18 - Fever Dream

THADDEUS POV

It took us days to get here. And before you start, "But Thaddeus, shouldn't you guys have a car or something?" Yeah, no. That plan went out the window the second we became America's Most Wanted. So instead, we walked most of the way, hitchhiked when we could, and nearly fucking died under the blazing desert sun before reaching Vegas.

Because, apparently, suffering is a prerequisite for being a demigod.

I mean, we're teenagers. Shouldn't we be busy doing whatever normal teenagers do? Drama, parties, existential crises, bad decisions involving alcohol? Hell, maybe even the occasional awkward first kiss behind a 7-Eleven? But no. Instead, we get thrown into Greek Mythology and have to fight for our lives every other hour.

And now we're here.

Vegas.

I stared at the city ahead, hands in my pockets, taking in the Sin City skyline. Neon signs flickered against the night sky like desperate salesmen trying to outshine the stars. The streets buzzed with life—tourists, gamblers, and the occasional guy who looked like he definitely had bodies in his basement. The whole place was a fever dream wrapped in capitalism.

"So this is Vegas, huh?" I muttered, scanning the flashing billboards. "A soulless neon wasteland where dreams go to die... basically just New York but hotter."

Percy gave me a look. "Dude."

"What?"

"That was unnecessarily dark."

"You ever see what happens to people in this city? Half of them leave broke, divorced, or in a trunk."

"He's not wrong." Grover chimed in, adjusting his cap.

Annabeth sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Can we not lose any more time? We wasted enough just trying to get here."

She wasn't wrong. We were way behind schedule, and the solstice wasn't waiting for us.

I turned my attention to the towering structure ahead—The Lotus Hotel & Casino.

Now, if you've never seen this place in person, let me describe it for you: Imagine if someone looked at a Greek temple and thought, "Yeah, but what if we made it obnoxious?"

The giant, glowing LOTUS HOTEL & CASINO sign pulsed hypnotically, practically inviting us inside.

"Yeah, this doesn't scream 'trap' at all," I muttered, adjusting my glasses.

"Oh, hush, you," Annabeth shot back, rolling her eyes. "Not everything is a conspiracy, Thaddeus."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So, we're just gonna ignore the fact that every single step of this journey has felt like a setup? That we've been thrown into one 'definitely not a trap' scenario after another? Yeah, totally, let's just waltz into the glowing gambling palace like moths to a flame. Nothing suspicious about that at all."

Annabeth crossed her arms. "It's a casino, Thaddeus. A hotel. Normal people go in and out of places like this all the time without it being some grand, mythical scheme. It's called 'tourism.'"

"Right, because when has anything in our lives ever been 'normal?'" I scoffed.

"Well, maybe if you stopped over-analyzing everything like a paranoid grandpa, you'd realize that not every single thing in this world is out to kill you."

"Bold of you to assume, Wise Girl. The last thing I didn't analyze nearly killed me."

"Oh my gods, you're impossible." Annabeth groaned, throwing her hands in the air.

Meanwhile, Percy and Grover had taken a full step back, watching like they were courtside at a championship game.

"Dude," Percy muttered, nudging Grover, "How long do you think this'll last?"

Grover, without breaking eye contact, reached into his backpack and pulled out an actual bag of popcorn. He ripped it open, tossed a handful into his mouth, and crunched loudly.

"Oh, I'd say they've got at least five more rounds before they start getting passive-aggressive instead of just regular aggressive."

Annabeth, turning back to me, jabbed a finger in my direction. "You have trust issues."

"And you don't have enough of them," I shot back, smirking.

"Excuse me for thinking maybe, just maybe, not everything is a death trap."

"Ah, but see, that's the problem, Wise Girl. The moment we assume something isn't a death trap, it becomes one."

"That's the dumbest logic I've ever heard!"

"And yet, we're still alive because of it."

Grover shook the bag at Percy. "You want some?"

Percy, watching our verbal jousting like it was the only entertainment he'd ever need, just nodded.

"Yeah, this is better than TV."

---

After my undeniable victory in the argument—totally not up for debate—we finally stepped up to the entrance. That was when a swarm of valets practically materialized around us, all smiles and professional hospitality.

"Welcome to Lotus Land," one of them greeted Percy, like we were VIPs or something.

