The apartment was quiet again.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that followed a storm but promised another one was coming.
The cracked wall in the hallway still shed small flakes of plaster onto the floor. The kitchen light flickered occasionally from the burst of magic Mary had released only minutes earlier.
But Mary herself stood perfectly still.
The stopwatch rested in her palm.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The sound was steady now, almost calm—like the storm inside it had settled for the moment.
The faint violet thread stretched outward from the watch again.
Invisible to most eyes.
But Mary felt it.
A subtle pull behind her ribs.
Alive.
Marvin was alive.
Far away.
But alive.
Axel leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, watching her carefully. His wolf still prowled beneath his skin, restless and irritated by the lingering scent of the messenger's shadow magic.
"He came through a portal," Axel said.
Not a question.
Mary nodded slightly.
"Smoky. Black and silver."
Dante whistled under his breath.
"Fancy entrance."
Kieran crouched beside the damaged wall, running his fingers along the deep cracks.
"Not just fancy."
His voice was thoughtful.
"That portal wasn't ordinary teleportation."
Mary glanced toward him.
Kieran stood slowly.
"That was Veil-walking."
The room went still.
Even Dante stopped joking.
Caspian folded his arms thoughtfully.
"That's forbidden magic."
"Extremely," Kieran confirmed.
"It means Malakor isn't just operating inside the realm."
Mary frowned slightly.
"Then where?"
Kieran met her eyes.
"The In-Between."
The words hung in the air.
Dante rubbed the back of his neck.
"…yeah I hate that place already."
Axel's jaw tightened.
"Explain."
Kieran stepped toward the table.
"The In-Between exists outside normal time."
Mary felt the meaning immediately.
Her eyes flickered to the stopwatch.
"So Marvin could be anywhere."
"Or any when," Kieran corrected.
Mary inhaled slowly.
That complicated things.
But not impossibly.
Because she could still feel him.
That thread tugged again.
Soft.
Steady.
Alive.
Caspian noticed the shift in her expression.
"You can sense him."
Mary nodded.
"Not exactly where."
"But the direction."
Axel stepped closer.
"That's enough."
Dante smirked slightly.
"Yeah, we just start punching everything in that direction."
Mary rolled her eyes.
"We're not doing that."
Axel frowned.
"Why not."
Mary lifted the stopwatch slightly.
"Because they expect us to."
The ticking echoed softly.
Kieran nodded slowly.
"The messenger reported back by now."
Caspian leaned against the table.
"Meaning Malakor believes you destroyed the compass."
Mary smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
Axel's wolf liked that answer.
His lips curled slightly.
"So we let him think you're blind."
Mary nodded.
Dante cracked his knuckles.
"Then we blindside him."
Mary shook her head.
"Not yet."
Four sets of eyes turned to her.
"We need information."
Kieran raised an eyebrow.
"What kind."
Mary's gaze shifted toward the hallway.
"About the In-Between."
And right on cue—
the air behind them shimmered.
Like heat bending glass.
Axel spun instantly.
Dante's shadows rose around him.
But Mary didn't move.
She just sighed.
"…you really need to stop doing that."
The shimmer widened.
Reality peeled open.
And Silas stepped halfway into the room.
Half there.
Half somewhere else entirely.
His jacket hung loosely over one shoulder like he'd been interrupted mid-walk.
Silver dust clung to his boots.
He glanced around casually.
"Wow."
He looked at the broken wall.
"You redecorated."
Axel growled softly.
Silas didn't even look at him.
Instead he pointed toward the stopwatch in Mary's hand.
"So."
"That started ticking again."
Mary nodded once.
Silas ran a hand through his hair.
"…yeah."
"That's bad."
Dante frowned.
"Define bad."
Silas leaned against the wall.
"Remember the hundred-loop rule?"
Mary nodded slowly.
"One hundred rewinds."
"Right."
Silas gestured toward the watch.
"Turns out that wasn't the limit."
The room fell silent.
Axel frowned.
"What does that mean."
Silas met Mary's eyes.
"It means the first hundred were training."
Mary's stomach tightened.
"And now?"
Silas smiled faintly.
"Now the real game begins."
The stopwatch ticked louder.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Mary's fingers tightened around it.
"What changed."
Silas stepped closer.
"The board."
Kieran's eyes sharpened.
"Explain."
Silas shrugged slightly.
"The prince was only the first obstacle."
Mary's voice was quiet.
"And Malakor?"
Silas didn't smile.
"He's the one who designed the rest."
Axel cracked his neck slowly.
"Good."
Silas raised an eyebrow.
"You sound excited."
Axel's wolf glinted in his eyes.
"I am."
Mary looked between them.
"Focus."
She lifted the stopwatch again.
"I can track Marvin."
Silas frowned slightly.
"You shouldn't be able to."
Mary smiled faintly.
"Well."
"I can."
Silas studied her for a moment.
Then nodded slowly.
"Interesting."
Kieran stepped forward.
"So where is he."
Mary closed her eyes briefly.
The violet thread pulsed stronger.
Her senses stretched outward.
