Here's the chapter.
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That said, have a great night and enjoy the chapter!
(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori.
[...]---[...]
Title: After Reincarnating into a World Where Various TV Shows and Movies Are Real, I Was Invited to a Dimensional Group Chat—But One of the Other Members Is an Overpowered Protagonist Pretending to Be a Normal Guy for Some Unknown Reason!
POV: Eleonore Blanc Castle
"Blergh!"
Shit, I shouldn't have eaten pasta…
I was on my knees in the sparse grass, my right hand braced against the ground as I threw up. The acidic taste of bile burned my throat. The yellowed sheet of that damned mission was crumpled inside my clenched left fist.
The Mist. Stephen King. The Dark Tower…
I knew it. Of course I knew it. What halfway decent writer doesn't know the damn "King of Horror"?
My mind started projecting images of what was to come. My stomach churned even harder, forcing out more than I'd eaten before appearing at the camp.
"Easy, easy… it's okay." Devas' voice was calm—almost irritatingly steady and gentle. He was close. Kneeling beside me? "Exhale, one, inhale, two… One, two…"
I felt his hand on my back, tracing slow, soothing circles.
I stayed there for a few more seconds, following the rhythm of his voice as I tried to steady myself, staring at the ground until the waves of nausea subsided.
When I finally managed to sit back on my heels, I felt something cold touch my left cheek.
A 500 ml bottle of mineral water.
I blinked in confusion before grabbing the plastic bottle Devas was holding out with trembling hands.
I managed to force out a low, hoarse "Thanks" before twisting off the cap and filling my mouth with the cold liquid.
I swished it quickly to get rid of the taste of bile and spat it onto the grass. I took a second sip, feeling the water slide down, cooling and washing away the bitterness in my throat.
I was about to take a third sip when my brain finally caught up.
I froze with the bottle still at my lips, eyes widening slightly. Slowly, I turned my head toward Devas, then lowered my gaze to the gray sweatpants he was wearing.
They were loose, sure—but they didn't have cargo pockets. Just regular side pockets. There hadn't been any bulge there before. I'd looked. There was no way I could've missed the fact that he had a 500 ml plastic bottle in his pocket!
Where the hell did he pull that from?
I stared at him as I took another sip. Devas stood up before offering me his hand. I grabbed it—his skin was strangely smooth and soft—and he practically hauled me to my feet without any effort.
"How?" I asked, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
Without a word, he slipped his hand into his right pocket.
When his fingers came back out, they were holding a small, dark gray cloth pouch with a rustic look. It appeared scaly and rough. The opening was tied shut with a dark linen cord.
It was small enough to fit in half his palm.
"My beginner's gift," he replied—without me even asking what it was—lightly shaking the little bag before slipping it back into his pocket. "Moke-Skin Pouch. You know—"
"Harry Potter!" I blurted out, my voice going higher as part of my fear and dread was shoved aside. "It's from the world of Harry Potter!"
I'd literally grown up reading Harry Potter. I picked up the first book when I was nine—a birthday present, a year after its official release, from the first wave of translations into France.
I read all the books more times than I could count, watched every movie, collected wands—and that saga was the reason I became a writer. My very first story was a Harry Potter fanfic!
I grabbed his right wrist.
"Let me see!" I demanded, tugging on his arm.
Devas, wisely—for the sake of his physical well-being—didn't resist. He simply watched, amused, with that single honey-brown eye as I pulled his hand out of his pocket and snatched the pouch.
It was light, like an empty wallet. I ran my fingers over the fabric. It was just as rough and scaly as it looked—like stroking a lizard's skin. It would probably shimmer in sunlight if the sky weren't completely gray.
I peered inside. It was empty—or rather, it looked empty. I almost stuck my hand inside, but managed to stop myself at the last second.
If it worked like the original, I wouldn't be able to pull anything out anyway—and given the strange enchantments of this world, I might lose a finger. Or my entire hand.
I lifted my chin and looked at the one-eyed man.
"I'm not giving it to you," he stated.
I opened my mouth.
"It's not for sale either." I felt a part of me shrivel up and die. "And even if I wanted to, it's bound to me. Only the owner—me—can take things out. It's a pretty efficient security system."
