you find it cannulated and connected to an intravenous line. You direct your gaze to what lies in front of you, seeing a tall figure in a white coat turn around to face you.

"How are you feeling now?", he asks.

You wonder how you wound up here.

"You fainted earlier, but don't worry about it, it's nothing serious. We can remove the IV line once we've established that you're properly hydrated. Just hang in there," Grace says reassuringly. He props up a paper bag on your bedside table. "I got this for you."

As you nod, you feel something tug at your left side.

"Get a little more rest, if you still need it!", she says.

It's a relief to hear Bella speaking again. It seemed like she lost her voice again, last time. Noticing the notebook and pencil on her lap, along with the pile of papers on the sofa behind her, you ask, "Are you drawing?"

"Yeah," she responds. "I'm drawing what happened earlier."

"What happened earlier, anyway?", you ask.

"One last sketch…" Bella uses her pencil hastily. After almost a minute of silence, she hands you the entire notebook.

((Choose between 3A (Look at the notebook) and 3B (Tell Bella you'll look at it later.)))

You see a vital sign monitor to your left. There is little fluctuation between the numbers in the screen, two of which you surmise as your blood pressure. Glancing at your right arm, you find it cannulated and connected to an intravenous line. You direct your gaze to what lies in front of you, seeing a tall figure in a white coat turn around to face you.

"How are you feeling now?", he asks.

You wonder how you wound up here.

"You fainted earlier, but don't worry about it, it's nothing serious. We can remove the IV line once we've established that you're properly hydrated. Just hang in there," Grace says reassuringly. He props up a paper bag on your bedside table. "I got this for you."

As you nod, you feel something tug at your left side.

"Get a little more rest, if you still need it!", she says.

It's a relief to hear Bella speaking again. It seemed like she lost her voice again, last time. Noticing the notebook and pencil on her lap, along with the pile of papers on the sofa behind her, you ask, "Are you drawing?"

"Yeah," she responds. "I'm drawing what happened earlier."

"What happened earlier, anyway?", you ask.

"One last sketch…" Bella uses her pencil hastily. After almost a minute of silence, she hands you the entire notebook.

((Choose between 4A (Look at the notebook) and 4B (Tell Bella you'll look at it later.)))

You scan through a few other pages, and find a few more sketches.

"Ah, please don't look at those." Her cheeks flushed, she slowly takes the notebook from your hands.

You hear the door open.

((Proceed to 5.)))

"Okay!" Bella chirps, resting her chin against both of her hands.

"Where's everyone else?", you ask.

"They're resting, too. At least everyone's safe."

Your thoughts turn to Wayne. You ask Bella what happened to him.

"I healed Wayne. Eros took control of Wayne, and it took its toll on his mental state and physical condition," she replies. "Come to think of it, we can't tell what things Wayne did as himself, and which actions he did on behest of Eros."

"Don't you think we should let our friend rest first? What happened earlier was incomprehensible to mortals." Grace says, as he walks to the sofa and takes his seat.

"Well…" Bella connects the tips of her index fingers awkwardly. "We can talk about something that isn't related to the fight. I tried to draw that in my sketchbook."

Grace nods. "Okay, you know how I couldn't find Wayne because he had the same fog that obscured Eros and Virtus from my sight?"

"Yeah?", you hear Bella say.

"The time that Wayne started to have that fog is the time Eros seized control of his body. I still suspect that Eros was at least giving him directions in some form beforehand," Grace says.

You hear the door open.

((Proceed to 5.))

You scan through a few other pages, and find a few more sketches.

"Ah, please don't look at those." Her head pulsating more rapidly, she slowly takes the notebook from your hands.

You hear the door open.

((Proceed to 5.)))

"Okay!" Bella chirps, resting her… chin against both of her hands.

"Where's everyone else?", you ask.

"They're resting, too. At least everyone's safe."

Your thoughts turn to Wayne. You ask Bella what happened to him.

"I healed Wayne. Eros took control of Wayne, and it took its toll on his mental state and physical condition," she replies. "Come to think of it, we can't tell what things Wayne did as himself, and which actions he did on behest of Eros."

"Don't you think we should let our friend rest first? What happened earlier was incomprehensible to mortals." Grace says, as he walks to the sofa and takes his seat.

"Well…" Bella connects the tips of her index fingers awkwardly. "We can talk about something that isn't related to the fight. I tried to draw that in my sketchbook."

Grace nods. "Okay, you know how I couldn't find Wayne because he had the same fog that obscured Eros and Virtus from my sight?"

"Yeah?", you hear Bella say.

"The time that Wayne started to have that fog is the time Eros seized control of his body. I still suspect that Eros was at least giving him directions in some form beforehand," Grace says.

You hear the door open.

((Proceed to 6.))

Wills emerges from the door, walking towards you.

"Oh, you're awake!", Wills says, his face shifting to a look of concern. "Do you feel better now?"

In serious demeanour, Grace tells Wills, "I wrote 'may go home' on the chart. A little more rest shouldn't hurt."

