Chapter 78 Chapter 78
Harper didn’t wake up all at once.
Consciousness returned to her in fragments—slow, disjointed, like pieces of herself being dragged back together against her will.
First came the pain.
A dull, throbbing ache pulsed at the back of her head, heavy and persistent, as if something inside her skull was pressing outward. It spread gradually, seeping into her temples, her neck, her shoulders, making every inch of her feel weighted.
Then came the cold.
It crept in quietly, wrapping around her skin, slipping through her clothes, settling deep into her bones. It wasn’t the kind of cold that passed—it lingered, biting, constant, unforgiving.
Her fingers twitched weakly.
That was when she realized—
She couldn’t move properly.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly, her vision unfocused at first, shapes blurring into one another as her mind struggled to catch up with reality. The world tilted slightly before steadying, though the dizziness didn’t fully fade.
For a moment, she just breathed.
Slow.
Uneven.
Confused.
And then awareness hit.
Her arms were pulled behind her, forced into an uncomfortable position. The rough pressure around her wrists dug into her skin, tight enough to hurt. She shifted instinctively, testing the restraint—
Chains.
Cold metal bit into her, heavy and unyielding.
Her heart skipped.
Her breathing picked up, shallow now as her pulse began to race.
Her legs—
Also bound.
Thicker chains this time, wrapped tightly enough to keep her from even attempting to stand.
A wave of panic rose, sharp and immediate, clawing its way up her chest.
She forced it down.
Forced herself to focus.
Think.
Her gaze lifted slowly—
And then she saw them.
Molly stood in front of her, framed against the dim, fading light of the sky. There was something disturbingly calm about her posture, arms crossed loosely as if she were simply waiting for a show to begin.
Claudia stood to her right, twirling something in her hand absentmindedly—a piece of rope, maybe—while Amy leaned slightly against a rock, her attention fixed entirely on Harper with quiet amusement.
And then—
Lila.
A few steps behind them.
She looked smaller somehow, her shoulders slightly hunched, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if trying to hold something in place. Her eyes flickered nervously between Harper and the others, guilt written so clearly across her face that it didn’t need words.
Something inside Harper sank.
Reality settled fully into place.
Her voice, when it came, was rough but steady.
“What’s going on?”
Molly’s lips curved slowly, her expression shifting into something pleased, almost delighted.
“Oh,” she said lightly, tilting her head. “Look who finally woke up.”
Harper ignored the tone.
Her eyes moved past them, scanning the surroundings.
There were no tents.
No students.
No familiar structures.
Just open land stretching behind them—
And ahead—
The ocean.
It spread out endlessly, darkening under the fading light, its surface restless, waves crashing steadily against the shore. The sound filled the air, rhythmic and heavy, almost suffocating in its consistency.
A cold realization formed in her chest.
They didn’t bring her here to talk.
They brought her here because no one would hear her.
“Why am I here?” she asked, her voice quieter now, but sharper.
Molly stepped forward slowly, her boots pressing into the ground with deliberate weight.
“I hate you,” she said plainly.
No hesitation.
No buildup.
Just truth.
Harper held her gaze, refusing to look away despite the tension tightening around her chest.
“And yet,” Molly continued, her eyes narrowing slightly, “you stood there—in front of everyone—and beat me.”
There was something raw in her voice now. Not just anger.
Humiliation.
“I won,” Harper said, her tone calm, even though her pulse was still racing. “You just have to accept that.”
The response landed exactly how expected.
Molly’s expression twisted.
“Never,” she snapped, the word sharp enough to cut through the sound of the waves. “I know you didn’t do that on your own.”
Her eyes darkened slightly as she took another step closer.
“I’m sure your pathetic demon boyfriend had something to do with it,” she added, her tone laced with disdain. “I just don’t know how.”
Harper’s heart stuttered for a fraction of a second.
But she didn’t let it show.
“And you think he won’t help me now?” she shot back, forcing steadiness into her voice.
Molly smiled.
And that smile—
It wasn’t uncertain.
It wasn’t doubtful.
It was confident.
“Don’t worry,” she said softly. “I already handled that.”
Something in Harper’s chest tightened.
“I sent him a distraction,” Molly continued, almost casually. “He won’t be coming for you. Not anytime soon.”
The words settled heavily.
Harper swallowed slightly, her mind racing despite the stillness of her body.
A distraction?
What did that mean?
Her eyes shifted again—
Back to Lila.
The hurt hit deeper this time.
“I can’t believe you’re with them,” Harper said quietly.
Lila flinched.
Immediately.
“I’m not,” she said quickly, her voice shaking. “I swear, I’m not—”
“That’s insulting,” Claudia cut in, her tone dry. “Don’t lump us in with her.”
Amy nodded slightly, unimpressed.
“Yeah. She’s just useful.”
Lila’s face paled further, but she didn’t argue.
She couldn’t.
“Make sure she’s tied properly,” Claudia added, pushing off from where she stood. “I don’t want any surprises.”
They moved toward Harper.
She tensed instantly, instinct taking over as she struggled against the restraints.
“What are you doing? Let go of me!” she demanded, her voice rising now as panic edged closer.
But it didn’t matter.
Cold hands grabbed her arms.
The chains were adjusted, tightened.
Locked.
Every movement she made only made it worse, the metal biting deeper into her skin, holding her firmly in place.
