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Louis' POV :

As Louis recoiled from the impact, a sudden jolt of pain surged through his clenched fist, sending a sharp pang through his arm. Despite his efforts to massage away the ache, the throbbing sensation persisted, a constant reminder of their fruitless endeavor to breach the unyielding door.

He soon noticed some activity.

It being the impulsive actions of his friend. He felt torn apart, between admiration for his friend's unwavering determination and concern for his reckless approach. Before he could interject, the figure before him hurled himself at the door once more, his resolve unshaken by their previous failures. And then, in a flurry of movement, the door relented, swinging open reluctantly, as if begrudgingly conceding defeat to their persistent onslaught.

End of Louis' POV

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As the humiliated boy propelled himself towards the door, fueled by a surge of pent-up frustration and determination, he felt an overwhelming sense of confidence.

He knew...

He was certain that this time, he would succeed. Yet, as the door unexpectedly gave way with a resounding crash, his momentum seemed to falter, his movements slowing to a crawl.

And just then...
Just then a look at his surroundings left him spellbound.

With a bewildered expression, he surveyed his surroundings, finding himself enveloped in a surreal display of swirling lights. Beams of various hues danced through the air, appearing and vanishing in the blink of an eye, casting an ethereal glow over the space around him.

Where had he landed?

The question lingered in his mind, unanswered amidst the dazzling spectacle unfolding before him.

As he absorbed the surreal sights and sensations swirling around him, he remained oblivious to the ominous development unfolding right before him.

A portal... A sinister one at that cost...

Dark and foreboding, it began to materialize directly in front of him, its sinister presence palpable in the air.

With his gaze fixed to the right and his head tilted slightly, Ed felt a strange sensation wash over him, as if his very being was being pulled and stretched beyond its limits. The world around him blurred into a disorienting haze of gray, his senses momentarily overwhelmed by the disconcerting experience.

Yet, even as his mind struggled to make sense of the phenomenon, a realization dawned upon him: he was being portaluxed...

A helpless pawn in a game beyond his comprehension.

As his gaze shifted forward in response to the relentless pulling and disorientation, he beheld a sight unlike anything he had ever encountered.

A new world unfurled before him, its enigmatic grayness stretching out into the unknown. With each passing moment, the scene morphed and shifted, confirming his suspicions :

This was no ordinary realm, but rather a dimension beyond the bounds of his familiarity.

Frustration and anger bubbled up within him, his muttered curses a futile attempt to assert control over the uncontrollable. Despite his efforts, his movements seemed sluggish and unresponsive, as if the very air around him conspired to thwart his progress.

Yet, just as he teetered on the precipice of entering this strange dimension, something shifted within him.

A sudden surge of energy coursed through his veins, propelling him forward with renewed determination. In an instant, the lethargy that had weighed him down evaporated.

His body instinctively reverted to its former, unnecessary speed, as if he had momentarily lagged but was now back on track, seamlessly continuing forward.

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Melissa's POV :

Lisa's heart raced as she paced back and forth, anticipation gnawing at her insides.

Yeah... She knew who she was waiting for... And every passing moment only heightened her anxiety.

Suddenly, the stillness was shattered by a series of crackling noises, the unmistakable sound of a portal being created. Whirling around, she beheld a swirling vortex of darkness materializing before her eyes, expanding rapidly from a small dot until it resembled a gaping window to another realm.

Before she could process the significance of this unexpected arrival, she was violently jolted backward as something, or to be specific... someone collided with her with incredible force. The impact sent her sprawling to the ground, the figure crashing down on top of her in a tangled heap.

Disoriented and breathless, Lisa struggled to comprehend what had just happened, her senses reeling from the sudden and unexpected encounter.

The figure atop her stirred, shifting his weight as he pushed himself up and rolled to her side. Melissa's gaze locked onto his form, her anticipation mingled with a sense of relief at his familiar presence. He lay beside her, his chest heaving with each ragged breath, the intensity of his exertion evident in the rise and fall of his breathing.

Struggling to regain their footing, both Lisa and the figure rose from the ground, their movements unsteady.

"Look who decided to drop in," Lisa quipped, a smirk playing on her lips.

The figure sighed, attempting to steady himself.

"I'm not exactly sure what's going on here."

He admitted, reaching out to receive some support, only to have Lisa pull away with narrowed eyes.

Her skepticism was palpable as she regarded him, her expression a mixture of annoyance and frustration.

After yanking his arm away, she couldn't resist giving it a swift smack.

"Ow! What was that for?" he exclaimed, his tone icy with irritation.

"What do you expect from me when a 135-pound person falls on me?" she retorted, her words laced with venomous sarcasm.

His brows furrowed in anger.

"You're impossible."
He growled, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm impossible? Look who's talking, Mr. 'I'll-save-the-day-but-end-up-needing-saving-myself!"

She shot back, a smirk playing on her lips.

"And you.. You're like a magnet for trouble, aren't you?"

He remarked, shaking his head in a mix of disbelief and exasperation.

"Don't play the blame game and act innocent now. You knew what you were getting into when you decided to play the hero."

She retorted, her words dripping with sarcasm.

He arched a brow, his expression a blend of annoyance and hurt.

"Ahem... Excuse me for trying to save your sorry behind. Next time, I'll just let you fend for yourself. Anyways where's that Idiot of yours? Huh?"

