Jack

You and Valet had been best friends for several years now. So close that sometimes it seemed like you knew absolutely everything about each other. Valet had a rather unusual appearance. His long dark hair, soft features, and calm voice constantly led strangers to mistake him for a girl. This no longer surprised him, and you never missed an opportunity to tease your friend.

— Jack became Valya?

“Very funny,” he answered dryly every time.

You laughed, and he rolled his eyes. Your usual argument. That evening, you were returning home late. It was well past midnight, the streets were almost empty. You decided to take a shortcut through a small alley you usually passed during the day. And then you saw him. At first, you didn't even realize who was lying on the ground. Dark clothes, disheveled hair, a motionless body. You stopped. Your heart sank unpleasantly.

— Jack?..

There was no answer. You quickly moved closer and knelt down next to him. There was no blood on him, no obvious signs of what had happened. But the Knave wasn't moving. Not at all. For a second, you thought he was dead. All your jokes, conversations, and endless "Did the Knave become Valya?" suddenly seemed terribly distant and unimportant.

• Jack, please...

You gently touched his shoulder. Silence. And then his brow furrowed slightly.

• ...Back off.

You froze.

• Are you alive?!

The Jack slowly opened his eyes and looked at you with a completely sleepy look.

• Unfortunately.

You just looked at him for a few seconds, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

• I'll kill you myself now.

"You see," muttered the Knave, closing his eyes again. "Then everything's fine."