I stared out the window, watching the city lights blur.
Honestly? I didn't care if I died. I'd done it once already. My past life wasn't exactly a highlight reel I'd miss, anyway. If this world was a sinking ship, I was fine with going down with it.
The car slowed as we reached a massive perimeter wall. In the center sat a gate made of liquid silver. As we approached, two servants in crisp, black uniforms stepped forward. They didn't touch the gate; they simply pressed their palms against glowing glass pedestals.
A pulse of blue light rippled through the silver, and the heavy gates liquefied and flowed into the ground, clearing the path.
The car glided through to reveal the Dominic Mansion. It wasn't just a house; it was a fortress of white marble and glass, glowing with floating lanterns that drifted around the roof like tiny stars.
The car parked, and the doors glided open.
"Welcome to your new home," Lara said. She looked at me with that same crushing pity.
I didn't say a word. I just gave her a small, empty smile. I didn't know the rules of this world yet, so keeping my mouth shut was the best survival strategy. She sighed, took my hand, and led me inside.
If the outside was rich, the inside was obscene. The floors were made of polished crystal that reflected the sky, and the grand staircase looked like it had been carved from a single, massive diamond. The air smelled like expensive incense and old money.
Then, I met him.
A boy stood at the top of the stairs, glaring down at me with pure disgust. He looked like a miniature version of Pete, but with an ego twice as large.
"Who the hell is this beggar?" he snapped, looking at his parents.
Beggar? I thought, looking down at my clothes. This kid has officially lost his damn mind.
"Be nice, Jamie," Lara warned. "That is not how you treat your brother."
So this brat's name is Jamie, I noted.
"Brother?" Jamie sneered, his face twisting. "I'd rather die."
He turned on his heel and stomped away.
Well, at least I got a warm welcome, I thought sarcastically.
"Sorry about that," Lara whispered, looking embarrassed. "They aren't used to new people yet."
They? My heart sank. You mean there are more of those little beasts? Just my luck.
I looked up at Lara, my eyes heavy. "I'm tired."
"Of course," she said quickly. "You've been through so much."
She led me upstairs to a room that was larger than my entire apartment in my past life. The bed was a mountain of silk, the walls were lined with touch-screen mirrors, and a balcony overlooked the glowing city.
"This will be your room from now on," she said, hovering by the door. "Rest. I'll come get you when it's dinner time."
The door closed, and I finally let out a breath.
I was in a doomed book, living with a family of monsters, surrounded by wealth that was destined to burn.
Dinner time, I thought, falling backward onto the silk sheets. I wonder if they serve 'Last Meals' every night in this place.