Dorian arrived at Jenna's apartment with Sarah's hand in his and a knot of anxiety in his stomach.
The place was small—a three-bedroom off-campus unit with secondhand furniture and posters on the walls. About a dozen people milled around the living room, red cups in hand, music low enough for conversation. Intimate. Manageable.
Four different girls. I have Sarah. Need three more.
He catalogued the room automatically. Jenna by the kitchen, laughing, a joint dangling between her fingers. Maya on the couch, nursing a drink, eyes already tracking him. Two girls he didn't know—Jenna's roommates, probably. And there—by the window, talking to one of them—Chloe.
His heart skipped. She was here.
Sarah squeezed his hand. "You okay?"
"Yeah." He forced a smile. "Just taking it in."
Maya materialized beside them. "Sarah! Grab a drink with me?"
Sarah hesitated.
"Go ahead," Dorian said. "I'll find you."
Sarah kissed his cheek and disappeared toward the kitchen with Maya. But Maya threw a look over her shoulder—flat, warning: I'm watching you.
Dorian moved further into the room.
Jenna spotted him immediately. "Dorian! You made it!" She hugged him—warm, lingering a beat too long. When she pulled back, she took a slow drag from her joint, eyes traveling over his face. "You look really good tonight."
"Thanks." He stepped back. "Great party."
"It's just getting started." She gestured toward the living room. "Grab a drink. Mingle."
She touched his arm before walking away, passing the joint to one of her roommates—Rachel, apparently. Dorian filed it away.
Target One: Jenna. Interested. Willing.
He grabbed a beer from the kitchen. Tyler appeared at his elbow.
"Dude! This party's sick." Tyler was already tipsy. "I've talked to like three girls already. All of them said no, but still. Volume game."
"Great." Dorian scanned the room. Maya and Sarah were on the couch, heads together. Maya's eyes flicked toward him mid-conversation. Sarah laughed at something, louder than usual, cheeks flushed from wine. Maya looked looser too—her usual rigid posture softened.
What are they saying?
Marcus materialized on his other side. "Maya doesn't like you."
"I noticed."
"She's telling Sarah something." Marcus shrugged. "Just so you know."
Dorian's jaw tightened. He needed to get to Sarah.
But then Jenna's voice cut through.
"Okay everyone! Circle time! We're playing Truth or Dare."
People began rearranging furniture. Rachel and Kim—Jenna's roommates—settled in, passing a fresh joint between them. Dorian found Sarah, pulled her close.
"You playing?"
She smiled, loopy from wine, and leaned into him. "Yeah. You?"
"Absolutely."
They sat together on the floor, Sarah tucked against his side. Maya sat on Sarah's other side, close enough to monitor but visibly more relaxed. Jenna positioned herself across the circle, directly in Dorian's line of sight, taking a long pull from the joint before passing it to Rachel. Chloe was a few seats down, talking to someone, not looking his way.
The game began.
---
An hour later, the room was properly drunk. Voices were louder. Laughter came easier. Boundaries softened.
The bottle spun. Landed on Tyler.
"Yes!" Tyler pumped his fist, swaying. "Dare. Give me your best."
Rachel's eyes glittered, pupils wide. "I dare you to do a shot off someone's stomach."
Tyler looked around. "Whose stomach?"
Dead silence. Then laughter.
"No one's volunteering," Kim pointed out, giggling. "Guess you have to do it off your own."
"That's not how it works!"
"That's exactly how it works."
Tyler yanked up his shirt, poured a shot on his own bare stomach, and licked it off. The room erupted. Even Maya cracked a real smile.
Dorian laughed—real, unexpected. For a moment, he forgot about quests.
The bottle spun again. Landed on Kim.
Kim hiccupped, cheeks flushed, joint smoldering between her fingers. "Truth."
Rachel leaned forward. "Okay, Kim. Who here do you secretly have a crush on?"
Kim's eyes went wide. She looked around the circle, then mumbled: "Tristan."
Laughter and groans mixed together.
"He's not even here!" someone pointed out.
"I know!" Kim wailed, burying her face in her hands. "That's the problem!"