I know that, you didn't have to remind me! I let out a growl. Of course it's efficient. It's magic, for fuck's sake! Literal magic!
My mind raced.
I hadn't seen any kind of trading or selling system in the Group Chat. Even the Nameless Shop didn't seem accessible yet. If there was something physical at the camp, I hadn't seen it either.
Gathering my willpower, I handed the Moke-Skin Pouch back with a heavy sigh. Envy, greed—my inner nerd and hoarder just wanted to grab it and run.
"That's so unfair…" I muttered, closing the water bottle and handing it back to him.
"Was the item you got bad?" He grabbed the bottle and tossed it into the pouch before slipping it back into his pocket.
"No, it's just…" I let out another sigh, this one more tired and disappointed. "Never mind."
With the euphoria of seeing something magical from the world of Harry Potter fading, the thoughts about the mission I'd just read started creeping back in. Part of my stomach twisted again.
I swallowed hard, keeping whatever was left inside me where it belonged.
I looked down at the yellowed mission sheet that had fallen when I let go of it to grab Devas' wrist. It was lying beside my vomit—at least it hadn't gotten dirty.
I bent down and picked it up before continuing the conversation, just to keep my mind busy.
"How much space does it have inside?" I asked. "What are you keeping in there?"
"It's small—just ten square meters." I almost punched him. How was ten square meters inside a palm-sized pouch small?! "I stocked it with supplies, clothes, weapons, some survival gear. A bit of everything, basically."
I nodded slowly. That was good. At least I wasn't the only one who'd thought about preparing.
"Any firearms?" I asked.
"A few," he confirmed, before glancing at the paper in my hand and then at the vomit on the ground. I took a few steps to the side. "You threw up."
"Remarkable intellect and perception," I shot back. He huffed, not looking offended.
Talking to him was weird. Annoying and nice at the same time.
"Good coping mechanism," he said as he started walking again. I didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second before following him into the Fleetwood.
The moment we stepped inside, a wave of relief hit me so hard my vision went dark at the edges for a second. I tapped my cheeks lightly and focused.
"You know The Mist," he said, settling into the driver's seat. "That's why you threw up."
"You know it too?" I asked, shutting the door behind me and sitting beside him, to his left, facing him.
Devas nodded slowly, his gaze drifting somewhere past me. I would've been happy if he were staring at my ass—but it looked like he was seeing something far off in the distance instead.
I felt a chill crawl up the back of my neck and slowly turned my head to look in the same direction: nothing.
At least nothing I could see. Just the camp, the circular plaza, and in the distance what looked like an iron gate at the entrance.
"I know it," he finally replied, drawing my attention back to him. "But I can't say I'm a superfan. I don't know every detail."
"I… think I have it saved," I muttered, biting the nail of my thumb.
My voice came out slightly nasal from talking around my nail.
"I downloaded a bunch of stuff onto my laptop for the mission. Mostly movies and PDF survival guides. I didn't know if we'd have internet access, so I backed up everything that might be useful."
Devas arched an eyebrow, looking impressed. "Impressive."
"You didn't think of that, did you?" I lifted my chin.
"I did." I felt my small victory die. "I'm just impressed you did too."
He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a large-screen phone—this time one that made my so-called "latest generation" flip-phone piece of crap look exactly like what it was: crap.
What year was his world from? …It looked like something that would've been a recent flagship release in my old world. There was no brand or logo on it.
He gave the phone a small shake before tucking it back into his pocket, looking at me with slightly narrowed eyes.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing…" He waved a hand dismissively. "There's a pretty big library of downloaded movies and books on here. Some anime too. We can compare collections later."
I pulled my thumb out of my mouth and laced my fingers together, trying to control the trembling.
"The Chat didn't give us a time limit to start the mission. So we can stay here at the camp for a while, right?" It was half a question, half a statement. "We can watch the movie and follow the script. Or… more or less."
The movie's in English. Ellie, Bella, and Ashley shouldn't have trouble understanding it, but Maomao might… The Group Chat translated everything so far—maybe it'll translate the movie too? If not, I can narrate it for her.
I let my thoughts wander for a moment.
"That's an advantage. For us." Devas nodded, looking ahead again, off into the distance. He spoke without looking at me. "The movie and the book have different endings."
…Fuck.
