Sam – POV
I watched all of it — the storms, the lights, the weird freaking magic sword moment — and honestly, I still had no idea what was going on.
I mean, yeah, I was proud of Hannah. She looked like she just survived being chewed up and spit out by a pack of bears. And yeah, seeing Sebastian nearly lose his cool? That alone was enough to make the whole night historic. But standing there watching Hannah drop like a sack of potatoes after summoning a literal thunder sword made something very clear:
We were way out of our league.
"Uh," I said, glancing between Abigail and Sebastian, "do we...like...clap? Or?"
Sebastian shot me a look that could have set my hair on fire. Abigail just shoved me hard enough to make me stumble.
"Shutting up now," I muttered, raising my hands in surrender.
Still. As we all rushed toward Hannah—Abigail half crying, Sebastian moving like he was ready to murder the entire desert if it looked at her wrong—I couldn't help but grin a little.
Because somehow, against every crazy impossible odd...33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DlzPqLWzJ
She did it.
And now we were probably going to have to make her a cake or something.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVXaBMZ08s
Maybe two. Definitely two
Sebastian – POV
She was barely conscious in my arms — limp, trembling, her skin pale under the glow of the desert stars. I held her like she was made of glass and might slip through my fingers if I loosened my grip even slightly.
"She's not walking anywhere," I said quietly, not looking away from her face. "She can't even keep her eyes open."
Her breath was shallow, lashes fluttering like she was trying to fight off the dark. Every ounce of energy she had was gone — drained, spent. I'd never seen someone so completely broken down and still breathing.
"Can't we just, like, load her onto the bus?" Sam asked, already halfway toward the station.
I shot him a look over my shoulder. "No." My voice came out colder than I intended, but I didn't care. "No one from the valley can see her like this. Pam's mouth is bigger than the bus engine. If word gets out—"
"She once told me my girl arms weren't enough to carry her daughter's groceries," Sam muttered bitterly.
Abigail stepped forward suddenly. "Let me try something." Her voice wavered — unsure, but determined. She raised her voice into the darkness. "I know you're watching, you stalker. Come out. She did what you asked. Now help us."
I blinked, confused. "Who are you talking to—?"
A bolt of violet light cracked through the sky, striking the obelisk to our right. The sand kicked up like it had been punched from below, and then he appeared.
The wizard.
He stood tall in his long, ink-dark robes, his cowboy hat casting a shadow across his stern, unbothered face. The air around him buzzed with magic and smoke. He looked completely out of place in the modern world, like he belonged to some forgotten storybook. But the real shock wasn't him — it was realizing this strange, ancient force was my best friend's dad.
"I don't usually answer to 'stalker,' Abigail," he said dryly, brushing dust off his sleeve. "But considering you're holding my limp soldier in your arms, I'll overlook it... this once."
Abigail rolled her eyes. "Knew you were watching."
"I got delayed. Rift complications," he muttered, then looked to me. "Alright. I'll take her."
He reached for Hannah — and my arms instinctively tightened around her, like I'd fight him if I had to.
"We're not leaving her," Abigail snapped, standing between us and him. "You know the deal. Zap us all back."
The wizard sighed like a teacher surrounded by unruly students. "Fine. But if any of you lose a limb during high-capacity transfer, you waive all right to complain."
"I think I'll just take the bus," Sam said, backing away like he'd just dodged a lightning bolt.
The rest of us huddled close. I refused to let go of Hannah. Abigail crouched beside me. With a flash of blinding light, the desert vanished from beneath our feet.
We landed hard on the creaky wood of the wizard's tower.
The room was dim, cluttered with arcane books, glass jars glowing faintly with whatever strange stuff was inside. The air smelled of dried herbs, smoke, and something ancient. Magic clung to the walls like cobwebs. But I barely noticed any of it. My focus was only on her.
Hannah lay curled in my arms. Dirt and blood smeared her freckled nose. The cut on her face had crusted, trailing down her jaw like a tear. She was barely holding herself together — and still, somehow, she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
The wizard crouched beside us. Abigail hovered, her teeth digging into her thumbnail.
"May I?" he asked, waiting for my permission.
I hesitated... then nodded. "Yeah."
He placed his hands above her, a slow hum vibrating in the air between them. His eyes slipped closed, and he began to chant — low, rhythmic words in a language that didn't belong to this world.
"One of her ribs is cracked," he said.
I felt like the floor had dropped out from under me.
"God," Abigail whispered, her voice breaking.
"I can fix it. But this next part... might get uncomfortable."
"What do you mean 'uncomfortable'?!" Abigail barked, already panicking.
The lights flickered violently. Green and purple magic pulsed through the tower like waves in a storm. Glass rattled on the shelves. The smell of burning ozone filled the air.
Then Hannah screamed.
It wasn't just a cry — it was a deep, raspy, soul-twisting sound that shattered something inside me. Her body twisted as if something inside her was trying to crawl its way out. She gripped her stomach, gasping, her back arching off the floor.
I surged forward, fists clenched. "Stop," I shouted. "She said stop!"
"She's internally bleeding," the wizard snapped. "If I stop, she dies. If you can't handle this, walk away."
"Sebastian," Abigail said gently, grabbing my arm. "Go outside. Take a minute. I'll stay."
I froze. My fists shook. My pulse was deafening in my ears. But I nodded.
I stood, casting one last look at Hannah — her face contorted in pain, her voice reduced to a soft groan — and walked out.
Outside, the night was cold and silent. The sky was darker here, the stars like pinpricks in velvet. I pulled out a cigarette with shaking fingers. There was dried blood on my hands. Her blood.
I lit it, the flame flickering in the breeze.
What the hell are we doing?
Maybe Alex was right. Maybe letting her go into that cavern was the wrong choice. Maybe this was all some huge mistake.
But Hannah — she's her. Stubborn. Brilliant. Wild. Brave. She would've done it anyway, even if she wasn't mine. Even if I hadn't been the one to hold her afterward.
Still... I should've said it. Before she went in.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwWbGx3yWS
I love you.
Not him. Me.
Not as a goodbye. Not as a safety net. Just as the truth.
But I held it in. I thought it would be safer that way.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQM0VYfl4O
I thought it would protect her.
And now she was in there, screaming in pain, being put back together by someone I barely trusted — and all I could do was stand outside and smoke
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzus1feh6H
