Ethan’s legs burned as he practically sprinted across the Oxford campus, the image of that writhing, miniature serpent vanishing down the drain still vivid in his mind. Each breath was a ragged gasp, mirroring the frantic beat of his heart. The strange mark on his wrist throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, a constant reminder of the unholy connection he'd forged. He needed answers, and he needed them now.