“It’s not in my best interest for you to die yet.”
She stepped back, the tension between us unraveling into something murky and indecipherable. Then she turned, striding toward the door. Before she stepped out, she tossed one last look over her shoulder.
“So live.”
Then, she was gone.
I exhaled shakily, my pulse still thrumming in my ears. For a moment, I stood in the darkness, letting the silence settle over me. A heavy unease settled deep in me, mixing with the lingering frustration and confusion from our encounter. I swallowed the rising bile down. Then, with no other choice, I left the room, carrying her warning with me.
Before I could fully gather myself and head toward the library as planned, a voice sharply cut through the haze of my thoughts, drawing my immediate attention.
“Ms. Ashbone.”
“Y-yes.” I stuttered. I never stuttered. I turned to find the sentry Karina standing a few paces away.
“It is time for your first truth session. Please follow me.” With that, she took off in the opposite direction from the library.
There went my plans again. I reluctantly followed.
Karina led me into a room with light brighter and whiter than any I’d ever encountered before. It felt like staring into the sun, and my eyes had a hard time adjusting to the harshness. There were two white leather armchairs facing each other. In one of them sat a middle-aged woman, looking at me with a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes.
The woman had tight black curls that sat atop her head, and her dark skin radiated in contrast to the room’s atmosphere. She was sitting with one leg crossed over the other and a notepad in her lap.
With a voice like velvet, she greeted me.
“Hello, Mavis, my name is Adina. It’s wonderful to meet you. Would you like to have a seat?” She gestured to the other chair.
I took hesitant steps toward the seat. Once I sat, I tried to settle myself, but every angle felt uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with the quality of the chair, and everything to do with the prodding gaze I felt boring into me. She was already attempting to psychoanalyze before the session had truly even started.
This was going to be a challenge.
I met Adina’s prying eyes just as a sharp sting registered at the back of my neck. I whirled around to see Karina stepping away, holding a thick syringe. A needle she had just plunged into the base of my skull.
“It’s a biodegradable transmitter,” Adina said casually, bringing my attention back to her as I rubbed circles around the injection site. “It will dissolve naturally within a day. Actually, it’s a rather fascinating invention if you ask me. It attaches itself to the base of the cranium and can sense the physical changes that occur when lies are told. When a lie is detected, it emits an electric shock. Nothing too powerful to do any permanent damage, but I have heard reports from participants that it left them feeling dazed for a few days.”
She leaned forward.
“My advice? Tell the truth.”
It was a threat disguised as a friendly warning.
Turning to the side, she grabbed the steaming mug off her desk. She sipped the beverage and hummed before placing it back down.
“I should warn you,” she said, pulling out a little rectangular box from a drawer. “This remote can trigger the transmitter manually, should you choose not to answer at all.” She placed the remote on the desk. “I want you to achieve inner peace, Mavis, but sometimes the journey comes with a little pain. Don’t fight me, and I’ll ensure you make it through this as pain-free as possible. Are you able to do that?”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?”
Adina smiled, false sympathy waxed on.
“Let’s begin with your family. Who is waiting for you back at home?”
I reflexively tensed, and Adina saw. A glimmer of interest shone as her pupils slightly dilated.
“Tell me about them. It’s a sore topic for you, which means it’s a great place for us to start.”
“I have a brother, and I live with my mother.”
“Is your father out of the picture?”
