Ryan woke to the sound of dripping water. His head pounded, but the golden glow of the Loom was gone. Instead, he and Kate were lying in an alley, rain falling through a gap in the cracked roof above.
Kate groaned, sitting up. "Where… where are we?"
Ryan looked around. The buildings were unfamiliar tall, leaning, covered in old wires and faded signs. The streets were empty, the air thick with the smell of rust and smoke.
"This isn't our city," he said quietly. "The Loom must have dropped us somewhere else."
Kate stood, rubbing her arms. "Somewhere… or somewhen?"
Ryan gave her a quick glance. "Both are possible."
A shadow moved at the far end of the alley. Ryan tensed immediately, his hand on the diary. But the figure that stepped forward wasn't Lucien it was a young man, thin and pale, with eyes that seemed far too old for his face.
"You shouldn't be here," the stranger said. His voice was calm but carried a warning. "This city belongs to the Hollow Court."
Ryan narrowed his eyes. "And who are you?"
The stranger stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Someone who doesn't want to see you die."
Kate crossed her arms. "We're not exactly helpless."
The stranger gave her a strange look, as if measuring her. "No. But you're hunted. I can smell it on you."
Ryan didn't answer. He could feel it too the Loom's pull still lingering, the faint echo of Lucien's presence.
The stranger glanced over his shoulder, then back at them. "If you want to survive the night, follow me. The Hollow Court doesn't forgive trespassers."
Ryan hesitated, then nodded. "Lead the way."
As they followed him into the winding streets, Ryan couldn't shake the feeling that they had just stepped into a place where the rules were very different and where one wrong move could cost them more than their lives.