Chapter Twenty-Six: Gabe's Murder and the Broken Hourglass

Spoiler Warning: This page contains major spoilers for Chapter Thirty-Two of Alchemy of Secrets. Read only after finishing the chapter.

Summary

Holland reels as the Professor accuses Gabe of murder. According to the Professor, Gabe married a woman from a magical family and killed her the day after the wedding to inherit her abilities, a crime documented on the Bank’s Most Wanted list. Though the Professor has deceived her before, Holland senses the truth in this story and admits she always knew Gabe was dangerous. She wonders if she is drawn to people who scare her, as Cat once suggested.

Before Holland can fully process the revelation, the hourglass suddenly shatters—sand pours out, and a bird slams into the window, cracking the glass. The Professor’s head begins to bleed, but she doesn’t notice; she whispers that this wasn’t supposed to happen. Then, with abrupt placidity, she smiles and tells Holland to leave. On her way out, Holland reveals that Gabe is sitting in a car a block away. The Professor, ignoring her own blood, calls after Holland to think carefully about her father’s box and make the right decision. Holland departs, no longer trusting Gabe but uncertain about the Professor.

Key Events

The Professor tells Holland that Gabe murdered his wife for her magic and that his crime is on the Bank’s Most Wanted list.
Holland internally confronts her pattern of trusting dangerous people, citing Cat’s earlier warning.
The hourglass cracks and breaks prematurely; sand spills and a bird hits the window, startling both characters.
The Professor’s head starts bleeding without her immediate awareness; she mechanically murmurs that this hasn’t happened before.
The Professor’s demeanor snaps to an eerie, placid smile, and she urges Holland to leave.
Holland informs the Professor that Gabe is waiting nearby in a car.
The Professor, still bleeding, pressures Holland to consider the contents of her father’s box and insists she’ll make the right choice.

Character Development

Holland: She finally accepts that Gabe is a killer and that she overlooked the warning signs. Her admission that she may be drawn to frightening people exposes a deeper vulnerability. Although she decides not to return to Gabe, she still can’t fully trust the Professor, leaving her isolated and uncertain.
The Professor: The revelation about Gabe solidifies her role as a manipulator with inside knowledge. Her unexplained bleeding, the broken hourglass, and her jarring shift from distress to calm hint that something supernatural or deeply wrong is affecting her—or that she is staging a far more complex game.
Gabe: Though absent, his character is redefined as a ruthless murderer who targeted a spouse for magical gain, deepening his menace and explaining the Bank’s interest in him.
Cat (mentioned): Her past observation about Holland’s attraction to dangerous stories and people is validated, reinforcing Cat’s insight into Holland’s psyche.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Trust and Deception: Holland must weigh the Professor’s horrifying story against her known lies, while Gabe’s true nature shatters any remaining trust.
The Hourglass: The sudden break symbolizes that time—and control—are no longer on the Professor’s side, foreshadowing a larger unraveling.
Blood and Injury: The Professor’s bleeding head and her dissociation suggest a hidden cost to her power or a crack in her carefully maintained facade.
The Father’s Box: The Professor’s final plea keeps the box at the center of Holland’s dilemma, tying the chapter’s revelations to the overarching mystery.
Violent Omens: The bird hitting the window echoes the hourglass’s destruction, reinforcing the sense that something unnatural is destabilizing the world around Holland.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter confirms Gabe’s murderous past and forces Holland to abandon the one ally she thought she had outside the Bank. It peels back layers of the Professor’s mystery by exposing a literal fracture—both in her hourglass and in her composure—suggesting that even the seemingly all-knowing figure is subject to forces she cannot control. The revelation raises immediate stakes: Holland now knows the Bank is hunting Gabe, and her decision about the father’s box feels more dangerous than ever. The chapter also deepens the thematic tension between stories that enchant and people who threaten, setting up a critical choice that will define Holland’s path.

Study Questions and Answers

What specific crime does the Professor accuse Gabe of, and what motive does she give?
She claims Gabe married a woman from a magical family, murdered her the day after the wedding, and thereby gained her abilities. The crime is listed on the Bank’s Most Wanted list.
How does the shattering hourglass and the Professor’s bleeding affect the tone of the scene?
The premature destruction of the hourglass and the Professor’s distracted reaction—followed by a forced, placid smile—turn a tense conversation into something uncanny. It signals that the Professor’s control is faltering and that a hidden danger is at play.
Why does Holland choose to tell the Professor that Gabe is waiting nearby?
Having decided she cannot trust Gabe, Holland uses the information to sever ties and alert the Professor to a potential threat. The revelation shows she is aligning temporarily with the Professor’s camp, even while doubting her.