Now, I don't know about you, but something about a high-end establishment not immediately kicking out a bunch of unaccompanied minors in half-destroyed clothes screamed "sketchy" to me. I watched the staff carefully, offering them the most monosyllabic responses possible while my brain did what it did best—pick apart every weird little detail like a conspiracy theorist on a caffeine bender.

And, hoo boy, were there details.

See, from the outside, this place looked like any other casino—gaudy, over-the-top, practically dripping in neon. But once we stepped in? It was an entirely different beast.

It was a teenager's paradise.

I mean, aside from the usual slot machines and gambling tables, the place was decked out with every possible form of entertainment imaginable.

Arcade cabinets lined entire walls, glowing in a symphony of pixelated nostalgia. I spotted everything from Pac-Man to Dance Dance Revolution, and I swear, I even saw some kid dueling another kid with actual lightsabers.

And then—oh. Oh, they didn't.

I froze in my tracks, staring in utter disbelief at one particular setup.

They had the entire Dark Souls trilogy.

On separate monitors.

Running at 120 FPS.

With premium gaming chairs and mechanical keyboards that probably cost more than my entire existence.

Right as I was processing this absolute madness, I witnessed some poor guy getting utterly demolished by Ornstein and Smough. He let out a sound that can only be described as the wail of a defeated soul before slumping back in his chair in despair.

Yeah. This was bait. Big bait.

I don't trust anything that's perfectly tailored to distraction.

And the biggest red flag? Not. A. Single. Parent.

No adults. No chaperones. Not even an overly cautious older sibling trying to keep their little brother from face-planting into a DDR machine. The only grown-ups here were the employees, who were all smiling way too much for my comfort.

I leaned toward Percy and muttered under my breath, "Alright, either we just hit the jackpot for 'Coolest Place in the World,' or this is one of those places where people walk in and never walk out."

Annabeth, ever the skeptic, glanced around, her brows furrowing. "It's... strange. Casinos like this don't cater to kids. There's no way they're making money off of just arcade machines."

Grover, meanwhile, was already halfway to the buffet. "They have enchiladas, guys."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Oh yeah. This was gonna go great.

"Alright, why don't we not get distracted," I said, snapping my fingers in front of Percy's face before he inevitably got lured into some Sucker's Gambit. "So, Mr. Fishboy, what's next?"

Percy scanned the flashing lights, the neon glow reflecting in his eyes. "Well... where would you hide a green pearl?"

That was a damn good question.

So, we did the only logical thing—wandered through the casino while trying very hard not to get absorbed into the absolute gamers' paradise that surrounded us.

And, oh boy.

This place had everything.

I'm talking about peak gaming.

Assassin's Creed—before Ubisoft forgot what made it good. Elder Scrolls, back when Bethesda still put effort into things. Red Dead Redemption 2. DOOM Eternal. Metal Gear Solid. Even an entire section dedicated to classic arcade legends like Street Fighter II and Tekken 3.

There was a VR section that looked so high-tech it could probably simulate your entire existence. I swear, some guy in a headset was flailing around, yelling, "I AM BECOME DEATH!" before getting absolutely demolished in whatever game he was playing.

It was both impressive and deeply concerning.

And just as I was about to comment on how this place was way too good to be true, an eager—too eager—bellhop in a crisp suit materialized in front of us, flashing a grin so wide it was practically unnatural.

"Welcome to Lotus Land! Hope you've had a pleasant journey."

Before we could even blink, he whipped out a pair of keys and handed them to Percy.

"Here's your room key!"

Percy took them out of sheer reflex. "Wait, what?"

"Room 4001. Take the elevator to the top."

Okay. Red flags. Red banners. Red fireworks spelling out 'THIS IS A TRAP' in the sky.

I smiled politely and said, "Oh, appreciate it, buddy. But we're not staying. Just passing through."

The bellhop's grin didn't even falter. "It's complimentary."

"That's what they always say before people disappear."

"Room 4001," he repeated like a pre-programmed NPC. "Top floor."

Before we could argue further, he pulled out four sleek, green cards and presented them like they were the keys to the universe.

"Your complimentary Lotus-Cash cards. Good for everything in the hotel and casino. Your expense accounts are unlimited, and you never have to pay us back."

Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and I each took one cautiously, inspecting them.

The cards were smooth, matte green, with golden inscriptions of lotus flowers elegantly intertwining with swirling Greek patterns. In the center was a raised emblem, shaped like an eye, which subtly shimmered as it caught the light. It felt too perfect, too polished—like it was watching us.

I turned mine over. No expiration date. No numbers. No terms and conditions.

Yeah. This was a setup.

I looked up at the bellhop, his too-wide grin still in place, and muttered under my breath, "Yeah, totally normal. Not suspicious at all."

The bellhop practically scurried away like a well-trained NPC who just finished delivering a quest objective. We all exchanged puzzled glances, and I couldn't help but smirk at Annabeth.

"Told you something's at work," I said, holding up the Lotus-Cash card and flipping it between my fingers like a poker chip. "Let's break this down, shall we? First, 'unlimited expenses.' Yeah, that's never sketchy. Nobody gives out infinite credit without expecting something in return."

Annabeth crossed her arms, already looking like she was preparing a counter-argument, but I kept going.

"Second," I continued, tapping the card against my palm, "they said we 'never have to pay it back.' That's either the best deal in the universe, or it means we're already paying somehow—we just don't know how yet."

Grover, who had been inspecting his card like he was about to chew on it, frowned. "You think it's cursed?"

"No, I think it's worse than cursed." I turned to him. "A curse would at least have rules. This? This is an open-ended contract with invisible fine print."

Percy looked between all of us. "So... what do we do?"

Annabeth scoffed, clearly annoyed that I was making sense. "Okay, fine. Maybe something is at work here. But we can't be too sure until we—"

"Until we what? Accidentally sell our souls for a bag of Doritos?" I cut in. "Cause let's be honest, this place is tempting. Everything about it is designed to make you wanna stay. No parents? No consequences? Every luxury imaginable?" I gestured around the room at the flashing lights, the hypnotic hum of slot machines, the laughter of kids who probably hadn't seen the outside world in who knows how long. "Yeah. This is a trap. A damn good one too."

Annabeth pressed her lips into a thin line, like she hated to admit I had a point.

That's when I smiled. That smile. The one that meant I was about to do something reckless just to prove a point.

"Then I hope I won't regret what I'm about to do," I said, grinning wickedly.

Grover's ears perked up in alarm. "Oh no. No, no, no. Why do you look like that?!"

"Like what?"

"Like you're about to commit war crimes!"

"Relax, I'm just testing a theory."

Percy groaned. "Thad. Please."

Too late. Experimentation time.

I flipped the Lotus-Cash card into the air, caught it, and swiped it against the nearest slot machine.

LET'S GO GAMBLING!

---

Since it was painfully obvious that finding a stupid fucking green pearl was going to take ages, the brilliant decision was made to split up. Yeah. Because that always works out well in horror movies, right?

I wasn't a fan of it. Not because I couldn't handle myself, but because splitting up in our situation wasn't just a bad idea—it was terrifying. It wasn't just about getting lost. It was about the possibility that one of us could disappear and be replaced by some kind of doppelgänger. Or maybe—worse—I'd be the one replaced, and I wouldn't even know.

That thought sent a shiver down my spine.

So, naturally, I did the most logical thing possible. I slapped myself.

SMACK.

A couple of kids playing arcade games nearby turned to stare at me like I had just escaped a psych ward. Their eyes widened, and before I could explain, they bolted.

"Huh. Still me." I muttered to myself, rubbing my cheek. Good. That confirmed absolutely nothing, but at least I knew I wasn't dreaming.

Anyway, back to my own mission.

I had briefly—and I mean briefly—tried my hand at gambling. But the moment I started stacking way too much money into my very legitimate (and totally not sketchy) bank account, I forced myself to quit while I was ahead. Yes, I have a bank account. Yes, I am a teenager. No, don't ask how I got it. Even Darren doesn't know.

After giving up on my totally legal casino endeavors, I moved to the PC gaming section. It was dangerous territory. Every peak game was available. I saw Bloodborne, Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and some poor guy getting his ass handed to him on NG+7.

Temptation was right there.

But then, I started noticing things. Weird things.

