Selene's POV
"Wait." I grab Kael's arm before we leave. "I need to call someone first."
"Who?" Kael asks. "Selene, we don't have time—"
"Mira." I pull out my phone. "My best friend. If I'm going to die tonight, I need to say goodbye."
Kael's face softens. "Okay. But make it quick."
I dial with shaking hands. She answers on the third ring.
"Selene?" Mira's voice is cold. "I told you not to call me."
"Mira, please. Just listen—"
"I saw the videos. Everyone saw them. You stole from Ryan. You—"
"Ryan lied!" I shout. "Everything was fake! The embezzlement, the documents, all of it! He and Vivienne set me up!"
Silence.
Then: "You're serious."
"Yes! Mira, I need you to believe me. I need..." My voice breaks. "I need my friend."
More silence. Then I hear her sigh.
"Where are you?" she asks quietly.
"I'll text you the address. Can you come? Now?"
"This better not be a trick, Selene."
"It's not. I promise."
She hangs up.
Thirty minutes later, Mira bursts through the penthouse door. She sees me and freezes.
"Jesus, Selene. You look terrible."
"Thanks," I say weakly. "You look good too."
She rushes over and hugs me tight. "What the hell happened to you? You're so pale. And thin. Have you eaten?"
"Long story." I pull back. "Mira, I don't have much time. I need you to listen carefully."
"Okay..." She looks around the penthouse suspiciously. "Whose place is this? And why are there weird symbols drawn all over the floor?"
"That's Kael." I point to where he's standing with Elara and Thorne. "He's helping me."
Kael nods at her. "Hello."
Mira's eyes go wide. "Holy shit. You're gorgeous. Are you a model? A movie star? Why are you helping Selene?"
"It's complicated," Kael says.
"Everything about today is complicated," Mira mutters. She turns back to me. "Okay. Talk. What's going on?"
I take a deep breath. "Ryan and Vivienne are getting married tonight. At 7 PM. At the Grandeur Hotel."
"I know. They invited me." Mira makes a face. "I wasn't going to go because... well, because it felt wrong after what happened to you."
"Don't go," I say urgently. "Mira, you need to stay far away from that wedding."
"Why?"
How do I explain this? Ancient curses? Reincarnation? Soul anchors?
"Because it's dangerous," I settle on. "Ryan and Vivienne aren't who they seem. They're planning something bad tonight. And I'm going to stop them."
Mira stares at me. "Selene. Are you okay? Like, mentally okay? Because you're starting to sound—"
"Crazy?" I laugh. "Yeah. I know. But I'm not. I'm telling you the truth."
"Then prove it." Mira crosses her arms. "Show me proof that Ryan and Vivienne are dangerous."
I look at Kael. He nods and pulls out his phone.
"This is security footage from Ryan's office," he says, showing Mira. "From three months ago."
The video shows Ryan and Vivienne creating fake documents. Forging my signature. Laughing about how I'll never see it coming.
Mira's face goes white. "That's... they really did frame you."
"Yes," I say. "And tonight, they're going to try to finish what they started."
"Finish what?"
"Killing me."
Mira drops Kael's phone. "What?!"
"It's a long story," I say quickly. "But basically, I'm cursed. I die tonight at midnight unless I can break the curse at their wedding."
"You're cursed. To die. Tonight." Mira looks at Kael. "And you believe this?"
"I know it's true," Kael says simply.
"Because?"
"Because I've watched her die seventeen times before."
Mira backs away slowly. "Okay. You're both insane. I'm leaving."
"Mira, wait!" I grab her hand.
The moment I touch her, silver light flares between us.
Mira screams and jumps back. "What the hell was that?!"
I stare at my glowing hand. "The priestess magic. It's getting stronger."
"Priestess magic?" Mira's voice is shrill. "Selene, what is happening?!"
"I told you. I'm cursed. I'm dying. And I have—" I check the countdown timer. "Five and a half hours to break it."
Mira looks from me to Kael to the symbols on the floor to my glowing hands.
"This is real," she whispers. "This is actually real."
"Yes."
She sits down hard on the couch. "Okay. Okay. So you're cursed and you're dying and there's magic and..." She looks up at me. "What do you need me to do?"
Relief floods through me. "You believe me?"
"Selene, your hands are literally glowing. I'm not sure what I believe, but I'm not leaving you." She stands up. "So what's the plan?"
"We're going to the wedding," I explain. "I need to destroy something called a soul anchor. It's a necklace my mother is wearing. If I can destroy it, the curse might break."
"Might?"
"Might," I confirm.
"And if it doesn't break?"
"Then I die at midnight."
Mira processes this. "And you're going anyway."
"I have to. My mom is there. She's in danger."
"The mom who disowned you publicly?"
"She's still my mom."
Mira sighs. "You're too good, Selene. You know that?" She pulls out her phone. "Fine. I'm coming with you."
"No!" Kael and I say together.
