The dim room grew colder as I sat alone, clutching my arms to steady myself. The throbbing pain from Khael’s earlier "interrogation" hadn't subsided, but my thoughts raced far beyond my physical discomfort. Ezra's words, Rhea’s scorn, and Khael’s brutality had all compounded into one glaring truth: I was trapped, and they wouldn’t stop until they deemed me irrelevant—or dead.
Eva, for once, broke her usual sarcastic silence with a tone laced with genuine concern.
"You need to focus, Carolina," she said, her voice softer than usual. "The next time Khael returns, you have to channel all of that pain and anger into something useful."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "Like what, Eva? My witty charm? Spoiler: It’s not working.”
"No, you i***t," Eva snapped, but her words lacked the usual bite. "
