The dream unfolded like a slow, suffocating tide pulling me beneath the surface.
I had dashed toward New Hale River, an urgent ache gripping my chest—Charlie needed help. If I could just reach him quick enough, pull him from the cold grasp of the water, I might save him.
The moment I plunged into the river’s icy depths, the world shifted. The riverbed sank farther away than I remembered, the water deepening into an endless abyss where light struggled to survive. Darkness swallowed me whole.
Then, a faint shimmer caught my eye: golden, elusive, beckoning from the blackness below.
It had to be Charlie.
Driven by desperation, I kicked harder, pushing deeper, lungs screaming for air. But the river bottom remained distant, a cruel mirage just out of reach.
My breath burned fiercely, a warning I ignored. I kept moving forward, chest tightening, ribs feeling like they’d cave in.
The golden gleam grew nearer with every frantic stroke until, at last, my fingers brushed something solid on the riverbed.
But it wasn’t the boy I was searching for.
It was my golden dove pendant, glinting cruelly in the water’s murk.
Then, the torrent of water invaded my nostrils, sharp and unforgiving. My body convulsed, panic overtaking me as I clawed at my throat. Trembling violently, I fought to resist surrendering to the depths.
Until everything stilled.
Had I died there, alone beneath the river’s surface?
My silent pleas echoed inwardly—"Charlie... save me." But no answer came.
Desperation turned to isolation. I called for my mother, father, Bianca, even Lucas. But the void only answered with emptiness.
I was utterly alone.
***
My eyelids fluttered open to the harsh reality of a humming engine, the tight grip of leather against my cheek, the uneven jostle of a car navigating a rough road.
Attempting to sit, my head slammed unceremoniously against the doorframe, a painful reminder of my restrained state.
Confusion rippled through me as I glanced down at my bound limbs—duct tape wrapped mercilessly around wrists and ankles, my mouth sealed in quiet captivity.
A pulse of pain throbbed from my legs, dull but persistent.
"You’re awake," a voice cut through the haze.
Turning my gaze, I met Jace’s calm eyes through the rearview mirror, his hand steady on the wheel despite the tension in the air.
Summoning what energy I had, I shifted myself upright, balancing precariously against the unforgiving seat.
Outside, the world was swallowed by towering pines, their silhouettes stark against the night sky. A dense forest aroma—earthy and sharp—filled my senses.
Blackthorn Forest.
Jace’s knowing smile met mine in the mirror.
"Yes," he said softly. "It’s Blackthorn Forest."
I pressed my face toward the window, straining to glimpse any familiar landmark from my childhood, but the night’s thickness betrayed me.
"Don’t worry, we’re almost there," he reassured.
The journey passed in a blur of shadows and my own reflections—eyes wide, questioning, trapped.
Why hadn’t Jace harmed me yet? What was he planning? Was keeping me alive part of some twisted design?
The car veered from the rugged dirt path onto a smoother pavement, approaching a forbidding wrought iron gate flanked by ancient stone walls.
Jace parked briefly to unlock the heavy chains before steering the car through the gate.
The forest gave way to a manicured clearing. Neatly trimmed gardens lined the drive, the scent of damp foliage mingling with the crisp night air.
In the distance, a grand house materialized from the shadows.
Even bathed in moonlight’s blue wash, the Victorian villa was breathtaking—gleaming white walls wrapped in thick ivy, ornate gables reaching to the sky. A large marble fountain stood silent before the entrance, its elegance both inviting and ominous.
The car came to a halt at the stone steps leading to the imposing double doors.
Jace stepped out and, with surprising gentleness, opened my door. He wrapped his arms beneath me, lifting me as though I weighed nothing.
I rested my head against his chest, surrendering to the inevitability of my fate. Struggling was futile—I lacked the strength, the cunning to outwit him.
Within this fragile peace, a strange comfort settled. It was the same protective hold he had used in the cafeteria, days ago, cloaked in a warmth that felt contradictory to my peril.
"You’re the first I’ve brought here who’s been so... compliant," Jace observed quietly.
His voice was calm, almost tender, but the tape binding me reminded me of my helplessness.
We stepped inside the house where darkness swallowed the rooms, the only illumination flickering from the descending basement stairs.
Once we reached the concrete floor below, Jace flipped on a harsh overhead light, casting sharp shadows against the cold walls.
He lowered me gently, then sighed, "Stay here. I’ll fetch our other guest." Without closing the door, he left, leaving me alone in the stillness.
Uncomfortable and restrained, I pushed myself to a seated position, the tape pulling against my skin. Strands of hair fell over my eyes, and with my mouth sealed, I could neither brush them away nor call out.
My gaze flickered around the room until it landed on the far wall, where a chilling display awaited.
Rows of photographs pinned haphazardly—dozens of girls, half-naked and marked. Their vacant eyes held no recognition, lost in a haze of confusion and fear.
A cold knot tightened in my stomach. Could Jace, with his gentle smile, truly be capable of this?
The realization shattered the fragile image I had of him.
But why were all these victims female? And why, then, was Michael—strong, defiant Michael—here, bound and gagged?
My thoughts broke apart as a sudden, raw scream ripped through the house.
My head whipped to the doorway as Jace reappeared, dragging Michael down the stairs by the collar with effortless control.
Michael’s muffled shouts echoed from beneath his taped mouth, his muscles straining desperately against the bindings.
Though his bulky frame dwarfed mine, Jace treated him like a rag doll—kicking him down the last steps before closing the door with an ominous thud.
Michael crumpled onto the floor near me, eyes wild with recognition and fury. Spotting my own restrained state, he twisted his head toward Jace, unleashing a torrent of incoherent curses through the gag.
I swallowed a surge of despair. We were trapped together, prisoners of an unknown fate, the dark secrets of the villa pressing in around us.