Great—here’s your full chapter, with your original scene, the museum and mall outing, lunch conversation, and the extended 400-word mysterious cliffhanger, all formatted cleanly for Royal Road. No polish—just structure, spacing, and readability improvements.

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  "You go back to school tomorrow..." these are the words ringing in Sophie’s head.

  "Okay Mom, see you tonight then."

  "See you tonight, Soph," Helen replied.

  "Well, I guess we all go back to school tomorrow," Sophie said, disappointed.

  "Well, I guess we should make the best of it then. What do you want to do today?" Jacob asked.

  "Let's have a date day," Sarah said excitedly.

  "Yes, a date day. That sounds great," Sophie agreed.

  "But first—breakfast," Jacob said.

  The trio went down the stairs to the table and sat. They enjoyed their breakfast. Jacob stood and started to clean the table when Sophie stopped him.

  Sophie kissed his cheek and said, "Let us take care of this."

  Sarah and Sophie cleared the table and washed the dishes. Grandma just looked at Jacob and smiled. Jacob knew what that smile meant. Grandma was pleased—very pleased.

  Sophie walked out of the kitchen. "Let's go," she said, as she threw the keys at him.

  "Okay Grandma, see you next weekend. Love you," Jacob said as he kissed his grandma on the cheek. Sophie and Sarah also did the same.

  "Love you too, kids. See you next weekend," Grandma replied.

  Michael and Lisa had already left to the offices in the city earlier that morning. The trio jumped in Jacob’s Lexus and headed into town. First stop: the modern art museum.

  The drive into town was smooth. Music played quietly from Sarah’s phone as they cruised along the coast.

  “I haven’t been to the art museum in years,” Sophie said, staring out the window.

  “Same,” Sarah replied. “I always forget how relaxing it is.”

  Jacob glanced over. “No pressure today. We’re just here to enjoy.”

  They parked, got out, and headed inside. The place was quiet—just the way they liked it. No crowds, no noise, just the sound of footsteps and the occasional whisper.

  They walked slowly, side by side, drifting from one painting to the next. There wasn’t much talking—just looks exchanged, soft smiles, and the occasional “Wow” or “That’s weird.”

  One piece caught Sophie’s eye. “That one reminds me of the forest near Grandma’s,” she said softly.

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  Jacob nodded. “I see it. Same lighting.”

  Sarah leaned closer. “Kind of peaceful, isn’t it?”

  They moved on, weaving through the exhibits like they were in no hurry at all.

  Every once in a while, Sophie would slip her hand into Jacob’s. Sarah looped her arm through his other. He didn’t say anything—he just smiled.

  It wasn’t a big day. But it was a good one.

  And they all knew it.

  As they finished up at the museum, it was almost 11:30. Jacob looked at the girls and said, “So what do you think—lunch? Where should we go?”

  “I heard we just got a new Spicy Hot Pot. Maybe we should go there,” Sophie said.

  Sarah and Jacob gave each other a look and a nod.

  “Sure, why not,” they said.

  They arrived at the restaurant, sat down, ordered their food, and enjoyed a great meal with each other. They talked about what they were planning for the next few days—other than school.

  Sophie suddenly said, “I might want to do an early test-out option so that way I can get finished with high school early to be able to join both of you in college.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Jacob said.

  “Yeah, you should do that. We could help you study and get ready for the test. You’re almost guaranteed to pass with us helping you,” Sarah said excitedly.

  Sophie smiled excitedly. They finished their food, paid their bill, and left the restaurant.

  “Sarah, you haven’t said anything about what we should do today. What do you want to do?” Sophie asked.

  “Maybe we could go to the outdoor mall, and then from there go to watch a movie. I heard they recently released a cinema movie for Blazing Hearts. Have you guys seen it?” Sarah said with excitement.

  “Wait—you like Blazing Hearts too? That’s great. Me and Sophie love watching it. We recently started watching it from the beginning,” Jacob exclaimed.

  Sophie jumped up and down in excitement and yelled, “Let’s go!”

  The trio headed their way to the walking mall, which was in walking distance of the museum, so they didn’t bother using the SUV at this time. As they walked, they stopped at a couple of different stores to buy a thing or two.

  Jacob picked up a couple new shirts. Sophie bought a nice pair of earrings similar to Rias in Blazing Hearts. Sarah, on the other hand, decided to get something in secret.

