The air was thick with tension as the trio drove through the shadowed streets, William at the wheel, eyes constantly flicking to the rearview mirror. Josh and Lauri sat in the back, still shaken from their encounter with Manuel, who had nearly torn them apart with his ability to bring inanimate objects to life. The barrier was still up, looming in the distance like a purple bruise against the dark sky. Their home, once a place of comfort, had become a target—too dangerous to return to. They needed somewhere new, somewhere unexpected.

  "Where are we going?" Lauri asked, her voice tight.

  "Hotel Finnoosie," William replied without looking back. "It's off the grid, low profile. Nobody's gonna look for us there."

  Josh's grip tightened on the box that held his father's sword. The weight of it felt heavier now, knowing what it could do, what it had done. Killing Manuel had shaken him more than he let on, and the unease of what awaited them next gnawed at his gut.

  As they pulled into the dimly lit parking lot of Hotel Finnoosie, a sense of unease settled over them. The hotel looked like it hadn't been updated since the 80s, with flickering neon lights that spelled out the name in a cracked, pink glow. But despite its rundown appearance, it was the best option they had.

  William led the way inside, his every movement deliberate and calculated, as if he were ready to spring into action at any moment. The lobby was eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of an old ceiling fan. The receptionist barely glanced at them as she handed over the keys to their rooms, which suited them just fine. They didn't want to attract any more attention than necessary.

  "We'll split up," William instructed once they were in the hallway. "Josh, you're with me. Lauri, take the other room. It's safer if we're separated, just in case."

  Lauri hesitated, her eyes meeting Josh's for a brief moment. The idea of being alone, especially after everything that had happened, made her stomach churn. But she nodded, trusting William's judgment.

  They parted ways, Josh following William into their room. The door creaked as it closed behind them, and Josh immediately noticed how sparse the room was. The curtains were heavy, blocking out any light from the outside. The bed was stiff, covered in an old floral print. It was far from comforting, but it would have to do.

  "Get some rest," William said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We'll figure out our next move in the morning."

  Josh nodded, though he doubted he'd be able to sleep. His mind was racing, replaying the events of the past few days. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that something—or someone—was waiting for the right moment to strike.

  Lauri's room was much the same, the only light coming from the small lamp by the bed. She sighed, setting her bag down on the floor. She needed a moment to collect herself, to process everything that had happened. But as she moved to sit on the bed, a chill ran down her spine.

  A shadow moved in the corner of the room.

  Lauri froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She slowly turned her head, eyes wide, and there, standing near the window, was a man in a pink costume. He smiled at her, a twisted grin that sent a wave of dread washing over her.

  Lauri's heart raced as the man in the pink costume grinned at her, but before she could react, he vanished into thin air. She spun around, frantically searching for any sign of him, but the room was empty. The uneasy silence was shattered when the door to her room burst open, and in stepped a tall man with an imposing presence—George Francisco, the owner of Hotel Finnoosie.

  George's eyes narrowed as he surveyed Lauri, his expression unreadable. "You shouldn't have come here," he said, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to reverberate through the room. "This place is off-limits to your kind."

  Lauri's breath caught in her throat. "Our kind? You mean people with abilities?"

  George smirked. "Precisely. This hotel is a sanctuary, a place where people can escape the madness of the outside world. I won't let you and your friends bring your chaos here."

  Before Lauri could respond, the room began to shift. The temperature plummeted, and she could see her breath fogging the air. She shivered, the sudden cold biting into her skin, but she quickly realized it wasn't just the temperature that was changing.

  The gravity in the room shifted, pulling her upward toward the ceiling. Lauri's body lurched, and she instinctively reached out to grab the edge of the bed. She hung there, suspended in mid-air, her feet no longer touching the ground.

  "What the hell?" Lauri gasped, struggling to keep her grip.

  George watched her with a calm detachment, his hand raised as if he were controlling the very fabric of the room. "This hotel is mine. Every wall, every object, every molecule bends to my will."

  With a flick of his wrist, the gravity shifted again, sending Lauri crashing to the floor. She barely had time to recover before the room's temperature skyrocketed, the cold air replaced by an intense heat that made her skin burn.

  Lauri gritted her teeth, fighting through the pain. She couldn't let this guy get the better of her. She knew she had to use her ability, but she needed to get closer to something electrical—something she could manipulate.

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  Just as she was about to make a move, George's eyes flashed with anger. "I warned you," he growled, and with a snap of his fingers, the room seemed to come alive. The couch by the wall lifted off the ground, hurtling toward Lauri with incredible speed.

  Lauri barely managed to roll out of the way, the couch crashing into the spot where she'd just been standing. She quickly scrambled to her feet, her mind racing for a plan. The hotel was his domain, his pocket dimension, and she was outmatched here. But that didn't mean she was helpless.

  Her eyes landed on the old TV set in the corner of the room. It was ancient, with dials and rabbit-ear antennas, but it was electric. Lauri dashed toward it, ignoring the heat and the shifting gravity. She placed her hand on the TV, feeling the electricity within it, and with a deep breath, she channeled her power.

  The TV sparked to life, and Lauri sent a jolt of electricity through the room, aiming it straight at George. The shockwave surged toward him, but George was faster. He raised his hand, and the electricity arced around him, harmlessly dissipating into the walls.

  "You'll have to do better than that," George taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice.

  Lauri's frustration mounted. She needed to outthink him, to use his own power against him. As George prepared to strike again, she realized something crucial: his control was limited to the hotel. If she could disrupt his connection to it, even for a moment, she might stand a chance.

