Chapter 29: How to Start a Revolution in Your Almost-Girlfriend’s Basement
The basement was drenched in that damp half-darkness typical of places that haven't seen the sun in way too long. The stone walls sweated moisture, the wooden crates stored the scent of a past decade, and the air tasted like old dust mixed with silent despair — until that moment, when silence died, suffocated by a scream.
Lina.
The kind of scream that wasn't just fear, but a brain trying to decide between running, fainting, or setting everything on fire with boiling oil. She was frozen halfway down the stairs, her eyes wide like she'd just seen death — compact and furry.
"IS HE EATING THE CAT?!" she yelled.
I rushed to her before anyone else in town could hear that and decide to throw a torch through the window. I covered her mouth with my hand, pressing gently but firmly enough to hold the chaos at bay.
"Shhh!" I whispered, eyes wide. "Breathe. One. Two. Three. This is not what it looks like."
She stared at me like I was the co-author of insanity. And, technically, I was. I slowly released my hand. The silence lasted for half a second.
"WHAT IS THAT THING IN MY BASEMENT?!" she whisper-yelled.
"It's not a thing. It's a person. Technically. He even has a name."
"He's eating a cat!"
"One that was already dead. I think. Probably. Anyway, technically, it's the circle of life. Devourers devour. Nature thanks us."