Chapter 35: Less than an hour to live

Nobody slept.

Not Lena.

Not Caleb.

Not James.

Not even Adrian.

The house remained awake long after darkness swallowed Blackwood.

The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly.

Every second bringing midnight closer.

Every second bringing Jacob closer to whatever fate waited for him.

Lena sat on the edge of her bed staring at her phone.

The image of Jacob remained burned into her mind.

The bruises.

The blood.

The fear in his eyes.

It wasn't fake.

She knew it wasn't.

Whoever had sent those pictures wanted her attention.

And they'd gotten it.

A soft knock came at her door.

Before she could answer, Caleb entered.

Neither of them spoke immediately.

The silence wasn't awkward.

Just tired.

Both of them looked exhausted.

Caleb leaned against the wall.

Arms crossed.

Watching her.

"You still plan on going."

Not a question.

Lena sighed.

"No."

His eyebrow rose.

"No?"

"I don't plan on going."

Caleb visibly relaxed.

Then Lena continued.

"I've already decided."

His expression immediately darkened again.

"There she is."

"What?"

"The stubborn idiot I know."

Despite everything, Lena almost smiled.

Almost.

"You think this is funny?"

"No."

His answer came instantly.

"That's why I'm worried."

The room fell quiet.

Lena looked down at her wrist.

The silver mark glowed faintly beneath her skin.

It seemed brighter tonight.

More active.

Almost restless.

Like it knew something was coming.

Caleb noticed.

Of course he noticed.

He noticed everything.

His gaze lingered on the mark before returning to her face.

"You don't understand what's happening."

Lena laughed softly.

A tired laugh.

"That's becoming a recurring theme."

He didn't smile.

"Lena."

The seriousness in his voice caught her attention.

"If this is who I think it is..."

He stopped.

Something troubled crossed his face.

Something rare.

Fear.

Not for himself.

For her.

"If it's Seraphine..."

The words seemed difficult for him.

"Then the students aren't the objective."

Lena already knew where this was going.

"I'm the objective."

Caleb nodded.

The answer hung heavily between them.

Neither spoke.

The clock continued ticking.

Finally Lena broke the silence.

"Then why keep them alive?"

That question had been bothering her for hours.

Caleb didn't answer immediately.

When he finally did, his voice was quiet.

"Because she knows you'd come."

The truth of it hurt.

Because he was right.

No matter how dangerous it was.

No matter how obvious the trap.

She was going.

The realization sat heavily in her chest.

Caleb pushed away from the wall.

"You can't go alone."

Lena looked up.

"You literally spent the last six hours telling me not to go."

"I know."

"Now you're changing your mind?"

"No."

His eyes hardened.

"I'm changing the plan."

For the first time that night, Lena became interested.

"Explain."

Caleb walked over.

Pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

Then spread it across her bed.

A map.

Blackwood Forest.

Several locations had been marked in red.

Lena frowned.

"You have a map of a cursed forest?"

Caleb ignored the question.

Which was answer enough.

He pointed toward the northern section.

"This is where the disappearances started."

Then another mark.

"This is where the symbols first appeared."

Then another.

"This is where Jacob's phone last connected to a tower."

Lena stared.

The locations formed a pattern.

Not random.

Not even close.

A circle.

A nearly perfect circle.

With one point at the center.

Her stomach tightened.

"What's in the middle?"

Caleb didn't answer.

Instead he looked toward the doorway.

Adrian appeared there seconds later.

Apparently he'd been listening.

Not surprising.

The man had a talent for appearing whenever he wasn't wanted.

Adrian glanced at the map.

Then sighed.

"Wonderful."

"What?"

Adrian looked directly at Lena.

"Now I know where she's taking them."

The room became still.

Caleb's expression darkened.

"You know this place?"

Adrian laughed bitterly.

"I wish I didn't."

Nobody liked that answer.

Especially Lena.

She folded her arms.

"Talk."

Adrian rubbed his temples.

For a moment he looked older.

Much older.

Exhausted.

Like someone carrying decades of regret.

"The place at the center..."

His eyes settled on the map.

"...used to be a palace."

Lena blinked.

"A palace?"

"Not anymore."

His voice grew quieter.

"It was destroyed a long time ago."

The mark on Lena's wrist suddenly pulsed.

Pain shot through her arm.

Brief.

Sharp.

Gone.

Adrian noticed immediately.

His expression changed.

Then another pulse hit.

This one stronger.

A flash exploded behind Lena's eyes.

Moonlight.

White stone.

Silver banners.

Massive towers stretching into the sky.

A palace.

The same palace.

Crowds cheering.

Music.

Laughter.

And standing high above them all...

A young girl.

Dark hair.

Bright eyes.

A silver crown resting on her head.

The vision vanished.

Lena sucked in a breath.

The room returned.

Caleb was kneeling in front of her.

Concern written across his face.

"Lena."

She stared at him.

Speechless.

The image remained vivid.

Real.

Far too real.

"What did you see?"

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

"A palace."

The room went silent.

Adrian closed his eyes.

Almost like he'd expected that answer.

Then a loud noise shattered the moment.

A notification.

Lena's phone.

Everyone looked.

A new message.

Unknown Number.

Her pulse quickened.

Slowly she opened it.

The screen displayed a countdown.

Nothing else.

No text.

No images.

Just numbers.

00:43:18

Forty three minutes.

The timer was already running.

The room became very quiet.

Then the numbers changed.

00:43:17

00:43:16

00:43:15

The countdown continued.

Relentless.

Steady.

Waiting for no one.

Lena looked up.

Nobody needed to say it.

The message was clear.

Midnight wasn't the meeting time.

Midnight was the deadline.

And if they were right...

Jacob Mercer had less than an hour left to live.