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Grabbing the fortune from his hand, I tore it up and threw the scraps into the air, forcing a playful smile. “See? I told you. Just a crock of shit,” I joked. “Let’s go back upstairs!” I said, with feigned and hurried enthusiasm, gesturing toward the stairs leading back to the main level.

“Y–Yeah…totally.” Ethan slowly nodded, following me toward the stairs. I watched as he paused, glancing back at the fortune machine with an odd expression, like he’d heard something I hadn't.

He shook his head and smiled as we ascended the stairs back to the main level, leaving the Down Under's shadows behind us. But the fortune's words stayed with me, the warning echoing in my mind.

Your path leads through dark water. Victory and loss walk hand in hand.

The noise of the market faded away, and the sharp wind coming off the Sound cut through me as we emerged into the main area along Post Alley. Dusk had overtaken the skies, and the glow of the neon sign above gleamed even brighter, casting its red haze across the plaza.

Ethan pointed down toward the alleyway just ahead of us. “You've definitely seen the Gum Wall, right? Even I have been subjected to its…beauty.”

I crinkled my nose. “Unfortunately, yes. Pretty disgusting.” Even as a local, I never understood the hype.

“Well, unfortunately, we have to pass through it to get to the best view of the Bay,” he laughed, “Don't worry, we’ll make it quick.”

I walked briskly through the narrow brick-lined alleyway, passing the hardened pieces of gum that were plastered from floor to ceiling. I’d never contributed to it and always thought the mosaic was grotesque but oddly captivating.

I wonder if someone would say the same thing about me if they saw what was underneath this skin, I thought.

We continued through the alleyway, laughing at the crude images molded from the hardened gum. Penises were apparently still the very popular go-to for teens nowadays. Despite all the crazy shit I’d seen over the last few weeks, the gum wall still made my skin crawl. But something about that brought me a sense of comfort, knowing I at least had some remnants of humanity left.

Ethan pointed ahead as the Seattle Great Wheel loomed ahead, its lights glowing brightly against the night sky. “Wow, it’s beautiful at night,” he said.

I nodded. “Yeah, it really is nice…” I agreed, my mind distant. Even after all the times I’d seen this view, it still brought me a flicker of joy.

For a moment, I was a normal person again, and the traitorous and desperate feeling to lock it away and hold onto it for as long as I could surfaced inside me.

“I never get tired of this view,” Ethan said, leaning against the overlook’s railing.

Joining him, I rested next to him against the railing, staring out at the familiar black water.

Looking at something I knew with deep familiarity was now met with new thoughts: Home. Prison. I wonder if Layne can see what I’m doing right now?

I fought back a scowl. Layne was the last thing I needed on my mind right now.

The area around us was quiet. I realized it was much later now, and we’d finally found ourselves alone, the bustling crowds now gone. The perfect time to use my magic. I turned toward him, magic humming in my throat. “Ethan?”

He glanced over, eyebrows raised. “Hmm?”

“I need you to tell me what you know about Preston Willows.”

Ethan’s body obediently turned toward me. The lights of the Ferris wheel danced across his face in a mosaic of colors. Hues of purple, pink, and blue painted him in spiraling waves.

The golden song glazed its familiar smoky haze across his vision as Ethan stared back at me, distant and spellbound.

“Preston,” he drawled, his voice hushed and monotone. “He's...cold. A total asshole. Treats people like they're disposable and beneath him. His family built their business on crushing competition. He doesn't care if it's a corporation or a Mom-and-Pop shop. If he doesn't get his way, he'll destroy you…”

Oh, I know that all too fucking well.

The Willows had crushed our shop and sold off the property before my body had even hit the bottom of the ocean. Preston was disgusting, and that was obvious, but I needed more information other than what I already knew. Something I could use to get close to him, alone and away from people.

“Where does he go besides work?”

Ethan complied with unwavering obedience. “I don’t...I don’t know. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

A wave of guilt crashed over me, my stomach sinking with it.

Ethan stared back blankly at me with eyes that were no longer his, and a voice I had shackled and robbed from him.