The next day was heavy. The basement seemed darker somehow, even though the little light still tried to creep in from the high, barred window. The air was thick with fear, exhaustion, and the knowledge that the deadline was closing in. Only one day remained before we had to make a decision, and the thought hung over us like a storm cloud.
Everyone was quiet, nursing their hunger and their worry. Even the smallest sound—the scrape of a foot against the concrete—felt deafening.
When Lorian moved in his corner, watching, waiting, I made sure my eyes never met his. I didn't flinch, didn't react. He could see me as calm, indifferent—but inside, my mind was racing.
As the hours stretched, we finally huddled together, leaning close in the farthest corner from him, whispering so he couldn't hear. Our voices were shaky, tentative, afraid.
"What are we going to do?" Jacob's voice was harsh, frustrated. "There's no winning here. He's going to kill someone."
Clara's soft whimper made me glance at her. She looked tiny and broken, hiding behind her hands. Kael's jaw was tight, his eyes darting nervously toward the corner where Lorian lingered.
I took a deep breath, letting the thought I'd been holding onto for days rise to the surface.
"I… think I know a way," I whispered.
The words made them all freeze. Even Clara stopped trembling. The basement seemed to hold its breath.
"What?" Jacob asked, eyes wide.
I leaned closer, voice dropping even further. "What if… what if I'm the one to stay?"
The silence that followed was thick, heavy, suffocating.
Clara's voice broke first, small, sharp, desperate. "He'll kill you! You can't—he'll kill you if you stay!"
I shrugged, as if it were nothing. "Maybe… that's what I want."
The words struck the room like lightning. Jacob blinked, Kael's hands trembled, and even Clara looked like the weight of her own fear had shifted onto her shoulders. Guilt—sharp, sudden—filled the space between us.
I didn't wait for their protests. I leaned back slightly, letting my expression harden. "Don't even fight it," I said quietly but firmly. "Someone came up with a solution. You'll all be safe. Just… let me have what I want."
No one spoke. No one moved. The reality of what I'd just said sank into the room like ice water in your veins.
I saw Clara's lips tremble. Kael's jaw tightened, and Jacob stared at me as though trying to read my mind. But I didn't waver. I let the silence stretch, letting them absorb the weight of my choice, letting them see that I wasn't afraid—not really.
It wasn't courage. Not entirely. It was calculation. It was understanding that sometimes you had to make a sacrifice to bend the story, to tilt the game in your favor. And if that meant being the one to stay… then so be it.
The whispers died completely. The room was quiet except for our breathing. Even Lorian, in the far corner, didn't move. He probably didn't understand what had been said, but that didn't matter.
I pressed my back against the wall, closed my eyes, and let the thought settle. Tomorrow, the choice would be made. But tonight… tonight, I had claimed the first piece of control.