Dorian's jaw tightened at the name. Tristan. Of course.
Sarah squeezed his hand, grip clumsy. "You okay?"
"Fine." He forced a smile. "Just funny."
The bottle spun again. Landed on Maya.
Maya smirked, clearly feeling her drinks. "Dare. Obviously."
Jenna took a slow drag from the joint, held it, passed it to Rachel. "I dare you to kiss someone in the circle."
Maya's eyes swept the room—and landed on Dorian. Her smirk widened.
"Fine." She leaned across Sarah and planted a quick, deliberate kiss on his cheek. Then she pulled back, laughing. "There. Spider guy's officially tolerable now."
The room hooted. Sarah laughed, but her eyes flicked to Dorian's face, checking his reaction.
SUB-QUEST 4A: LIP SERVICE - UPDATE
TARGET: MAYA
CONTACT: CHEEK
STATUS: INCOMPLETE
Cheek doesn't count. But it's progress.
Dorian forced a laugh. "Tolerable. I'll take it."
---
The game continued. Bottles spun. Dares escalated. Tyler serenaded someone. Marcus did pushups with someone on his back. A random guy was dared to leave and not come back—he laughed, grabbed his beer, and headed for the door with a wave.
Then the bottle landed on Jenna.
"Dare," she said immediately, eyes sparkling. She was the engine of this party—the life, the energy.
Rachel grinned. "I dare you to sit in someone's lap for the rest of the game."
Jenna's eyes found Dorian.
No. Not in front of Sarah.
But Jenna was already moving, sliding across the circle and settling onto his lap with a casualness that felt anything but. She was warm—really warm—and smelled like smoke and something floral. She leaned back against his chest, looking up at him through half-lidded eyes.
"Hope you don't mind." She held out the joint. "Hit?"
Dorian's brain short-circuited.
She was right there. Her weight pressed against him, soft through her clothes. Every slight adjustment sent signals he didn't know how to handle.
He took the joint just to have something to do. Took a hit. Coughed.
Jenna laughed, and the vibration against his chest nearly destroyed him.
Don't think about it. Don't think about it.
She shifted again, settling more comfortably, and Dorian felt his body respond in a way that was absolutely catastrophic.
Oh no.
He tried to shift, to create space, to think about anything else—but Jenna was already situated and any movement would make it worse.
She didn't react. If she noticed—and how could she not?—she gave no sign. Just took the joint back, took a slow drag, and continued watching the game like nothing was happening.
Sarah's expression across the circle was impossible to read. Maya's eyes were narrow.
Dorian sat frozen, praying for death.
Jenna stayed for three rounds. Each spin of the bottle, each laugh, each casual adjustment—Dorian died a thousand deaths. He could feel every breath she took. His face was on fire.
Finally, Sarah stood. "Bathroom."
She walked away without looking back.
Dorian started to move, but Jenna didn't get up. "She'll be back. Relax." She took another drag, passed the joint to Rachel, and settled deeper.
I need to fix this. But Maya was already rising, following Sarah.
Shit.
---
Ten minutes later, Sarah returned. Her expression was carefully neutral. She sat down—on the other side of the circle.
Jenna eventually returned to her own seat. The absence of her warmth was almost a relief.
Dorian caught Sarah's eye. She looked away.
The bottle spun. Landed on him.
"Dorian!" Jenna clapped. "Truth or dare?"
He needed to fix things. "Dare."
Jenna's eyes lit up. "I dare you to kiss someone in this circle. On the lips. Five seconds."
The room oohed. His heart hammered. This was 4A—completeable now. But with who?
He looked at Sarah.
Then Maya leaned over and whispered in Sarah's ear. Sarah's eyes widened slightly. She nodded.
Maya stood. Walked to the center. Faced Dorian.
"I'll do it."
The room went quiet.
Maya's expression was flat—but she was swaying slightly, the alcohol evident. "Five seconds. Let's go."
Dorian stood. This was a trap. But the quest—
He walked to the center. Maya stepped close. Her eyes bored into his—cold, calculating.
Then she kissed him.
Full lips. Five seconds. When she pulled back, her expression hadn't changed.
