“Arayik, stop!” Elias’ voice cuts through the howling in my ears. “Let him” —he pauses when he notices my face before continuing— “her go!”
The Commander doesn’t turn, nor does he acknowledge the interruption. His focus is absolute, his hatred for me outweighing every other thing in his life at this moment.
“Kellen, help me!” Elias calls, and more footsteps enter the room.
The third leader appears at Arayik’s side, grabbing his shoulder and gritting his teeth as he tries to pull him away. “Arayik, that’s enough!”
But the man holding me won’t budge. They know that. His fingers dig deeper into my throat, something puncturing the side.
I can’t die…I’ve barely lived.
With the last of my consciousness, I focus inward, reaching for my empathy. It’s harder than it’s ever been—my mindclouding, control slipping—but I grasp it, heaving it to the surface with desperate strength.
I shove it outward, not in a gentle wave but in a violent surge. Fear. Panic. Pain. All of it pouring from me into him, all raw. Not just my current terror, but everything—the lifetime of hiding, of knowing I was hunted simply for existing. The horror of watching other women captured, knowing what awaited them. The helplessness. The rage.
I feel the moment it slams into him, his grip faltering slightly.
If there was ever an opportunity to seize, it’s this one. I push more into him, burying it deeper. Memories of terror and grief; the crushing weight of silence in pure darkness beneath the ground. My lungs burn for air. My heart pounds against my ribs like it’s trying to escape. I don’t blame it.
Arayik stumbles, his brow furrowing. His hand trembles against my throat, the pressure easing just enough for me to drag in a shallow breath.
“What are you—” he manages, but I don’t allow him to finish.
I let everything go. Every emotion I’ve ever suppressed, each piece of fear I’ve swallowed, all the rage I’ve hidden. I force it into him with all the strength I have left.
The potency of it would demolish anyone else, but Arayik remains standing.
He snarls in my face, crushing his forehead to mine. “Stop it!”
I don’t. Can’t. Instead, I surpass my limits and push harder until something inside him cracks—not physically, but a hairline fracture in his iron control.
His grip releases.
I crash to the floor, my legs unable to support me. My chest rattles as I cough and gasp for sweet, sweet air, each breathburning my raw throat. The room spins, sounds distorted and distant. I’m vaguely aware of movement—Elias and Kellen grabbing Arayik, dragging him back, and pinning his arms as he fights against them with feral strength.
“She’s a female, a fucking traitor!” Arayik yells, his voice hoarse with rage. “Her insubordinate attitude should not be bred. The only option is death!”
“Shut up,” Kellen snaps, his voice sharp.
I roll to my back, shaking uncontrollably. My hands grip the tender flesh along my throat as I wheeze, sucking air through an invisible straw. Each breath is a victory.
And there is no hiding anymore—my mask is off.
Once my lungs have calmed a bit, I force both eyes open, my vision swimming into focus. Elias and Kellen have Arayik pinned against the far wall, his struggles growing weaker as the emotional assault I unleashed continues to disorient him—I never removed the emotions, so they’ll remain until he can process them on his own. His dark eyes find mine across the room, burning through my soul.
“There is only one way to deal with this, and you both know it.” He’s calmer now.
“That’s not your decision alone to make, Ry,” Elias says, his voice steady despite the strain evident in his posture.
Something passes between the three men—a current of understanding built on years of shared history. I watch it unfold, my mind still foggy, but sharp enough to recognize the power dynamics shifting before my eyes.
“You both agree to let her live? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Neither man holding him answers right away, but Kellen finally speaks, “Nobody is saying that. But we need to think this through—you cannot just kill a female, Ry.” All three of them glance at me. Awkward. “We will talk about this later.”
With a loud grunt, he shoves the two men away and stands to his full height. But instead of attacking me again, he turns and strides toward the door, his movements stiff.
Without a look back, he’s gone, the door slamming behind him.
