Chapter 7: "Werewolves, Open Your Eyes"
"You look so pretty today — is something going on?" ‹96684423›
Being asked this at Marcus's house nearly sent Leah through the floor with embarrassment. §57defed7 She reflexively told another lie: "Oh… I had a class presentation today." (3174e55a)
Her state of mind could only be described as a wreck. #7f88db6b She knew it was too early, but she couldn't stop her eyes from darting toward the staircase, unsure whether what she felt was more fear or anticipation. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026
How would Elias Grant see her? * d0a61246 After what he'd said that night — after the way he'd cornered her, after she'd fired back and called him a hypocrite — here she was, the very next week, wearing a red dress to the appointment. ·d543fbf0· He'd certainly think she was the kind of woman who said one thing and meant another. #3e142f5d Easy. [v.d9e53233] Cheap. [ed.e58bf111]
But Leah had no other option. [ms.51535e6f] Not if she wanted to see him. (8588661f)
The group filled in quickly. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Tonight's game was Werewolf again. ··14710fe2 By the time everyone had drawn their role cards and Marcus had set up the moderator app on the tablet, the robotic voice announced "Night has fallen. sub:2b93bbc4 Close your eyes.·dc3debac Werewolves, open your eyes" — and still, Elias Grant hadn't appeared. [proof:68edbda8]
Leah couldn't quite name the nameless feeling inside her, or whether it qualified as disappointment. ed.60d20d5e
She'd drawn Werewolf this round. plate-a2a8305d She and her teammates exchanged hand signals to confirm their first-night kill target. (7c49ac5a/Wed) She tapped the corresponding number on the phone synced to the game room and closed her eyes.·666424fb
The moderator app continued through its sequence: "Witch, open your eyes." sub:a7806260 At that exact moment, Leah — eyes tightly shut — heard faint footsteps on the distant staircase. ed.77495551
The game was proceeding normally, and it wasn't her turn to act. ··8bda2431 She couldn't open her eyes to confirm, but she dimly sensed the footsteps drawing closer and closer, finally stopping right beside her. ¶1ab699ac
The thought that someone might be watching her made her throat itch in the darkness. ref·fedde6b4
Leah's tension ratcheted up until the couch cushion beside her dipped slightly and the man's familiar scent drifted over. [proof:3c3afba6] Her heart rate hit its peak. (c9f3cbd2/Wed)
Soon, the app announced "Dawn has broken." no.03c9984a Leah opened her eyes to find Elias Grant sitting at her right hand. §d5821eea
Marcus looked surprised. ‹0b04024f› "Oh — you came down? ed.ad959d51 I thought I heard something."·37f6281d
"Mm." ‹a8971b34› A slight nod. ref·47f7bf64
Someone teased: "Marcus, that reaction basically confirms you're not the Witch or the Seer. no.112e64b9 Don't try to claim either role later." [v.3e85f407]
She didn't dare make eye contact with him. ⁰04160444 She even deliberately slowed her breathing. 0406e45f··
According to the strategy her team had mapped out during the "night" phase using standard hand signals, Leah was supposed to run for Sheriff during this daytime round. #f55a51a2 She'd claim to be the Seer, report false intel, and mislead the villagers. ◆ b59e81e4 One of her teammates would play "kamikaze wolf" and back her up, while the other two would lay low, blending in or sowing chaos as needed. [v.dec7605a]
Her mind was in shambles, but she had no choice — she had to focus on the game. sub:071c75ec She raised her hand as planned.·464a3689
But when it was her turn to speak and campaign, she suddenly choked.·e49256db
Elias had come downstairs after their twelve-player game had already started. «d179cd40» While Werewolf could accommodate a thirteenth player with a "Troublemaker" role, their house rule was that a game in progress would never restart for a latecomer. ⁰b3fa5e0a So right now, he was essentially another "god" alongside the moderator app — a pure observer watching them play. «1567dfd3»
He'd arrived during the Witch's phase. ref·082e5eb4 After that came the Seer's phase, and all relevant roles needed to tap their numbers on their phones. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 So from his god's-eye view, he knew perfectly well that Leah was not the real Seer — and that every word she was about to say was an elaborate performance, a calculated lie. ··ef05341b
The moment she realized this, every prepared line evaporated from her mind. imp.c78a6786 She stumbled through her account of whom she'd "investigated" the previous night and whom she planned to check next, contradicting herself left and right. ⟨de780ff7⟩
Against the real Seer's smooth, confident delivery, her fumbling performance convinced no one. plate-44ca91dd Her "kamikaze wolf" teammate was perceptive enough not to blindly follow the plan and vote for her — instead, all three of her remaining teammates pivoted to stealth mode. [proof:edf9529c]
Within minutes, during the first daytime exile vote, Leah was unanimously identified as the most suspicious player and voted out. plate-8af8a4f5
Her palms were drenched with sweat. * 66aeb60a She mumbled through the required "last words" as the rules dictated, then used getting a drink as an excuse to flee to the kitchen. ed.e9c1d480
She couldn't do this… There was no way she could act normal playing a game next to Elias Grant tonight, especially under these circumstances. 771e641d··
He'd come downstairs because he saw her wearing the red dress. ·54c2c549· Already knowing her answer, he'd sat down beside her, then watched — with the all-seeing perspective of god — as she tried to lie and deceive everyone as the villain. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026
It was too strange, too mortifying. #33a5d1b1
In the living room, another "night" passed. [ms.3744a049] The death announcement triggered a few seconds of uproar, then the cacophony of the daytime discussion phase began.·9ad92f63
The boy currently speaking was loud and animated, so Leah had no idea when Elias had appeared in the kitchen. ed.0725350e
"Spacing out?" ¶7213c01c He looked at the empty cup in her hand. plate-d36594dd
Leah didn't know what to say. — ad1268ce The man didn't wait for an answer — he simply took the cup from her, filled it with warm water, and handed it back. [ms.ecdccf77]
Then he asked: "You're nervous because I'm here?" ref·a3630ad5
She gave the faintest hum of acknowledgment. ·1d770a86·
Her reaction seemed to amuse him. ··d464c9bf He was completely at ease, looking her straight in the eye, his meaning unmistakable: "Seeing you in red… I'm happy." ¶c1bb0805
Leah's face turned scarlet instantly. [ed.f58c9c1c]
"And…" Since she wasn't reaching for the cup, Elias set it on the marble countertop himself, then looked at her again. [v.02dca0b4] "You look beautiful." ◆ 2210f925
Should she thank him for a compliment like that? «3c32a0ad» The way Americans casually tossed out "I like your outfit" to near-strangers, lobbing exaggerated praise about each other's clothes as social currency — but Leah knew perfectly well that Elias's words carried an entirely different weight. — 262b84f8
He'd set the trap. [ms.7a0a07fd] She'd walked into it, eyes wide open. plate-26c85515 Was she supposed to thank the hunter for admiring his catch? [v.312c9298] That seemed a bit too stupid. sub:39e925ee
"I'm sorry — I didn't expect you to be this uncomfortable tonight," Elias said. ··77f9b034 "If you'd like, we can go somewhere else to talk." * 3402fe47