Across the city.
Across the realm.
Beyond.
Far beyond.
Her breath slowed.
Then—
she felt it.
A tug.
Sharper now.
Mary's eyes opened.
"He's moving."
The room stilled.
Axel straightened immediately.
"Where."
Mary pointed toward the horizon beyond the apartment walls.
"North."
Silas frowned.
"That's not good."
Mary looked at him.
"Why."
Silas sighed.
"Because north of here…"
His expression darkened slightly.
"…is where the Veil gets thin."
Dante blinked.
"The Veil of what."
Silas smiled faintly.
"The Veil between worlds."
Caspian's voice was calm.
"So they're moving him deeper into the In-Between."
Silas nodded.
"Exactly."
Mary looked down at the stopwatch again.
The numbers ticked upward.
107.
108.
109.
Ten days.
That's what the messenger said.
But Mary understood something now.
The clock wasn't counting days.
It was counting moves.
And they had just used three.
Mary lifted her head.
"Then we move tonight."
Axel's wolf surfaced instantly.
A dangerous grin spread across his face.
"Finally."
Kieran nodded.
"Agreed."
Dante pushed himself off the doorway.
"Road trip to another dimension."
Caspian placed a steady hand on Mary's shoulder.
"Carefully."
Mary's violet eyes gleamed softly.
"Oh."
"We will."
The stopwatch ticked again.
110.
⸻
Elsewhere
Cold light hung above the stone chamber.
Marvin slowly lifted his head.
His wrists still burned from the enchanted chains binding him to the chair.
The runes carved into the floor pulsed faintly beneath his feet.
He tested the chains again.
Still locked.
Still draining his energy.
Across the room—
Malakor watched him patiently.
Like a scientist observing an experiment.
"You're unusually calm," Malakor said.
Marvin blinked lazily.
"I've been kidnapped before."
Malakor raised an eyebrow.
"Have you."
Marvin shrugged slightly.
"Technically by time itself."
Malakor stepped closer.
"You think she will come."
Marvin smiled faintly.
"Oh she will."
Malakor's voice was almost curious.
"And you're not afraid of what that means."
Marvin leaned back slightly in the chair.
"No."
Malakor's eyes narrowed.
"Why."
Marvin's gaze flicked toward the faint violet glow wrapped around his wrist.
The thread Mary had unknowingly formed when she touched the stopwatch.
Still pulsing.
Still connected.
Marvin smiled slowly.
"Because if Mary already knows where I am…"
His voice was quiet.
"But confident."
"…then you're not the one holding the trap."
The apartment was quiet again.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that followed a storm but promised another one was coming.
The cracked wall in the hallway still shed small flakes of plaster onto the floor. The kitchen light flickered occasionally from the burst of magic Mary had released only minutes earlier.
But Mary herself stood perfectly still.
The stopwatch rested in her palm.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The sound was steady now, almost calm—like the storm inside it had settled for the moment.
The faint violet thread stretched outward from the watch again.
Invisible to most eyes.
But Mary felt it.
A subtle pull behind her ribs.
Alive.
Marvin was alive.
Far away.
But alive.
Axel leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, watching her carefully. His wolf still prowled beneath his skin, restless and irritated by the lingering scent of the messenger's shadow magic.
"He came through a portal," Axel said.
Not a question.
Mary nodded slightly.
"Smoky. Black and silver."
Dante whistled under his breath.
"Fancy entrance."
Kieran crouched beside the damaged wall, running his fingers along the deep cracks.
"Not just fancy."
His voice was thoughtful.
"That portal wasn't ordinary teleportation."
Mary glanced toward him.
Kieran stood slowly.
"That was Veil-walking."
The room went still.
Even Dante stopped joking.
Caspian folded his arms thoughtfully.
"That's forbidden magic."
"Extremely," Kieran confirmed.
"It means Malakor isn't just operating inside the realm."
Mary frowned slightly.
"Then where?"
Kieran met her eyes.
"The In-Between."
The words hung in the air.
Dante rubbed the back of his neck.
"…yeah I hate that place already."
Axel's jaw tightened.
"Explain."
Kieran stepped toward the table.
"The In-Between exists outside normal time."
Mary felt the meaning immediately.
Her eyes flickered to the stopwatch.
"So Marvin could be anywhere."
"Or any when," Kieran corrected.
Mary inhaled slowly.
That complicated things.
But not impossibly.
Because she could still feel him.
That thread tugged again.
Soft.
Steady.
Alive.
Caspian noticed the shift in her expression.
"You can sense him."
Mary nodded.
"Not exactly where."
"But the direction."
Axel stepped closer.
"That's enough."
Dante smirked slightly.
"Yeah, we just start punching everything in that direction."
Mary rolled her eyes.
"We're not doing that."
Axel frowned.
"Why not."
Mary lifted the stopwatch slightly.
"Because they expect us to."
The ticking echoed softly.
Kieran nodded slowly.
"The messenger reported back by now."
Caspian leaned against the table.
"Meaning Malakor believes you destroyed the compass."
