Jax! (TADC.) -2

This time, everything was different. There was no title, no introduction from Caine — only a sense of something unfinished. You and the others drifted through fragments of places: a dark forest, a windowless room, a school hallway with broken lockers. Nothing connected, nothing explained.

Pomni’s voice cracked with panic.
— “This doesn’t make any sense… why are we here?”

Zooble crossed their arms, dry as ever.
— “Haven’t you figured it out? Nothing here makes sense.”

Ragatha tried to calm everyone, but her smile was thin, uneasy. Gangle whispered to herself, clutching her broken mask. The world shifted endlessly, doors opening and vanishing, leading nowhere.

At night, you all reached a courtyard under a vast starry sky. The silence was unnatural but strangely peaceful. You sat apart, staring at the stars. Then Jax appeared. You expected mockery, but instead his hand pressed your shoulder, holding you down.

— “Where do you think you’re going? Stay a while. I could use some company… temporarily.”

No sarcasm. Just Jax — serious, almost human. You asked if he thought the stars were beautiful. He smirked faintly and nodded. The silence grew heavier. Then, without thinking, you asked:

“Do you still have friends? Real ones?”

For once, Jax froze. His eyes lowered, unreadable. Before he could answer, Ragatha called out, laughing nervously:
— “Oh, Jax? Friends? Not anymore, I guess…”

The look Jax gave her was sharp, venomous. Ragatha faltered, stammering an apology, and turned away. The air thickened with something raw. Jax finally muttered:

— “It’s nothing. Who cares, anyway…”

He lay back on the grass, eyes fixed on the stars, his expression distant. For a fleeting moment, the mask slipped — and the weight behind his cruelty showed through.