Convictions: Freedom (Night 6-A)

A loud knocking forced Phil awake. It took a bit to remember, but his unexplained calmness helped him collect his thoughts. He had broken up with Sophia, and went over to Sofia’s condo. How exactly those things happen was a bit of a blur, but it seems to have ended with him and Sofia watching a few movies before crashing on her couch… And a few other things based on a lingering feeling of euphoria, and the dampness of the fur between Sofia’s legs. Several more loud knocks would have jolted Phil to attention, But only manage to stir Sofia from her usual resting place on top of him instead. Sofia sort of grumbled before yawning and blinking at Phil a few times. He was still a little surprised how easy it was to read a face like hers. There was nothing but a white dot moving in a sea of slightly darken yellow in the shape of a human eye, but her emotions always seem more readable, if anything. She held a grumpy expression. Which betrayed both a hint of anger, and desire to learn who the tally-cog disrupted his sleep. Not her sleep, his. In a display of a somehow level headed sense of childishness, her only concern was finding the primary disturbance of nap time. And her staring at him, was merely her silently asking if he knew. He was beginning to explain only for a final loud knocking to interrupt him, but this time there was, an unfortunately familiar, shouting. “Open! This! Door!”

“Alright! Alright already!” Phil got his pants on, and cover himself with a jacket. Sofia had already claim his T-shirt having snagged it off the top of the couch when she got up. Phil opened the door. “What could you possibly want anyways?” He questioned his dad now standing in front of him. 
“You- you.” Phil’s dad began struggling to find words. “You were making strides! You were making something of yourself! Now you’re starting all over again?”
 
“Yeah, I guess so.” Phil answered honestly. “I mean I think we both know what the odds were of me marrying her at this point. I’ll admit for a while I’ve been thinking it’ll work out, if I put more effort in. But I just… I’m not like you, and I can’t throw so much of myself away like that. And I can’t lose good friends over whatever our family’s problem is, so...so i’m gonna be a selfish mess. Seems to have worked out for-

“Don’t you mention that name!” Phil’s dad interrupted. “Do you know how much time it took your mother to convince us to go through with all this.”

“Wait...With what now?” Phil asked now completely confused as the clopping of hooves walked toward the door.

“His mother.” Sofia began. “Willingly and knowingly submitted him and countless others to this series of nightmares he’s been having?” Phil stood there, and turned back at his dad in shock.
“Look Sophia was more on board with it than I was, but for a while it seems to how been working.” Phil’s dad stared at her as though he total authority over this stranger. “So you get out of my son’s life and-” There was incredibly loud smash as Obb now stood outside Phil’s door.

“Now Obb’s mom isn’t going to tell me.” Myrija stated in an almost tranquil rage, which made it that more terrifying. “And I had a great time last night, so I’ll give you one chance” At this point she was near crushing several parts of him while standing on only two of her legs. “You can either tell me EXACTLY what you did, right now. Or I’m going to wrap you into my second cocoon of the day, and keep the two of you as test subjects until we find out ourselves.” There was a small hint of joy as spoke indicating that she was somewhat fine with either option.

“O-okay, but- but I wasn’t super involved in the ritual itself- No, no wait.” Myrija was clearly not waiting, and continue to begin wrapping him. “I-I had to get a stone from a bridge, and some sheep wool. Sheep! that’s right! They summon some shepherd, I swear. “Cen-Cendar..oak..key?”

Myrija paused in the middle of wrapping about half way to his knees. “Now, you’re sure you heard the words ‘shepherd’ and ‘Cendaroki’?” Phil’s dad nodded in terror before she dropped to the ground, and let him ran off into the distance.

That night was a swirl of preparations, and explanation. A sense of dread came over Phil. And the other selected leaders, but Sofia was confident he could do it. “I understand, I do. And you can be mad at me, and yell all you want tomorrow.” Sofia stood there as she explained herself. “But whatever you pick, you can do this.” Phil had to admit, she clearly hated that she felt like she did. And even with what little he remembered, it went a long way towards his belief that it had to be him. “Now if things get bad.” Sofia continued. “I can wake you up. Or… or you can just wake up, probably thinking you died, and I just snuggle up to you until you say otherwise. You won’t actually be hurt either way, but it’s up to you.”

WAKE YOU UP?
-No, if Sofia is that confident in you, you’ll be fine (go to ending-A)

-You still rather be woken up (go to ending-B)