Chapter 34: Painful Truth
Naomi was taken aback as she examined the box. She hadn’t expected it to look so professionally made. The version she knew—the one she’d heard about from Rose—had been much simpler. Back in school, Rose had organized a game, but Naomi hadn’t joined. In that version, everyone wrote things down on scraps of paper and tossed them into a plain box. But this? This was clearly a high-end product from some company.
She’d never seen anything like it, and excitement bubbled up within her. From what Rose had shared, this game was all about unearthing secrets. Knowing how much of a mystery Zylan remained to her, she hoped this might reveal something—just a glimpse, a detail, anything.
"So, should we start?" she asked, glancing at him. Zylan nodded, his expression calm, seemingly unfazed—or maybe he simply didn’t know much about the game. Naomi returned his nod, then led him to the sofa area. They both sat down, and she carefully began unboxing the game, feeling her anticipation build as she did.
She struggled a bit with the box, fumbling slightly. Zylan reached out, silently offering to help, but she quickly said, "Don’t worry, I can do it myself." His gaze lingered on her, his voice low as he replied, "I know you can, but let me."
Her cheeks flushed at the unexpected intensity in his tone. Why did those simple words feel so... intimate? It was just a polite offer, yet it felt different coming from him. Reluctantly, she handed him the box, and, to her surprise, he opened it with ease, revealing its contents.
Naomi took the box back, pulling out a slip of paper inside. It looked like the game’s rules and instructions, so she decided to read them aloud. The spark of excitement remained, but Zylan’s reaction was mixed—somehow both indifferent and curious, as if he wasn’t quite sure why this intrigued her so much. His unreadable expression left her unsettled, reminding her how hard it was to guess what he was thinking unless he chose to reveal it.
Clearing her throat, she read the rules. "There are only two main rules. First, if you’ve chosen ’truth’ more than twice, you have to pick ’dare’ on your next turn. And if you can’t complete the dare... then you drink." She paused, her voice catching slightly. "If you’ve taken a drink twice, then you have to accept a dare chosen by the other player."
The mention of alcohol made Naomi falter for a moment. She’d never actually tasted it, save for one incident she barely remembered: the night she’d been told she was "disvirgined." It had been at a party hosted by her sister, Anna—a party she wasn’t supposed to attend. Anna had strictly forbidden her from going, but she hadn’t cared much, too focused on finishing an assignment. Yet, that night had turned her life upside down, marking a painful shift between her and her family.
Suddenly, Zylan stood up, and Naomi watched him, wondering why he was moving. His voice was soft but firm as he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"