chapter 36

Rose stretched her arms, letting out a soft yawn as sunlight poured through the cracked blinds. The remnants of her "dream" lingered in her mind, vivid and warm. The sensation of someone brushing her hair, the gentle press of lips against her forehead—it felt too real. Too personal.

She glanced at Sylus, who was standing by the window, his gaze distant. The way he leaned against the frame, lost in thought, gave her pause. He looked tired, like he'd been awake all night. The lines of his jaw were tense, his eyes sharp yet clouded with something unspoken.

Rose pushed the thought away. It didn't matter. It couldn't. She had bigger things to figure out—like how she'd ended up in this mess and how to get out of it alive. But still, her eyes lingered on Sylus for a moment longer than she intended.

"Morning, kitten," Sylus said, breaking the silence. He turned, offering her a small, crooked smile. "Sleep well?"

Her cheeks warmed, though she quickly masked it with a shrug. "As well as anyone can, considering."

Lucas walked in from the adjoining room, a mug of coffee in his hand. He raised an eyebrow at their exchange but said nothing, instead leaning against the wall with his usual smirk. "We've got bigger problems than your beauty sleep, Rose. Dorian's people are likely tracking us, and we don't have much time before they find this place."

Rose straightened, her mind snapping into focus. "Then we don't wait for them to find us. We move."

Sylus exchanged a glance with Lucas, impressed by her decisiveness. "Where do you suggest we go?" he asked, his tone genuinely curious.

"I don't know," Rose admitted. "But sitting here waiting to be cornered isn't an option. You two seem to know this world better than I do. What's our next move?"

Lucas tilted his head, considering her. "There's a contact a few towns over," he said slowly. "Someone who might have intel on Vienna. If we can get to them before Dorian's men catch up, it might give us an edge."

Sylus frowned. "It's risky. If Dorian knows about the contact, we could be walking into a trap."

"It's a risk we have to take," Rose cut in, her voice firm. "Sitting here isn't any safer. Besides, if I'm supposed to be 'different' or whatever you keep hinting at, maybe it's time I start acting like it."

Sylus's gaze locked on hers, a mixture of admiration and hesitation in his eyes. She wasn't wrong, but the thought of putting her in more danger made his stomach twist.

"Fine," he said after a moment. "We'll go. But we're doing this my way. No heroics, no straying from the plan."

"Deal," Rose replied, standing. "Now, let's move before Dorian gets another head start."

---

The trio hit the road within the hour, the safe house left behind like a fleeting memory. They traveled in an old, inconspicuous car Lucas had stashed nearby, the engine humming softly as they wound through backroads and desolate stretches of countryside.

Rose stared out the window, her mind racing. Every piece of information she had felt like a fragment of a larger puzzle. Vienna, Dorian, the Consortium—none of it made sense yet. And then there was Sylus, with his enigmatic presence and the feeling she couldn't shake that he knew more than he was letting on.

Her thoughts drifted back to the voice she'd heard when she was first pulled into this world. It had been so familiar, so intimate, like someone calling her honey. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't place it.

"Babe," she said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Sylus, who had been driving, glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "What?"

She hesitated, then leaned forward slightly. "When I was pulled into this game, I heard a voice. It felt... familiar. Like someone I knew. Do you think it's connected to why I'm here?"

Lucas's hand froze on the coffee cup he'd been nursing, and Sylus's grip on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly.

"Maybe," Sylus said after a beat, his voice even. Too even.

Rose narrowed her eyes. "That's not an answer."

Sylus glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "It's the only answer I have right now. This world is full of strange connections, kitten. Voices, dreams—they're not always what they seem."

His words only made her more suspicious, but before she could press further, Lucas interjected. "If the voice is important, it'll come back to you eventually. Right now, let's focus on staying alive."

Rose leaned back, crossing her arms. She wasn't satisfied, but she let it drop for now. The truth was out there, and she'd find it—whether they helped her or not.

---

As night fell, they reached an abandoned industrial park on the outskirts of a small town. Sylus parked the car behind a crumbling warehouse, and they moved inside cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space.

"This is the meeting point?" Rose asked, her voice skeptical.

Lucas nodded. "Our contact should be here soon. Stay sharp."

They waited in the shadows, the air thick with tension. Every creak of metal and whisper of wind put them on edge. Then, a figure appeared in the distance, moving quickly and with purpose.

"Finally," Lucas muttered.

The figure stepped closer, and as the light hit their face, Rose's breath caught. It was a woman—tall, striking, and exuding a dangerous confidence.

"You're late," she said, her voice smooth and commanding.

"Traffic," Lucas replied with a smirk.

The woman's eyes flicked to Rose, narrowing slightly. "So, this is the infamous Rose. The one who's got the Consortium in a frenzy."

Rose lifted her chin, refusing to back down under the woman's scrutinizing gaze. "Who are you?"

The woman's lips curved into a sly smile. "Call me Seraphina. And if you want to survive this game, you'll need me more than you realize."

Sylus stepped protectively closer to Rose, his eyes hard. "We don't need anyone. Just tell us what you know."

Seraphina laughed softly, a sound that sent chills down Rose's spine. "Oh, Sylus," she said, her tone mocking. "Always so stubborn. But you're wrong. Without me, you're all as good as dead."

Rose watched the exchange, her instincts screaming that this woman was trouble. But trouble might be exactly what they needed to find the truth.

And for the first time, she realized she wasn't scared of what lay ahead. She was ready to face it head-on.