What am I gonna do?

***

CHAPTER 75:

HANGING BY A THREAD

In this massive Dorm, with its countless souls, numerous angels, and just as many staff, I could have run into anyone on such a night. But no—the Dorm seemed to have an uncalled-for mission to unite soulmates. Somehow, it was Mars I encountered at the most improbable moment, in this secluded corner, in my current state.

Of all the souls, he was the last one I wanted to see me like this. Panicking, I turned my back and faced away from him.

"Oliver..." Mars drawled, his tone dripping with mockery. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

His words stung like needles. Back to 'Oliver' again, I noted. That familiar sneer in his voice confirmed things were reverting to the old ways between us.

"Doing exactly what you're doing," I shot back, hoping my voice didn't betray my tears, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Oh really?" he replied, skepticism coloring his voice. "And how did your white knight leave you alone?"

He meant Tarben, obviously. I shouldn't have responded. But his audacity had stirred the beast of anger within me, pushing aside my sadness with a sudden surge of fury. How dare he ask such a thing when he himself was hopping from one girl to the next?

"And you tell me," I snapped back. "Where's the pink witch? Actually, how did you manage to escape her clutches? I'm truly surprised."

He laughed with a note of irritation. "Oh... so you did see us. Surprised you noticed anything during your own romantic dance."

I had kept my gaze forward until then, but his words made me whirl around so fast that my neck cracked. "Romantic?" I hissed. "You must be joking."

"Why? You two looked pretty cozy from where I was standing. So... are you finally an item or what?"

"What?"

He tossed his cigarette and jumped down, closing the distance between us. Now that he was this close, I could see his face wasn't mocking; it was genuinely angry. Why? He had no right to be the one angry here.

"Are you with Tarben?" he pressed, his voice sharp.

I couldn't keep my voice from rising. "What's it to you? Do I pry into your love life?"

"So you are together?"

The devil inside urged me to say yes. But... "No," I said through clenched teeth. "Because, unlike you, I can't just erase my feelings overnight and move on. But even if I was with someone, it wouldn't be any of your business."

I dug my nails into my palms and turned away, but Mars grabbed me and swung me back to face him. His brows were furrowed even more than before. I braced myself for another annoying remark, but he stared at me silently.

I couldn't stand it.

"What's your problem, Mars? Why are you asking all this now? You're the one who said we couldn't be together. You're the one who went back to your old life, hanging out with someone new every day. What more do you want from me? What do you expect me to do?"

He didn't answer. He couldn't because I was right, and he knew it. His grip loosened, and his hand slowly dropped to his side as he stepped back and turned to look at the ocean, lighting another cigarette.

"You wouldn't believe me," he said through the smoke, "but I can't erase my feelings in a day either. No matter how hard I try..."

I wasn't prepared for that. Not ready to hear anything like that. My emotions were already a turbulent sea, and I was barely keeping my head above water.

"Don't do this, Mars," I snapped. "Don't make this harder for me. I'm already hurting enough."

He took another drag of his cigarette. "I'm not trying to," he muttered, more to himself than to me. It seemed he was angrier with himself than with me. He took a few deep breaths, ruffled his hair, then finally turned to face me again. "You're right," he admitted. "I messed up. Seeing you like that..." He paused, seemingly unable to finish his thought. "I'm sorry."

I was too shaken to accept his apology. It felt like jumping from the rain into a hailstorm. I'd come to the terrace to shake off the weight Tarben had put on my shoulders, only for Mars to add a whole world on top of it. It felt like all the boys had picked tonight to tear me down. All I could think about was finding a way out.

"I... I need to get back inside," I said. "The others must be looking for me."

Mars grunted without looking at me. "Sure, go ahead... don't let Tarben die of worry. He must be beside himself by now."

"Mars!" I snapped. My God, he was doing it again just seconds after apologizing.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, recognizing his mistake. "You're right, I won't say anything else."

Thinking the matter settled, I turned to leave, but Mars moved at the same time.

"Olive, wait," he called.

I stopped and looked back at him. "What now, Mars? What else do you want?"

"Are you really going to the Archive tonight?"

I sighed. "You know we are."

"Don't go," he blurted out. "I don't want you to go."

He was upending my balance again. "You can't decide that," I said angrily.

"I can't," he agreed. "But I can try to stop you. Think it over, please."

"It's too late for that."

He clenched his teeth. "What you're doing is madness!"

"It is... But it's better than sitting around waiting for something to happen. I've made my decision. So have the others."

He watched me from under furrowed brows for a moment. "That night..." he finally said. "If it hadn't ended that way, would your decision be different now?"

He was talking about the night we fell into the Void. His question was straightforward, wondering if I would have still chosen to risk entering the Archive if he hadn't pushed me away. I guess he saw me as just another lovesick girl making drastic decisions over unrequited love. Maybe he felt guilty. For all I knew, if I said yes, he might reach out and hold my hand—not because he wanted to, but out of pity... and that thought was even more painful than his straightforward disinterest.

"No," I said without hesitation. "Because that night did end that way. You made your choice, and I've made mine." I took a few steps back. "Our paths diverged that night, Mars. There's no future for us. Whatever happens tonight, it shouldn't matter to you. Please... don't interfere, don't dwell on it, just stick to your decision. So I can stick to mine."

He might have had more to say, but I didn't wait to hear it. I spun around and darted back into the ballroom. Enough confusion! I had already let myself get too distracted. Diego might have already secured the key. They could be waiting for me to move on to the next phase of our plan.