A bitter taste filled my mouth that had nothing to do with the earlier vomit. I barely even remembered the book…
"Right. Good point." I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "Which one do you think we'll get?"
"Doesn't matter." He shrugged. "Our presence alone will change things. The ending will be different. It's the middle that matters."
"And that middle involves monsters from another dimension, tentacles, and fana—"
"THUD! THUD! THUD!"
The sharp, heavy sound of fists slamming against the metal door echoed violently through the confined space.
"AHHH!"
The scream tore out of my throat before I could process the noise.
My tense body reacted on pure instinct and accumulated panic as random images flooded my mind.
Monsters. The Mist. Tentacles. Death.
My right hand flew frantically to the holster of my Taurus as I tried to push myself up from the seat, my legs kicking against the floor to get away from the door on my left as if the Devil himself were about to come bursting through it.
In my panic, my boot caught on something—the rotating base of the seat or the worn carpet, I had no idea. The world tilted.
I completely lost my balance. My free arm flailed in the air, trying to grab onto anything. At least I didn't end up shooting myself with the Taurus.
"Woah…"
Instead of hitting the hard floor or the dashboard, my ass landed on solid thighs. My back collided with a chest as hard as a wall.
"Open this shit! It's fucking weird out here, feels like absolute crap!"
Ellie's muffled, irritated voice came from outside.
I froze.
The girls… No monsters. No mist. No creatures…
A shaky breath left my lungs. The corners of my eyes burned faintly as my grip on the Taurus tightened.
I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry…
God, I fucking hated this godforsaken place!
"Comfortable?" Devas' voice vibrated against my back. There was amusement in his tone.
…And there was that, too, wasn't there?
Of course I couldn't have just fallen onto the floor. No, I had to trip and land right in his lap. Naturally.
I restrained myself from replying that yes, actually, it was very comfortable.
My emotions were already so tangled and raw that adding lust for a guy young enough to be my son into the mix would probably give me an aneurysm.
"Not. One. Word." I turned to him, growling.
Once again, wisely, he stayed silent. He was smart—I'd give him that.
I took my hand off the Taurus and placed it on his shoulder, while my left hand braced against the steering wheel, pushing myself upright.
It took me a second to steady myself and regain my balance. I adjusted my coat and tried to ignore the fact that my heart felt like it was trying to tunnel its way out of my ribcage.
I turned toward the door. Ellie was still pounding on it, even harder now.
"Are you two fucking in there or what?! Open this shit!"
Filthy-mouthed brat…
I walked over to the side door. I'd locked it instinctively when I came in, hadn't I? I sighed and flipped the upper latch.
With a sharp "clack," the bolt slid aside. Then I unlocked the handle and pulled the door inward.
The damp, cold air of the camp rushed in—along with that unnerving sensation of being watched.
Ellie practically stormed into the vehicle, shoving me aside as she climbed in with her backpack still on, followed by Maomao and Bella.
Ashley came in right after them, looking like a completely different person.
The blonde had managed to wash all the dirt off her face and arms.
Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, still wet, clinging to her neck and dripping onto the gray hoodie I'd lent her. She was wearing jeans that, though a little loose at the waist, still fit her well.
She smelled like my soap.
"Finally!" Ellie exclaimed, tossing her backpack onto the L-shaped couch before flopping down onto it.
Now that I could look properly, without the rush, she was clean too.
The brat was now wearing a clean black T-shirt and dark twill pants. The freckles on her face were visible without the layer of grime.
Her reddish-brown hair, like Ashley's, was still damp, but tied back into a short ponytail that dripped slowly.
As soon as Ashley stepped in, I didn't waste any time closing the door. When that cold, constant sensation of being watched faded away, I heard four relieved sighs besides my own.
"So…" Ellie was the first to speak, her gaze shifting between Devas and me. "I heard a scream. Were you two fu—"
"No!" I cut her off. "You precocious little brat. We were just talking and I got startled by the banging on the door, that's all."
"And you had to 'talk' with the door locked?" she teased, eyes half-lidded.
I rubbed my forehead. Dealing with kids and teenagers had always been a pain.
"In case you didn't notice, standing out there feels like crap," I replied. I saw her shiver slightly, the others nodding in agreement. "Keeping the door shut keeps that feeling out. I locked it without thinking."