The staff was obsessed with removing any sign of time. And I mean, they weren't just hiding clocks or removing watches—they were actively erasing the very concept of time itself.

See, the human brain needs reminders to keep track of time. A glance at a clock. A quick check of the sun outside. Even just seeing someone yawning could trigger your internal clock. But here?

Nothing.

No clocks. No watches. No windows. No staff member ever said what time it was. Hell, I hadn't even heard the words morning or night since we stepped inside. It was like time had been surgically removed from the air itself.

One of the staff members even tried to take my watch. My good watch.

So, naturally, I shoved him into the nearest bathroom stall and froze his ass to the toilet seat. No evidence. No crime.

But the creepiest part?

People were disappearing.

Not like kidnapped or dragged away screaming. It was more subtle than that. The loudest ones—the ones causing a scene, making noise, resisting the "flow" of the place—they were the first to go.

One minute, a guy would be cheering over a jackpot win. The next? Gone. No trace. No one even acknowledged they were missing.

It was like the casino itself was swallowing them whole.

And the worst part?

Nobody ever came back.

But at least I knew how much time had passed. Well, at least I think I did. As for the other three? No clue. And that was concerning.

Since we stepped foot in this trap of a casino, it's been—get this—five days.

FIVE.

FUCKING.

DAYS.

Wasted. Completely wasted. And for what? A stupid green pearl that none of us had found yet. By the gods, if I could just wish that thing into existence and be done with it, I would.

But, of course, it wasn't that simple. Nothing ever is.

I exhaled through my nose, rubbing my temples. The waiting wasn't all bad, though. It gave me time to process everything we'd been through. And believe me—there was a lot to unpack.

- Medusa and her collection of unfortunate garden statues.

- Percy almost kissed Annabeth—which was weird because technically, if you really think about it, they're kind of like—no, never mind. Not my business.

- Grover turns a freaking Hydra to stone with Medusa's severed head.

- Ares himself showing up out of nowhere to save our asses.

Seriously, so much bullshit crammed into just two weeks.

And honestly? I didn't want to jinx it.

Like, actually.

Because ever since I got dragged into this Greek mythology soap opera, my life had been one giant roller coaster of absolute nonsense. Back when I kept my magic hidden, things were manageable. Simple. But now?

I sighed again, adjusting my glasses. I couldn't even blame Darren for keeping my powers under wraps. The world wasn't ready to find out that every single pantheon might actually exist.

And that's just the ones we know about.

And shit. Speaking of Darren...

Yeah. When I got home, he was absolutely going to have a mouthful for me.

I got up from my seat after flawlessly speedrunning the GTA V campaign for the fourth time—this time without taking a single hit.

Sipped my fourth coffee of the morning.

And no, we're not talking about the fact that I haven't slept in three days.

I'm built diff. My body's so decent that I'm not even hallucinating yet.

(Probably.)

Anyway, I decided it was time to get moving before I lost my mind to this place. So, I left the gaming area, making sure to avoid unnecessary attention.

That was mistake number one.

I jinxed it.

And, sometimes, I genuinely believe the universe has it out for me.

Because just as I was about to step out, I saw them.

Two girls. Lost.

One was older, around twelve or thirteen—light blonde hair, piercing silver-blue eyes, and dark circles underneath them, like she had seen things.

The other? A younger version of her. Practically a clone.

Okay, weird.

The older one had shoulder-length blonde hair, tied with a dark bow. Her hair had black streaks mixed in, like she either got bored and dyed it herself or was going through some rebellious phase.

(Been there, done that.)

She wore a black jacket—or maybe a blazer?—with silver or gold buttons. Her sleeves had cream-colored knit cuffs, which felt a little too classy for this place. She clutched the handle of a closed black-and-white umbrella, while a chain-link purse strap hung over her right shoulder.

Something about her felt... off. Like she didn't belong here. Neither of them did.

I blinked, surprised at how detailed my observation was. Damn. Maybe my training with Doc was actually working.

(Slowly, but still. Progress is progress.)

I took another step forward, still watching them. They hadn't noticed me yet. But something in my gut told me that whatever was about to happen next? It wasn't going to be normal.

Just as I passed them, I felt it.

