William's jaw tightened. Anger flared in his chest. He hated that look, the calm confidence on Kaivan's face, even while bound. But worse, he hated the tremor of uncertainty gnawing at his own.
Gunfire outside grew louder. Small explosions rattled the walls. The defense was breaking. William turned toward the door, his breathing heavy. The world outside was shifting, slipping beyond his grasp.
"Who are they shooting at...?" he muttered, more to himself than to Kaivan. His hand hovered near the doorknob, unsure. Then his gaze flicked back to Kaivan, who now sat with quiet assurance, as if he already knew how this would end.
Kaivan tilted his head, smiling slightly. "You never had a plan, William," he said softly. "I'm the one who designed all of this."
William's eyes blazed. "Lies! You couldn't have predicted any of this without the Tome of Omnicent!"
Kaivan shrugged. "That's your problem. You think power comes from the Tome. But real power comes from thought. You use strength. I use strategy."
William clenched the doorknob, but before he could pull it open,
BANG!
A shot rang out.
William stumbled backward, his hand slipping from the handle. His breath hitched. His eyes went wide.
Kaivan spoke more quietly now, yet his tone carried an unshakable edge. "Listen, William. You don't even know your enemy. You think you're in control, but what you're waiting for... is your own ruin."
The room froze. Gunfire drew closer. Fear began to bloom in William's eyes.
Five minutes earlier.
Meanwhile, in a dim, narrow hallway, five friends moved in silence. Raphael led the way, eyes scanning every shadow for traps. Behind him, Radit, Frans, Ethan, and Isabel gripped their weapons tightly, each step measured and wary.
The damp walls echoed their footsteps, amplifying the tension that pressed down on them. Heavy breaths filled the air. At the end of the hall, a massive steel door loomed like the threshold to uncertainty itself.
Raphael halted. Pulling a small device from his pocket, he began to work on the lock.
"Hurry," Ethan whispered urgently. Frans took position at the rear, weapon raised, eyes alert.
Sweat beaded on Raphael's forehead. Every second stretched like an eternity, until at last,
Click.
The lock gave way.
Without wasting a moment, Raphael pushed the door open. The faint creak echoed like a cry through the gloom. And then, they froze.
In the dimly lit room, three familiar figures sat bound to iron chairs, Zinnia, Thivi, and Felicia. Their faces were pale, worn by exhaustion, yet their eyes still burned with defiance.
Raphael stepped forward, tension lacing his every move. He stopped before Zinnia, his voice low and tight. "Where's Kaivan?"
Zinnia looked at him, her breath unsteady. "I don't know... I thought he was with you when we split up," she said weakly, her tone trembling between fear and resolve.
Raphael lowered his gaze, then scanned the shadows around them. "The people here... they're terrorists. I've met their kind before in the red zone. They're ruthless, merciless."
Zinnia nodded faintly, eyes flicking to the others, who were already on edge. "We can't separate again. Stay close, check every corner before you move. Small formation. Stay alert."
Raphael's voice deepened, colder now. "Especially you girls, watch out for one name: Yusra. She's not just obsessed. It's... beyond reason. I saw it myself, she killed someone just for being rejected."
He took a step forward, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "Yusra doesn't care if you're armed or not. To her, you're just targets. She can act polite, almost gentle, but don't be fooled. If a strange man stares too long, or approaches without reason, report it. Don't face him alone."
Thivi, who had been trembling in silence, suddenly broke down. Her voice cracked, desperate. "Kaivan... where's Kaivan?!"
Raphael placed both hands gently on her shoulders, his voice calm but firm. "Thivi, breathe... Kaivan's alive. We'll find him." But her gaze was hollow, trapped in the ghost of William's shadow.
Radit crouched in front of Felicia, still bound in chains. He smirked slightly. "You look terrible, Felicia."
Felicia shot him a glare. "You gonna unlock this, or just stand there talking?"
Radit chuckled under his breath. "Kinda seems like you're enjoying the whole BDSM look, huh?"
Felicia rolled her eyes. But before she could retort,
BANG!
Radit fired. The lock shattered, chains collapsing with a metallic clatter. Felicia rubbed her bruised wrists. "Yeah... I'm done with BDSM forever."
But that single gunshot shattered their fragile calm. Thivi screamed, bolting toward the door.
"Kaivan! Kaivan!!" she cried, panic tearing through her voice as she vanished down the hall.
Raphael froze for a second, but Thivi had already vanished into the dark corridor. "Damn it, Thivi…" he muttered under his breath.
Before he could run after her, heavy footsteps echoed closer. "What was that noise?!" someone shouted from down the hall.
Raphael reacted instantly. He reached into his pocket and tossed three flashbangs toward Felicia. "You know how to use these?"
Felicia caught them in one smooth motion, her eyes sharp and unflinching. "Always."
Without another word, Raphael sprinted down the corridor, chasing after Thivi's panicked cries. The air grew thick with tension. Ethan peeked through the door's narrow gap, his face drawn tight. "They're coming," he whispered sharply, signaling the others to get ready.
Radit exhaled slowly, raising his pistol. "Guess they've found us," he murmured. Without hesitation, he fired two quick shots down the hallway.