Ellie nodded and dropped the subject.
Devas spoke next, standing up and extending his hand to Ashley.
"We didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves earlier. I'm Devas. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Graham." His tone was polite.
Ashley hesitated for a moment, looking him up and down, before taking his hand and shaking it.
"Just Ashley is fine. My status doesn't mean much right now." She let go, muttering the last part. "Or the past few days, to be honest."
"Nice to meet you, Devas."
He nodded in return and turned to Bella.
"My apologies for not greeting you earlier. You didn't seem very comfortable, and I didn't want to cause any trouble." He extended his hand again. "Devas."
Bella flinched slightly for some reason. Her body language was kind of odd, actually—she always seemed like she was in pain and moved stiffly.
"Isabella Marie Swan, but you can call me Isabella or Bella… Just…" She seemed to fumble over her own words. She grabbed his hand quickly and released it just as fast. "Bella. Call me Bella."
Devas didn't seem to mind and simply nodded again.
I was grateful for the moment they were interacting—it gave me time to gather my thoughts and calm down. I used my right thumb to massage the palm of my left hand, then switched and did the same the other way around.
MaoMao was the next to speak. She had been looking around curiously, but when she saw the last two introductions were over, she stepped forward.
"I found twelve coins, one in each room, just as Lord Devas said." She pulled a small grayish-white pouch from her waist, and it jingled with a metallic clink. "Ellie and I searched the rest of the cabin for a while, but we didn't find anything else."
I blinked, forcing myself to focus.
They'd already searched the cabin? Had Ashley and Ellie finished their showers? Had that much time passed without me noticing?
And "Lord"?
Devas nodded in acknowledgment.
"You can drop the 'Lord.' Just Devas is fine. And good thinking, searching beyond the bedrooms." He praised her before glancing around. "Are those all your suitcases?"
"No," I said, having already noticed mine were missing. "I brought three. They're not here."
"We left them in the cabin," MaoMao explained. She seemed to be acting as spokesperson. "I only brought clothes for Ashley and Ellie." The way she pronounced their names sounded slightly off—especially Ashley's—even with the Group Chat translation. "I didn't want to touch your things without permission."
That was considerate of her. Unfortunately, that consideration meant I'd have to go back outside—which I really didn't want to do.
I looked at Devas. I didn't have to say anything; he let out a mildly exasperated sigh and shook his head slightly, mostly to himself.
"I'll go get them. I need to grab mine too. You can explain things to the others in the meantime." He walked to the motorhome door and opened it.
The cold wind rushed in with a howl. That distant feeling of being watched returned. I shivered.
"What's your room number?"
"Number [6]." I replied, forcing myself not to tell him to hurry up and close the door.
He was being kind by going to get my luggage. I didn't want to be rude.
Without another word, he stepped out and shut the door behind him. The interior instantly felt warm and comfortable again.
I let out a relieved sigh.
[…]
"So, we're going to die."
"No!"
MaoMao was taking everything far more calmly than I expected. And by calmly, I mean she seemed borderline apathetic in a way that made it feel like there was something slightly wrong with her grass-filled little head.
The others had more predictable reactions when I explained what we'd be dealing with. Bella, who said she'd read some of Stephen's books, rushed to the bathroom to throw up.
Ashley and Ellie weren't familiar with the hellish universe we were about to enter, but they clearly grasped the danger. Their expressions were dark.
Something between terrified, anxious, overwhelmed—and trying to understand why life was cruel enough to hand them a fate like this.
To be fair, I was projecting all of that.
I couldn't read people like an open book. They were just sitting quietly on the couch. MaoMao and I were at the front of the motorhome—me in the driver's seat, her leaning against the dashboard like I had earlier with Devas.
And speaking of him, half an hour had already passed and he still hadn't come back.
Just as I was starting to get worried, the motorhome door opened. Cold wind swept in along with the only man in our group, carrying my three suitcases—two in one hand and one in the other—with a larger suitcase strapped to his back. Probably his.
I would've asked why he even had a suitcase when he owned a Moke-Skin Pouch, but I assumed the magical bag was already full.
"You took your time," I commented as he shut the door. "Did something happen?"