His words indirectly expressed the inner turmoil hidden beneath his icy exterior.

"Who? Stop blabbering..nonsense if you lack knowledge on the subject... you... You ice cube.."

Lisa stuttered, her voice faltered as she met his piercing silver gaze.

In a sudden change of heart, she rushed towards him and enveloped him in a tight embrace, seeking solace in his arms.

Despite their frequent clashes, he couldn't deny the bond they shared. As she wrapped her arms around him, he reciprocated the hug, silently acknowledging the depth of their connection.

✧✧✧✧

Louis' POV :

As he witnessed his friend's determined action of breaking through the door, admiration swelled within him.

Before he could take a step towards the door, a sound interrupted his thoughts-a rhythmic tapping of footsteps approaching from behind.
Tap.. tap.. tap..

"They s..say never turn ..to l..look ..be.. behind"
He muttered to himself, his voice shaky with uncertainty.

But curiosity got the better of him, and he turned around just in time to witness a sight that sent a chill down his spine. A man stood at a distance, his back facing Louis and his hands emanating sapphire beams of magic, forming intricate patterns in the air with each graceful movement. The squares of blue light danced around him as he manipulated the arcane energies with ease.

"No way! Fred? You've got to be kidding me! That's forbidden! Stop will you?"

The man stumbled, caught off guard by the unexpected voice behind him.

"Louis? Well, this is a surprise..."
He exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up in disbelief.

"Long story."

Louis replied, a hint of mystery in his voice as he cut off his own words before Fred could inquire further.

"And what about you? What's your excuse for being here?"

Louis questioned, his tone tinged with suspicion.

"Ah, sorry. You know how it is, long story."

Fred replied nonchalantly, a smirk dancing on his lips as he met Louis's gaze.

Louis narrowed his eyes at the almost insulting reply from the man standing before him, his ego stung by the flippant response.

"Let's cut the games. Where's Lily??" Louis demanded, his tone firm and commanding.

Fred's lips curved into a sardonic smirk as he cocked his head slightly. "Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing, albeit in a slightly modified manner. Where's her body?"
He retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm and a hint of concern.

In an instant, Louis propelled himself towards Fred, his hand gripping Fred's collar tightly as he locked eyes with him, teeth gritted in anger.
"You bastard. What did you do to her?"
He growled, his voice filled with rage.

Fred's eyes widened in alarm as he realized his careless choice of words.

"Oh, crap! No, that's not what I meant. Uhh..."

He sighed heavily, groaning with annoyance as he pushed Louis' hands off him, dramatically dusting off his t-shirt.

Louis maintained a steely gaze, standing close to Fred to prevent any attempts of his to flee away.

"Listen, I know this is going to sound bizarre, but someone somehow managed to steal Lisa's body. She was just dead unconscious so I carried her in the car. And then, bizarrely enough, I lost the keys. But then it hit me that something much weirder was going on. Now, I know...you probably have a million questions racing through your mind, and your curiosity is about to explode, but to put it simply... Her soul seems to have left her body. And before you burden me with a myriad questions... I have no idea how or why any of this happened."

Louis's eyes narrowed in disbelief as Fred's words sunk in. He took a step back, a hand instinctively rising to massage his temples.

"Stop! Don't fool me."

Louis said, his voice edged with frustration accompanied by a hesitant chuckle. The situation was becoming more absurd by the minute, and he struggled to wrap his head around it.

"Oh, I forgot the main point!"

Fred muttered softly, a frown of concern creasing his brow as he realized he had neglected a crucial detail.

"More?" Louis exclaimed, his expression morphing into one of exaggerated distress. It was a reaction typical of someone as theatrical as him.

Louis braced himself for another bizarre explanation from Fred, but before he could even speak, Fred interjected with urgency.

"The dolls. The toy store. I think they have a handful share in this crap."
Fred blurted out, his words tumbling over each other in his haste to explain in a hushed tone.

"They haunted us, which is why I think Lisa ended up mysteriously unconscious!"

"First her soul leaves her body, and now you are telling me... It's because of some freaking dolls!"

Louis exclaimed, his brows furrowing and his nose flaring in disbelief. His mouth hung open, struck by the sheer audacity of the revelation.

As Louis's voice once again began to rise in disbelief, Fred quickly silenced him with a sharp.

"Shh. You don't want to draw their attention."

Louis halted mid-sentence, his words cut short by Fred's urgent gesture.
"But wjebxjtvskdvskadmn."

He lowered his voice, his last syllables trailing off into an incomprehensible murmur as he complied.

Coughs. Continues.

"Spot on. Picture dolls amidst the eerie ambiance of a haunted toy store-it's the stuff nightmares are made of."
Louis mused, his eyes darting around the dimly lit surroundings. Suddenly, a look of realization crossed his face, accompanied by a tinge of shock and confusion.

"Wait... am I forgetting about someone?"
He shrieked. His eyes widened in astonishment, mouth falling open in disbelief. A gasp escaped his lips, and his body tensed momentarily before relaxing slightly. He instinctively raised his hands to cover his mouth. His heartbeat quickened, causing a rush of adrenaline through their veins. It was evident from his expression that he was caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, his mind racing to make sense of the situation at hand.

"What a mess."