Malia grabbed the dice, a wild grin spreading across her face. She shook them in her hand, then threw them onto the board.
She rolled a three. Her token moved. Green light pulsed from the crystal ball in the center of the game, and glowing letters formed a riddle.
Malia leaned in and read aloud:
"They crawl the walls, they swarm the floor.
Neglect their threat, your life's no more."
She looked around. "What does that mean?"
Before anyone could answer, a scuttling noise came from the kitchen. Jacob wrinkled his nose in disgust. The smell hit him—like dirty socks and sewers. "Cockroaches."
A large, dark brown shadow burst out of the kitchen and flew straight toward Malia's team. Jacob waved a hand. The shadow froze mid-air.
Everyone finally saw it clearly.
It was a massive, reddish-brown cockroach, wings spread wide, its six legs covered in rows of sharp, prominent spines.
All the girls screamed—except Malia and Victoria.
Stiles let out a high-pitched shriek.
Scott stared at him. "Really, dude?"
Stiles ducked behind Scott, peeking out. "I hate those creepy crawlers!" He pointed at the frozen creature. "Look at it! It's the size of an adult Rottweiler!"
Allison composed herself. "Jay, send it back to the kitchen and seal the door, please."
Jacob flicked his wrist, and the giant roach flew back through the kitchen doorway. He stepped closer to peer inside—and immediately recoiled.
The kitchen was a writhing mass of giant cockroaches. They were everywhere—on the counters, the walls, the ceiling. More were crawling out of a large hole that had opened in the floor. The sound of chitin scraping against tile was almost deafening.
Some of them noticed him. A group launched into the air, wings buzzing. Others skittered across the floor at terrifying speed.
Jacob stomped his foot. A wall of solid rock erupted from the floor, sealing the kitchen doorway completely.
He returned to the group and sat down. "There are hundreds of them in there. Maybe thousands." He shuddered. "I can still hear them. I feel like they're crawling on me."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Are you scared of roaches too?"
"No," Jacob said flatly. "I just hate them."
Malia cracked her knuckles. "Let's go kill them all!"
Jacob shook his head. "We can't. They're still crawling out of a hole in the floor. Killing them won't stop more from coming." He paused. "Just… forget about those creepy things for now."
A window shattered in the kitchen. Jacob and the others looked outside just in time to see the roaches abandoning the house, streaming across the lawn toward the town.
Noah exhaled. "Lucky this isn't the real Beacon Hills."
Lydia picked up the dice. "Okay. Let's get back to the game."
She rolled. A five. Her token moved. The crystal ball pulsed again, new letters forming.
Lydia read aloud:
"They stand so still, they seem asleep.
One touch, their screams will pierce your ears."
A crack split the floor. From it, slender green stems pushed upward, unfurling heart-shaped leaves. More cracks appeared. New shoots coiled around furniture legs and snaked up the walls. One tried to wrap around Jacob's ankle, but he moved away.
Everyone stood. Jacob grabbed the game board, and they watched as flowers bloomed—each shaped like a gaping mouth. The mouths turned toward Lydia and the others.
Allison gave Lydia a sidelong glance. "Screaming flowers. The game really knows you, doesn't it?"
Lydia huffed. "I am a beautiful flower, and I can scream. But don't compare me to these ugly things. If you want to compare me to a flower, choose a red tulip. Or a red daisy."
Allison ignored her. "Jay, should we leave this room?"
Stiles was already backing away. "More like leave the mansion. Those things are spreading fast."
Jacob nodded. "Let's go. Try not to touch the flowers."
They moved toward the exit, only to find thick vines already blocking the door. Cogman's arm shifted into a blade, and he sliced through them with ease. But that was a mistake.
The flowers screamed.
The sound was unbearable—a high-pitched wail that drilled into everyone's skull. Chris, Victoria, Natalie, and Noah, with only beta-level strength, stumbled, blood trickling from their ears. Jacob, Malia, Kitty, and Scott clutched their heads, their supernatural hearing making the pain far worse.
Lydia acted fast. She raised her hands and threw up a sound barrier around the group. The screaming cut off instantly.
Cogman looked at his bladed arm with dismay. "My apologies. I thought it was only the flowers we shouldn't touch."
Jacob waved his hand, and his telekinesis crushed every screaming flower in the room. "Let's get out of here. More will grow."
They left the mansion, but just as they stepped out the front door, they were attacked by a swarm of giant cockroaches pouring from the kitchen's broken window.
Fireballs, ice arrows, and lightning bolts flew. Jacob, Malia, Allison, and Lydia killed wave after wave, but more kept pouring out of the mansion.