"Nah, I was just leaning against the side outside for about twenty minutes." He set the suitcases down and rolled his shoulder. "I figured I'd stay out. The drama in here sounded tedious to deal with, so I left it in your capable hands."
"…"
"…Has anyone ever told you you're incredibly unpleasant?"
"A few times," he confirmed, not looking offended in the slightest. "Are you all done? Can we hit the road?"
Before I could answer, Ashley spoke up from the back.
"How about… no?" she suggested. "There's nothing forcing us to go, right? We could just stay here and not drive toward man-eating monsters."
"I agree!" Bella shouted from the bathroom.
"Same," Ellie added. "I already deal with monsters who eat people back home. I'd rather not expand the list."
Devas shut down their hopes bluntly. "And starve?"
He pointed toward the windshield with his thumb, indicating the outside.
"There's nothing here. No civilization. No stores. The only food we have is what the Frenchwoman and I brought." He stated it plainly. "Sure, there's the forest. Maybe there's something we can hunt inside the fog."
Instinctively, I turned to look at the distant tree line. I probably wasn't the only one.
Maybe it was my imagination, but something inside the pale white fog seemed to shift in a deeply unsettling way.
I slowly looked away, making no comment and no sudden movements.
I didn't see anything. Nothing saw me. Let's keep it that way. I like it that way…
"Could we plant something?" Ellie suggested uncertainly.
Devas turned to MaoMao.
"Do you have any seeds that grow fast enough to mature before our food runs out?"
She blinked twice and slipped a hand inside her clothing, pulling out a small spongy object, half brown, half gray. It was about the size of a little finger.
"I have this. It's a fungus. It grows in three days." Just as a fragile spark of hope began to form, she continued: "It's poisonous."
Then she popped it into her mouth and ate it.
"Should I dig a hole to bury you, or is dumping your body in the forest fine?" Devas asked in a mildly morbid tone.
"I have resistance," she explained calmly, offering a small smile. "The poison would cause severe diarrhea that would normally kill someone, but I've built up near immunity over the years. Still, I'd prefer to be buried if I died. That way mushrooms and fungi could grow on my corpse."
"…"
"Fascinating…" He stared at her as if she were some magical creature. I imagined my face looked about the same. Devas clapped his hands twice. "Anyway, shall we?"
Reluctantly—myself included, aside from Devas—we began our journey.
Deciding who would drive was basically a process of elimination. MaoMao was the first one out; she didn't even know what a car was.
Ellie was next. The teenager really, really wanted to drive—but was unanimously vetoed to prevent the motorhome from kissing a tree.
Ashley and Bella were next. Both knew how to drive—at least normal cars—and Bella had experience with pickup trucks. But neither of them wanted to take the wheel.
That left Devas and me.
"Can you drive?" he asked.
"I can. But I've never driven something this big," I admitted. "You?"
"I've got experience." He sat down in the driver's seat. "Primary and backup?"
"Primary and backup," I agreed easily.
"Go ahead and put the movie on for everyone if you want," he said as he started the engine. The motorhome key had been in the ignition since the first time we got in.
We weren't worried about not having enough time to finish the movie. On the back of the yellowed sheet, there were additional mission details.
I flipped the page over with still-trembling hands. The back contained more instructions written in the same impeccable handwriting, outlining the logistics of this insanity.
The words were written in the same elegant script:
[…]
[Mission Logistics]
[Starting Point:] Nameless Camp.
[Destination:] Food House Supermarket — Bridgton, Maine.
[Route:] Exit via the circular plaza road and follow the single stone path until the pavement changes to asphalt. Remain on the main highway without taking any detours. The route will end directly at the access road to the Food House parking lot.
[Estimated Time:] 4 to 6 hours of travel (fog density may affect visibility and speed).
[Transportation Notice:] It is strictly recommended that no member exit the vehicle before reaching the supermarket parking lot coordinates.
[…]
Four to six hours. Sitting that long would make my ass hurt like hell. Hard pass.
As for getting out of the motorhome, that had never even crossed my mind.
While Devas drove the Fleetwood around the central plaza of the camp, he stopped just before the gate and commented:
"I'll need to open it. Looks manual." He stood up and released the seat. "Take the wheel. I'll be right back."
I slid into the driver's seat and watched him open the door and step out quickly. I kept my eyes on him as he walked toward the camp gate.
