"Alright, so what if I didn't go on this quest?" I asked, not really thrilled with this whole idea.

"A couple of things," Jun was quick to answer me. "If the quest requires more summons and you don't comply in time, the power can build up inside until it kills you. But that probably won't happen. Another possibility is that a monster will come and murder you and then end the planet. And the third thing that definitely will happen is that you will never be able to get rid of my god-like presence." He finished his monologue with a wink at me and placed his hands behind his head.

"Excuse me?!" I sputtered. "What's this about the end of the world?"

Jun leaned over and rested his forearms on the table. I tried not to look at them too much. The look he gave me was so intense I swore it pierced my soul. "Wow you really don't know anything, do you?"

"No," I snapped immediately.

"Look, Summoners don't just appear. They have a lineage. Have your parents told you nothing?"

"They haven't. They don't know anything," I retorted irritably. Jun gave me a disbelieving look but wisely decided not to push it.

"Quests are rare, Mei," Rosé began to explain. "They only come when absolutely necessary. The fact that you got one means something big is coming. Bigger than any of us could imagine."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"We're not," Jennie continued. "Look, Mei. We love you and we don't want you to do this either. But you're going to get involved one way or another. Jun here literally cannot leave your side until his job is done. And even if you do everything to avoid it, your destiny will come find you."

I gave her a good look. I eyed everyone at the table, one by one, trying to gauge their thoughts. After a whole silent minute of my staring, I concluded one thing: they were all dead serious.

"Oh me."

A full two hours, ten pancakes, and a box of blueberries later, I faced the door of my house. My sleepover necessities were neatly tucked away in a ba