Chapter 8: Black Room
296 Words
The gunshot echoed inside her skull.
Then silence.
Aria collapsed, but she didn’t feel pain.
Just darkness swallowing her whole.
⸻
When she woke up, it was cold.
Metal beneath her hands.
Concrete smell.
No windows.
A single light above her head.
Her wrists were restrained to a steel chair.
She tested the cuffs.
Locked.
Professional.
Her heart started racing.
“Damian?” she whispered.
No answer.
A door opened slowly behind her.
Footsteps.
Measured. Calm.
Marcus stepped into view.
Alone.
“You’re awake,” he said almost kindly.
She glared at him. “Where is he?”
“Alive. For now.”
Her chest tightened in relief she hated feeling.
Marcus circled her slowly.
“You were never just a journalist, Aria.”
“Stop talking in riddles.”
He leaned closer.
“You were born into this.”
Her mind rejected the sentence instantly.
“No.”
“Yes.”
He crouched in front of her.
“Your father was part of the original program.”
Her breath stopped.
“That’s a lie.”
“He tried to expose us.”
Her pulse roared.
“We eliminated him.”
The room tilted.
“He left one mistake behind.”
His eyes softened.
“You.”
Her body went cold.
“Why keep me alive?” she whispered.
Marcus smiled.
“Because you carry something we need.”
Fear crawled up her spine.
“What?”
He stood up.
“The access code.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
“I don’t know any code.”
“You will.”
He turned toward the door.
“Pain has a remarkable way of unlocking memory.”
The lights flicked off.
The room went dark.
And Aria heard something metallic slide across the floor toward her.
- Writer
