Contents
Chapter Thirty
Overview
Holland evades staff in the Regal and stumbles into The Black and White, a surreal, cinematic bar. There she finds Adam alive and strangely familiar, his injuries seemingly erased by the hotel’s warped time. Adam sweeps her into a dance and orders drinks, tightening their entanglement amid rising, inexplicable omens.
Summary
Holland abandons the check-in line at the Regal and crosses the vivid lobby, where an orange tree suddenly drops all its fruit, alarming guests. Seeking cover, she slips through doors marked The Black and White and enters a monochrome, film-noir lounge alive with music, dancers, and theatrical barcraft.
Absorbing the venue’s uncanny, cinematic ambiance, Holland considers hiding behind curtains labeled The Abracadabra to read her father’s screenplay. A familiar voice draws her gaze to the bar, where she spots Adam Bishop, dapper and seemingly uninjured, flirting with a glamorous companion.
Conflicted and inexplicably drawn to him, Holland feels a recognition that predates the last day she actually knows. Reasoning that time moves differently inside the Regal, she suspects Adam has recovered over days or weeks while only hours passed for her.
Adam approaches, puts a hand on Holland’s back, and—despite her reluctance—spins her onto the dance floor. Half-drunk yet sharp beneath the charm, he reminds her he took a bullet for her, then flags a server and orders drinks for both of them, asserting control as Holland’s questions and emotions intensify.
Who Appears
- HollandProtagonist; evades Regal staff, hides in The Black and White, senses magic, feels uncanny preexisting bond with Adam.
- Adam BishopAppears healed and intoxicated; confronts Holland, pulls her to dance, orders drinks, implying time passed differently for him.
- Regal staff and patronsBartender, servers, guests, and performers establishing the surreal, cinematic bar setting and facilitating Adam’s drink order.