One pair of eyes locked onto me—curious, observant. The other? Pure murder. Like a thousand-stab-you-in-your-sleep, no-questions-asked kind of murder.

Alright, maybe that was an exaggeration. Maybe.

But the vibes were real.

Then—

"Not so hasty, if you don't mind!"

Oh.

The voice was smooth, like silk. Refined, crisp—carrying the weight of someone with status.

British. Definitely British.

Really, Thaddeus? Now?

I stopped mid-step, taking precisely one second to think about my life choices before ultimately deciding:

Screw it. I've got nothing better to do. That stupid green pearl isn't going anywhere.

Turning around, I met the gaze of the older girl. Her younger counterpart was peeking out from behind her, all shy, clutching onto her sleeve like I was some menace to society.

"Anything I can do for you?" I asked, keeping my tone casual. Chill. Unbothered. King behavior.

The older one took a step forward, effortlessly graceful—because of course, she had to be elegant too. Naturally.

"Well," she began, her voice so painfully British it made me feel like an underpaid peasant, "my sister and I appear to be rather hopelessly lost. I was rather hoping you might be so kind as to confirm if this is, in fact, the—" she paused, as if the words themselves were beneath her, "Elysian Heights."

And that's when it hit me.

She's taller than me.

F U C K.

I did my best to play it cool, ignoring the sudden shift in my pride. Instead, I focused on the question at hand.

Alright. A rich-looking girl, clearly not from here, wandering around with her tiny, terrified sibling.

Lost in Vegas.

Yeah. This had "potential disaster" written all over it.

"You're a bit off-course, actually," I said, shifting my weight onto one foot. "That hotel's not here, it's across the Strip. But even if it was, you two shouldn't be wandering around alone. Especially not here."

Her expression didn't falter. She tilted her head, studying me like I was the anomaly in this situation.

"And why, pray tell, is that?" she asked, amusement flickering in those silver-blue eyes.

I took a sip of my coffee, deadpan.

"Because this city would eat you alive."

Weirdly enough, I didn't even know why I said that. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe I was just being dramatic. Or maybe—I actually gave a damn.

Either way, she didn't seem convinced.

"Mind clarifying?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, that posh British tone of hers unwavering. "I'm afraid I'm not entirely au courant with... matters beyond our little corner of the world."

Ah. So, it's not from around here. Figures.

I took another sip of my coffee, playing it cool. Unbothered. Unshaken. Absolute king behavior.

"Vegas is called the 'Sin City' for a reason," I said, exhaling lightly. "It's the city of indulgence, temptation, excess. The place where people come to forget their problems and make new, worse ones. They gamble their money, their dignity, and sometimes even their souls. And the house?" I gestured vaguely toward the casino floor. "The house always wins."

Her expression remained unreadable, but I noticed how her fingers tightened just slightly around the handle of that fancy umbrella she carried.

"That sounds rather dramatic,"

"Dramatic? Sure. But that doesn't make it any less true."

She didn't have a response for that—not immediately, anyway.

Before she could say anything, her little sister—who had been clinging to her side this whole time—finally decided she had had enough.

"Daph!" the younger girl hissed, tugging at the older one's sleeve. "This place is creepy, I tell you!"

Finally, someone with common sense.

"You know what, kid?" I pointed at her, nodding in agreement. "You might be the smartest one here."

The little one shrank behind her sister again, but she wasn't wrong.

Because now that I was thinking about it... yeah. This whole place reeked of something off.

I looked around, scanning the too-perfect, smiling staff. The way they moved, the way they spoke—it was too polished, too rehearsed. The more I thought about it, the more unsettling it became.

"I mean, have you seen the staff here?" I said, lowering my voice just a bit. "They all look like they were copy-pasted straight out of some dystopian utopia. Same fake smiles and the same scripted lines. Feels like I'm stuck in an episode of 'The Twilight Zone.'"

"What's 'The Twilight Zone'?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

I stopped.

Oh.

"Right. British."

Gods help me.

"You know what? Never mind." I sighed, shaking my head. Explaining pop culture references to people outside the U.S. is a losing battle.

I moved forward, shifting gears. Bigger problems first.

