Chapter 5: No Way Home

Sebastian looked at me, blood spreading across his neck, his eyes darker and deeper than ever, as if he were sizing up a pet that dared to bite its owner.

Something else I couldn’t name. There was a strange admiration in his gaze, mixed with anger and something else I couldn’t name.

One by one. One by one, the candles were lit.

All I saw was blood and fear. The room filled with soft, golden light. It should have been beautiful, but all I saw was blood and fear.

Wrapped in white gauze. The wound on Sebastian’s neck had already been bandaged, wrapped in white gauze.

The danger passed. He moved with practiced ease, as if he’d done this a hundred times before. The blood was already drying, the danger passed.

His voice tinged with regret. He touched it, his voice tinged with regret.

“Not even enough strength to kill me. How will you survive out there, Lena?”

But I knew better. He sounded almost sad, like he pitied me. But I knew better.

“Before I met you, I was just fine.” My fingers, stained with dried blood, trembled. “Before I met you, I was just fine.”

If I ever got the chance. The words were true. I’d been happy once. I could be happy again, if I ever got the chance.

As if he’d heard a joke. Sebastian curled his lips, as if he’d heard a joke.

But I didn’t have the strength. He laughed, low and bitter. I wanted to hit him, but I didn’t have the strength.

“I really wonder what kind of place could raise someone like you—naive, foolish, weak, too trusting. If you’d stayed in Silver Hollow, your sweet ‘little brother’ would’ve sold you off sooner or later.”

But I refused to let him see it. His words were meant to hurt, and they did. But I refused to let him see it.

His long lashes hiding the mockery there. As he spoke, Sebastian lowered his eyes, his long lashes hiding the mockery there.

Or just bored. He couldn’t even look at me. I wondered if he was ashamed, or just bored.

“He already sold you to me. Whatever he knew, he told me.”

Nails digging into my palms. The betrayal stung, fresh and raw. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.

The gray gadget in his palm. Sebastian stretched out his hand, revealing the gray gadget in his palm.

My only way home. My heart leapt. Wayfarer. My only hope, my only way home.

Trying to snatch it. I lunged for it almost instantly, trying to snatch it.

But he was too fast. I moved before I could think, desperation making me reckless. My fingers grazed the metal, but he was too fast.

Letting me fall to the ground. Sebastian sidestepped, letting me fall to the ground.

I’d crawl if I had to. I hit the floor hard, pain shooting up my side. I didn’t care. I’d crawl if I had to.

“So this thing really is important to you.” He chuckled. “So this thing really is important to you.”

But I bit my tongue instead. His laughter was cruel, mocking. I wanted to scream, to claw at his face, but I bit my tongue instead.

“You fell from the sky. A complete outsider.” “When Connor said you weren’t from this world, I thought he was crazy. But all these years, no matter how I dug, I couldn’t find your background. It seems he was right—you fell from the sky. A complete outsider.”

A stranger in a world that would never accept me. The truth hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. I was an alien here, a stranger in a world that would never accept me.

“Those strange ideas and behaviors of yours make sense now.”

I could hear the fear beneath the words. He said it like it was a joke, but I could hear the fear beneath the words.

In shock. I stared up at Sebastian in shock.

It scared me more than his anger ever had. I’d never seen him like this before—vulnerable, uncertain. It scared me more than his anger ever had.

“No matter where you’re from, where you belong. Your only destination now is with me.” “But I don’t care about any of that. No matter where you’re from, where you belong. Your only destination now is with me.” Sebastian leaned down, pulling me into his arms, his fingers stroking my back, his voice low and lingering. “Even if I die, you’ll be buried with me.”

Unable to fight. His words were a curse, a promise. I shivered, unable to move, unable to fight.

The faint scent of blood. I smelled the faint scent of blood.

I gagged. Turned my face away. It mingled with his cologne, sharp and metallic. I gagged. Turned my face away.

Dragging me out of the room. All the way to the lake. Then Sebastian grabbed my wrist, dragging me out of the room. All the way to the lake.

A blur of shadows and fear. The night air was cold, biting. My feet scraped against the gravel, but he didn’t slow down. The world spun, a blur of shadows and fear.

He threw Wayfarer into the water. Right in front of me, he threw Wayfarer into the water.

Gone in an instant. Swallowed by the dark. I watched as it sank, the ripples spreading out like the end of everything. My hope, my freedom—gone in an instant. Swallowed by the dark.