Then he kissed me...

***

CHAPTER 68:

ONE NIGHT

"Mars!"

"Enough, Olive!"

"Mars!" I said again, not looking at him but at what was behind him.

I began to back away, trembling, as I tried to point at what I saw. My arm barely made it halfway before Mars noticed something was wrong. He followed my gaze and staggered back, almost falling over if not for the chair he grabbed onto. The sight was something straight out of a fantasy. I couldn't believe I was still on my feet.

In the middle of the columns was a... thing. It resembled a wolf, but it definitely wasn't a living one. Where there should have been skin and muscle, there was only bone. It was a skeleton. Sparse tufts of fur clung to its skull, back, and tail. A purple light oozed from the empty sockets of its eyes, spreading into the room through the gaps in its snarling teeth. This must have been what a guard dog looked like in this realm.

There was no time to be shocked. The creature lunged at us, and all I could do was scream. Mars, quicker on his feet than I could ever be, snatched up a nearby chair and swung it into the air. Just as the wolf was about to bite him, he brought the chair crashing down on its head. It didn't seem to cause much damage, but it dazed the beast momentarily. Instantly, Mars was by my side, covering the distance in two quick strides and gripping my wrist tightly.

"Run!"

With him pulling me along, I had no choice but to follow. He led us toward the cave we'd come from, but our escape was cut short by another wolf blocking our path.

"Damn it!"

Mars's head whipped back and forth, his gaze flicking between the wolves. He released my hand and shifted behind me so the wolves flanked us on both sides. I wished I could hear his thoughts. Fear was about to drive me insane. Yet, fate seemed to think that wasn't enough. A third wolf stepped out from between the columns directly before us. We were in deep trouble. One wolf might be manageable, two a challenge, but three? That was certain doom.

"Mars..." I moaned against his back, my hands clutching his t-shirt.

"When I say three, turn and start running. Don't wait for me."

"What?"

"Three!" Mars yelled.

He lunged forward so fiercely that his shirt ripped from my grasp, leaving me clutching at empty air. I tried to turn around as he had instructed, but I froze at what I saw. Mars had savagely kicked a nearby statue, sending it crashing to the ground in pieces. He snatched up a chunk of the debris and hurled it at the first wolf, striking it down with deadly precision. He didn't pause; another hefty shard was already arcing toward its next victim. But the third wolf was too quick; it was already charging at us, fangs bared.

Instinctively, I bolted. The rock on the ground was hefty, nearly bending my back, but adrenaline surged, and I heaved it up. I hurled myself between Mars and the wolf just as its jaws snapped shut, its teeth clashing against the rock with a horrific sound. The impact knocked me backward into Mars. He quickly hoisted us both up. Grabbing my hand firmly, he didn't need to say a word. We ran as if our lives depended on it, faster than we'd ever thought possible.

Before long, the wolves were hot on our heels again. Mars knocked over statues as we dashed by, hurling pieces at any wolf that got too close with sharp accuracy. I got in a few lucky throws myself. Yet, it seemed our efforts only fueled their rage. We couldn't keep running in this endless maze. The corridor we'd entered from was far behind us, and there was no going back. What lay ahead was unknown—possibly even a dead-end.

"Mars, what are we going to do?" I shouted in panic.

I doubted Mars had a plan. Still panting, he said, "There's got to be a way out. We're somewhere under the Dorm. There's probably a staff door, maybe an elevator..."

His words felt like a lifeline. I clung to the hope he offered. Yet, all I saw were endless columns and statues. Mars paused again, picking up another shard of the statue to fend off the wolves. His strength was visibly fading; his movements grew sluggish, and the constant bleeding from his arm had turned his skin a stark red. He couldn't keep this up. We needed to find that exit.

That exit...

Exit...

I slowed down, scanning the columns we passed. Mars had mentioned we were beneath the Dorm building, which meant we needed to find a way up. Clearly, there were no elevators in sight. But the stairs circling each column—didn't they lead upwards?

I halted, forcing Mars to stop, too. If I was wrong, we were doomed, but we had no choice but to try.

"Come on!" I pulled him toward the nearest column.

He hesitated, but with the wolf nearly on us, he leaped onto the stairs behind me. We were sprinting up the staircase now, passing dozens of mailboxes labeled with both familiar and unfamiliar names. There was no time to stop or look around. The sound of the wolves' paws hitting the metal steps echoed after us like a tolling bell for our end.

Eventually, my legs started to protest the relentless climb. Mars's hand pressed against my back, pushing me onward as if his struggle wasn't enough; he was determined not to let me falter. But physical pain was the least of my worries. I was battling doubt. The staircase seemed just as endless as the hall we'd left below, promising no escape, no end. Our energy would eventually deplete, the wolves would catch us, and that would be our demise.

But then...

"Olive, look!" Mars yelled.

I lifted my head, my gaze tracing the staircase's spiral. Then I saw it.

"There's a door!" I exclaimed.

Suddenly invigorated, I raced up the remaining steps, Mars just a stride behind. We reached the top together, pausing only momentarily to share a look of mutual understanding before our hands simultaneously reached for the doorknob. Whatever was on the other side might be daunting, but hesitation wasn't an option. Together, we turned the knob—his hand on top of mine. It turned easily, and the door swung open with a groan.

We stumbled through the doorway, and Mars immediately slammed it shut behind us. Just before the door closed, I caught a glimpse of the wolf's gaping maw and its glinting teeth. Then, both the beast's snarling face and the door vanished from sight. A moment later, my eyes were scanning shelves laden with books. My mind, slow to catch up with the sudden change, left me temporarily frozen, breathless, expecting the scene to revert, the door to swing open, and the wolves to follow. But none of that happened.