"Forgetting that part," I started, glancing back at them, "did they give you those green cards, too? You know, the whole 'Your complimentary Lotus-Cash cards. Good for everything in the hotel and casino. Your expense accounts are unlimited, and you never have to pay us back' speech? And they also just handed you a room key like it was nothing?"

The older girl—Daph, as her sister had called her—nodded, looking unimpressed.

"Actually, yes. I didn't understand half of it, but it was... suspicious."

Suspicious? That's one way to put it.

The younger one, still clutching onto her sister, was way more visibly distressed about all of this.

"This is so stressful!" she whined, her voice pitching up. "Dad's gonna butcher us if he finds out we're in the wrong hotel!"

I exhaled through my nose, rubbing my temple.

"Yeah, well, let's make sure you don't get butchered by something worse first, alright?"

That caught their attention.

I crossed my arms, dead serious now.

"Listen, those cards? They're not free money. They're a leash. They want you to keep spending, keep playing, keep wasting away without ever realizing how much time is slipping through your fingers."

I pointed at the way-too-happy guests around us.

"Notice something? There are no clocks. No schedules. No sense of time whatsoever. People here forget everything—how long they've been here, what day it is, even who they are. And when they do? That's when they stop leaving."

Daphne's expression hardened, her grip tightening around the handle of her fancy umbrella.

The younger one, however, just looked horrified.

"Wait, wait, wait—are you saying we're stuck here?"

"Not yet," I said quickly. "But the longer you stay, the harder it gets to want to leave. That's the trap. That's how they get you."

Daphne studied me carefully, those sharp silver-blue eyes narrowing.

"And what makes you so sure?"

I gave her a lazy half-smirk.

"Because I've been here for five days."

The little one gasped.

Daphne's brows furrowed. "Five days? But... you don't look—"

"Exhausted? Malnourished? Like I lost all sense of reality?" I finished for her, shrugging. "Yeah. It's called 'being paranoid and drinking way too much coffee.'"

She blinked.

The younger one just stared.

"Anyway," I clapped my hands, straightening up. "Point is, you wanna get out of here? You do not use that card. And you sure as hell don't eat or drink anything they give you."

Daphne was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Well, that's unfortunate."

"Why?"

"Because we already did."

Oh.

Oh, shit.

"Wait, we?" Daphne's brow arched slightly. "You got people with you?"

"Friends," I confirmed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Four of us. We were... on a trip, let's call it that, when we ended up here. Technically, we were looking for something. But this place?" I let out a long sigh. "Well, now we're just looking for each other."

I glanced around, scanning the crowd for any familiar faces.

"I told them not to split up if we were gonna find 'it.' But, you know... genius ideas happen when I'm ignored." I muttered, shaking my head. "Five days, and I haven't seen them. They're probably somewhere in the higher levels."

Daphne nodded, adjusting her grip on her sister's hand. "I do hope they're alright."

And, as if on cue—because, of course, things couldn't stay calm for more than five seconds—the staff spotted us.

I caught the flicker of recognition in their eyes.

Too friendly. Too aware.

Shit.

"We need to hide. Now."

No time for second guesses.

I grabbed Daphne's hand, and she instinctively pulled her sister along as we bolted.

We weaved through the crowd, ducking past slot machines, dodging around guests who had no idea what was happening—or worse, didn't care.

The Lotus employees moved fast.

We moved faster.

A door.

Barely visible behind a set of marble pillars, tucked away like an afterthought.

I yanked it open, ushered them inside, and shut it as quietly as I could behind us.

Dark. Cold. Empty.

A storage room.

Or, at least, that's what it was supposed to be.

Something about it was... off.

I exhaled slowly, listening.

Silence.

The kind that felt too intentional.

"Okay," I whispered. "Either we just got really lucky... or we just screwed ourselves even worse."

I exhaled sharply, leaning against the door for a second. Get it together, man.

"Uh—sorry about, you know—grabbing you like that." I scratched my cheek, attempting a casual tone. "Kinda acted on instinct."

Not that I regretted it. Just... manners and all.

Daphne, to my surprise, simply nodded, composed as ever. "It's quite right. You did what was necessary."

She straightened her posture—which was already perfect, by the way. This girl had the kind of poise that screamed I was raised in a mansion where people drink tea at unreasonable hours for no reason whatsoever.