Mary smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
Axel's wolf liked that answer.
His lips curled slightly.
"So we let him think you're blind."
Mary nodded.
Dante cracked his knuckles.
"Then we blindside him."
Mary shook her head.
"Not yet."
Four sets of eyes turned to her.
"We need information."
Kieran raised an eyebrow.
"What kind."
Mary's gaze shifted toward the hallway.
"About the In-Between."
And right on cue—
the air behind them shimmered.
Like heat bending glass.
Axel spun instantly.
Dante's shadows rose around him.
But Mary didn't move.
She just sighed.
"…you really need to stop doing that."
The shimmer widened.
Reality peeled open.
And Silas stepped halfway into the room.
Half there.
Half somewhere else entirely.
His jacket hung loosely over one shoulder like he'd been interrupted mid-walk.
Silver dust clung to his boots.
He glanced around casually.
"Wow."
He looked at the broken wall.
"You redecorated."
Axel growled softly.
Silas didn't even look at him.
Instead he pointed toward the stopwatch in Mary's hand.
"So."
"That started ticking again."
Mary nodded once.
Silas ran a hand through his hair.
"…yeah."
"That's bad."
Dante frowned.
"Define bad."
Silas leaned against the wall.
"Remember the hundred-loop rule?"
Mary nodded slowly.
"One hundred rewinds."
"Right."
Silas gestured toward the watch.
"Turns out that wasn't the limit."
The room fell silent.
Axel frowned.
"What does that mean."
Silas met Mary's eyes.
"It means the first hundred were training."
Mary's stomach tightened.
"And now?"
Silas smiled faintly.
"Now the real game begins."
The stopwatch ticked louder.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Mary's fingers tightened around it.
"What changed."
Silas stepped closer.
"The board."
Kieran's eyes sharpened.
"Explain."
Silas shrugged slightly.
"The prince was only the first obstacle."
Mary's voice was quiet.
"And Malakor?"
Silas didn't smile.
"He's the one who designed the rest."
Axel cracked his neck slowly.
"Good."
Silas raised an eyebrow.
"You sound excited."
Axel's wolf glinted in his eyes.
"I am."
Mary looked between them.
"Focus."
She lifted the stopwatch again.
"I can track Marvin."
Silas frowned slightly.
"You shouldn't be able to."
Mary smiled faintly.
"Well."
"I can."
Silas studied her for a moment.
Then nodded slowly.
"Interesting."
Kieran stepped forward.
"So where is he."
Mary closed her eyes briefly.
The violet thread pulsed stronger.
Her senses stretched outward.
Across the city.
Across the realm.
Beyond.
Far beyond.
Her breath slowed.
Then—
she felt it.
A tug.
Sharper now.
Mary's eyes opened.
"He's moving."
The room stilled.
Axel straightened immediately.
"Where."
Mary pointed toward the horizon beyond the apartment walls.
"North."
Silas frowned.
"That's not good."
Mary looked at him.
"Why."
Silas sighed.
"Because north of here…"
His expression darkened slightly.
"…is where the Veil gets thin."
Dante blinked.
"The Veil of what."
Silas smiled faintly.
"The Veil between worlds."
Caspian's voice was calm.
"So they're moving him deeper into the In-Between."
Silas nodded.
"Exactly."
Mary looked down at the stopwatch again.
The numbers ticked upward.
107.
108.
109.
Ten days.
That's what the messenger said.
But Mary understood something now.
The clock wasn't counting days.
It was counting moves.
And they had just used three.
Mary lifted her head.
"Then we move tonight."
Axel's wolf surfaced instantly.
A dangerous grin spread across his face.
"Finally."
Kieran nodded.
"Agreed."
Dante pushed himself off the doorway.
"Road trip to another dimension."
Caspian placed a steady hand on Mary's shoulder.
"Carefully."
Mary's violet eyes gleamed softly.
"Oh."
"We will."
The stopwatch ticked again.
110.
⸻
Elsewhere
Cold light hung above the stone chamber.
Marvin slowly lifted his head.
His wrists still burned from the enchanted chains binding him to the chair.
The runes carved into the floor pulsed faintly beneath his feet.
He tested the chains again.
Still locked.
Still draining his energy.
Across the room—
Malakor watched him patiently.
Like a scientist observing an experiment.
"You're unusually calm," Malakor said.
Marvin blinked lazily.
"I've been kidnapped before."
Malakor raised an eyebrow.
"Have you."
Marvin shrugged slightly.
"Technically by time itself."
Malakor stepped closer.
"You think she will come."
Marvin smiled faintly.
"Oh she will."
Malakor's voice was almost curious.
"And you're not afraid of what that means."
Marvin leaned back slightly in the chair.
"No."
Malakor's eyes narrowed.
"Why."
Marvin's gaze flicked toward the faint violet glow wrapped around his wrist.
The thread Mary had unknowingly formed when she touched the stopwatch.
Still pulsing.
Still connected.
Marvin smiled slowly.
"Because if Mary already knows where I am…"
His voice was quiet.
"But confident."
"…then you're not the one holding the trap."