[Scene: Allen and Elena's Room – Midnight] The house is silent except for the ticking of the clock in the hallway. Jeremy lies awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling. A strange, heavy feeling settles over him, as though the air itself is pressing down. He glances at the doorway, his mind drifting back to what his dad had said earlier about the board game.
Unable to shake the unease, he tiptoes out of his room and down the hallway, stopping just outside his parents' room. The door is ajar, and a faint light spills out into the dark corridor. He peers inside and freezes.
The board game is sitting on the desk, but it's no longer closed. The lid is propped open, and an eerie, swirling mist is spilling out from within. The strange symbols etched on its surface glow faintly, and the air hums with an unnatural energy.
Jeremy (whispering):"What is happening…"
Suddenly, the mist begins to take shape, coalescing into a shadowy figure with glowing eyes. It hovers just above the board game; its gaze fixed on Jeremy.
Shadowy Figure (in a low, distorted voice): "You have awakened the game. Now, the challenge begins..."
Jeremy stumbles back, his heart pounding in his chest. As he backs into the doorway, his parents stir awake. Allen is the first to notice the shadowy figure and leaps out of bed, grabbing a lamp for defence.
Allen (shouting): "What is this?! Who are you?!"
The shadowy figure doesn't respond but instead lets out a low, echoing laugh. Jeremy, Allen, and Elena stand frozen, watching as the figure begins to grow larger, its form twisting and writhing.
Just as the tension reaches its peak, the figure suddenly bursts apart, the mist dissolving into the air. Left in its place is a tiny, harmless-looking creature—a plump, mischievous imp with bat-like wings and an oversized grin.
Imp (cheerfully): "Surprise! I'm Jack, your game guide! Ready to play?!"
[Scene: Allen and Elena's Room – Aftermath] The room is silent for a moment as everyone stares at the imp, utterly baffled. Jack flutters up to Jeremy, pointing a tiny, clawed finger at him.
Jack: "You're the chosen one! The board picked you, kiddo. And lucky you, I'm here to help!"
Jeremy:[still in shock] "What… what are you even talking about?"
Jack:[matter-of-factly] "The Game of Fates! Super mysterious, very exciting, and only slightly dangerous. Now, let's get started!"
Allen and Elena exchange incredulous looks, still holding onto the lamp and the blanket as their makeshift weapons.
Elena:[sharply] "What do you mean 'dangerous'? Jeremy is not playing anything dangerous!"
Jack:[rolling his eyes] "Oh, relax, lady. It's just a bit of fun! A couple of riddles, some challenges, maybe a spooky shadow or two. Nothing too wild. Probably."
Jeremy stares at the imp, torn between terror and disbelief.
Jeremy: "I'm not doing this. I don't even want the game!"
Jack:[grinning mischievously] "Too late, buddy! You touched it, you started it. No backing out now. But don't worry, with my expert guidance, you'll be done in no time!"
Jack pulls out a tiny scroll and unrolls it dramatically, though it's clearly blank.
Jack:[in an overly grand voice] "Your first quest awaits! But first, snacks. I work better with snacks. Got any cookies?"
[Scene: Kitchen – Late Night Snack Time] Moments later, the family gathers in the kitchen, still reeling from what just happened. Jack perches on the counter, munching on a cookie while swinging his tiny legs.
Allen:[rubbing his temples] "This is ridiculous. A board game comes to life, and now we're feeding it snacks?"
Elena:[crossing her arms] "Well, at least it's not dangerous. Right?"
Jack grins up at her, crumbs falling from his mouth.
Jack: "Not dangerous at all! Unless you count the part where you might get turned into a chicken if you fail a challenge. But, hey, who doesn't love a good cluck?"
Jeremy groans, leaning his head on the table.
Jeremy: "This has to be a dream. It has to be."
Jack:[smirking] "Nope! Just your lucky day. Now, finish your snacks, folks. We've got a magical journey to start!"
[Scene: Myrathis High School – Lunch Break in the Courtyard] The group gathers at their usual spot in the courtyard, a sleek steel bench near the gargoyle-adorned fountain. Jace is mid-bite into his sandwich, Leo is sipping on a soda, and Amara has her notebook open, doodling absentmindedly. Jeremy sits with his arms crossed, his expression caught between disbelief and frustration.
Jeremy: "You're not going to believe what happened last night."
Jace:[grinning] "Oh, this has to be good. Spill it, man."
Jeremy:[sighing] "Okay, so remember the creepy board game? The one I told you about?"
Amara:[nodding eagerly] "The one with the weird symbols? Yeah, what about it?"
Jeremy: "Well, it wasn't in my room anymore. It was in my parents' room, just… sitting there on their desk like it owned the place."
Leo:[raising an eyebrow] "Weird. Are you sure your dad didn't move it or something?"
Jeremy: "That's what I thought at first! But then it started glowing." [his voice lowers for dramatic effect] "And that's when the mist appeared."
Jace:[choking on his sandwich] "Mist?! Dude, what kind of cursed board game is this?"
Amara:[leaning forward, intrigued] "Wait, it gets better, doesn't it? Please tell me it gets better."
Jeremy:[nodding vigorously] "Oh, it does. The mist turned into this shadowy figure with glowing eyes. It was all 'you have awakened the game,' super dramatic. I thought I was done for."
Leo:[laughing] "A shadow figure? Seriously? That sounds like something out of a horror movie."
Jeremy: "It felt like one! But then, right when I thought things couldn't get worse, the shadow exploded."
Amara:[wide-eyed] "Exploded?!"
Jeremy: "Yeah, and out of the smoke came… an imp."
The group falls silent for a moment, staring at Jeremy as if he's grown a second head. Jace is the first to break the silence with a snort.
Jace:[laughing] "An imp? Like, a tiny demon thing?"
Jeremy: "Exactly. It called itself Jack and said it was my 'game guide.' Then it demanded cookies."
Amara:[giggling] "Wait, wait, wait—your terrifying, mystical board game summoned a cookie-loving imp named Jack? This is amazing."
Leo:[smirking] "Did you feed it?"
Jeremy:[throwing up his hands] "Of course we fed it! What else were we supposed to do? It was sitting on the counter, munching cookies like it owned the place, while my dad tried to figure out if we should call a priest or an exterminator."
The group bursts into laughter, each of them picturing the absurdity of the scene.
Jace:[wiping a tear from his eye] "Man, Jeremy, your life is like a sitcom. I wish I could've been there to see it."
Amara: "So, what now? Is Jack still around?"
Jeremy:[shaking his head] "No idea. The board game's gone, and my parents think I dreamed the whole thing. But I swear it was real."
Leo:[grinning] "If Jack ever comes back, let us know. Sounds like we're missing out on some epic adventures."
Jeremy:[rolling his eyes] "Trust me, you don't want to meet him. The guy's a menace."
The conversation shifts to lighter topics, but Jeremy can't help but feel a lingering unease. Deep down, he knows this isn't the last he'll hear from Jack—or the game.
note: jack is Jeremys younger brother