After parting from Lucien, Jace is immersed in a series of doubts for several days in a row, incredulous that what he experienced earlier seemed like a dream.
To be precise, he is experiencing a world unimaginable to ordinary people, not only possessing superhuman strength but also being caught up in the strife between the Shadow Clan and the Holy Council.
Even more indescribably, he is guarded and guided by a mysterious man, as if he carries countless unsolved mysteries waiting to be unraveled.
However, annoyingly, Lucien is always on the prowl, intruding into his life and disappearing at will.
Who on earth is he? Despite Jace's slight aversion to him, Jace feels more determined and confident than ever whenever he thinks of him in a sea of people.
The dormitory building at DePaul University in Chicago resembled a crumbling fortress as the wind and snow came in from Lincoln Park, slapping against the windows with a low whimper.
Jace Raven pushed open the door, his boots stomping on the floor, stirring up a ring of dust.
The stab wound in his arm still ached, blood seeping into the cloth of Lucien's bandage, and the Book of Destiny, hidden inside his bodysuit, weighed heavily on his chest.
His room is as small as a tin box, with books stacked crookedly on the table, and faded band posters on the wall.
Ethan Miller, his roommate, sat on his bed, sunny smile still plastered on his face, blonde hair disheveled and a pen twirling in his hand.
"Jace, you're finally back!"
Ethan leaped up and clapped him on the shoulder with an intensity that made Jace flinch, "I thought something bad had happened to you in the South End."
Jace forced a small smile and pulled off his soaked bodysuit, tossing it casually onto a chair, "Didn't die that easy."
He looked down and examined the wound, the bleeding had stopped but it felt like a razor blade was scraping with every movement.
He longed to tell Ethan everything - Brad's crash, the omen of the L-Car, the Shadow Clan's pursuit, and Lucien and the damn book.
The words came to him, however, and he swallowed. Ethan was a friend, but he didn't know where to start.
"Look at your face, like you've seen a ghost." Ethan leaned over the table and handed him a bottle of water, his smile held a few twinges of alienation, "What kind of trouble did the South End get into again? Or did you get into another fight?"
Jace took the water but didn't take a sip, his gaze locked on Ethan's eyes.
Those blue eyes, usually as clear as a lake, seemed to be hiding something today.
He gritted his teeth and said tentatively, "Nothing, just went to the river and almost didn't make it back."
Ethan raised an eyebrow and his smile got even weirder, "The river? What were you doing there on a snowy day?"
He paused for a moment, his tone lighthearted as if he were joking, "Did you really run into something weird? I've heard that the Southern District hasn't been peaceful lately."
Jace's heart skipped a beat and he tightened his grip on his water bottle.
He wanted to confess the truth, but his intuition was like a thorn in his heart.
He whispered, "What have you heard?"
Ethan shrugged and turned to flip through the books on his desk, his back to Jace, "Nothing, just street gossip. Gangs lah, weirdos lah."
He paused in his movements and tapped his fingers on the desk as if weighing his words, "But by the looks of you, you seem to be in real trouble. Do you need me to help you investigate? Like, who's after you?"
He turned around, his smile still wide, but Jace felt a chill as if he'd been stabbed by something.
"Investigate?" Jace frowned, Charles Kane's kind face, Willis Tower's surveillance footage, and the Shadow Clan's saber-rattling coming to mind.
He clenched his fists and lowered his voice, "What can you find out?"
Ethan smiles, walks over to him, and puts his hand on his shoulder, "Hey man, I know a couple of guys that can dig up some information. For example, the Kane Consortium, you heard of it? The oldest is named Charles, and he seems to be working on some big projects lately."
Jace froze, his heart skipping a beat.
Charles Kane, how did Ethan know? He stared at Ethan, his voice urgent, "Where did you hear that?"
Ethan let go and took a step back, smiling a little stiffly, "Gossip on the internet, don't get so worked up."
He turned, grabbing his jacket, "I'm going to go get some food, you rest here, don't run out and get yourself killed again."
The door closed slowly and the silence in the room was as deep as the grave.
Jace gasped his thoughts in turmoil. Ethan's demeanor was unusual, so unusual as to be disturbing.
He looked down to examine the stacks of books on the table, a notebook open with a note tucked into it.
He picks up the note, the handwriting is scrawled, "Kane Consortium, Project Hyperdrive, looking for Jace Raven."
At the bottom of the note was another tiny line, "Tonight, Lakeshore Boulevard, delivery of goods."
