ExoShaneey

When Samantha, a gentle soul burdened by a strange and enigmatic past, vanished without a trace, the world assumed the worst—that she had been abducted, possibly even killed. Yet, as her best friend Kathleen set out to uncover the truth, she and her companions unearthed far more than they had anticipated. What lay beneath Samantha's disappearance was a labyrinth of secrets tied to forces beyond the natural world, forces that had quietly shaped her life for years.

As Kathleen's investigation deepened, she discovered a hidden network of individuals connected to Samantha’s past, people who seemed to know more about her than even she did. But darker revelations soon surfaced—Samantha’s current circle of friends, trusted and familiar, were not what they appeared. They had long been watching her, waiting for the moment she would unlock a doorway into realms no human was meant to access.

Before Kathleen and her team could traverse the realms in their quest to rescue her, Samantha inexplicably reappeared—or did she?

Where are you, Samantha?

"Zach, how delightfully uninvited you are to be here," Takumi remarked dryly as he stepped out of his car, his gaze narrowing in faint irritation. 


At the sound of his voice, Zach, Sai, and Dryzza turned to face him, their surprise fleeting but palpable. 


One of Takumi’s guards quickly approached, taking his car keys with a bow before driving the sleek vehicle through the gates. 


“New car?” Zach asked, his eyes lingering on the vehicle’s elegant frame until it disappeared into the estate. 


Takumi allowed a faint smirk to curve his lips. “Yes. A small indulgence.” 


The mention of the car left Dryzza and Sai visibly stunned. It wasn’t every day someone casually referenced owning the most expensive car in the world. Dryzza, in particular, shifted uncomfortably, almost tempted to shield her own modest vehicle from view. 


“I sometimes wonder how much you really make as a psychiatrist,” Zach quipped, though his tone carried a knowing edge. 


Loom of Subterfuge