Chapter Twenty-Two

Holland wakes in a haze, trapped in a vivid dream of Adam that turns horrific as he bleeds out beside her. Gabe rouses Holland, revealing she was screaming Adam’s name; she realizes she is the one bleeding and retreats to clean up, shaken but determined.

Preparing for the Bank on Halloween, Holland dresses from January’s backpack, pocketing a plastic Motor Hotel key that again crackles with static. She emerges to find Gabe has assembled an over-the-top pumpkin breakfast she recognizes as a gesture for the holiday, deepening their awkward intimacy even as she avoids discussing the Adam dream.

Gabe readies Holland for the Bank: he gives her a ceramic watch calibrated to the millisecond, a burner phone with only his contact, and warns that her appointment protects only her. He urges her to leave the backpack with him to avoid time-wasting inspections. Holland texts January the plan, grabs coffee and muffins, and reluctantly parts with the bag.

Outside, Gabe addresses Holland’s fear that she won’t recognize the Alchemical Heart by teaching her to sense magic using a bronze coin. When the coin touches her palm, the air chills sharply, confirming her sensitivity. Gabe quips the coin ensures free drinks in bars and promises, “Drinks are on me tonight,” if she returns with the Heart.

Scene shifts: a student wonders if the Professor’s classes are truly canceled or part of a game. Investigating Benjamin J. Tierney’s unfinished Price of Magic trilogy, they notice a recent page update labeling the missing screenplay cursed. Their laptop glitches—black lines, “Game Over,” then total failure—pushing them to reject the Professor’s dangerous games despite an impending deadline.