Opening his eyes, Mason silently prayed to be himself again. But the familiar surroundings and the sounds coming from outside made him realize he was still trapped in his grandfather's body.
He gave Noah, sitting beside him, a disappointed look. His brother looked exhausted: pale, with dark circles under his eyes and chapped lips, nervously fixing his blond hair.
"Why do you look like you haven't slept all night? Are you feeling okay?" Mason asked, sitting up.
"I slept, but it feels like my energy is draining in a different way here. I came with you, but I'm like a ghost—no one from the past can see me. And I'm scared it might affect our return."
"If I get back, so will you. We have to discover something here before we're allowed to leave."
Noah sighed.
"But… time is moving faster here. I saw Marie this morning. She already gave birth. The child is over a year old now."
"You're kidding."
"I wish I were. Something's showing you the most important events from your grandfather's past. It's terrifying."
Mason rubbed his face. He still couldn't believe any of this was real.
"So during all that time, Jack didn't realize Marie was cheating on him with George? How's that even possible?"
"It was easier to hide an affair back then. No phones, no internet. Today everything's public."
"You're still haunted by that article?" Mason looked at his brother with guilt. "I'll never forgive myself for starting it all. Daniel was into you, I panicked that Dad would find out, and I basically handed him over on a silver platter."
"He already hates me. He thinks I'm gay. And even if I would rather not stay here, I'm not sure if I want to go back either. It's hell there, too."
"He'll get over it eventually. Bring a girl home, prove it was all a misunderstanding."
"What if he's not even looking for us? What if he has no idea where we are?"
"He must've noticed I took the yacht. Maybe they'll find some clue. But for the life of me, I can't remember who was driving it."
"None of us can, Mason."
*
Jennifer groaned as she opened her eyes. Her whole body ached. The last thing she remembered was the force that threw her into the elevator.
She struggled to sit up, clutching her lower back. It was night. The lobby was empty. Where were Olivia and Will? And the girls who were with her—had they disappeared too?
Exhaustion and fear squeezed her heart. She was done. All she wanted was to go home, take a warm bath, crawl into a safe bed—normal life. Would anyone come to rescue them?
She collapsed by the hotel doors and burst into tears.
This was all Mason's fault. His damn party.
When she heard a loud thump against the glass, she froze. She didn't dare look behind her. Footsteps. Heavy, slow.
It wasn't anyone she knew. She could feel it.
She saw dirty, heavy boots in front of her. Furthermore, she looked up. A young man.
Before she could scream, he covered her mouth. He held a cloth soaked in something that made her dizzy. She passed out. Like a rag doll, she was carried out of the hotel.
*
Betty and Nancy sat in the hallway, terrified, staring at the elevator doors. They were too scared to move. Jake was still lying unconscious. Something wouldn't let them get close to him.
"I don't know if we'll make it out of here, but I want to say this now," Betty whispered. "I'm sorry, Nancy. It's not your fault Noah fell for you. I took out my anger on you because he broke my heart."
Nancy looked at her sadly.
"It hurt when you treated me like that. You were my best friend. And everything fell apart because of a boy."
Betty leaned her head against the wall.
"I know. But none of it matters now. We all let Noah down. Especially when no one believed him about Daniel. And then that article…"
"Is it true Mason sent people after Daniel?"
"Yes. Out of fear. He knew our dad would lose it. But it wasn't protection. It was paranoia."
"Mason's always been overly protective. And still…" Nancy trailed off. "I fell in love with him."
Betty flinched.
"What?! Mason? However, he's engaged!"
"I know. That's why nothing will come of it. Their father sees them together. There's no place for me in that picture."
"And that's why that witch hates you. She noticed how you look at him."
Nancy gave a sad smile, but then a scream broke the moment—Jennifer's scream. Both girls jumped up and ran downstairs.
The lobby was empty. The elevator—also empty.
The floor by the doors was muddy.
"I've got a bad feeling," Nancy whispered. "Jennifer's been taken."
"There's someone out there in the woods. Maybe the same one who killed Daniel." Betty squeezed her hand. "Do you think he'll do the same to Jennifer?"
"I saw him on the beach. It was a man. And he wasn't a ghost."
"What does he want from us?"
"Perhaps it's revenge. Or maybe he's just a psychopath who enjoys watching us suffer."