~~OBSSESION~~ {BOOK 1} (Shadow Milk Cookie x reader)

Chapter 13

With a sudden, shimmering poof, the gang was abruptly yanked from the surreal chessboard and returned to their original forms. The weight of their own bodies felt strange after being reduced to mere pieces in a twisted game. Yet, despite being back to normal, Reader Cookie couldn't shake off the lingering presence of the crown still perched on their head.

They frowned at it, twirling the strange object between their fingers before flicking their wrist. A small pocket dimension shimmered open beside them, swallowing the crown into its depths.

"Eh. I'll keep it," they muttered to themselves before sealing the portal shut.

"YOU AGAIN?!" GingerBrave's sharp voice cut through the moment, his fists clenched at his sides as he glared at the new arrival. "Candy Apple Cookie?! I thought we taught you a lesson!"

Candy Apple Cookie giggled, twirling a lock of syrup-coated hair between her fingers. "Huh? Oh, that was cute! But unfortunately for you, only Master Shadow Milk Cookie decides what happens around here!" She shot a syrupy-sweet glance at Shadow Milk Cookie, who had yet to wipe the grin from his face.

"Well, well," Black Sapphire Cookie mused, folding his arms with a smirk. "Look who has finally made her appearance. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Candy Apple Cookie pouted playfully, tracing a delicate swirl in the air. "Oh, I just wanted to wear my cutest syrups for Master Shadow Milk Cookie! But it was so hard to pick just one...!" She sighed dreamily, hands clasped over her heart. Then, suddenly, her gaze sharpened with curiosity. "But Shadow Milk Cookie seems so happy. He's never graced me with such a wide smile..."

Black Sapphire Cookie frowned slightly. 'She's right,' he thought, a flicker of unease creeping into his mind. 'I've never seen Master Shadow Milk Cookie act like that before...'

Before another word could be spoken, the world shifted once more. A sensation of weightlessness gripped them, and in an instant, they found themselves standing on an endless spiraling staircase. The steps stretched into infinity, winding around the towering remains of the Spire. A single glance over the edge revealed nothing but dizzying heights, far greater than where they had been moments ago.

Reader Cookie groaned. "Damn it... not again. I hate this kind of transportation..."

"YOU DO THE SAME THING!" Wizard Cookie snapped, his hat nearly slipping off in his frustration.

"NO...! It's a little... different."

Wizard Cookie crossed his arms. "How so?"

Reader Cookie grinned. "Much funnier."

Wizard Cookie's eye twitched, but then he sighed, shaking his head. "You're impossible."

Reader Cookie merely shrugged.

"What's next?" Wizard Cookie asked, warily scanning their surroundings.

Shadow Milk Cookie's voice rang out, smooth and theatrical. "Why, a game of cards, of course! Let's see how well you've learned your lesson!"

"...?" Reader Cookie arched an eyebrow as the sound of a crisp snap echoed through the air.

A deck of cards materialized in Shadow Milk Cookie's hands, shuffling themselves with a mesmerizing display of sleight of hand. His movements were flawless, almost hypnotic, as he tossed them from one hand to another, the cards dancing through his fingers like marionettes on invisible strings.

GingerBrave peered at the deck, unease settling in. "C-cards...? Look, all the faces are empty!"

Shadow Milk Cookie let out a delighted chuckle. "Cookies fear what they don't understand. Always so quick to fill that void with the first thing that fits their belief system! Anything, really!"