Mary woke with a sharp inhale.
The dream still clung to her mind—fog, Malakor's slow clap, the ticking watch, Marvin's letter. For a moment she lay still on the couch, listening to the quiet apartment and the steady rise and fall of Marvin's breathing beneath her cheek.
His arm rested loosely around her shoulders.
Warm.
Real.
Alive.
Mary exhaled slowly.
"Just a dream," she whispered to herself.
But something in her chest refused to settle.
Carefully, she slid out from under his arm and stood. The living room was dim, lit only by the faint light leaking from the kitchen.
Her bare feet touched the floor.
Cold.
She walked into the kitchen.
And the ticking began.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Mary froze.
The sound came from the counter.
Her gaze dropped slowly.
The stopwatch sat exactly where it had been in the dream.
Ticking.
Her stomach dropped.
"No…"
She stepped closer.
The numbers along the rim were different.
The old limit—one hundred—was gone.
New numbers circled endlessly around the metal frame.
101.
102.
103.
Mary's fingers closed around it.
The metal was warm.
Alive.
And the moment she touched it—
a pulse of violet energy surged through her veins.
The kitchen lights flickered.
The air thickened.
Then the front door creaked open.
Mary turned slowly.
Cold wind spilled into the apartment.
And the hallway filled with smoke.
Not normal smoke.
This smoke was black and silver, swirling like it had weight and intention. It gathered in the doorway, spinning faster and faster until the air itself seemed to tear open.
A portal formed.
Deep.
Bottomless.
Like looking into the throat of a storm.
Then something stepped out.
Tall.
Broad.
Wrapped in a cloak made of living shadow.
The smoke curled around him like it obeyed him.
His silver eyes burned beneath the hood.
The messenger from the dream.
But this time—
he was far more intimidating.
His presence bent the air around him.
"You are adapting quickly," the messenger said calmly.
Mary didn't answer.
Violet magic crawled along her skin.
"You took him."
"Yes."
The word was simple.
Cold.
Mary's jaw tightened.
"Bring him back."
The messenger tilted his head slightly.
"You misunderstand the rules of this round."
Mary moved.
Her magic detonated across the room.
The blast of violet lightning struck him square in the chest and launched him backward through the kitchen wall.
Plaster exploded.
Wood cracked.
The messenger slammed into the hallway floor.
And this time—
he felt it.
He groaned as he pushed himself up.
"That shouldn't—"
Mary appeared in front of him.
Her fist, wrapped in violet energy, drove into his ribs.
The messenger doubled over as the air left his lungs.
"You came into my house," Mary said coldly.
Another surge of magic slammed into him, lifting him off the floor and pinning him against the wall.
The shadows around him flickered wildly.
"You threatened someone I love."
Her eyes glowed brighter.
"You don't get to walk away from that."
The messenger struggled against the invisible pressure holding him.
"You have ten days—"
Mary raised her hand.
The pressure tightened.
His body froze.
Not just from force.
From something deeper.
Her magic had changed.
Violet energy spread outward from her fingertips, wrapping around his mind like invisible chains.
The messenger's eyes widened slightly.
"…what are you doing?"
Mary stepped closer.
Her voice softened.
But the power behind it deepened.
"You're going to listen to me now."
The messenger tried to resist.
His body trembled.
But Mary's magic pressed deeper.
Compulsion.
Raw.
Ancient.
Unavoidable.
His breathing slowed.
His shoulders relaxed slightly.
Mary's violet eyes locked onto his.
"Good."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Now tell me where Marvin is."
The messenger's voice came out strained.
"…I cannot."
Mary's magic tightened.
"Try again."
Pain flickered across his face.
"He… lives."
Mary felt the thread of relief immediately.
Alive.
Good.
"Where."
"Not here."
Mary rolled her eyes slightly.
"Obviously."
Her magic pushed deeper into his mind.
The messenger gasped slightly.
"Tell me what Malakor wants."
The answer slipped from his mouth before he could stop it.
"He wants to break you."
Mary snorted softly.
"That's adorable."
The messenger's eyes twitched.
Mary leaned closer.
"You're going to go back now."
His expression slackened under the compulsion.
"You will tell Malakor exactly what I say."
"Yes."
Mary smiled faintly.
"You're going to tell him I'm panicking."
The messenger nodded slowly.
"You're going to tell him I'm desperate."
Another nod.
"And you're going to tell him I destroyed the stopwatch."
The messenger's eyes flickered.
But the compulsion forced the words into place.
"Yes."
Mary's smile sharpened.
"Good."
She released him.
The invisible chains around his mind loosened.
The messenger staggered slightly, disoriented.
Before he could recover—
the smoky portal reopened behind him.
The shadows pulled him backward.
But this time—
he carried Mary's lie with him.
The portal swallowed him whole.
The kitchen fell silent again.
A moment later—
the front door burst open.
Axel stormed in first.
Eyes glowing gold.
Wolf roaring beneath the surface.
"What happened?!"
Kieran followed immediately behind him, scanning the damage.
Dante leaned casually against the doorway.
Caspian stepped beside Mary.
Their eyes landed on the cracked wall.
"…that escalated quickly," Dante muttered.
Mary simply held up the stopwatch.
The faint violet thread still pulsed from it.
Axel frowned.
"What is that?"
Mary's voice was calm.
"My way to find Marvin."
Kieran's eyes narrowed.
"And you just told them you destroyed it."
Mary smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
Axel's wolf grinned through him.
"Oh."
Caspian nodded slowly.
"Let them believe they control the board."
Mary's eyes gleamed.
"They don't."
⸻
Elsewhere
The smoky portal reopened.
The messenger stumbled out.
This time—
into a vast stone chamber lit by ancient runes.
Dark energy filled the air like pressure before a storm.
Malakor stood at the center of the room.
Tall.
Perfectly composed.
Waiting.
The messenger dropped to one knee immediately.
"My lord."
Malakor studied him calmly.
"You took damage."
The messenger lowered his head.
"…unexpected resistance."
Malakor's eyes darkened slightly.
"And the girl?"
The messenger repeated the lie Mary had planted.
"She panicked."
Malakor's smile returned.
"And the stopwatch?"
"Destroyed."
For a moment—
Malakor looked satisfied.
"Excellent."
Across the chamber—
a chair sat beneath a single hanging light.
A figure slumped in it.
Chains wrapped around his wrists.
Marvin.
His head tilted slightly as consciousness slowly returned.
He groaned softly.
"…ugh."
Malakor turned toward him.
"Ah."
"The guest awakens."
Marvin blinked slowly.
The room came into focus.
The chains.
The runes.
Malakor.
Marvin sighed.
"…please tell me this is the part where the villain explains his entire plan."
Malakor smiled faintly.
"Oh no."
His eyes gleamed.
"This is the part where we see how long you survive before she comes."
Marvin leaned back slightly in the chair.
Despite the chains.
Despite the situation.
He smirked.
"Yeah."
"That's gonna be a problem for you."
Malakor tilted his head.
"And why is that?"
Marvin's grin widened.
"Because if Mary already knows you took me…"
His eyes flickered with quiet confidence.
"…you just started a war you can't win."