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“It’s not optional.”
I turn slightly. “What is it?”
A beat.
Then—
“They’ve activated the clock.”
53
Lark
Location: Same
Time: Minutes Later
He’s holding himself together.
Barely.
Most people wouldn’t see it.
They’d see control.
Authority.
Strength.
But I see the fracture lines.
In the tension in his shoulders.
In the way his jaw keeps tightening like he’s trying to lock something down that won’t stay contained.
“They’re using you,” he says.
“I know.”
“They’re turning you into the trigger.”
“I know.”
“And you’re still going to pull it.”
“Yes.”
The word hangs there.
Heavy.
Unapologetic.
His voice breaks.
Just slightly.
Just enough to matter.
