Seraphina's smile widened . " What's wrong ? Did I hit a nerve ? I guess someone like you has probably never gotten a gift before , have they ?" I clenched my fists . " Move . " She didn't move . She took a step closer , her voice a victorious whisper next to my ear . " I just texted Peter . Let's see who he chooses . " As the words left her mouth , the sound of frantic footsteps echoed down the alley . Peter appeared at the entrance . At the same instant , Seraphina screamed and lunged forward . And the two guys behind her raised their pipes . One swung at my back . The other swung at Seraphina's head . Time seemed to freeze . Peter's pupils contracted . He dove towards Seraphina . A searing , tearing pain exploded across my back . Cold sweat soaked through my uniform . Peter was checking on Seraphina , his voice filled with a frantic urgency I had never heard before . " Are you okay ? Are you hurt ? " In his arms , Seraphina shook her head , looking utterly fragile . But over his shoulder , her eyes met mine , and her lips curled into a triumphant smile . I stared at Peter's back . I remembered what he'd said in the hospital after I took a pipe for him : Don't you ever jump in front of me again . I'm supposed to protect you . Apparently , that protection came with a priority list . And the person he wanted to protect had always been Seraphina . My vision started to blur , Darkness surged in like a tide , and I let it swallow me whole . The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was Peter's face , twisted in shock and panic , as if he was about to run toward me I called up the system . "Get me out of this world . " 7 I forced my eyes open . A white ceiling slowly came into focus . " You're awake ! " A nurse came in with a tray . " Your boyfriend can finally relax . He's been here all night . We just convinced him to go get you some porridge . " Why was I still here ? The system's mechanical voice echoed in my head : [ THE DEATH NODE , ONCE ESTABLISHED , CANNOT BE ALTERED . PLEASE WAIT PATIENT- LY , HOST . ] 09:37 Chapter 2 00 571 " But Seraphina was reborn , " I argued . " What if she prevents the fire from ever happening ? " In the original story , the class holds a graduation party at a restaurant that catches fire . Seraphina , upset after a fight with Adrian , is crying in a stairwell and doesn't get evacuated . Peter escapes , realizes she's still inside , and runs back in to save her . He succeeds , but a burning beam collapses on him , disfiguring his face . If the reborn Seraphina prevents the fire , my exit point disappears . [ THEN YOU WILL REMAIN IN THIS WORLD . PERMANENTLY . ] The door opened . Peter walked in , carrying a thermos . There were dark circles under his eyes , and his sclera were webbed with red . He rushed to my bedside , his knee bumping against the frame . He ignored the pain , reaching out as if to touch my back, but his hand fell away , his face etched with guilt . " I'm sorry ... " He opened the thermos . " The nurse said you can only eat light foods . " It was a simple rice porridge , topped with shredded pork and greens . He scooped up a spoonful , blew on it carefully , and held it to my lips . " I cooked it a little longer ... " I turned my head away . " Those guys were hired by Seraphina , " I said , my voice cold . " It was all a setup . She wanted to force you to choose her , and she wanted to destroy me . " Peter's hand froze . He looked down , his long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks . He didn't deny it . My heart sank . " You already knew , didn't you ? " " I'm calling the police . " The spoon clattered into the bowl . " No ! " he said , his voice laced with panic . " You can't call the police ! She ... she still has her final exams . A police report would ruin everything for her . " A chill , deep and absolute , spread through my veins . " Ruin her exams ? " I let out a laugh , but the pain in my back made it tremble . " What about me ? My back is injured again . I'm definitely not taking my finals this year . You're so worried about her ... what about me ? " If I were just a normal girl , an orphan who had poured her entire life into studying to escape her past , how hopeless would I feel right now ? Peter's lips moved , but no words came out . His eyes were so red they looked like they were bleeding .