“I don’t think you should do this…” Lila’s voice came again, quieter, but stronger this time.
It was enough to make them pause.
All eyes turned to her.
For a moment, it almost felt like she might say something that mattered.
Something that could change this.
Molly walked over slowly.
And then—
The slap came fast.
Sharp.
Brutal.
Lila stumbled to the side, her hand flying to her cheek as tears filled her eyes instantly.
“Be quiet,” Molly said, her voice dropping into something far more dangerous. “Or you’ll be next.”
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Absolute.
Molly turned back, as if nothing had happened.
“You want us to let you go?” she asked Harper, mockery dripping from every word.
She reached into her pocket and pulled something out.
A key.
Small.
Metallic.
It caught the fading light just enough to shine.
“This unlocks everything,” she said, holding it up slightly.
Hope flickered—
Just for a second.
Then Molly turned—
And threw it.
Harper’s eyes followed it instinctively as it arced through the air before disappearing into the ocean with a faint splash.
Gone.
Just like that.
Laughter broke out behind her.
Claudia clapped lightly. Amy smirked.
“Don’t worry,” Molly said sweetly. “You can still free yourself.”
Her smile widened.
“You just have to find it.”
The weight of those words settled in.
And then—
Hands grabbed her again.
Rough.
Unforgiving.
They dragged her across the ground, the friction scraping against her skin as the sound of the ocean grew louder with every second.
“No—wait—” Harper started, her voice tightening despite herself. “Don’t do this.”
They didn’t stop.
Didn’t hesitate.
The edge came too fast.
And before she could brace—
They pushed her.
The world dropped out from under her.
The cold hit instantly as the ocean swallowed her whole, water crashing over her head, pulling her down, down, down.
The chains dragged her with it.
Heavy.
Relentless.
Her body sank quickly, the surface disappearing above her as darkness closed in.
Her lungs burned almost immediately, panic exploding fully now as instinct screamed at her to move, to fight, to breathe—
But she couldn’t.
She couldn’t move.
Couldn’t reach.
Couldn’t escape.
The pressure built.
The silence underwater was deafening, broken only by the distant, muffled echoes of the world above.
The girls burst into laughter as the water swallowed Harper completely.
The sound carried for a moment before fading beneath the crashing waves, as if the ocean itself had decided to keep what it had just taken.
Lila’s breath hitched sharply.
“No!” she cried out, panic breaking through her fear as she stepped forward, instinct taking over. “You can’t—she’ll—”
She didn’t get to finish.
Molly’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm roughly and yanking her back with enough force to make her stumble.
“Say another word,” Molly said quietly, her voice dropping into something cold and dangerous, “and you’ll be joining her.”
Lila froze instantly.
Her entire body went stiff, her heart pounding violently in her chest as Molly’s grip tightened just enough to make the threat real.
Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t speak again.
Couldn’t.
All she could do was stare at the water, her chest rising and falling too fast, guilt clawing its way up her throat as the reality of what they had just done settled in.
Behind them, Claudia exhaled in satisfaction, brushing her hands together lightly.
“Well,” she said, glancing toward the ocean, “that’s one problem handled.”
Amy smirked, folding her arms. “If she makes it out, I’ll be impressed.”
Molly didn’t respond immediately.
Her gaze remained fixed on the dark surface of the water, her expression unreadable for a brief second—before the smirk returned.
“She won’t,” she said simply.
But deep down—
She wasn’t entirely sure why she said it so quickly.
Far from the ocean, tension was building in a completely different way.
Koda stood still, but something inside him wasn’t.
It started as a faint unease.
A small, unfamiliar tightness in his chest.
Then it grew.
Fast.
Sharp.
Wrong.
His body reacted before his mind could make sense of it, his muscles tensing as his gaze shifted slightly, unfocused for a moment as something pulled at him from somewhere he couldn’t see.
Or maybe—
Somewhere he couldn’t reach.
He took a step forward.
Then stopped.
His jaw tightened.
Something was off.
Not just off—
Missing.
“Koda?” Kai’s voice broke through, laced with confusion as he watched him. “What’s wrong?”
Koda didn’t answer immediately.
His breathing had slowed, but not in a calm way—more like he was holding something back, trying to understand something just beyond his grasp.
“I…” he started, his voice quieter than usual, edged with something unfamiliar. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Kai frowned slightly, stepping closer. “What do you mean?”
Koda’s hand clenched slightly at his side.
For a split second, his eyes darkened.
“I can’t feel—”
He stopped.
Movement cut him off.
Footsteps.
Multiple.
Deliberate.
Both of them turned.
Ryan stepped into view, a bat resting casually against his shoulder, his expression set in something far less reckless than before.
This time—
He looked prepared.
Behind him, several others followed, each carrying the same kind of weapon, their presence shifting the atmosphere instantly.
Heavy.
Hostile.
Intentional.
“Hey, Koda,” Ryan said, his voice carrying a forced calm that didn’t quite hide what was underneath. “Let’s finish what we started.”
Kai’s expression hardened immediately, his stance shifting slightly as he stepped just enough to the side, ready.
But Koda—
Didn’t move. Not right away.
Because of that feeling, it was still there.
Stronger now.Pulling at him.
Distracting him.
Something was wrong.
Somewhere.
And for the first time—
He hesitated.