byler "Critical Roll"

Autumn 1986. After the events of the past, Hawkins seemed to finally be living a peaceful life. The only place where oddities were considered normal was the Hellfire Club, led by Eddie Munson. It was there that Will Byers felt at home.

Unlike the quiet boy he once was, Will had learned to speak frankly. He no longer let people make decisions for him, wasn't afraid to argue, and rarely let new acquaintances get close to him.

Midway through the semester, Mike Wheeler unexpectedly arrives at the club. Eddie welcomes him without question—another player never hurts. The others quickly warm to the newcomer, but Will remains wary. He's too self-assured, too talkative... and too quick to become part of the group.

Every game turns into a mini-competition. They argue over the rules, tease each other, and constantly find themselves on opposite sides of the table. Mike doesn't understand why Will meets his every word with a cold stare, and Will convinces himself that he simply doesn't want to get attached again to someone who could disappear as quickly as he appeared.

Even Eddie starts to joke that the two of them fight more often than they roll the dice.

But one particularly difficult campaign changes everything. To save the squad, their characters must work together. For the first time, they stop arguing and start listening to each other. After the game, the tension doesn't disappear—it just changes.

Sometimes the strongest friendships begin not with trust, but with the desire to prove the other person wrong.