Afternoon sunlight slanted through the narrow cracks in the stone walls, casting crooked shadows across the holding chamber. The air was damp, thick with the scent of fear and sweat. Dozens of low-tier Catalysts sat huddled on the cold floor, silent and weary.
Then the heavy iron door creaked open.
A girl walked in, light on her feet, a teasing grin playing on her lips. She wore the insignia of the Hollow Cast.
Stephanie.
Her presence alone shifted the atmosphere — lighthearted, almost mockingly out of place in a room that reeked of despair. She moved between the prisoners, handing out stale bread and thin soup, her bright demeanor clashing with the grim surroundings.
As she passed by Coyote, her gaze lingered a second too long.
Their eyes met.
Just for a moment.
Her expression faltered — a flash of red touched her cheeks — then she turned and kept walking, humming under her breath as if nothing had happened.
Coyote frowned.
When the bread reached him, he tore off a chunk — and froze.
Tucked beneath the crust was a folded scrap of paper and a small brass key.
He unfolded the note:
"There is a secret door in the washroom."
His heartbeat quickened.
When mealtime began and the others busied themselves with their food, Coyote slipped to his feet and muttered an excuse. No one stopped him.
The washroom was cracked and rusted, lit only by a flickering lightstone. He checked the walls, his fingers brushing along the damp stone until—click. One tile gave way under pressure. A hidden panel groaned open.
He didn't hesitate.
He squeezed through the narrow passage, heart thundering, every step echoing like a scream in the silence. The tunnel was short, barely lit, and reeked of mildew. But at the end, a rusted gate stood ajar — and beyond it…
Sunlight.
Real, warm sunlight.
He stepped out into the blinding light of freedom, gasping like a man reborn.
Then he heard it.
A soft giggle.
He turned.
Stephanie stood just a few feet away, arms crossed, smiling like a fox that had just watched a rabbit escape a trap it set itself.
"Didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you?"
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