Page 39 of Begin Again

“We need to be sure,” I say. “Because if this isn’t over, then we have to protect her before it’s too late.”

The tension in the room is suffocating, but beneath it is a shared determination.

Gabe had been taken from us, but his work wasn’t over.

And neither is ours.

12

Selene

The familiar sound ofThe Gooniesfills the living room, a warm, nostalgic hum that makes everything feel a little safer. The glow from the screen flickers against the walls, casting long shadows as Mikey and the gang navigate underground tunnels, their adventure unfolding in front of us like it always has—comforting, predictable.

I’m curled up in a blanket, a bag of gummy worms resting on my stomach, my fingers sticky with sugar. Orion is sprawled next to me, completely focused on his mission: demolishing an entire bag of chips in record time.

“Y’know, if we ever go on some big treasure hunt, I would probably end up having to leave you behind,” he says between crunches.

I scoff. “Excuseyou?”

“You know you’d slow us down. You’re the one who’d insist on bringing snacks. You’re Chunk.”

“I’d beprepared, which is more than I can say for you,” I fire back, tossing a gummy worm at him. “You’d be the guy who steps on a trap and gets us all killed.”

Orion catches the candy midair, popping it into his mouth like it’s some boss battle victory move. “Nah. I’d be the guy with the map.”

I roll my eyes. “You wish you were Mikey.”

Before he can argue, a noise cuts through the scene—a noise that does not belong in the movie.

We hear a subtle noise outside the door.

I pause the movie as we listen from the safety of the living room.

Silence.

Not knocking. Not a key.

Just the soft, deliberateclickof someone picking the lock.

I freeze.

Orion sits up, his entire body going tense.

Next, we hear the sound of my front door unlocking.

My stomach drops.

A cold wave of dread washes over me, tightening around my chest like a vice. My brain scrambles for explanations—none of them good. A break-in? A mistake? Am I dreaming?

I barely have time to process before the door swings open, a shadow stepping inside.

I scream.

Valkyrie, who was curled up on the rug, suddenly lets out a sharp, panicked bark—then bolts, her claws skittering against the floor as she disappears down the hall.

And Orion—where the hell did he pull that from—suddenly has a gun in his hand.

Everything happens too fast.