After a moment, the roaches seemed to realize they were hopelessly outmatched. They stopped attacking and scurried past the group, heading for the town.
They left the mansion behind and walked out onto the asphalt road. Jacob handed the game board to Allison. "Your turn."
Allison opened the board and placed it on the road. She took the dice and rolled.
A six. Her token moved. The crystal ball glowed.
Allison read the new riddle:
"Beneath the water, still they lay.
For months and years they wait for prey.
So watch your step, don't tempt the tide,
Or in their jaws you'll soon reside."
Malia raised a hand eagerly. "I know this one! Crocodiles, right? I just watched a documentary that said crocodiles can survive for over a year without eating."
Stiles was about to respond when the asphalt road beneath their feet suddenly dissolved into churning water. Everyone plunged into the river—except Jacob, who levitated with telekinesis, snatching the game board out of the water and floating it beside him.
Cogman shot out of the water on his thrusters. Allison rose on a column of wind. Malia's wings snapped open, and she flew out of the water. Lydia floated up gracefully beside Jacob. Jacob waved his hand, and Melissa, Natalie, Chris, Victoria, and Noah were lifted out of the water, hovering in the air around him.
Melissa looked down at the river, where Kitty, Stiles, and Scott were still swimming. "What about them?"
Jacob folded his arms. "They can handle crocodiles. Let them have some fun." He called down to the swimmers, "What do you think, guys?"
Stiles treaded water, grinning. "Yeah, leave us down here! I want to fight a crocodile!"
Kitty said, "Me too!"
A massive shadow glided beneath the water toward Stiles.
Noah's eyes went wide. "Stiles! Behind you!"
Stiles spun around just as a fifteen-meter crocodile exploded from the surface, jaws gaping wide enough to swallow him whole.
Stiles's confidence vanished. "Okay, nope! I changed my mind! Get me out of here! This is no crocodile, this is a prehistoric nightmare!"
Kitty swam to Stiles, climbed onto his head, and launched herself into the air above the crocodile. She drew her tiny rapier and thrust it down—but the thin blade shattered against the creature's armored skull.
"Ahh! My sword!" Kitty shrieked. Enraged, she punched the crocodile with her free paw. The beast's skull caved in, and it sank to the bottom of the river.
Jacob waved Kitty up to him and patted her head. "Don't be sad. Your sword will be back to normal when the game ends. And if you love it that much, keep it safe at home. Ask Cogman to make you a stronger one."
Kitty sniffled. "Okay."
Below, Scott yelped. "Something bit my leg!"
Stiles turned to him—then froze. On the shallow shore behind Scott, two massive hippos were charging toward them.
Stiles's voice cracked. "Those are hippos! No one said anything about hippos!" He looked up. "Jacob! Get us out!"
Scott screamed as something bit him again. Jacob waved his hand, and both of them flew up to join the group.
Everyone stared at Scott's backside. A piranha was clamped onto his ass, thrashing. They burst out laughing.
Scott grabbed the fish, ripped it off, and crushed it. "Stupid fish!" He hurled the mangled remains into the river.
Stiles caught his breath and looked at Jacob. "Okay, I need to ask something. When you killed the roaches, and when Kitty killed that crocodile, and when Scott killed that fish—their bodies didn't disappear. You said these creatures are real, and when we defeat them, they go back to their world. But they look pretty dead to me."
Jacob shrugged. "They'll return alive to their world when the game ends. How it works? I don't know."
Stiles looked down at the river. The crocodiles and hippos were still watching them with hungry eyes. An evil grin spread across his face. "Now that you can't reach me… let me show you how strong I am."
He raised his hand. Lightning gathered above his palm, swirling into the shape of a large weasel. He shot it at one of the hippos.
The creature convulsed, smoke rising from its mouth. It tried to dive underwater, but Stiles sent another lightning weasel after it. Then he turned his attention to the crocodiles and the remaining hippos, laughing maniacally as he sent one lightning weasel after another toward them.
Lydia watched him. "This is the first time I've seen Stiles use the Lightning Beast technique." She glanced at Cogman. "If an Alpha werewolf bit him, do you think he'd turn into a were-weasel?"
Cogman considered. "Weasels are known for being cunning, untrustworthy, and exceptionally sneaky. They can kill prey much larger than themselves and are known to dance to confuse their victims." He nodded. "I estimate an eighty percent chance he would become a weasel."
Noah watched his son electrocute river monsters with gleeful abandon. "Or a fox. Stiles lies a lot. He's clever. He plays pranks. I always thought of him as a sneaky little fox."
