CHAPTER 157: A LONG NIGHT

CLARK POV

"We need to get out of this fucking place," I said, every syllable trembling with urgency.

Lucas just rolled his eyes like I’d finally said something so obvious it wasn’t even worth reacting to.

"Now you talk."

"I’m serious," I said, pacing the room. My hands were shaking again. "I don’t care if I have to walk out of here barefoot. I’ll hitchhike. Swim. Dig a fucking tunnel."

He sat up straighter, brows raised slightly as if amused. But his eyes? His eyes had none of that humor.

"Well... gotta break it to you," he said, voice low and dry. "Can’t go. All outgoing flights have been cancelled this month."

I stopped.

"What?"

"Yup." He leaned back, popping a piece of candy into his mouth like we weren’t talking about our lives being held hostage. "Flight board says weather issues. But there’s been no rain. No storms. No nothing."

My throat dried. "The buses—"

"Gone. Not running. Road maintenance or some bullshit. Taxis? Not allowed beyond the city border." He looked at me grimly. "We’re caged in."

"No." I backed up until I hit the wall. "That’s... that’s illegal. That’s insane. You can’t trap people—"

"They don’t care." Lucas stood now too. "You think this school is just an elite academy in the middle of nowhere? It’s a hunting ground. A buffet. A perfectly curated farm of warm, gullible humans delivered like lambs to the slaughter."

My blood went cold.

"They knew," he continued. "They knew some of us would notice. Would panic. So they took care of that too. No way out. Not unless... well. Unless you belong to them."

I sank to the bed, mind reeling.

Sara.

What if she—

No. No, no, no.

"I need to find her," I muttered. "If there’s no leaving, then I need to make sure she’s not—" I couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Lucas nodded. "She’s probably still alive. They like to play with their food."

The words hit like a slap.

"Lucas," I whispered. "Why are you still here?"

He gave me a half-smile. "Because I know the rules now. I don’t go out after sunset. I don’t speak to anyone who smells like flowers and ashes. I don’t drink. I don’t dance. I don’t follow."

That last word rang through my head like a warning.

"But," he added, "that doesn’t mean I’m safe. It just means I haven’t been picked again. Yet."

The room felt colder. Like the shadows in the corners had started listening. Breathing. Stretching.

I stared out the window. Somewhere out there, beneath the glow of Ziprey’s artificial lights, something monstrous was prowling. Smiling. Waiting.

And we were stuck.

"They’ll come for us," I said softly.

Lucas didn’t argue.

We sat there in silence, the truth sinking in deeper than fangs into flesh.

There was no going home.

Not without a fight.

*******

I would have to wait until morning.

At least, that’s what Lucas thought was a good idea.

"No use getting yourself killed in the dark," he said, not even looking up from his phone. "They hunt more at night. If she’s still alive, she’ll still be alive in the morning."

His words chilled me more than the night air leaking through the window.

If.

If she’s still alive.

I hated that word.

It wasn’t just a word—it was a verdict hanging over Sara’s head like a guillotine.

But as much as I wanted to storm out into the night, charge into that cursed old lecture hall, and scream her name until the walls bled, Lucas was right.

I wasn’t strong.

I wasn’t fast.

Hell, I didn’t even have a plan.

If I went out now, I’d die. And then what? Another missing student. Another "anemic" body found by a janitor or not found at all. And Sara? She’d still be out there—alone.

No. I needed to be smart.

I needed to live.

Because what good was I to her if I ended up a dried-up corpse stuffed behind some renovation tarp?

So I stayed.

Paced the room like a caged animal. Kept checking my phone like maybe the screen would light up with her name if I stared hard enough. The minutes dragged like lead weights. The silence in the room pressed down on me, wrapping around my throat. Even Lucas had stopped talking.

Every creak in the hall outside made my heart jump.

Every gust of wind against the glass sounded like claws.

I tried to convince myself that morning would come soon.

But in this place, time moved like it was being strangled.

And the worst part was knowing that somewhere out there in the dark... Sara might be alone. Or worse—not alone at all.

I sat on my bed and stared at the door.

I wasn’t going to sleep.

I couldn’t.

Not when my best friend could be bleeding out somewhere.

Or worse—enjoying it.

No. Don’t think like that.

She’s strong. She’s smart. She’s probably hiding.

That’s what I told myself as I sat there through the night, waiting for the sun to rise—praying I’d still have someone to save when it did.

Because when morning came, I was going to find her.

Even if it killed me.

I didn’t sleep.

Not even for a second.

I spent the entire night clutching my phone like a lifeline, texting Sara, calling her, leaving voicemails. Over and over again. Her name sat stubbornly at the top of my screen, the little "delivered" checkmarks mocking me with every unanswered message.

Nothing.

No call back. No text. No "I’m okay."

Just silence.

And that silence? It ate at me. Chewed at my insides like guilt-shaped termites, hollowing me out.

I hated it.

I hated that I couldn’t protect her.

I hated that I was a coward—that I ran.

I should’ve stayed. I should’ve done something. Anything.

But... Blaze.

Blaze was a vampire. I should’ve known the moment I saw him. The too-pale skin, like snow under moonlight. The way he moved—soundless, swift, almost like he didn’t obey the laws of this world. That first day I asked for directions, I thought he was just... weird.

But he wasn’t weird.

He wasn’t human.

And last night, when he picked me up like I weighed nothing, when he zoomed through the halls faster than any person should be able to move—and then just vanished...

Yeah.

I didn’t need any more proof.

He wasn’t one of us.

I was lucky. He said so himself. "Lucky his demons like my scent."

What the hell did that even mean?

Demons. Vampires. Werewolves. Blood cults.

This was no school.

It was a goddamn feeding ground.

And I was just... walking meat.

I rubbed my arms, trying to ease the tremble in my hands. I was still wearing the same clothes from last night. I hadn’t eaten. I hadn’t even gone near the door. Every creak in the hallway felt like a fang pressing into my skin.

But the worst part?

Sara.

Where was she?

I kept thinking about her bright eyes and that silly grin she gave me when we first got here. Her excitement, her curiosity. The way she thought this place was "cool." Like it was some fairy-tale castle. Like we were the chosen ones.

And now?

Now she could be...

No.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Don’t think it. Don’t you fucking think it.

If I was going to survive this, I had to be smart.

I had to be careful.

And most of all—I had to stop being alone.

Which meant...

Reed.

I didn’t know what the hell Reed was.

He wasn’t normal, that was for sure. He moved like a predator, glared like a monster, and had a presence that made people shut up and back down without a word. But he wasn’t one of them. At least... I didn’t think so.

When I looked into Blaze’s eyes, I saw hunger.

When I looked into Reed’s?

I saw restraint. Barely, yes—but it was there. He didn’t like me. He made that clear. But he saved me. Twice.

And around here?

That counted for something.

I had no plan. No backup. No family. No escape route.

But maybe—just maybe—if I stayed close to Reed, I’d stand a chance. Even if I had to cling to him like a lost puppy. Even if he growled every time I opened my mouth. I didn’t care.

Because surviving meant doing things you didn’t want to do.

And if Sara was still out there?

I was going to find her.

Even if I had to walk through hell to do it.

Morning couldn’t come fast enough. The sky outside shifted from pitch black to a murky gray, and I grabbed my jacket the moment the light bled through the blinds. Lucas was still asleep, but I didn’t care. I had one mission—find Sara. My legs felt weak, my stomach twisted, but I moved anyway. I had to. I’d dragged her into this place. Now it was on me to pull her out.