the truth(50)

(The dim glow of the memory fades, and the group finds themselves back in the present. The air is tense, the silence suffocating.)

(Dakota stands before Henry, Luna, Millie, and Jack, his expression unreadable. His fingers twitch slightly, a sign of the storm raging inside him. The truth he's about to reveal will change everything.)

Dakota (serious, voice low):

"Look, are all of you guys ready for this? Are you truly ready?"

(Henry scoffs, leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed.)

Henry (smirking, dismissive):

"Oh, come on, Dakota. Can it really be that bad? I mean, how bad could it be? I don't know what truth you're talking about, but can it really be that bad that it will shock all of us?"

(Jack, standing beside Henry, raises an eyebrow, intrigued.)

Jack (grinning slightly):

"Yeah, Dakota, you're being a little dramatic here. Just spit it out already."

(Millie frowns, arms crossed, sensing the tension in Dakota's voice.)

Millie (uncertain):

"If Dakota's being this serious, it has to be something huge…"

(Luna stays silent, watching Dakota closely. She can tell this isn't just some normal revelation.)

Luna (calm, but cautious):

"Dakota, whatever it is, we're listening."

(Dakota closes his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. Then he opens them, looking at them with unwavering intensity.)

Dakota (firm, voice cold):

"Yes, it will really be that bad. The truth will be so unbelievable that you won't be able to believe it."

(Henry chuckles, shaking his head.)

Henry (grinning):

"Oh please. You're making it sound like the world is about to end."

(Dakota's gaze sharpens.)

Dakota (dead serious):

"Henry, you trust me, right?"

(Henry's playful demeanor fades instantly. His expression turns serious.)

Henry (without hesitation):

"Of course. We've been friends for years, and I trust you. Everything you do is right. Of course, I trust you. I've been trusting you this entire time we've been friends."

Dakota (quietly, almost to himself):

"Well… I hope you keep trusting me. Even after I show you this truth."

(Henry's confidence doesn't waver.)

Henry (determined):

"Come on, Dakota, no matter how bad it is, I will still trust you."

(Dakota studies him for a long moment before sighing, shaking his head slightly.)

Dakota (softly, but ominous):

"Well… I hope you do."

(The world around them distorts once more, dragging them back into the memory.)

(The scene shifts, pulling them back into the past.)

(The setting changes—Michael's small, dimly lit bedroom. Papers are scattered across the desk, an empty energy drink can sits beside his laptop, and the faint glow of the screen illuminates his face. He's staring at the keyboard, deep in thought.)

Michael (muttering to himself, frustrated):

"Alright… I need a title. Something simple, something that'll get clicks…"

(He types a few words. Then deletes them. Then types again.)

(Michael leans back, rubbing his eyes.)

Michael (thinking):

"A name… I need a name. Something for my main character. Something that fits…"

(He stares at the blank space where the protagonist's name should go. He starts scrambling ideas, mumbling different names under his breath.)

Michael (muttering):

"James? No. Leo? Too basic. Arthur? Nah, doesn't fit the vibe…"

(Then, something clicks. A thought enters his mind—completely unplanned, but somehow… perfect.)

(Michael's fingers move across the keyboard.)

Michael (typing, smiling slightly):

"Henry Banks."

(He pauses, staring at the name.)

Michael (nodding to himself):

"Yeah. That works. My main character… Henry Banks."

(But he doesn't stop there. More names flood his mind.)

Michael (muttering as he types):

"He needs companions. People who will be with him… Amelia… Luna… and Jack."

(The names are cemented into the story.)

(Back in the present, the moment the memory ends, Dakota and his group are slammed back into reality.)

(Henry, Jack, Amelia, and Luna stand frozen, eyes wide, faces pale.)

(A heavy silence fills the air.)

(Then, all at once—)

Henry (shouting, panicked):

"No. No, Dakota. No, no, no, no, no, NO. You're NOT— You're NOT telling me this world is a novel you wrote."

(Jack stares at Dakota, his usual cocky demeanor gone. His hands tremble slightly.)

Jack (in disbelief):

"No. That's… That's impossible. There's no way."

(Amelia's breathing is shaky, her mind racing.)

Amelia (whispering, horrified):

"It… It has to be a coincidence, right? Right, Dakota?"

(Luna's hands clench into fists, her voice steady but cold.)

Luna (demanding):

"Dakota. Tell us this is a joke."

(Dakota simply looks at them, his expression unreadable.)

(Then—)

Dakota (calm, but unwavering):

"Yes, Henry. Like I said… it is."

(Henry takes a step back, shaking his head violently.)

Henry (frantic, almost laughing in disbelief):

"No… No, no, no, no, NO! That doesn't make sense! You're telling me… you CREATED us? That this world… this life… it's all just something YOU wrote?!"

Dakota (quiet, but firm):

"Yes. That's why I told you to be prepared. Because this truth… this truth will change your entire life."

(Henry clenches his fists, his mind refusing to accept it. Amelia grips her head, breathing heavily. Jack remains frozen, his entire world crumbling. Luna simply stares at Dakota, her gaze unreadable.)

(The air grows heavy with silence. No one knows what to say.)

(The truth—impossible, absurd, unreal—now looms over them like an unshakable nightmare.)

(Dakota watches them, expression unreadable.)

(And then, he waits.)

Dakota thinking: I finally revealed the truth, I finally managed to reveal the truth to Henry and the others well they're not taking it well, I mean to be honest with you if someone told me that this entire world that I lived in is a novel I would be freaking out. but now what do I do I have to tell them something right? if I don't they will probably have a panic attack and die. well probably not but still I have to do something I need to think of something... Ah I got it now, I know what I need to do, even though this is a world that I wrote it's not entirely like it, I know what I need to tell Henry and the others.