**POV Gabriel**
I crossed the threshold of the living room and found Will leaning against the window, his gaze fixed outside, as if every shadow might be hiding a threat. The air was heavy, saturated with silence and tension.
— We have a problem.
Will turned slowly, frowning.
— What is it now?
I stepped forward, my face serious.
— You took off your bracelet?
— Yes… I was tired of wearing someone else's allegiance.
I nodded slowly, weighing my words.
— That could be dangerous if Lauren's people recognize you.
— Don't worry about that. No one will come down so soon after what happened this afternoon.
I let out a sigh.
— Fair enough… but, actually… Avery is carrying the Arachnis mark.
Will went still. His eyes widened.
— What?! How is that possible? And since when?
— Killian… I said slowly, choosing every word. It's his formula. I don't know exactly since when.
— Maybe since she was attacked this morning… murmured Will, his voice low.
— Impossible. Killian can't act from a distance. He has to physically touch his victim.
— Then yesterday… he deduced, breathless.
— Could be… but it's strange that he hasn't made a move yet.
— You know as well as I do that he's sick. He prefers to take his time, he said, straightening up.
— But this time… he's not working alone, I interrupted, holding his gaze. He's with… that thing.
— Yes… but it's odd for someone who likes to act solo, except when he's with…
I shot him a look that silenced him.
— So in your opinion, he's changed partners or… hobbies? Will went on. Not surprising for someone that unpredictable.
— Sure, he's unpredictable… but I know how he operates. And this doesn't look like him.
A silence fell between us. The air seemed to grow denser, each second heavier than the last.
— So… what do we do? We were supposed to leave in two days, but now… this complicates everything.
— Wherever we go, he'll know because of that damned Arachnis mark. Traveling with Avery in this state would be suicidal.
— But staying exposed for too long would be just as risky, Gabe.
— I know, William… but we have to find a way.
Will sighed, his fingers gripping the edge of the windowsill.
— I already have an idea… but it's risky. Very risky.
— What is it? I asked, my heart beating a little faster.
— You won't like it.
I pressed my lips together, feeling unease rise in me.
— Talk.
He hesitated a moment, eyes shifting, then let it out:
— We could create a diversion… but it would be extreme. Everyone would have to play a precise role. One wrong move… and we're done.
I straightened, holding his gaze intently.
— Walk me through it, Will. Every detail.
The silence settled again for a moment. The darkness of the living room seemed to thicken around us, as if the house itself were holding its breath.
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**Exterior POV – Avery**
Avery remained alone in her room.
Seated at the simple table that served as her vanity, she went over every recent event: the party, the revelations… Each image came to her like a waking nightmare, unreal and chaotic.
Chaotic — that was what her life had been since the night everything shifted, from that ruined evening all the way to the accident.
She turned her gaze toward the window, still open. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she thought back to her conversation with Gabriel. For a moment, she felt a weight lift, as if part of her burden had slipped away.
But the relief was fleeting. Her eyes fell to her wrist… and the Arachnis mark was still there.
A strange shape, almost arachnid. Her fingers passed over it softly, hesitant. How had it appeared? And why had Gabriel reacted the way he did?
One certainty burned in her mind: this mark was tied to Killian… and to everything unfolding right now.
Somewhere, a heated argument was raging. The outside world seemed ready to tip over at any moment, and Gabriel knew that every second counted.
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