Page 114 of The Bleak Beginning

I wouldn’t say Alfie is exactly my friend, but we’re not enemies either. Not like Bishop and the other Legacies, who would gladlystrip me of my flag without a second thought. Mostly, Bishop. Okay, definitely Bishop.

Alfie hesitates, then nods sharply. “Fine. But if you try anything—”

“I won’t,” I promise.

Without waiting for a response, I grab his wrist and pull him along. We sprint down a narrow path between two buildings, our footsteps in sync. The night air whips past us, carrying distant sounds of chaos and excitement.

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” I pant, my mind racing as fast as my feet. “Somewhere others won’t think to look.”

Alfie yanks his wrist from my grip but keeps pace beside me. “The old boathouse,” he suggests between labored breaths. “On the far side of the shoreline. It’s been abandoned for years.”

I nod, too winded to speak. We veer left, ducking behind a row of hedges. As we make our way through the crowds, other students sprint past us. The easier-to-find flags have already been claimed, leaving only the more challenging ones for us to locate.

Alfie trips and stumbles. Instinctively, I reach out, catching his arm before he falls, but the flag, loosely shoved in his suit pocket, tumbles to the ground. Another student rushes from behind a tree and snatches his fallen flag before either of us can react. The student, a guy with hair to his shoulders, grins triumphantly and dashes away into the night.

Alfie’s face twists in a mix of frustration and despair as he shouts, “No!” He begins to run after the student. “You go ahead, Alex. I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” he says before he disappears. I hesitate for a moment, torn between following Alfie and continuing our original plan. But time is ticking, and I need more flags. I have no idea where the old boathouse was, so I take off in another direction, hoping to find something.

The night wears on, and I find myself growing weary. I lost my mask hours ago during an encounter with another student. I used it as a frisbee to protect myself. Since Alfie disappeared, chasing down the student, I’ve managed to collect five more flags.

Students filter out in small groups, their voices fading into the darkness. All of my flags are now tightly knotted around my ankle as I scan the thinning crowd for any sign of flags. My heart races, torn between the thrill of collecting flags and the gnawing worry about Alfie’s whereabouts. He never came back.

I slump against a nearby tree, catching my breath as I hide. The flags around my ankle move softly, a reminder of my success so far. But the victory feels hollow.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps approaching. I press myself flat against the tree. The footsteps grow louder, accompanied by hushed voices.

“I swear I saw someone come this way,” a voice whispers.

“We should split up,” another voice suggests.

I hold my breath, trying to make myself as small as possible. The voices are unfamiliar, but I can tell they belong to other students looking for easy prey.

“Fine,” the first voice says. “You go that way, I’ll check over here.”

The footsteps split, one set moving away while the other comes closer to my hiding spot. A drumbeat of my heart echoes in my ears as I deliberate. Should I make a run for it or stay put and hope they don’t find me?

Just as I’m about to bolt, a hand clamps around my waist. I stifle a scream, but their other hand clamps around my mouth before I can.

“I’ve been looking for you all evening,” a familiar voice whispers in my ear. Sylvester releases his hold on me, and I whip around to face him.

Anger floods through me, quickly followed by confusion and a hint of relief. “Leave me alone, Sylvester.” I whisper furiously. I’d done a fabulous job of avoiding the Legacies since my brief encounter with Bishop and him earlier, and I planned on continuing my lucky streak.

His blue eyes glint in the darkness, a mixture of amusement and something else I can’t quite place. “Now, now,” he says softly, “is that any way to greet your savior?”

I scoff, trying to keep my voice low. “Savior? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

He chuckles, his tone smooth and teasing. “Would you rather I let those two find you? You were heading right toward where they ran.”

We stand in silence as I contemplate his words. My lungs squeeze as I consider what he just said. Was he correct? Did I really try to runtowardthem?

“I didn’t know,” I mutter.

“Of course you didn’t.” He takes a step closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “Good thing for you, I’m very gracious when it comes to returning favors.”

His golden hair spills over the edge of his silver mask, catching the light just enough to make it shimmer. His gaze is fixed on me, intense and playful, with a hint of challenge that I can’t quite ignore. He reaches up, casually brushing a lock of hair away from my face. His touch is light, fleeting, just grazing my skin. I tense instinctively, but he doesn’t seem to notice—or maybe he does, his grin widening slightly in response.

“So, what do you say, Alex?” he asks, voice soft but laced with something more.

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