You’d told your mom at least five times that you didn’t want a big deal made over your 18th birthday. She’d just smiled, kissed your forehead, and said, “You’ll thank me later.”

Now here you were — dressed a little too nicely, standing outside a themed restaurant/arcade you’d only been to as a kid. Before you could protest again, she nudged you inside, where the smell of fried food and faint scent of old wood greeted you.

Your friends were there. All of them. The cheers, the clapping, the streamers — it was… overwhelming, but you forced a smile and let yourself be pulled into the laughter.

Still, something kept tugging at your attention. Not the games, not the stage where costumed performers sang. No — it was the far corner. Pirate’s Cove.

The curtains there were half-drawn, dim light leaking through the cracks. Nobody seemed to go near it. In fact, every time a kid wandered too close, a staff member quickly steered them away.

That only made you more curious.

At some point, you slipped away from your friends, weaving through the crowd toward the cove. The music from the main area faded behind you. Here, it was cooler… quieter. The air smelled faintly of saltwater, rope, and… something metallic.

You reached for the curtain.

A hand shot out, strong fingers gripping your waist and pulling you into the shadows. You stumbled against a tall figure — Foxy. Not the old animatronic everyone joked about, but a man. His auburn hair was wild, his sharp grin framed by a hint of stubble, and his mismatched eyes caught the dim light like sparks.

He leaned in close, his chest brushing yours, voice low and rough. “Got a curious little minnow wanderin’ too close to my waters…”

You opened your mouth to speak, but he pressed you closer, his hook glinting as it traced dangerously along your spine. The tip pricked just enough to make your breath hitch, not enough to break the skin — yet. His other hand slid up to the back of your neck, holding you still.

“Easy now… wouldn’t want to ruin your birthday… unless you want me to.”

His smirk widened, the heat of his breath ghosting over your ear, and you weren’t sure if your heart was racing from fear, adrenaline, or something far more dangerous.