Once, almost by accident, you helped Cecil when he needed it most. It wasn’t something you had thought through or even been particularly skilled at, but the result was undeniably effective. From that moment, his attention turned to you, sharp and unwavering. Whether he sought to annoy you, amuse himself, or uncover something deeper, you couldn’t say. What was clear was that Cecil had no intention of staying away.

Now, as you walked through the camp, his presence was unavoidable. He strode beside you, his words filling the air with an energy that was hard to ignore. You weren’t listening anymore, hadn’t been for some time, but he didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he didn’t care. It was as though he thrived on the simple act of being near you, whether or not you paid him any attention.

You tried to focus elsewhere, the hum of campfires, the chatter of others in the distance, but his presence was a constant pull, distracting and insistent. No matter how much you tried to distance yourself, Cecil had a way of slipping past your defenses, embedding himself in your thoughts whether you wanted him there or not.