Chapter Five Coffin Adjacent
Chapter Four: One becomes two, two become one
Chapter Three: Restoration of a Lady
Daniel flipped through the book, his fingers tracing over the ornate script. The pages were thick, worn with age, but still surprisingly intact. He stopped at a section titled Bits and Pieces.
“Huh,” he muttered, tilting the book so the others could see.
Elizabeth, still buzzing from the last trick, leaned in excitedly. “Ooh, which sounds fun! What does it do?”
Veronica crossed her arms. “Hopefully something less insane than the last one.”
Daniel skimmed the text. “It says here that this illusion is designed to make it seem like a person is split into different sections and reassembled.”
Veronica deadpanned. “Gee, what a novelty.”
But Elizabeth’s eyes had already wandered past the book to something in the corner of the storage unit. “Wait… is that it?”
She pointed at a tall, human-shaped cabinet. Unlike the previous illusion, this one had a distinctly more anatomical design. The main body was divided into several segments, each section featuring a small, framed opening. At the very top was a small box where a head could fit, complete with a face-sized cutout. At the end of the arm sections were smaller compartments with space for hands. The legs, similarly, ended in small, squared-off boxes with room for feet.
The entire structure had an old-world craftsmanship about it, the dark wood polished and trimmed with gold accents. But what stood out most was the set of intricate locking mechanisms along each joint—designed, it seemed, to allow the sections to separate and still function independently.
Elizabeth ran her fingers over the polished wood. “This is gorgeous.”
Daniel hesitated. “It looks... sturdy.”
“Sturdy?” Veronica raised an eyebrow. “You mean coffin adjacent.”
Elizabeth ignored her, already peeking into the different compartments. “How do you think it works?”
Daniel turned back to the book. “Well… if it’s anything like the last trick, I’d say not how we expect.”
Elizabeth clapped her hands together. “Perfect. Let’s try it.”
Veronica groaned. “Of course.”
Daniel hesitated for a moment, glancing between the book and the cabinet. The instructions were clear, but after what had just happened with the previous trick, he wasn’t sure how much he trusted them.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was practically vibrating with excitement. “Come on, let’s see what this one does!”
Veronica pinched the bridge of her nose. “Or hear me out—let’s not.”
But Elizabeth had already stepped inside. The interior was surprisingly comfortable, with a padded backing and just enough room for movement. She adjusted herself so that her head, arms, and legs fit into the appropriate spaces.
Daniel sighed. “Okay, just… tell me if something feels off.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Define ‘off’?”
Daniel ignored that and began closing the cabinet doors, securing each one with the polished brass locks. There were more doors than he expected, some sealing off her arms and legs separately from the rest of the body. The final click echoed in the storage unit.
Veronica folded her arms. “I hate how quiet it gets when you do that.”
Daniel exhaled and turned back to the book. “Alright. Step one: Insert the first blade at the neck section.”
Elizabeth’s voice was muffled but still chipper. “Neck section? That sounds very concerning.”
Daniel picked up the first blade—thick but smooth, almost weightless in his grip. He lined it up with the slot at the base of the head compartment.
Veronica took a step back. “I swear, if her head actually—”
Daniel pushed the blade through.
The lock clicked.
A shiver of energy crackled through the air.
Elizabeth blinked. “Oh. Oh.”
Daniel hesitated. “Uh… you good?”
Elizabeth wiggled her fingers inside the arm compartments. “Yeah, it’s just—whoa, that’s weird.”
Daniel exchanged a wary glance with Veronica before reaching for the second blade. “Alright… Next step.”
This time, the blade slid through smoothly, separating the head compartment completely from the rest of the cabinet.
Elizabeth let out a breath. “That felt… tingly.”
Daniel followed the next step in the book: carefully unlocking the head compartment and lifting it free.
The moment he did, Veronica let out a very undignified yelp.
Because Elizabeth’s head was still moving.
Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open in awe. Then she grinned.
“Oh my god.”
Veronica pointed accusingly. “Daniel, put her back!”
Daniel, on the other hand, was just as stunned as Elizabeth. Her head wasn’t just separate—it was still completely functional. Her expression, her voice, everything was normal… despite her head now sitting neatly in his hands.
Elizabeth’s excitement only grew. “Daniel, this is incredible! I don’t feel any different!”
Veronica grabbed at the book. “What does it say next? How do we undo this?!”
Daniel blinked, then refocused on the instructions. “Uh… right. The next step says to move the head to the table.”
Veronica threw up her hands. “Of course it does.”
Carefully, Daniel placed Elizabeth’s head onto the nearby wooden table, which had a matching design to the cabinet. The moment it touched the surface, something clicked.
Elizabeth’s expression changed from excitement to pure amazement. “Okay, now that feels weird.”
Daniel frowned. “Weird how?”
Elizabeth’s lips parted slightly, then she giggled.
“I can feel the table.”
Veronica’s eye twitched. “I’m sorry, what?”
Elizabeth’s head wobbled slightly as she laughed. “Like, I can tell it’s cold. And smooth. It’s like I’m sitting on it.”
Veronica turned to Daniel. “Fix her.”
Elizabeth pouted. “Oh, come on, we haven’t even done the arms and legs yet!”