"It's too dangerous," I add. "If you're there—"
"I'm your best friend. Best friends don't let each other crash weddings and face ancient curses alone." Mira's jaw sets stubbornly. "I'm coming. End of discussion."
I want to argue. But looking at her determined face, I know it's useless.
"Okay," I say finally. "But you stay in the back. Away from the action."
"Deal."
Kael checks his watch. "We need to move. The wedding starts in four hours. We need to scout the location first."
We all head for the door.
My phone buzzes.
Another text from The Architect:
"How sweet. The best friend joins the suicide mission. Tell me, Selene—how will you feel when she dies because of you? When everyone you love burns because you were too selfish to accept your fate?"
Below it: A new photo.
The Grandeur Hotel ballroom. But it's different now. Every exit is blocked by shadowy figures. And in the center of the room, a circle of black candles surrounds the altar where Ryan and Vivienne will say their vows.
"He's prepared for us," Elara says, looking at the photo over my shoulder. "Those shadows are guardians. Ancient magic. Very powerful."
"Can we get past them?" I ask.
"Maybe. If we're lucky." She doesn't sound convinced.
"We're never lucky," Thorne mutters.
Mira looks at the photo, then at me. "Selene. What are those shadow things?"
"Demons," Elara says casually. "The Architect summoned them to guard the ritual."
"Demons." Mira's voice is faint. "There are demons at this wedding."
"Probably about twenty of them," Elara continues. "Maybe thirty."
"Thirty demons."
"Give or take."
Mira looks at me. "You know what? I changed my mind. I'm not coming."
"Good," I say. "Stay here. Stay safe."
"I said I changed my mind about staying in the back." Mira straightens her shoulders. "If we're fighting thirty demons, I'm getting a weapon."
Despite everything, I smile. "You're insane."
"We're all insane." She grins back. "At least we're insane together."
We pile into Kael's car. The countdown timer on my phone ticks away.
4:52:17... 4:52:16... 4:52:15...
As we drive toward the hotel, Mira suddenly gasps.
"What?" I ask.
"The photo. The one The Architect sent." She grabs my phone. "Look at the time stamp."
I look. The photo was taken five minutes ago.
"So?"
"So those shadows are there now. Right now. Which means..." Mira's face goes pale. "The wedding isn't starting at 7 PM."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at the decorations. The candles are lit. The chairs are full. People are already there." She zooms in on the photo. "The wedding already started. The Architect lied about the time."
My blood turns to ice.
"What time does it say on the clock in the photo?" Kael demands.
Mira zooms in more. "6:00 PM. The wedding started an hour early."
We all check our watches.
6:05 PM.
"We're already late," I whisper.
Kael floors the accelerator. The car roars forward.
"How long until they say their vows?" Elara asks urgently.
"Average wedding ceremony is thirty minutes," Mira says. "But this is Ryan and Vivienne. They love attention. They'll drag it out. Maybe forty-five minutes?"
"That gives us twenty minutes," Kael says. "Twenty minutes to get there, get inside, fight through thirty demons, and destroy the soul anchor."
"Impossible," Thorne mutters.
"We do impossible things all the time," I say.
But I don't believe it.
The countdown timer hits 4:35:00.
Less than five hours until midnight.
And we're already behind.
My phone buzzes one more time.
A video call. From my mother.
I answer it with shaking hands.
My mother's face fills the screen. She's crying.
"Selene," she sobs. "Baby, I'm so sorry. For everything. I didn't know—I didn't understand—"
"Mom, where are you?"
"The hotel. In a back room. He locked me here. The man—the thing—that was inside me." She touches the necklace around her neck. The soul anchor. "He said this stone is connected to you. He said when they finish the ceremony, it's going to kill you."
"I know, Mom. I'm coming to get you."
"No!" She shakes her head frantically. "Don't come! It's a trap! He wants you here! He—"
The screen goes black.
Then a new face appears.
The Architect. In his true form. A shadow with burning red eyes.
"Hello, priestess," he purrs. "Your mother was right. This is a trap. And you're walking right into it."
"Let her go," I growl.
"Come get her." He laughs. "Oh wait. You can't. Because in—" He checks a clock. "Fifteen minutes, Ryan and Vivienne will say 'I do.' The moment they complete their vows, the soul anchor activates. Your mother dies. And so do you."
"We'll stop you," Kael says.
"Will you?" The Architect's eyes gleam. "You're still ten minutes away from the hotel. Even if you drive like a maniac. By the time you arrive, the ceremony will be over. Selene will be dead. And there's nothing you can do about it."
The video ends.
I look at Kael. "Can we make it?"
He doesn't answer. Just drives faster.
The timer on my phone switches to a new countdown.
One The Architect sent.
It reads: TIME UNTIL VOWS COMPLETE: 14:23
Fourteen minutes.
We're ten minutes away.
We're going to be late.
And when we're late, I die.