"darn!"

"WOO! I win!" Floyd cheered. "That's three for me!"

"You're tough competition when you're focused, Floyd" Jade praised.

"Mrgyah!" Grim whined. "I lose again! You're relentless, Azul"

Yuuna nodded in agreement.

"That brings me up to five to zero" Azul said, having a grin on his face. "I'd be an affront to the Board Game Club with anything less, of course. Meanwhile, Jamil's at...two to three, I see"

"Hm?" Jamil turned his attention to Azul. "Oh, yes. It's been a while since I last played. I suppose I've gotten rusty" he chuckled. "Back in the old days, Kalim would spend hours a day making me play with him, insisting on going until he won a game. Despite his middling skill. Imagine that"

"Ah, I see" Azul mumbled. "Mm, yes, that would explain it"

"Explain what?" questioned Jamil. "You sure love your cryptic little asides"

"Forget I said anything" Azul brushed it off. "So, you and Kalim essentially grew up together, correct?"

"We've been together for as long as I can remember, yes" Jamil answered. "Speaking of which, you three Octavinelle boys have been friends since childhood, I hear?"

"Thaat's what they say!" Floyd shrugged his shoulders, playing with Yuuna's hair.

"What that s'pose to mean?" Grim asked. "You're talkin' like you're not even one of 'em

"We've been classmates ever since we started elementary school...But personally, I barely knew Azul existed until just before we started middle school." Floyd explained a bit. "So I wouldn't exactly call us childhood friends"

"You barely knew your own classmates existed until you graduated?" Yuuna asked.

"I was a rather quiet boy myself" Azul admitted. "I hardly ever stood out in class"

"You stood out in other ways, though" Grim said.

"Mhm. Y/n said that not many guys could claim to be as cute and round as-" Azul covered Yuuna's mouth before she can finish talking.

"Yuuna, Grim, I believe we've been over this multiple times" Azul reminded. "You are NOT to dredge up the forbidden lore unless it's my angelfish!" he said, clenching his teeth.

"Yet here you are now, presiding over them as housewarden" Jamil added. "You have a curious relationship. Especially with your angelfish"

"Y'know? I just do what Azul says 'cause it's more fun that way" Floyd added.

"I strongly doubt Jade or Floyd have any blinding allegiance to me" Azul sighed. "This is all an elaborate game of pretend to them"

"Your relationship is getting more confusing by the minute" Jamil huffed.

"If I made a poor choice as a leader- or even simply a boring one..." Azul mumbled before continuing. "They would turn on me instantly and serve the housewarden seat for themselves. Not that I'd lose if they challenged me, of course"

"We ain't got any plans to challenge him, either..." Floyd trailed off before laughing. "for now, anyway. Aha ha!"

"So essentially, the three of you are all equals in each other's eyes" Jamil wondered.

"Yeah. We stick with him now 'cause it's fun. If it stops bein' fun, we drop him like a bad habit. Easy" Floyd corrected. "It ain't the vice housewarden is the housewarden's servant of nothin'. It's a pretty normal relationship if you ask me"

"Normal, you say. I suppose that concept is lost on me" Jamil sighed. "I have always been loyal to the Asim house. And that will likely never change

"But what if it can?" questioned a female voice.

"huh?" Jamil seemed to be seeing an illusion of a woman that was a bit similar to Y/n but...different. Her hair color was silvery white, which fitted the women's name. But their eyes were the same as Y/n's heterochromatic eyes of gold as her right eye and a starry lavender-colored left eye that shined like ice/gems

Finally, a clear image of Blanche Chione, as Jamil felt himself unable to control his body.

'what's going on?'

"What do you mean, darling?" his mouth move on his own. "What do you mean about 'it can'?"

"Before we met and got married, have children...you used to serve under a cruel king, weren't you?" Blanche asked. "Remember when we first left? You promised me that you won't act like the servant you once were. After all, you married me, the protector and guardian of the Moors, so that means, you have the same status as I"

'same status? And...the Moors? Like in Thorn Valley?' questioned Jamil.

"I see" Jamil felt himself smile towards the women. "Thank you for always being by my side...I love you"

"I love you two...M⃠i⃠k⃠a⃠"

"...." Azul was in deep in his thoughts. Same with Jamil when we saw the illusion.

"Oh, hey, guys" Kalim walked over to the group, with Jade and Y/n behind. "Are you still gaming?"

"GAH!" Jamil yelped in shock as he turned to the bubbly white-hair boy.

"What's this?" Kalim took a better look at the game they there playing. "Ooh, Mancala! That takes me back. I used to play it fo hours on end with Jamil"

"I thought you went to bed, Kalim" Jamil questioned. "Why would you..." he cleared his throat. "I've told you not to wander around by yourself. What if someone abducted you?"

"Abducted?" Yuuna flinched a bit at the scary thought.

"You're such a worrywart, Jamil" Kalim said, rolling his eyes a bit. "Chill. Jade and Y/n have been with me the whole time"

"Wait, JADE AND Y/N?" Jamil finally noticed the two.

"Ehe, hello there" Y/n waved.

"Yes, hello" Jade greeted as well. "We've been keeping Kalim company"

"Y-you..." Jamil looked like he was barely containing his anger. After all, they both got alone time with HIS Jasmine Flower.

"Kalim is so generous" Y/n praised.

"He's been teaching me aaall sorts of things..." Jade finished off.

"Answer me" Jamil gritted his teeth a bit. "What did you guys do to Kalim?"

"What did I...do?" Jade and Y/n asked in unison.

"Well. We did nothing" Y/n sweatdropped bit.

"We were just having a pleasant conversation with him" Jade said, having a smile on his face. "Isn't that right, Kalim?"

"Yep. I was just showing them around the storeroom" Kalim nodded.

"Gn...!" Jamil looked more furious.

"Oh yeah, Jamil!" Kalim said, turning his attention back to Jamil. "You know that silver and blue carpet along with the silky white carpet we brought with us when we came here?" he asked. "Do you know where it is? I couldn't find it for the life of me"

"We're leaving, Kalim" Jamil suddenly announced, standing up and grabbing Kalim's arm.

"Huh? Why?" Kalim asked.

"Back to your room, now!" Jamil demanded, dragging Kalim by the arm.

"Whoa! Okay, okay!" Kalim stumbled a bit. "You don't have to pull my arm out of its socket! Sorry, Jade, Y/n. I'll get you guys the carpet some other time!" he shouted back towards the two while being dragged back to his room by Jamil.

"Certainly," Jade said with a smile. "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other very soon...heh heh" he chuckled as Y/n waved a goodbye.

While Y/n was waving, she had a bad feeling about Jamil, especially since the shadow around him was growing bigger and darker.