I made my way back to where I'd left my friends, feeling like a dark cloud among the bright, glittering couples. Tarben was nowhere to be seen. Diego was deep in conversation with the girls, and by their expressions, things hadn't gone as planned.

As disheveled as I looked, Ursa and Blue immediately sensed something was off when they saw me. I brushed off their concerns and pressed for updates. There was nothing new; neither the Principal nor Jinx had shown up at the ball yet. Tarben was scouting the angels, and Ursa was trying to get information from other house leaders.

Relief washed over me. At least I had more time to collect myself. I excused myself to the restroom, and despite their worried glances, they didn't press me. I left the ballroom and headed for the restrooms at the end of the corridor. The hustle and bustle had spilled over even here, with laughter, gossip, and flirting filling the air... It quickly became clear that I would need to find a more secluded spot.

Convinced no one would return to their rooms, I decided to go upstairs. It turned out to be the right call. The corridor was deserted, a welcome oasis. I took a deep breath and headed to my room. The dress weighed me down, feeling ten times heavier. Maybe hiding in my room until the others got the key was the best plan. I didn't want to see Mars again. I didn't know how to act around Tarben. Just thinking about entering the Archive made it hard to breathe.

"Olive, darling..."

I jumped at the voice behind me. I was certain I was alone. Hearing someone call my name was startling. But when I turned around, the sight froze me in place. Lined up in the corridor were faces I knew all too well, ready for confrontation. First was Lea, with Leyla to her left, another familiar soul from the game to her right, and James at the end. They resembled a pack of wolves poised for the hunt. I didn't need to guess who their prey was. Damn it!

"It's time I kept my promise," Lea declared. As I involuntarily stepped back, her sinister smile morphed into a wicked laugh. "Now that Mars isn't here to protect you, let's see who will."

This scene was eerily familiar—a flashback to another time, another place, the same adversary, but now the odds were overwhelmingly against me. They were five, they were vengeful, and Lea had already proven she wasn't joking about setting traps. I couldn't even imagine what she had planned for me. I was alone and defenseless. Fighting back on my own was a futile thought. My only escape was to reach my room—a sanctuary no one else could breach.

I didn't waste time responding to Lea; instead, I turned and dashed. The gown I had previously cursed for its weight now felt like chains binding my legs. I kicked at the fabric, propelling myself faster as if caught in a whirlwind.

My hands were shaking as they reached for the doorknob. I burst inside and slammed the door shut. Breathing heavily, I stepped back from the door, relieved momentarily that I had managed to escape them.

Then came a clicking sound.

The doorknob turned slowly. Frozen in shock, I couldn't move. As the door opened, all I could think was how. How could this be happening? How could they enter a room that was supposed to be accessed by me alone?

"Surprise," Lea announced, her ghastly smile filling the doorway. Her cohorts were right behind her. "You're not the only one with a friend among the soul representatives," she taunted, lifting a key. "The master key that opens all doors," she declared proudly.

My escape was over. Within moments, five wolves had swarmed into my room.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded of their leader.

Lea's smile was wicked. "To see you receive your punishment, of course. And tonight, you'll receive it in the most exquisite way."

I opened my mouth to scream, but two were already upon me. One clamped a hand over my mouth while another seized my arms. The rest quickly grabbed my wrists and neck.

I thrashed, kicked, and struggled, but I couldn't stop them from wrapping a thick cloth around my head. Now, even if I screamed, no one would hear me. I could barely breathe. James stood behind me, his hands pressing down on my shoulders as the other girls' nails dug painfully into my arms.

"Beautiful," Lea said, relishing the scene. "Bring her along."

I realized with horror where they were taking me—The Void. That had been her threat. I dug my heels into the floor, resisting with all my strength. It was useless. Despite my efforts, we reached the corridor. My silent screams went unheard as they dragged me along. But we didn't head for the stairs or the elevator. Instead, we stopped in front of Mars's room. Lea had a far more twisted plan. Using the same key she'd used to unlock my room, she easily opened his door.

The familiar scent of Mars hit me, and tears stung my eyes. Lea had kept her word. He wasn't here. This time, he wouldn't save me. And my end would come in his room.

My struggles meant nothing as they dragged me to the balcony. When Lea pushed open the door, the view from my room—the jagged cliffs and the endless ocean—stretched before me. Were they planning to throw me off? No, there was no need to bring me to Mars's room for that. Whatever Lea had in mind had to be worse.

And it was.

They tied strips of cloth to my arms. I didn't understand. Then, they secured the other ends to the balcony railing. I still didn't understand. Not until Jason picked me up. That's when the weight of it all crashed down on me.

When he let me go, a scream tore through my chest, only to be swallowed by the void. I braced for the ocean to claim me but stopped short, jerking to a painful halt. Every bone in my body screamed, every muscle ached, bile clawed its way up my throat. I hung suspended in the air, dangling from the balcony by the cloth straps.

"This is the justice I've chosen for you," Lea sneered, leaning down so I could hear her. "If your soulmate returns to his room before the cloth tears and finds you, you'll be saved. If not, you'll just become another lost soul for Mars to mourn. Don't worry—I'll leave a little goodbye note just for him."

She laughed, a chilling, hideous sound. "But let's be honest, we both know the odds of him spending such a night alone are slim. So... Mars might come back. He might bring someone with him. Or he might not come at all. Either way... I don't think we'll be seeing each other again, Olive." She leaned closer, pressing a mocking kiss to the top of my head. "See you on the other side, darling."

***