Chapter 18

Damien looked bewildered at y/n's response, "You can't be serious right now. After everything we've been through? All those memories? I know I could've been more direct, but so could you!! I know you felt something."

You felt heat rise to your face and your heart sink, because deep down you did harbor some feelings. However, over the past few weeks you'd fallen for Caine. The wacky west coast trip was all you'd known for that time. And you'd already begun mourning your real world relationships weeks ago. The memories faded and became distance with each day. You'd hiked the mountains of Colorado with everyone. Swam in the Florida keys. Gone to amusement parks. Driven along the golden coast. Gotten day drunk with best friends. Gambled at casinos. Swam in countless rivers and lakes with them. Shared countless meals. And it was the most fun you'd had in a long time.

"You don't get it Damien." You ball your fists at your sides.

He begins to raise his voice, "No. I don't. I don't get it at all." He stepped closer and began to grab your shoulders, "A few weeks in this digital hell? That's all it took?"

You jerk away from his grip, "No."

You look at him with tears forming, "Stop."

Damien began yelling, "Stop what?!! Stop convincing you to not play doll house with him? With that thing!!? Is he even real? Isn't he just some robot programmed to run this place?" Damien's chest heaves up and down as he breathes more quickly, "How do you know he even loves you?"

Tears were streaming down your face. The hot liquid burned, but not as much as Damien's words. You began to wonder if he was right. If you'd gone mad being trapped here. Sobs began racking your form, when suddenly a hand was placed on your shoulder.

"That's enough."

To your surprise Jax stood next to you. Pomni rushing behind him trying to catch up. Ragatha and the others slowly joining the commotion one by one.

Pomni began yelling at Damien, "What the hell?!! Why are you yelling at y/n? We can hear you from all the way across the damn circus."

Damien scoffed, "You're all gonna stand up for that freak aren't you. The one that keeps us trapped here in this sick game."

Meanwhile back in the office where Caine was left to watch it all go down, suddenly he began glitching out. Splashes of bright blue, red, and green pixels burst from his avatar. His mouth and eyes glitching from side to side. Unable to form a portal to teleport through, he gritted his teeth. His eyes closed slowly as he began taking in slow and deliberate breaths. The bright flashes of pixels faded away as the office around him began glitching out, including the circus itself.

"What the hell?" Zooble looked around as the walls nearby deteriorated and glitched.

Everyone fell silent as their reality began wavering. Walls warped and showed transparent textures below the digital surface. This went on for a few minutes. Leaving everyone silent and terrified.

Deep down Zooble knew what this was. She'd seen this before from Caine during a therapy session. One where at the end she wasn't even sure if the therapy was for her anymore.

Before anyone could regain some semblance of what to say. Things became quiet and still once more. The walls no longer shifted. Textures no longer peered through the digital surfaces.

Caine had suddenly appeared at the end of the hall. Though the walls had stopped shifting, some of the lights never came back on. The distant lights of the tent's living area dimly illuminated the hallway of doors. While the ones in the hallway remained off.

Everyone stood in silence as Caine just watched from behind Damien. The light of the living area illuminated each form, each form except for Caine's. He remained poised at the beginning of the darkness and the end of the light.

The scene was bone chilling. Damien felt his breathing hitch as his skin crawled with uncomfortable tingles. Caine's eyes bore into his body as he stared. Slowly Damien began to take shallow breaths again. Unable to move no matter how bad he wanted to, he was simply frozen in fear, eyes looking up to y/n once more for some sort of cry or plea for help or forgiveness.

Kinger broke the silence, "he's right behind you isn't he?"

Caine chuckled darkly before the lights flicked back on. "Sorry about that everyone!! I just wanted to check up on my little super stars. It seems there was a glitch in the coding and I just had to make some quick fixes."

You turned your head to face away hoping Caine wouldn't see tears streaming down. Fearful of what he might do if he found out.

Caine slowly floated forward past Damien. Damien unable to move as he stared at Caine's free floating form. Everyone watched as he floated over to y/n.

"Why won't you look at me my love?"

His words were laced with care and something else. Something menacing lingered beneath the surface of his question. As if he was on the verge of losing his mind.

You looked up, slowly, hesitating for a moment before looking into his eyes. Your face was puffy and red. Liquid still pouring from the corners of your eyes. Caine sighed and pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket, and began wiping away your snot and tears.

"Now this won't do. Hold still for one moment dear."

He gently cleaned your face as you occasionally hiccuped. Everyone there didn't dare make a move. Fearful of just what Caine would do if they made one wrong move. Even you were fearful. You stood deathly still as he cleaned your face. Your heart rate quickened as he put the handkerchief back in his coat pocket. The soft rustling of fabric was the only sound filling the halls.

Your eyes, open wide, scanned Caine's expression.

"Who did this, my love?"

He asked gently, but everyone there knew damn well there were never glitches in the circus. The lights shutting off and the walls glitching had never happened before. At least not for most. Zooble had seen it once before in a therapy session and knew instantly Caine was watching this display the moment it happened. Everyone else wasn't quite sure what was happening until Caine appeared. The walls glitching and circus lights shutting off were Caine's doing. And although everyone there knew, they didn't dare question why.

Your lack of response agitated Caine, "Tell me. Who did this?" His words less gentle and more demanding this time.

You took a moment before stammering, "it's no one's fault really, it's just he's new here and having a hard time adjusting."

Caine decided to cut the act, unsatisfied with your response. He turned to Damien, "To answer your question. To my knowledge. I do in fact love y/n."

Damien's blood ran cold as he slowly backed away from you and Caine.

"I love her dearly. So dearly that should you ever dare to hurt her again, I will send you to the cellar so fast your digital head will spin. I don't give a fuck who you think you are, but hurting y/n will not be tolerated."

Pomni gasped, "did he just curse without a censor?..."

Caine casually looked over to where Pomni was, "I want my point to get across. Loud and clear."

Damien let out a sigh of relief realizing he wasn't banishing him. At least not yet.

In a fearful panicked state Damien just parroted back to Caine, "Loud and clear"

Caine smiled a false smile, "Good."And with that he had vanished again. Everyone standing in the hallway stood there for a few minutes before slowly dispersing. The rest of the night was awkward and tense. Everyone remained in their rooms. Either trying to sleep or sleeping away the events of the night.

1340 words ❤️✨