"There. Now we're even for the spider."
The room erupted. Maya walked back to her seat like nothing happened.
SUB-QUEST 4A: LIP SERVICE - COMPLETE
TARGET: MAYA
PROGRESS: 1/4
Dorian stood frozen. Maya had helped him. Why?
He looked at Sarah. She was watching him—curious.
Maya leaned over and whispered to her again. Sarah nodded slowly.
What are they planning?
---
The game wound down. People drifted. Sarah finally approached him on the makeshift dance floor.
"Hey."
"Hey." He pulled her close. They swayed slowly, her head against his chest.
"What were you and Maya talking about all night?" he asked carefully.
Sarah was quiet for a moment. Then: "She said there's something off about you."
Dorian's heart stopped. "Off how?"
"She didn't say." Sarah looked up at him, eyes searching. "Just that I should be careful."
He forced a laugh. "Maya's been against me since day one."
"I know." Sarah's voice was soft. "But she also kissed you tonight. Helped you with the dare." She paused. "I don't know what to think."
He held her tighter. "You can trust me."
She didn't answer. Just leaned her head back against his chest and kept dancing.
The guilt chewed at him.
---
Later, Dorian stepped onto the balcony for air. Alone. Thinking.
The night had been chaos. Maya kissed him—for reasons unknown. Jenna sat in his lap—and his body had betrayed him. Sarah was suspicious but still here.
And Chloe? He'd barely spoken to her. She'd glanced his way with mild curiosity. Nothing more.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown: Nice work tonight. Maya was a surprise.
He spun, scanning the balcony. Empty. The windows behind him showed the party—people dancing, laughing. Jenna in the center, as always.
Unknown: But you're not done. Three more to go.
He typed back: Show yourself.
Three dots. Then:
Unknown: Look inside.
Dorian turned. Through the window, he scanned the crowded living room. People everywhere—laughing, drinking, dancing. He searched for anyone watching him, anyone out of place.
Nothing. Just a party.
He went back inside. Checked the hallway. The kitchen. The bathroom door. No one.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown: Not tonight.
Unknown: Enjoy the party, boyfriend.
He stood there, heart pounding, surrounded by people who had no idea.
---
The night ended. Goodbyes were said. Jenna hugged him too long—he felt every inch of it now, hyperaware. Maya watched from the couch, her face giving nothing away. Chloe glanced up as they passed, offered a small wave, and returned to her conversation.
Outside, walking Sarah home, Dorian checked the system.
QUEST PACK: "MULTI-TARGET"
4A: LIP SERVICE - COMPLETE (MAYA)
4B: PRIVATE ACCESS - INCOMPLETE
4C: PUBLIC CLAIM - INCOMPLETE
4D: OVERNIGHT STAY - INCOMPLETE
TIME REMAINING: 4 DAYS, 2 HOURS
Three left.
Sarah squeezed his hand. "Tonight was fun."
"Yeah." The word tasted like ash.
At her dorm, she pulled him close and kissed him—deep, claiming, the kind of kiss that left no doubt. She was drunk, but she meant every second of it.
"Text me tomorrow," she breathed against his lips.
"I will."
She disappeared inside. Dorian stood alone in the dark.
He started toward his dorm. The streets were quiet. His footsteps echoed.
Then he felt it.
A prickle at the back of his neck. The feeling of being watched.
He turned.
A figure stood at the edge of the parking lot. Hood up. Face shadowed. Still as stone.
Dorian's blood went cold.
He ran.
The figure moved—fast, weaving between cars. Dorian chased, heart pounding, legs burning. Around a corner. Through a gap in the fence. Into the shadows behind the science building.
Nothing.
Just empty darkness and the hum of a distant streetlight.
His breath came in ragged gasps. He turned in a slow circle, scanning every shadow.
Nothing.
Then, from somewhere in the darkness—soft, deliberate footsteps. Fading.
Not running. Walking. Calm.
Dorian spun toward the sound.
Silence.
He stood there, alone in the dark, heart slamming against his ribs.
Whoever it was, they were gone.
But they wanted him to know they'd been there.
[END OF CHAPTER 6]