Chapter Seven

Holland discovers Jake’s body under sputtering sprinklers and realizes there is blood soaking his back. Not hearing a gunshot, she infers a stabbing and checks the time: 6:53—minutes after the Watch Man’s predicted 6:47, confirming for her that the Professor’s myths are real. Shock gives way to fear and questions about who wanted Jake dead and why.

On the phone, Chance urges Holland to flee and call the police, but her need for answers overrides caution. She rushes into Jake’s apartment, promising not to touch anything. In the dark, messy space, she notes piles of mail addressed to different names and finds multiple items for “Axel Jorgenson,” concluding Jake’s real identity was Axel.

Amid the clutter, Holland spots a pristine glossy black folder with a shimmering gold art deco border—visually echoing the devil’s business card from class lore—suggesting a link between Jake/Axel and the mythic world she has been studying. She grabs the folder and retreats outside, passing Jake’s body as grief begins to replace panic.

Weighing the risk that police will seize everything and potentially detain her, Holland decides not to call 911 until she sees what the folder contains. As daylight fades, she opens the folder, determined to uncover the truth about Jake/Axel’s “job” and the forces behind his death.