  She needed to get out of this room, to put some distance between them. With the gravity still shifting unpredictably, it was risky, but she had no other choice. Lauri bolted for the door, ducking and weaving as George sent another wave of objects flying toward her. A vase shattered inches from her head, but she didn't stop.

  Just as she reached the door, the floor beneath her feet vanished, and she fell into a dark void. Gravity seemed to disappear entirely, leaving her floating in empty space.

  "Did you think you could just walk out?" George's voice echoed around her, disembodied and chilling.

  Lauri twisted in mid-air, desperately trying to regain her bearings. She felt utterly disoriented, unsure of which way was up or down. Her mind raced for a solution, but in this pocket dimension of George's creation, reality itself was against her.

  But then, in the darkness, she saw a faint flicker—a small, pulsing light in the distance. It was tiny, almost insignificant, but it was there. Lauri reached out toward it, willing herself to move through the void.

  As she did, the light grew brighter, and she felt a strange sensation, like she was being pulled toward it. She had no idea what it was, but she knew it was her only chance.

  Lauri's head throbbed as the strange void faded, replaced by the disorienting walls of the hotel room. Gravity returned, slamming her back onto the cold, hard floor. For a moment, she just lay there, gasping for breath, her body aching from the constant shifts in temperature, gravity, and reality itself.

  George Francisco stood over her, his eyes blazing with determination. "You should have left when you had the chance," he said, his voice filled with something between regret and anger.

  Lauri forced herself to her feet, wobbling slightly as the room steadied around her. She locked eyes with George, her mind racing. She was running out of energy, and George seemed to have complete control over this place. She had to end this quickly, or she'd never make it out alive.

  George raised his hand, and Lauri braced herself for another onslaught of flying furniture or another gravity shift, but then she noticed something—a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. He looked torn, as if some part of him didn't want to keep fighting. She could see the strain etched on his face, and she realized that while he controlled the hotel, it was taking a toll on him.

  Her eyes darted around the room, searching for anything she could use to her advantage. That's when she saw it: a small, nearly forgotten outlet on the wall behind George. An idea sparked in her mind, and she knew it was her best shot.

  "You're in over your head, George," Lauri said, trying to sound confident. "Whatever power you think you have here, it's going to consume you."

  George's jaw clenched. "This is my world. I decide what happens here."

  "Maybe," Lauri replied, inching slightly closer to him, "but it doesn't have to be."

  He frowned, confused by her words, and in that moment of distraction, Lauri made her move. She reached out with her power, feeling the electric current running through the hotel's wiring, focusing on the outlet just behind George.

  The room filled with a sharp crackle as Lauri sent a jolt of electricity surging through the outlet. It shot out like a lightning bolt, catching George completely off guard. The electricity arced across his body, causing him to jerk and convulse, his control over the hotel slipping.

  "No!" George shouted, his voice strained as he tried to regain control, but it was too late. The electricity overwhelmed him, and he collapsed to the floor, the room around them returning to its normal state.

  Lauri watched as George lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his eyes wide with shock and fear. The fight had drained her, but she kept her guard up, unsure if he might have one last trick up his sleeve.

  But instead of attacking, George looked up at her, his expression crumbling into one of deep sorrow. "I'm... I'm so sorry," he said, his voice trembling. "I don't know what came over me. I just... I just wanted to protect this place."

  Lauri's heart softened as she saw the desperation in his eyes. "What happened, George? Why did you do this?"

  George sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had finally crushed him. "My dad... he gave me this hotel before he died. It was his pride and joy, but now it's failing, and I don't know how to save it. I thought if I kept everyone away—if I made it a sanctuary—I could hold onto something, but I've just made everything worse."

  Lauri knelt beside him, feeling a pang of sympathy. "You don't have to do this alone, George. It's not your fault that things got tough. You can still turn things around."

  George shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "But it is my fault. I drove away the guests, I created this mess. I just didn't want to let my dad down..."

  Before Lauri could respond, the door to the room swung open, and William Dangerfield stepped inside, his eyes wide with concern. "What the hell happened in here? I heard noises and—" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw George on the floor and Lauri kneeling beside him.

  Lauri quickly stood up, brushing off her clothes and trying to act casual. "Oh, nothing much," she said with a faint smile. "Just met the owner. We had a little... chat."

  William raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but he didn't push the issue. He glanced at George, who was still trying to pull himself together. "You good?" William asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.

  George nodded slowly, wiping his eyes. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind."

  William gave a slight nod, then turned back to Lauri. "Let's get out of here," he said. "We still have a lot to do, and this place... well, it's probably best if we don't stick around."

  Lauri agreed, and together they helped George to his feet. As they left the room, Lauri couldn't help but glance back at George, wondering if he would be okay. He'd made some terrible choices, but he wasn't a bad person. Just someone who was lost, trying to find his way in a world that didn't make sense anymore.

  As they walked down the hallway, William shot her a sidelong glance. "So, you wanna tell me what really went down in there?"

  Lauri shrugged. "Just a misunderstanding. I handled it."

  William smirked. "Seems like you handle a lot of things, huh?"

  Lauri just smiled, not saying a word. She'd let him think what he wanted. For now, they had to focus on what was next. The hotel may have been a detour, but the Power Lottery was still out there, and so were the dangers that came with it.

  As they exited the hotel, Lauri couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something much bigger. The fight wasn't over—it had barely even started.

  To be continued...