Back in the original world, inside the Brakebills common room, Julia and Quentin sat slouched on the couch. Their voices had just finished running through the impossible alternate timelines, Jane Chatwin and how they had all died thirty-nine times already.
Margo, leaning against the wall with a drink in her hand, let out a sharp laugh. "Well, that's a fucked-up rollercoaster if I've ever heard one."
Eliot tipped his flask back, raising an eyebrow. "Thirty-nine deaths? That's not character development, that's masochism on repeat."
Penny was pacing, his jaw tight. "And Eliza or Jane or whatever the fuck her name is, she's dead now? Great. Fucking great. So what happens if something bad hits us this time? No redo button, no reset, no… divine cheat code. We're screwed."
Alice, sitting upright with her arms folded, spoke quietly. "But wait. In each of those timelines, you said Dean Fogg mentioned something was always different, right?" She turned her gaze on Julia. "So what's different about this one? Apart from, you know…"
The weight of her stare made Julia fidget and offer a small, awkward smile. Quentin sighed, rubbing his temples. "The most noticeable? Kai."
Julia leaned forward. "Fogg said in all other timelines there's a form of consistency like certain fixed points. But this timeline? There's a major deviation. Kai."
Eliot let out a low whistle. "So, our lives have been a tragic merry-go-round of death, except this time someone tossed in a sarcastic wildcard." He took another swig. "I'm not sure if that's a gift or a curse."
Margo groaned, tossing her hair back. "If that's the case, then we need to get that smug, sharp-tongued jackass back here pronto. Preferably before he starts writing a snarky memoir in another dimension." She smirked. "I mean, come on, who wouldn't want their own personal nuclear option with better hair than Eliot?"
Eliot shot her a look but didn't deny it.
Penny, still restless, pointed a finger. "She's right. That's it. That's the fucking ticket, we bring him back. Whatever it takes."
Julia nodded. "There's this spell, Marina and I… we were going to try it once. A tethering spell. It bridges a gap between realms. If we cast it right, there's a possibility that it could pull Kai back."
"Cool. Love it. Let's do it." Margo clapped her hands together, her tone deceptively cheerful. "Let's tear open reality like it's wrapping paper and drag him home."
Julia's face fell. "There's just one problem. We need a strong enough tether here. Something that can hold and connect us to him across two realities."
Penny's eyes narrowed. "An anchor. For a spell like that to work, the tether has to be unshakable in a more physical sense and magical something woven deep into his essence. Not just… hope and prayer."
Quentin asked, "And what exactly do we have that could possibly make for a good anchor?"
Julia shifted sheepishly. "I thought… maybe emotions would've been enough."
Margo stared at her, deadpan. Then she smiled, in a diabolical and sharp way. "Oh, honey. That's adorable. You think feelings can yank him through universes? If that worked, half of us would've been dragged back by bad exes years ago."
Quentin blinked at her. "That's… horrifying."
Penny huffed. "Yeah, cute sentiment, but no. That wouldn't have been enough to bring the smartass back."
Alice finally spoke again. "What about his room? There might be something there like a belonging, an artifact or something soaked in his personal magic. That could serve as a tether. At the very least, it might create a pathway for him to take back here."
Penny paused, then nodded. "Not a bad idea. That could work."
—
Minutes later, they knocked on the door to Kai's dorm. It swung open to reveal a shirtless Leo, hair tousled, practically naked. Eliot raised one eyebrow, amused. Penny opened his mouth, ready to say something, when a voice called from inside.
"Who is it?"
"Uhhh, it's…" Leo stammered.
The girl appeared, brushing past him, tugging on a shirt. "Oh. Uh, hello."
The group stood awkwardly. Alice finally broke the silence. "Susan?"
Susan brightened slightly. "Hey, Alice."
A few minutes later, both Leo and Susan were dressed, and the group moved into the room. They began rifling through Kai's things with urgency. Susan leaned toward Leo, whispering, "Is this… okay?"
Penny's voice cut across the room, sharp. "We can hear you. And yeah, it's fine. He won't mind. Let us do what we need."
Julia crouched by the bed, pulling a heavy book free. She lifted it. "Hey, will this work?"
Alice's eyes widened. "Is that his grimoire?"
Julia flipped it open, scanning the incantations and notes scribbled inside. "Looks like it."
Penny smirked. "Yeah, that'll do it."
They left soon after, tension thick in the air. As they walked, Eliot muttered something dry. Margo glanced back at Leo and Susan with a sly grin. "Don't worry, kiddies. We're not doing anything he wouldn't do himself."
Eliot arched a brow. "But you'd do anything."
"Exactly," Margo purred, giving a wicked smile as she turned away.
—
Back at the warehouse, the hours dragged on. Travis sat slouched with his phone, thumbs flying across the screen. Larry sipped lazily from a blood bag. Tom and Devan were arm wrestling on a rickety table, grunting as they pushed back and forth.
Michael was nowhere in sight.
But all of them had noticed the same thing hours earlier, a strange marking had burned itself into Julius's forehead. The sight had unnerved them at first, but when nothing else happened, they had forced themselves to settle down.
Until now.
Without warning, something shimmered beside Julius's limp body, like air bending under heat.
Devan jumped back, swearing loudly. "What the fuck is that?!"
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