Chris added, "There is a supernatural creature called a kitsune. A fox shapeshifter. Known tricksters." He nodded toward Stiles. "It would fit his personality."
Stiles overheard and looked up indignantly. "Hey! If I become a supernatural creature, I'm becoming something legendary and majestic. Like Jacob!"
For a moment, everyone just stared at him. Then they burst into laughter—like they'd heard the funniest joke of their lives.
Stiles, frustrated, took out his anger on the remaining crocodiles and hippos with renewed vigor.
When the laughter died down, Jacob said, "Alright. Let's find somewhere else to play. It's my turn."
He wrapped everyone in his telekinesis and teleported them to a stretch of land far from the river, near the Beacon Hills Preserve.
He opened the game, placed it on the ground, took the dice, and rolled.
A double. His token moved. The crystal ball glowed, and new letters formed.
Jacob read aloud:
"They mean no harm, they mean no fight.
They just want kisses, day and night.
They have seen your pretty face.
Now you're the target of their chase."
A chill crawled down Jacob's spine, his blood running cold. 'Something bad is coming. I can feel it,' he thought.
He ducked behind Stiles. Scott, noticing his panic, hid behind Noah.
A moment later, four female bonobos emerged from the woods. Since Jacob had thrown the dice, they ignored the other teams entirely—but they didn't see Jacob or Scott. Their eyes locked onto the only visible member of Jacob's team.
Stiles.
The apes chattered excitedly in their own language, then charged at Stiles, puckering their lips and opening their arms wide.
Stiles spun around. Jacob was hiding behind him. Scott was hiding behind Noah. Stiles ran.
The bonobos chased him, ignoring Scott and Jacob completely.
Stiles screamed as he fled. "Why are they chasing me?!"
Lydia called after him, barely containing her laughter. "Because you're in Jacob's team! The riddle said, 'They have seen your pretty face. Now you're the target of their chase.' Jacob and Scott hid. But you just stood there like an idiot, waiting excitedly for whatever was coming. The apes decided you were their target of affection."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Stiles dodged a lunging bonobo, shouting at Scott and Jacob. "Traitors!"
Scott was laughing so hard he could barely speak. "No, no! I just heard something that wanted 'kisses day and night' was coming out of the game and thought I'd leave it for you. You're my good brother, after all."
Stiles narrowly avoided another embrace. "If I'm your good brother, come take my place!"
Scott shook his head. "I would, but it seems those apes only have eyes for you. Enjoy!"
"Screw you!"
Jacob finally stopped laughing, wiping a tear from his eye. "Phew. That was close. I almost got tricked by the stupid game. Good thing I have a good sense of danger."
Allison gave him a sideways look. "Seems the game knows you're a pervert. It sent you a bunch of perverted apes."
Jacob snorted. "The game doesn't know me at all. If it did, it would have sent a group of beautiful barbarian women."
Allison rolled her eyes and ignored him.
Stiles had finally had enough. He stopped running, spun around, and punched each of the four bonobos in the head. "Stop! Go find someone else to kiss! I'm not interested!"
The bonobos clutched their heads and stared at him with aggrieved, heartbroken eyes.
Lydia and Malia walked over and began patting the apes' backs soothingly. Lydia glared at Stiles. "How can you be so heartless? They just wanted to hug and kiss you!"
Melissa smirked. "Yeah, Stiles. Be a man. Take responsibility."
Stiles stared at her. "Take responsibility?"
Malia laughed. "They're in love with you! Be a man and love them back! If you're shy, you can find an empty house with your four new lovers. We won't judge."
Noah placed a hand on Stiles's shoulder, fighting to keep a straight face. "You should spend as much time with them as you can, son. The game will end soon, and they'll go back to their world. You'll regret not spending more time with them."
Stiles's voice cracked. "Not you too, Dad!" He turned to the four apes with an evil smile. "I get it. I'm too handsome. Females from all species can't help but fall for me. But nothing can happen between us. So let me spare you the pain of heartbreak and end your miserable lives."
The bonobos squeaked and hid behind Malia and Lydia.
Stiles raised a hand to attack, but Lydia stepped forward. "Don't you dare attack them! They're too cute!"
Stiles lowered his hand. "Then you'd better keep them away from me. Or I will kill them."
Jacob picked up the dice—he had rolled a double, so he got another turn. He threw them onto the board.
A seven. The crystal ball glowed again.
Jacob read the new riddle:
"The warlord comes with iron will.
His savage horde descends to plunder and kill.
He seeks a jewel that isn't there.
He'll burn this town without a care."
Jacob's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. 'I know who he is. I just hope he can take a punch.'
To be continued… 😊
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30 Chapters ahead of webnovel