Chapter 29: What the Blocks Reveal

Daemon had a bad feeling from the start.

Something about the wooden tower sitting in the middle of the table made his shoulders tense.

Games like this always looked harmless until they weren’t.

He had already decided he would try to stay out of the deeper questions if he could.

But the first few rounds went easier than he expected.

Sana pulled a block and read it out loud with a grin.

"Do your best impression of the person sitting across from you."

She turned straight to Daemon and suddenly dropped her voice into a deep, serious tone while pretending to cook with invisible pans.

"Dinner is ready. Please eat before it gets cold... and also I might have saved the world earlier but that’s not important."

Victoria actually laughed. Roxanna covered her mouth. Daemon just shook his head, but he was smiling.

Next was Roxanna. Her block said, "Show the last dance move you remember."

She stood up awkwardly and tried a simple step from some old video. Her balance was off and she almost bumped the table. Everyone clapped anyway.

Sana even stood up and copied her, making it worse on purpose.

Victoria’s turn came. "Speak in the voice of a cartoon character for the next two answers."

She tried. It was terrible. Her serious face combined with a high-pitched voice made Sana nearly fall off her chair.

Daemon’s first block was simple: "Compliment the person on your left for ten seconds without stopping."

He turned to Roxanna and managed to say a few genuine things about how much stronger she looked compared to when they first met.

She turned a little red but smiled.

By the time the fourth light question passed, the room felt warmer. Laughter came easier. Even Daemon found himself relaxing.

Okay... maybe this isn’t so bad.

Then the blocks started changing.

The next one Sana pulled made the atmosphere shift.

She read it once. Then again. Her usual sharp expression faded a little.

"What is one thing you have never told anyone in this room, but secretly want them to know?"

Sana stared at the piece of wood for a long second. Then she let out a short breath.

"My fiance cheated on me."

No anger in her voice. No tears. Just a flat statement, like she was reporting the weather.

Victoria immediately frowned.

"That’s why I told you," she said, arms crossed.

"Don’t bother with love. Live alone, stay strong, and die like a queen. Guess you should have listened."

Sana gave a small, tired smile. "Yeah. Guess I should have."

Daemon stayed quiet, but his jaw tightened.

Who the hell gets a girl like Sana and still throws it away?

He didn’t say it out loud, but the thought sat heavy in his chest. For a moment he genuinely wanted to find that man and break his face.

The next block went to Roxanna.

She pulled it slowly. When she read the words, her fingers tightened around the wood.

"If you could say one honest thing to the person who hurt you the most, what would you say right now?"

The room went still.

Roxanna’s eyes lowered. For a second it looked like she might refuse. Then Daemon caught her gaze and gave her a small, steady nod.

Something in her shoulders loosened.

She spoke quietly.

"I want to tell my husband... you can’t keep blaming me forever. You can’t keep hurting me like I’m the only one who failed."

Her voice trembled, but she didn’t stop.

"I lost our baby too. I carried that pain every single day. I still do. But I don’t want to stay broken anymore. I want to live. I want to help people. And I want to forgive myself."

Silence followed.

Victoria reached over and took Roxanna’s hand without saying anything at first. Sana did the same from the other side. Both of them just held on.

Daemon watched her carefully. He had known things were bad between her and Garrick, but he never knew it went this deep. Looking at her now, sitting straighter than the exhausted woman he first met in that C-Rank dungeon, he felt a quiet relief.

She’s stronger than she was.

A lot stronger.

"You’re doing fine," Victoria said softly.

Sana nodded. "Yeah. You’re okay."

Daemon added, voice low but clear, "We’re here."

Roxanna gave them a small, grateful smile. Her eyes were wet, but she didn’t cry.

Then it was Victoria’s turn.

She already knew the kind of question waiting for her. The wooden piece felt heavier than the others when she pulled it free.

"Who is the person you still miss and want to see again the most? Say their name out loud and why."

Victoria stared at the words for a long moment. The playful mood from earlier was completely gone.

She exhaled.

"My father," she said. "I miss him every day. I want to see him again. Talk to him. Even once."

Her voice stayed steady, but something in her eyes didn’t.

"I know it’s not possible. He’s gone. But if I have to answer... that’s the truth."

Daemon watched her quietly. He already knew how deep that wound went. The way she still carried her father’s absence like a quiet weight.

Seeing her say it out loud only made the feeling sharper.

I have to do something about that one day.

Even if I don’t know how yet.

Finally, the last block of the round landed in front of Daemon.

He picked it up with clear suspicion.

"Whoever created this game," he muttered, "I want their location."

Then he read the words.

The moment the sentence registered, his entire body went still.

Who is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with? Look at them and tell them the real reason you love them.

Daemon’s fingers tightened around the wooden piece.

The room waited.

He didn’t look up yet.