Then, with a small, polite incline of her head, she introduced herself.

"Daphne Astrid Noelle Greengrass. And this is my sister, Astoria Lyra Greengrass."

Astoria peeked out from behind her, still clutching her sister's hand, eyes darting between me and the door as if expecting something to leap out at any second. Smart kid.

"Thaddeus," I replied, straightening up and extending a hand. "Thaddeus Bartholomew. But you can call me Thad."

Daphne considered my hand for a moment—just long enough to make me question if I'd committed some kind of social crime—before shaking it.

Firm grip. Classy. Probably learned from some etiquette book titled "How to Shake Hands Without Looking Like a Peasant."

Astoria, on the other hand, just blinked at me.

"You're odd," she mumbled.

I grinned. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

Daphne crossed her arms, her sharp eyes flicking between me and the door like she was already calculating a dozen different outcomes. Smart girl.

"So, what now, then?" she asked, tone even, but there was an undercurrent of urgency beneath it.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders as I assessed the situation. One way in. One way out. If this place follows any kind of standard architecture, security's gonna be tightest at the exits.

"Well, the way I see it, we have two options," I said, counting off on my fingers. "Option one: we make a break for it. Force our way through the front, consequences be damned, and hope for the best. Downside? We'd be running blind into a security system I really don't feel like dealing with right now."

Daphne hummed thoughtfully, clearly unimpressed with the reckless approach. Yeah, figured as much.

"Option two," I continued before she could reject the first one outright. "We look for my friends first. Strength in numbers and all that. Then we figure out a way to get out of this place that doesn't involve setting off every alarm and possibly getting turned into whatever-the-hell-they-do-to-people-here."

Daphne gave a small, approving nod. "That would, undoubtedly, be the more logical course of action."

"Glad we agree, princess," I muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Astoria tugged on her sister's sleeve, looking up at her with wide, nervous eyes. "Daph... what if they already got them?"

I let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of my neck. Hadn't thought about that. Well... I had. I was just avoiding the thought because, y'know, optimism.

"If they did," I said, keeping my voice calm, "then all the more reason to find them. If they're still in here, there's still a chance to pull them out. But I need to know—are you two in, or do you wanna try getting out on your own?"

Daphne's gaze met mine, steady and calculating. For a moment, she was silent, weighing her options. Then she nodded.

"We're in."

"Good," I said, flexing my fingers. "Because I have a very bad feeling about this place, and I'd rather not go through it alone."

Before the door had even finished swinging open, my body had already moved.

I grabbed the guy by his collar and launched him backward, sending him crashing into the wall with enough force to make the shelves tremble. The impact rattled through the room, dust shaking loose from the ceiling.

Daphne and Astoria instinctively backed into a corner, Daphne pulling her little sister behind her as she eyed me warily. Probably wondering whether I was going to actually kill this guy.

I strode forward, my breath steady, my focus sharp. My left hand sparked with True Ice, a creeping frost wrapping around my fingers as I grabbed the guy's wrist and froze his entire left hand solid. His scream barely had time to leave his throat before I cut it off with a glare.

"What the hell is this place?" My voice was calm, almost casual, but laced with something dangerous. "And before you even think about yelling, I suggest you reconsider. Because if you do, I'll freeze your entire damn arm next."

Where the hell did that come from? No clue. But damn, did it sound cool.

The guy's eyes were wide, his breath coming out in short, panicked gasps. He tried to pull his arm away, but I tightened my grip, the ice creeping just a bit further up his wrist.

"I—what are you—"

I barely even let him finish the sentence before I twisted my wrist, increasing the ice's intensity.

"Wrong answer," I said flatly. "Try again. What. Is. This. Place?"

Daphne's voice cut through the tense silence.

"Thaddeus, what are you doing?" Her tone wasn't accusatory—more like cautious concern, like she was debating whether she should be stopping me.

"No time to explain," I muttered, my eyes locked onto the guy's. "But this guy? He's gonna start explaining. Right now."

The temperature in the room plummeted, my magic responding to my intent. The guy shuddered violently, his breath coming out in visible puffs.

"Okay, okay!" he wheezed. "We're Lotus Eaters! Alright? A cult!"

I didn't ease up.

"A cult that does what, exactly?"

