Nights in the facility were never quiet. Pipes moaned. Distant screams echoed. But tonight, it was the silence that clawed at Lira.
She lay on the cot, unmoving, staring at the ceiling's flickering light.
She couldn't sleep.
Couldn't stop hearing Kael's voice in her head.
Why are you letting her—
The question echoed.
She sat up.
In her hand, she still clutched the blade she'd hidden days ago. Small. Dull. But hers.
It wasn't for Seren.
Not yet.
It was for control.
A reminder that she wasn't powerless.
A soft knock on the metal vent startled her.
Three taps. Pause. Two taps.
Their code.
Lira crawled over and whispered, "Kael?"
No answer. But a note slipped through the slits. Folded. Smudged with dirt and sweat.
She opened it carefully.
Third floor. Storage room B17. Midnight. Come alone.
No name.
But it wasn't Kael's handwriting.
Lira's blood ran cold.
A trap?
A test?
Or something else?
She read the note again.
Then smiled.
Good.
Let them try.
She was done waiting.