Jace's mind echoed with a roar, and his fingers trembled so much that he could barely tighten his grip on the note in his hand.
Deliver the goods? What goods? He lifted his head suddenly and walked quickly to Ethan's bedside, rummaging through the backpack under his pillow.
Inside were his notes premonitions he'd recorded, Brad's crash, the images of the L-car, everything.
He clenched his teeth, the blood rushing to his head. Ethan had stolen his things, and to whom exactly was he going to give them?
The door creaked and Jace turned quickly, Ethan stood in the doorway, a plastic bag in his hand, the smile on his face had disappeared and his gaze was cold as ice.
He whispered, "You shouldn't rummage around, Jace."
Jace clutched his notes and glared at him, "What is this? Are you fucking selling me?"
Ethan sneered, dropped the plastic bag, and stepped in, "Take it easy, man. You shouldn't be in the way, understand? Some people make prices I can't refuse."
Jace backed up against the wall, his heart beating fast as a drum. He wanted to rush up and punch Ethan, but his feet felt like they were nailed to the ground.
Ethan was his only friend, and now he was acting like a stranger.
Gritting his teeth, he squeezed out the words, "How much did Charles pay you? For you to rat me out?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in his smile. "Enough to squander for the rest of my life. You don't understand, Jace, you're a disaster, and death always follows you wherever you go."
He paused, his voice low as a knife, "Charles wants much more than your paltry abilities. What he covets is the key to the Heaven's Punishment program - that is, you."
Jace's thoughts were instantly shocked, Sky Punishment? What the hell was that? His eyes widened and his voice trembled, "The Sky Punishment Program? What the hell are you talking about?"
Ethan took a step forward, his eyes as cold as a snowy night in the Southern District. "Stop playing dumb, Jace. Charles said you were able to awaken the thing-the switch of doom. The Book of Fate, the Water God's bloodline, everything, it's all coming at you. I was merely helping him place the key in place."
He grinned, pulling a folding knife from his pocket, the blade popping out with a cold flash. "But you're really an obstacle."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a red light flashed through the window, like a drone skimming by.
Jace jerked his head up, only to see Ethan swooping in, a folding knife clutched in his hand, its blade pointed straight at his chest.
He gritted his teeth and barely dodged as the blade grazed his arm, leaving a fresh trail of blood.
The intense pain made him suck in a breath of air and he slammed into Ethan so hard that the two of them fell into the pile of books together, the table making a heavy thumping sound with it.
With Ethan on top of him and the knife raised in mid-air, Jace gasped for breath, his hands groping through the chaos, suddenly grabbing onto a broken desk lamp.
On an impulse, he slammed the lamp into Ethan's head, and Ethan let out a muffled grunt as his hands let go and the knife fell to the ground.
Jace struggles to his feet, breathing heavily, his hands shaking so much he can barely hold the lamp.
He glared angrily at Ethan, only to see the guy covering his forehead, blood dripping from between his fingers, but still sneering, "You won't get away with this, Jace. They know you're here."
Jace raised his hand on impulse.
The glass of water in the room suddenly bursts and the stream lashes out at Ethan like a whip.
Ethan was struck and slammed into the wall, then fell into the nightstand, splattering wood shavings.
Jace gasps, his hand still raised high in the air as a mixture of blood and water drips onto the floor.
He froze, staring down at his hand, the whisper echoing in his ears, "You're the key."
The red light outside the window grew brighter and the buzzing sound drew closer, as if the drone had locked on to its target.
Jace clenches his teeth, grabs his notes and the Book of Fate, and heads straight for the door.
Ethan struggled to his feet, his voice hoarse, "You're done, Jace."
Without looking back, Jace kicked the door open and stormed into the hallway.
The wind and snow poured in through the stairway, stinging him so much he had to squint.
He ran down the stairs, his boots crunching through the ice, and dashed into the back alley of DePaul University.
The wind and snow were raging, and the alley was like an icy labyrinth that seemed to go on forever.
He leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, his thoughts in turmoil.
Ethan's betrayal, Charles' knowledge of his abilities, and the Shadow Clan's pursuit, all of which made Jace's hand clutching his notes tremble like a sieve.
The roar of a motorcycle came from the distance, like death stepping on the gas.
Jace clenched his teeth, only one firm thought in his mind: to live.
He rushed out of the alley, the wind and snow made him squint, but his heart was as cold as ice.
Ethan's smiling face came back to him like a sharp blade that kept piercing him.
Thinking of Lucien, however, melted that chill as if by warmth.