He swallowed hard, his pupils blown wide with fear. "We—we live off of the Lotus Flower! When you eat it, it... It induces the appearance of eternal youth. It makes you forget. Makes you want to stay forever. Makes you lose your desire to ever leave..."

My stomach dropped.

Oh.

Oh, shit.

"That's good enough for me," I muttered, my voice cold—literally and figuratively.

I tightened my grip for just a second, and the True Ice did the rest. Frost raced up his arm, consuming him in seconds. His terrified gasp was the last sound he made before he became a statue of ice, frozen solid from head to toe.

I took a step back, inspecting my handiwork. Yeah, he's fine. Probably. He won't die... just stuck like that for, oh... five weeks. Give or take. Lol. True Ice supremacy.

I exhaled sharply, dispelling the lingering magic from my fingertips. "Well... that should buy us some time."

Daphne and Astoria stared at me. Astoria clutched at her sister's sleeve, wide-eyed, while Daphne—despite her best attempt at maintaining composure—was clearly re-evaluating her life choices.

"I've about a million questions..." Daphne muttered, her refined British accent making it sound less like concern and more like a noblewoman mildly inconvenienced by an unscheduled beheading.

"Yeah, well, save them for later. We need to move before his little cult buddies start wondering why their ice cube of a friend ain't reporting back."

She inhaled sharply but nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

I led them through the halls, sticking to the shadows and dodging the occasional Lotus staff member. I took the lead, with Daphne right behind me and Astoria clinging to her arm, whispering anxiously about how "this place is giving me the creeps."

She wasn't wrong.

Eventually, we found another storage room—smaller, but empty. I ushered them inside and this time locked the damn door behind us, because apparently, I didn't have the common sense to do that earlier.

Baby steps, I guess.

The moment the door clicked shut, Daphne crossed her arms, leaned against a stack of crates, and pinned me with a stare so sharp it could've cut through steel.

"Right then, Thaddeus. Out with it. Spill."

I blinked. "Spill what?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, voice laced with sarcasm. "Perhaps why you've just gone and turned some poor bloke into a human ice lolly as though it's your daily crossword? Or how you seem to know an awful lot about this place for someone who's allegedly just 'passing through'? Or—" she gestured vaguely at me, "—and this is my personal favourite, mind you—what exactly are you?"

Astoria, still clinging to her sister's sleeve, nodded furiously in agreement. Great, I thought. Now it's an interrogation. Love that for me.

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Look, I get it. Mystery guy comes outta nowhere and saves you from a creepy casino cult, and now you wanna know if I'm some kind of demonic ice wizard assassin or whatever you Brits have in your weird fairy tales. But I promise you, I'm just a guy who got dragged into some bullshit way above my pay grade."

Daphne arched an eyebrow. "Just a guy?"

"Just a guy... who happens to know magic." I gave her a lazy grin. "And is apparently really, really good at causing trouble."

Astoria whispered, "I knew he was a wizard."

Daphne, however, wasn't buying it. She tapped a manicured finger against her arm, unimpressed. "Magic like yours doesn't just materialize out of thin air, you know. And don't think for a moment I didn't notice how effortlessly you handled yourself back there. You fight like someone who's been at it for years—properly trained, too, not just some amateur fumbling about."

"Well, I—" I stopped, thinking. Actually, how long have I been fighting? If you counted the time in my headspace training with the Doctor, it'd be... years? Maybe even decades? But in real-world time? Just a few months.

Daphne, ever perceptive, caught the hesitation. "See? You haven't the faintest idea, have you?"

"Listen, if I start explaining, we'll be here all day. And trust me, we don't have that kinda time. My friends are still somewhere in this twisted fever dream of a casino, and I'd rather find them before they become brainwashed gambling addicts."

Daphne sighed, rubbing her temple now like I was giving her a migraine. "Fine. But when we get out of here, you owe me answers."

I smirked. "Deal. But only if you tell me why your first instinct when lost in Vegas was to ask the shadiest guy in the room for directions."

She scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You looked like you knew things."

"Yeah? And look where that got you."

Astoria mumbled, "Can we go now? This place is seriously freaking me out."

"Agreed." I straightened up, cracking my knuckles. "Let's find my people and get the hell out of here."