Chapter 3: The Group Video Call
1422 Words
Chapter 3: The Group Video Call
Damian's eyes snapped open.
He gasped for air, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he sat upright on the rustic cabin bed. His cotton T-shirt clung to his body, completely soaked with cold sweat.
For several seconds, he couldn't move.
The masked stranger's face remained vivid in his mind. Those cold, emotionless eyes. The finger pointing directly at him. The terrifying voice repeating the same words.
You took what belongs to me.
Damian pressed both hands against his face and forced himself to breathe slowly.
Then he looked around the dimly lit bedroom.
The wooden walls. The old bedside table. The curtains hanging beside the window.
He was in the cabin.
Not the apartment.
The masked man had been part of a nightmare.
"Just a dream," Damian whispered to himself. "It was only a dream."
But the words did little to calm him.
The discovery in the forest had changed everything. Yesterday, he had been a young man struggling to find a way out of his family's financial crisis. Now, he was part of a secret involving more money than he had ever imagined seeing in his lifetime.
Who had buried it?
Why had they hidden such an enormous fortune in the forest?
And what would happen if the owner discovered that five college students had taken it?
Damian shook his head, trying to push the questions away. He couldn't allow fear to control him, especially when the money offered him a chance to save his father.
He decided not to tell his friends about the nightmare. They were already excited about their discovery, and he didn't want to ruin their happiness with something that might have been nothing more than an overactive imagination.
He swung his legs off the bed, rubbed his tired eyes, and stood up.
The cabin was quiet.
When he walked into the main living area, he discovered that his friends had already left. Their bags were gone, and the chairs they had used the previous evening had been pushed back into place.
They had packed early that morning to return to their respective family homes before the official end of the holiday.
Damian felt a strange emptiness as he looked around the cabin. Only yesterday, the place had been filled with laughter and excitement. Now, it seemed as though the weekend had happened to someone else.
He checked his phone.
Several notifications appeared on the screen, but before he could read them, his laptop began vibrating on the wooden kitchen table.
An incoming group video call.
It was their private five-person w******p group, the place where the five best friends shared their jokes, secrets, and plans.
Damian pulled out a chair and accepted the call.
Four familiar faces immediately filled the screen.
"The king of the jungle is finally awake!" Austin shouted, holding his phone close to his face. "Look at this guy! Bro looks like he fought a lion in the bush and barely survived!"
Damian forced a laugh.
"Shut up, Austin."
Lily burst into laughter before leaning closer to her camera.
"Good morning, Damian! Are you alright? We had to leave early because of our parents, but honestly, I barely slept. My mind has been running in circles since yesterday."
"Same here," Chloe added excitedly. "I keep thinking about that box. Every time I remember how much money was inside it, I feel like screaming."
Damian smiled, trying to match their energy.
"I'm fine. Just tired. It was a long night."
He wasn't ready to tell them about the nightmare. He wanted to hear what they had to say first.
"So, what's the plan?" he asked. "Have you people finally decided what we're doing with the money?"
David leaned toward his camera. He looked relaxed, dressed in a silk robe in what appeared to be a spacious bedroom.
"Actually, that's why we're calling," he said. "We've been discussing everything, and we've reached a decision."
Damian straightened in his chair.
"What decision?"
David exchanged a quick glance with Chloe before continuing.
"Since you were the one who discovered the box, we think you deserve the biggest share."
Damian blinked.
"What?"
"You heard me," David replied. "If you hadn't stumbled across that box, none of us would even know the money existed. So you should receive the largest share. The rest of us will divide what's left equally."
"Exactly!" Chloe exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically. "You found it first, Damian. That's only fair. We don't want money destroying our friendship."
"One hundred per cent agreed!" Austin added. "We're best friends. We're supposed to help one another, not fight over money."
Lily smiled warmly at the screen.
"We'll work out the exact figures together, but your share should be bigger. No arguments."
For a moment, Damian couldn't find the right words.
He had expected excitement, arguments, perhaps even suspicion about who deserved what. Instead, his friends had made a generous decision without demanding anything from him.
"Guys..." he began, his voice softening. "I honestly don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything," David replied with a grin. "Just accept it."
Everyone laughed.
Damian smiled, but beneath his calm expression, relief washed over him.
His father's debts had been threatening to destroy their family. The creditors had been relentless, and the thought of losing their home had haunted him for days.
Now, he might finally have enough money to settle the debts and give his father a chance to rebuild the family business.
He could help his father without exposing their financial troubles to his friends.
At least, that was what he hoped.
For the next hour, the video call became a celebration of their unexpected fortune.
Austin showed off the luxury clothes he wanted to buy. Chloe talked about designer handbags and expensive jewellery, while Lily laughed at the ridiculous number of things Austin planned to purchase.
David, meanwhile, was already talking about upgrading his car.
"Listen, people," Austin announced, adjusting his camera. "Resumption is next Monday. When we return to campus, things are going to be different. No more worrying about transport money or eating cheap food every day!"
"Speak for yourself," Lily teased. "You were the one always complaining about cafeteria food."
"And I stand by every word!" Austin declared, making everyone laugh.
Chloe leaned closer to her camera.
"We need to plan something special for our final year. Something people will remember."
"Something luxurious," David added. "We'll visit the best places in the city, dress well, and enjoy ourselves. We've worked hard enough."
Damian listened as his friends discussed their plans. Their excitement was infectious, and for a little while, he forgot about the nightmare.
He imagined walking into the new semester with his friends, free from the financial worries that had weighed him down for so long.
Most importantly, he imagined seeing his father smile again.
That thought alone made the entire discovery feel worthwhile.
Yet, even as he laughed along with the others, a small part of his mind returned to the masked stranger.
The dream had felt disturbingly real.
Damian glanced at the cabin window.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating the quiet room. Nothing moved outside except the leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
He turned back to the screen.
There was no reason to frighten his friends over a dream.
"Alright, guys," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Let me pack my things so I can head home. I'll see you all on campus on Monday."
"Drive safely, bro!" David called.
"And don't dream about lions again!" Austin added.
Damian laughed.
"You're impossible."
The call ended, and the laptop screen went black.
For a few seconds, Damian remained seated, listening to the quiet hum of the machine. Then he stood up and began packing his belongings.
The weekend was over. Soon, they would return to college and resume their ordinary lives.
Or so they believed.
None of the five friends understood how much their discovery had already changed their future. They had found a fortune, but they knew almost nothing about its origins or the people who might be searching for it.
And while Damian tried to convince himself that the nightmare meant nothing, someone else might already have been making plans.
On Monday, the college gates would open to welcome returning students.
The campus would be crowded, noisy, and full of unfamiliar faces.
It would be the perfect place for a stranger to disappear into the crowd.
And Damian had no idea that a new face was about to enter his life.
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