  “What did you get?” Sophie asked curiously.

  “It’s a surprise,” Sarah said with a grin.

  Jacob had his suspicions, but he didn’t pry. He just knew they were happy. They continued to stroll down the path and Jacob had his arms around them, pulling them in close. They placed their heads on his shoulders.

  Suddenly, from behind—“Jacob…?”

  Jacob turned. It was Sam.

  “Hey Sam, how’s it going?” Jacob said nervously.

  “Jacob, what the hell, I haven’t seen you in a few days and it looks like not only do you have a girlfriend, but two,” Sam exclaimed.

  “Well, a lot has happened and there’s a lot more to it, but I haven’t seen you, so how could I have told you?” Jacob replied, still a little nervous.

  “So… you’re dating Sarah then? How long has this been happening? And who is this?” Sam asked.

  “Yes, I’m dating Sarah. In fact, this is our official date day. This is Sophie—the girl that ran me over. Been with Sarah for 3 days now and Sophie for about… what, 2 weeks?” He looked at Sophie.

  “Hi Sam. Yes—2 weeks,” Sophie answered.

  “So… you both are dating Jacob at the same time and you’re okay with it?” Sam asked, confused.

  “We’re not just dating Jacob. We’re all dating each other,” Sarah said with conviction.

  “Wow, Jacob… you’re my hero…” Sam said with a tinge of jealousy.

  They all laughed, and Jacob gave Sam a hug.

  “We were just headed to catch the new Blazing Hearts movie. Want to join us?” Sophie asked.

  “No, that’s not really my thing. I’m more into Dragon Ring Z. I like the fighting and power-ups,” Sam replied.

  “Oh, so not mature enough yet,” Sophie teased.

  “Ohhh ho ho, feisty. I see why you like this one, Jacob,” Sam joked.

  “All right, well I’ll see you in the morning then at the dorm,” Jacob said.

  “Yeah, okay. Can’t believe you’re going to win the bet,” Sam said.

  “Yeah, you better tell Corey and get my money ready for me,” Jacob laughed.

  “What bet?” Sarah asked.

  “Well, before I knew either of you, we made a bet that the first guy with a girlfriend to last more than one month—the other would have to pay him $200,” Jacob said as they were walking away.

  “Imagine what he would think if he knew we were married,” Sophie said.

  “I know, right,” Jacob said.

  They arrived at the theater and Jacob walked up to the window. “Three for Blazing Hearts, please.”

  He got the tickets and went to concessions.

  “What do you want?” Jacob asked.

  “Can I get chocolate-covered raisins and a medium Sprite?” Sophie asked.

  “I’ll take the same,” Sarah said.

  “And I’ll take the chocolate raisins too… a large cherry Coke and a large popcorn, please,” said Jacob.

  They got their snacks and entered the theater for Blazing Hearts.

  They found their seats halfway up in the middle row—perfect view of the screen. The theater wasn’t too packed, just a handful of other fans scattered through the rows. The lights dimmed as trailers started to roll, and Sarah leaned her head against Jacob’s shoulder while Sophie laced her fingers through his.

  Jacob smiled. This was nice. Quiet. Normal.

  As the trailers played, Sophie whispered, “I can’t believe we’re finally seeing this in theaters.”

  Sarah grinned. “I just hope they didn’t mess up the ending.”

  The opening scene started—fast-paced and bright, with sweeping shots of a ruined city and bursts of color.

  Then the screen flickered.

  Just a quick stutter. Barely noticeable.

  Jacob glanced around, but nobody else reacted.

  Then it happened again. This time, the picture froze for a solid second before catching up.

  “Something’s wrong with the projector,” Sarah muttered.

  The sound dropped. Then the screen went black.

  Not part of the movie.

  The emergency lights didn’t come on. The room stayed pitch black.

  Whispers rose. A phone flashlight flicked on across the theater.

  Sophie reached for Jacob’s arm. “This is starting to feel off.”

  Jacob stood, looking toward the aisle, trying to see through the dark.

  Then came the footsteps.

  Slow. Steady. Coming from the back.

  Someone walking—calm, deliberate. Their steps echoed down the empty aisle.

  Nobody said anything.

  Then, a voice. Not loud. Not angry. Just… cold.

  “There you are.”