Distraction

In the kitchen of a haunted-looking farmhouse, Rain had just finished cooking a pot of oatmeal. Her boyfriend, Jacob, was already seated at the table, sipping a cup of coffee. Bridget walked into the kitchen, poured herself a cup, and joined him.

"Do you want some oatmeal? There's plenty for everyone," Rain said.

"Sure," Bridget replied, setting her coffee on the table and taking a seat beside Jacob.

Rain carried two bowls of oatmeal to the table along with a pair of spoons.

Bridget was about to take her first bite when Jacob gently stopped her.

She gave him a confused look.

"It's time to say the blessing," Jacob said, taking both Rain's and Bridget's hands.

The three closed their eyes. As Rain prayed over the meal, strange glowing symbols drifted from her body and floated through the air before fading away.

As they ate, Boze walked into the kitchen carrying his laptop, a notebook, and several pencils. He set the laptop on the counter and eagerly waited for it to finish loading.

"I am going to research Lorebound Studios," Boze said excitedly. "That should tell us where to look for the Big Seven since there seems to be a pattern."

A strange feeling came over Rain. Something deep inside told her there were secrets about Lorebound Studios that Bridget needed to reveal herself. Those answers weren't meant to be found on the internet.

Rain knew she had to create a distraction. Deep down, she felt guilty about what she was about to do, but she couldn't think of another choice.

Rain quietly closed her eyes for a few seconds.

Almost immediately, a cold sweat broke out across Bridget's forehead. A wave of nausea hit her without warning. Covering her mouth, she hurried toward the bathroom.

She didn't make it.

Just before reaching the doorway, she dropped to her knees and threw up on the floor.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at the mess.

"I am so sorry," Bridget said over and over before breaking down in tears.

Boze rushed to her side and sat beside her.

"Baby, are you all right?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her.

"No," Bridget sobbed. "This is so embarrassing."

"It's okay, baby," Boze said softly.

"No, it's not. I feel so humiliated throwing up in front of my friends."

"Come on. Let's get you somewhere you can lie down for a while."

With Boze's help, Bridget started to stand.

Another cold sweat suddenly washed over her, and she felt another wave of nausea building. She quickly sat back down on the floor before she could get sick again.

Boze looked horrified. Worry filled his face as he tried to think of what to do.

Rain stepped beside him.

"Why don't you pick her up and carry her?" she suggested.

Boze leaned toward Rain and whispered, "Are you crazy? She's too heavy to carry."

"She's not that heavy," Rain whispered back. "Just try."

Boze hesitated before reaching down. He carefully slipped one arm behind Bridget's back and the other beneath her knees.

To his surprise, she felt almost weightless.

Thanks to Rain's magic, Bridget weighed very little.

Boze easily lifted her into his arms and started carrying her toward the bedroom.

Bridget looked up at him, managing a small smile despite how miserable she felt.

"Promise me you'll do something," she said.

"What?" Boze asked.

"You'll carry me like this on our wedding day."

Boze smiled.

"I promise."

Bridget rested her head against his shoulder, smiling as he carried her away.

Boze gently laid Bridget on the bed. She immediately began shivering.

"It is cold in here," Bridget said through chattering teeth.

Boze frowned with concern. He feared she was becoming seriously ill and might be running a fever.

He hurried to the closet, grabbed an extra blanket, and carefully tucked it around her. Even with the additional blanket, Bridget continued to shiver uncontrollably.

"Please... just lie down beside me and try to warm me up," Bridget said softly, her body still trembling.

Without hesitation, Boze climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close in an effort to share his warmth.

Watching from the doorway, Rain quietly closed her eyes.

A gentle wave of magic flowed from her, invisible to everyone else. The spell drifted over the couple like a warm breeze.

Within moments, Bridget's trembling eased. Boze let out a tired sigh as his eyelids grew heavy.

The two of them slipped peacefully into a deep sleep, still wrapped in each other's embrace.

Rain hurried into the kitchen, knowing the sleeping spell would only last for one hour. She walked over to the counter where Boze's laptop sat, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

The laptop suddenly came to life. Its keys flew across the keyboard at impossible speed as files vanished one after another. Every website, search history entry, document, backup, and internet record connected to Lorebound Studios was erased.

While the last traces of the company disappeared, Rain kept her eyes closed. A brilliant light engulfed the kitchen, and when it faded, every sign of the earlier mess had vanished as though it had never existed.

An hour later, Bridget slowly opened her eyes. She felt warm, safe, and secure in Boze's embrace. Moments later, Boze stirred awake, smiling as he looked at her.

Together, they walked into the kitchen, where Rain and Jacob were already sitting at the table, quietly talking.

Remembering his plan to research Lorebound Studios, Boze carried his laptop to the table. After signing in, he eagerly searched for the company.

Nothing.

He searched again.

Still nothing.

"There has to be something," he muttered, opening search engine after search engine. Every result came back empty.

Frustrated, Boze slammed his fist onto the kitchen table.

"I bet Matthew deleted everything!" he shouted angrily.

Bridget lowered her head. She had dreaded this moment from the very beginning. If she told Boze the truth, she feared it would destroy everything they had built together.

But she couldn't keep the secret any longer.

"Lorebound Studios... is my father's company," Bridget said softly, her voice trembling.

"What?" everyone else exclaimed in unison.

"Lorebound Studios is my father's company," she repeated, barely able to keep her composure.

Boze stared at her in disbelief.

"Who is your father?" he asked quietly.

Bridget closed her eyes.

A glowing image appeared before everyone in the room. It showed a younger man with snow-white hair, dressed in a crimson suit and white boots. A golden eye shone in the center of his forehead.

Boze and Rain gasped as they recognized him.

"I'm... sorry," Bridget whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. Unable to face them, she turned and started walking away.

"Bridget, where are you going?" Boze called after her.

"You don't have to pretend," she sobbed without turning around. "I know you'll never want to see me again."

Boze quickly caught up to her, gently taking hold of her arm and turning her to face him.

"Baby," he said softly, pulling her into his arms, "I love you, and I always will. Who your father is doesn't change how I feel about you."

Bridget buried her face against his chest as he held her tightly.

Rain walked over and wrapped her arms around Bridget as well.

"Your parents don't define who you are," Rain said with a reassuring smile. "Nothing about this changes how any of us feel about you. And someday, when you're ready, we'd like to know more about them."

Bridget took a deep breath before returning to the table.

"I don't want to talk about my mother," she said quietly. "But my father is the Shadow Game Deck Master. He founded Lorebound Studios to manufacture magical duel cards."

The room fell silent.

Boze, Rain, and Jacob waited, hoping Bridget would continue.

But after revealing so much, Bridget simply lowered her eyes and said nothing more.