"We're in the library," Mars announced.

He seemed to shake off the shock quicker than I could. He started surveying the room, and I followed suit, turning around to take it all in. He was right. I recognized this place—the shelves, the fairy tale books, the marble floor... all familiar. Alfie might just pop out from behind a shelf if we called out. But my ability to speak, even to remain upright, failed me. Numbness overtook my legs, and I sank to my knees. Beside me, Mars collapsed to the floor as well.

"We made it," he said.

His voice echoed as if from a dream, his eyes fixed on a distant point, unfocused. I was certain he was reliving our recent horrors—our fall from the rocks, finding the cave, the archive, the video, the wolves. I had the same memories paraded before my eyes with excruciating clarity. This time, though, my eyes stayed dry. Perhaps crying was too much for my battered, exhausted body, or maybe, after accepting death, there simply wasn't anything left to grieve.

"What now?" I asked.

"I don't know," Mars replied, his voice low.

"What if they find out we've been in the archive?"

His jaw clenched. "I don't know, Olive. Really, I don't." He looked like he was done thinking, but my question seemed to spark something in him. He ran his fingers through his hair, let out a deep breath, and got to his feet. "Come on," he extended his hand to me. "It's almost morning. We need to leave before anyone sees us like this."

I could have pointed out that we were in a sacred Dorm, and likely, the Principal and all the angels were already aware of everything. But knowing that wouldn't change our immediate situation, and I was too exhausted to think even one step ahead.

I took Mars's hand, and we both got up. Together, we cautiously left the library and took the elevator; luckily, it was empty. The corridor was as quiet as the library had been. When we reached my room, Mars paused.

"Try to get some sleep," he suggested.

I tried to nod but just couldn't. Words failed me, too; I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I was still trembling, still reeling from shock. The idea of being alone in my room with the night's memories was unbearable. Before Mars could walk away, I reached out and grabbed his arm.

"I don't want to be alone."

I had clearly surprised him. "Olive..." he began.

"I can't be alone tonight, Mars," I insisted. "Not after everything that's happened... I just can't."

His face looked pained. His eyes closed and opened wearily. "Olive..." he sighed.

"Please," I pleaded. "Tomorrow, we can do as you say, but don't leave me alone tonight. Just this one night."

I knew I was begging. I didn't care. I couldn't predict what would happen to us tomorrow. We might not even have a future. But one thing was certain: I couldn't face this night alone. Maybe it was the determination in my eyes, the tight grip I had on his arm, or the desperation in my voice that persuaded him. After a moment, he nodded.

"You really are a handful, you know?" he said.

He tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, and I couldn't muster one in return. We walked to his room in silence. I had been there earlier that night, furious and unable to appreciate anything. Now, the simplicity of his space struck me—just one guitar resting on the chair, two more hanging on the wall, and a stack of books on the nightstand beside his bed.

"Let me give you something to change into," Mars said.

His wardrobe was simpler than mine. He handed me a T-shirt and a cardigan, and I headed to the bathroom. Staring back at me from the mirror was a complete mess: an injured body, blood-stained clothes, disheveled hair, and eyes swollen from crying. I stripped off the dirty clothes and cleaned the dried blood from my skin. After bandaging the deeper cuts, I put on Mars's T-shirt, which was so large it felt like a dress. I pulled on the cardigan and tied my hair up before returning to the room.

Mars was gazing out the window. When he noticed I was back, he headed into the bathroom. I sat on the bed, expecting him to emerge soon, cleaned up as well. Instead, I heard a groan, followed by labored breathing and more groans. Worried, I approached the slightly open bathroom door. Mars, now in sweatpants but shirtless, was leaning over the sink, struggling to wrap a bandage around his arm.

The sight made me swallow hard. The right thing would have been to turn around and flee to the room. Instead, I stepped inside and said, "Let me do that for you."

He started to object but quickly resigned. Leaning back against the cabinet, he turned to face me. It was clear from the cleaned but unbandaged wound that he couldn't manage it alone. Taking the bandage from his hand, I began wrapping it around his arm. Being this close to him felt intense. I tried to concentrate on the task but found it hard to keep my eyes from wandering up to meet his, especially knowing he was watching me closely.

"That should do it," I said quietly after finishing the wrap.

After tying off the bandage, there was no practical reason for my hands to linger on him. Still, I hesitated to pull away. My body seemed reluctant to create any distance between us.

"Thank you," Mars said.

His breath brushed against my skin as he spoke, and my head instinctively tilted upwards again. He was still looking at me; his closeness, his warmth, his gaze—it was all so mesmerizing. I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to pull away, unable to break our eye contact. The desire I saw in his eyes must have been my Imagination. My mind was barely functioning. I wasn't thinking straight.

But...

It wasn't just my imagination—Mars's hand was suddenly at my neck, and his lips pressed against mine. A surge of excitement erupted in my stomach. I had never kissed anyone but Dav before. Now, I realized I hadn't really kissed him either. This feeling... this warmth... this pleasure... was unlike anything I knew. I was burning up. Melting. Disappearing.

Mars, paying no mind to his injured arm, lifted me up and set me down on the cabinet. My arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer as if I feared he might pull away. Because I knew he would. All we had was just one night.

But the night wasn't over yet.

So, I stopped thinking about tomorrow and what would come after and kissed the boy I was falling for as if there were no future.

***