The car hummed softly as it cruised through the moonlit forest road. I sat between Magnus and Damien in the back seat, my hands fidgeting nervously in my lap. Xavier was in the driver's seat, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. We couldn't afford to hire a driver now, and we couldn't trust anyone but ourselves.
Finally, I broke the silence. "Magnus," I began softly. "Tell me, what happened back there?"
Magnus exhaled, his jaw tightening as he stared out the window. The moonlight caught the edges of his bruises, and the sight made my heart ache.
"They weren't playing the game," Magnus said softly. "Three of them came after me. At first, I thought it was just part of the challenge, but it wasn't."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"They weren't trying to win," Magnus replied, turning his gaze to meet Damien's. "They were... trying to kill me."
I gasped, my hands instinctively reaching for Magnus's arm. "Kill you? But... why? That doesn't make sense."