The gate was exactly what you'd expect from a place this strange and ominous: made of dark wood, almost black, with thick, heavy beams forming a large X that connected to the same dark wooden fence enclosing the camp at the forest's edge.
At the center of the wooden X, I could make out what looked like a large iron padlock secured by a thick, rusted chain.
From where I sat—about twenty meters away—I could vaguely see a key already inserted into the lock, and above it… what looked like another damned yellowed sheet of paper.
Please, God, let that not be some kind of bizarre rule list we have to follow on the road to avoid dying. Let it just be a "have a nice trip" note. Please, please…
I prayed silently while keeping my eyes on Devas.
He grabbed the paper first. He stared at it for three or four seconds—I couldn't make out his expression from that distance—before folding it and slipping it into his pocket. Then he took hold of the key and turned it.
The sound of metal grinding against metal reached me even through the motorhome's windows. A sharp, dry crack echoed through the camp as the padlock opened.
There was no way in hell that was just a normal lock. What the fuck was that—a seal?
Devas pushed the two halves of the gate open. The rattle of chains echoed outward, a far more ordinary sound than the strange snap of the lock.
He was seriously strong—the gate opened with surprising ease despite its size and apparent weight. He pushed one side fully open, then the other.
The road ahead was made of stone, stretching into the distance and disappearing into pale white fog. On both sides lay the same forest surrounding the camp, the trees partially swallowed by that same ghostly fog.
Devas stepped a few paces outside the camp. He crouched, examining something on the ground, running a hand over the stone road before standing and scanning the forest around him.
He spent several long seconds staring at each side and into the treeline before stepping aside, clearing the path. He gestured with his hand toward me and then toward the road—signaling me to move forward.
"Does that guy have balls of steel or what…?" Ellie muttered beside me.
I would've jumped if I hadn't heard her muffled footsteps on the carpet. Not just her—MaoMao stood next to Ellie, with Ashley and Bella hanging a bit farther back.
Apparently, they were all interested in what was happening.
"And I'm grateful for that…" I murmured, tightening my grip on the steering wheel.
I drove the motorhome forward slowly, getting used to the steering, until we crossed the threshold and left the camp behind.
The sensation of exiting the camp was subtle—but unmistakable. Even inside the motorhome, I felt it deep in my bones.
Something was… wrong.
I didn't know what. Just—wrong.
God, I hated this damned place.
I kept my eyes fixed on the road and the forest around us, slightly paranoid. I heard the others moving around inside the Fleetwood, probably heading to the back to see what Devas was doing through the rear window.
The only one who stayed beside me was MaoMao, silently watching the road.
"We were lucky," she stated a few seconds later.
I heard that same sharp metallic snap again—this time likely the padlock closing.
Moments later, Devas opened the motorhome door and stepped inside, bringing a gust of cold wind and that unnerving sensation with him—until the door shut and only he remained.
He looked as calm as ever, seemingly unaffected by whatever was out there. In his right hand, he held a large rusted metal key—the one from the lock.
"Creepy little place," he commented casually, giving a small whistle. "Four out of ten. Wouldn't recommend for vacation."
I stared at him silently for a moment.
"…Yeah," I agreed—both with him and with MaoMao.
We were lucky.
[...]---[...]
It's both fun and kind of strange to write from Eleonore's point of view.
Not just because she's a woman—I've written from other female perspectives before—but because she's normal. She's a normal woman thrown into a completely shitty situation.
Does she have her quirks? Sure. For example, she's a nearly middle-aged woman in a young adult's body. She has a few habits and some issues rattling around in her head, too. But overall, she's mentally healthy, stable and normal.
Even so, when you compare Devas falling into Terraria with Eleonore ending up at the Nameless Camp, there are clear differences between them. Devas was disturbed from the very beginning—insane, even. It just wasn't that obvious at first. But if you look at his choices and the way he reacts, compared to her, it becomes much more apparent.
All in all, it's been a nice change of pace in terms of writing.
Originally, the chapter was supposed to end with them arriving at the supermarket. But since it's been a while since I watched The Mist, I decided to save that for the next chapter. I'll need to rewatch the movie.
I won't drag this out any longer—good night, everyone, and enjoy the chapter!