Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 14
Seeing his confident demeanor, Serena wanted to bolt out the door.
Who did he think he was fooling? She knew Ethan all too well.
A guy who’d been bedridden for over a decade, unable to care for himself; how could he possibly have a skill like tuning?
What, did he learn it in a dream or something?
Actually, Ethan’s assurance stemmed from real ability, and yes, he’d picked it up in his dreams.
The five animals that kept him company weren’t pets; they were companions and teachers.
The ape taught him Imitation and Brewing.
The snake taught him Detection and Evasion.
The fox taught him Deception and Discernment.
The wolf taught him Hunting and Camouflage.
The butterfly taught him Art and Aesthetics.
The butterfly’s lessons in art covered music, painting, and more, while aesthetics sharpened his appreciation and gave him a passion for it.
Oddly, though the dream animals couldn’t communicate verbally with Ethan, their ideas flowed to him effortlessly, and vice versa.
Paralyzed in reality, he treasured his dream life as a normal person, so he soaked up every skill from the animals, fearing the day the dreams might end and leave him with only his useless waking world.
The manor’s supplies and props came in handy too; a grand piano in the living room let him teach himself tuning.
Coming here was unexpected, but thankfully, his dream-honed body and skills stayed with him.
As he set up the tuner and tested each key one by one, Serena and Albert shifted uneasily; they desperately wanted to leave the music room, but Bella seemed to have them pinned, and fleeing might end badly.
So they waited awkwardly as Ethan methodically tested and tuned the piano, their legs aching from standing, sweat beading on their foreheads, with no dare to sit.
The process dragged on for a full two hours.
Throughout, Serena and Albert felt like schoolkids under punishment, with Bella as the stern principal standing behind, watching them closely.
Ethan, don’t screw this up for us.
Albert muttered inwardly until he saw Ethan pack away the tools and close up the piano.
“Done?”
In response to Bella’s question, Ethan nodded toward the piano with a raised eyebrow.
“Play it and find out.”
Bella sat back down and spread her fingers.
Soon, the eerie tune filled the music room again.
“Huh?” Serena’s eyes widened, her gaze on Ethan full of confusion.
It was the same song, but even non-experts could tell the tone was much brighter than before.
“Hey, that’s impressive.”
Albert noticed the difference too; after brushing with death, he even found the weird melody a tad enjoyable.
Bella herself shed her icy demeanor; a slight smile tugged at her lips, like reclaiming a beloved toy, finally showing a touch of childishness.
She turned to Ethan, about to praise him, but saw him shaking his head.
“What’s wrong?” Bella’s fingers stopped.
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