Wills' composure seems to have broken slightly. "I was asking our friend here, but I should have asked you, too, Grace. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Grace replies with a chuckle.

Wills heaves a sigh of relief. "Good. Are you both fine with me talking about Wayne and Eros? I was going to tell you all something, before they crashed our little party."

"We were just talking about him before you entered, dad," Bella replies enthusiastically.

"We all thought Eros died. Didn't we see it for ourselves a few months ago, in the perspective of Subetan time? He managed to regenerate from his self-explosion in Ytiva. Laying low, he stayed there until the Masquerade, following us to Atebus. Without enough energy to manifest a tangible human form, he used Wayne's obsession with us as leverage. Eros agreed to help Wayne capture us, as long as he would do exactly as he says."

"Are you saying that Wayne agreed to Eros taking control of his body? That's odd…," says Bella, as she twirls her pencil between her fingers.

Wills shrugs. "Wayne was experimenting with SimuLife chips, looking into ways to use them to administer potent stimulants. He eventually made modifications to the programming that would detect whether a person implanted with the chip is an alien or not. It scans for substances not present in any of Subeta's regular species." He takes out something from his pocket, and shows it to all of you, revealing a SimuLife chip. "To facilitate this, Wayne had to capture a few aliens and run laboratory analysis on alien body fluid samples. He found me as I was leaving Ziara City for the outskirts, and took me to his headquarters."

"How did he find and out you as an alien, if you're in your human form nearly all the time?", enquires a visibly confused Bella.

"I learned that it was Eros was already guiding him at that point." Wills hangs his head low, but none the sooner does his face light up. "Ah! I was talking to Anjy and Brandon while we were setting up for the party, and they told me that Eros pestered them for information about your whereabouts. When they couldn't give him any answers, he tried to dispose of them. He could have left them under the bridge as a trap. He wanted to lure you out. Wouldn't he kill them, otherwise?"

Seemingly deep in thought until now, Grace says, "I did not notice any of his associates around. The bridge was in a secluded part of Lower Ziara--"

You hear some noise. Bella, Grace, and Virtus are visibly startled.

Appearing slightly afraid, Bella inquires in a soft voice, "Where did that come from?" A look of panic spreads across her face, and you notice her grip on the bed railing. Before any of you can respond, the sound of something shattering surprises all of you. A muffled shriek follows, soon after, and all of you share alarmed glances.

Wills emerges from the door, walking towards you.

"Oh, you're awake!", Wills says, the boxes that obscure his head ever shifting. "Do you feel better now?"

Grace tells Wills, "I wrote 'may go home' on the chart. A little more rest shouldn't hurt."

You think you can see the shadow of a worried frown flash over Wills' face. "I--" His voice cracks slightly. "I was asking our friend here, but I should have asked you, too, Grace. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Grace replies with a chuckle.

Wills heaves a sigh of relief. "Good. Are you both fine with me talking about Wayne and Eros? I was going to tell you all something, before they crashed our little party."

"We were just talking about him before you entered, dad," Bella replies enthusiastically.

"We all thought Eros died. Didn't we see it for ourselves a few months ago, in the perspective of Subetan time? He managed to regenerate from his self-explosion in Ytiva. Laying low, he stayed there until the Masquerade, following us to Atebus. Without enough energy to manifest a tangible human form, he used Wayne's obsession with us as leverage. Eros agreed to help Wayne capture us, as long as he would do exactly as he says."

"Are you saying that Wayne agreed to Eros taking control of his body? That's odd…," says Bella, as she twirls her pencil between her fingers.

Wills shrugs. "Wayne was experimenting with SimuLife chips, looking into ways to use them to administer potent stimulants. He eventually made modifications to the programming that would detect whether a person implanted with the chip is an alien or not. It scans for substances not present in any of Subeta's regular species." He takes out something from his pocket, and shows it to all of you, revealing a SimuLife chip. "To facilitate this, Wayne had to capture a few aliens and run laboratory analysis on alien body fluid samples. He found me as I was leaving Ziara City for the outskirts, and took me to his headquarters."

"How did he find and out you as an alien, if you're in your human form nearly all the time?", enquires an audibly confused Bella.

"I learned that it was Eros was already guiding him at that point." Wills hangs his head low, but none the sooner does his face light up. "Ah! I was talking to Anjy and Brandon while we were setting up for the party, and they told me that Eros pestered them for information about your whereabouts. When they couldn't give him any answers, he tried to dispose of them. He could have left them under the bridge as a trap. He wanted to lure you out. Wouldn't he kill them, otherwise?"

Seemingly deep in thought until now, Grace says, "I did not notice any of his associates around. The bridge was in a secluded part of Lower Ziara--"

You hear some noise.

"Where did that come from?" Bella asks in a soft voice, her… head beating more rapidly. You notice her grip on the bed railing. Before any of you can respond, the sound of something shattering surprises all of you. A muffled shriek follows, soon after, and you give them an alarmed glance, as though all of them had eyes to see it.