“That’ll help,” I murmur, pinching the bridge of my nose while I think it through.
“And if the guards are distracted because Ivan is busy reorganizing everything…”
“That’ll help more.”
Lila leans both hands against the edge of the table and studies the floor before lifting her eyes again.
“What happens if we actually make it out of this room?” she asks.
“Then we keep moving,” I reply quietly.
Her brow furrows. “That’s not much of a plan.”
“It’s the only one available right now,” I respond, exhaling slowly as I consider the next steps. “Once we’re out of this room, we focus on distance first and details second.”
Lila chews on her lip, considering that. “And hope we don’t get shot in the first thirty seconds.”
“Something like that,” I admit, meeting her eyes.
She pauses before giving a reluctant nod. “Fair.”
The trains continue moving somewhere beyond the walls, their distant motion providing a continuous backdrop. The room feels smaller as the minutes go by. Eventually, Lila sits on the edge of the second cot, her knee bouncing restlessly while she stares at the floor.
“You still think Kiren will come?” she asks after a while. There’s no mockery in the question, only quiet curiosity.
I watch the faint movement of shadows along the concrete wall before answering. “Yes. I do.”
Lila tilts her head slightly. “How?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admit, pushing away from the wall so I can look at her properly. “But Kiren doesn’t walk away from things that belong to him.”
Her eyes narrow thoughtfully. “So, you’re certain?”
“I’m certain he’ll try,” I reply, closing my eyes briefly.
The conviction behind the words isn’t something I can explain logically. It doesn’t come from evidence or strategy, and if I tried to break it down into steps, it would probably fall apart under its own weight. Still, the certainty exists, persistent and stubborn somewhere beneath the surface of everything else, and for now, that has to be enough.
Lila studies my face as if she’s trying to see what I see. “I wish I had your confidence,” she says quietly.
I let out a slow breath and shake my head. Before I can assess exactly what I’m feeling, the sound of footsteps moves along the corridor outside the door. Both of us immediately snap our attention to the metal frame as the steps grow louder, then stop directly on the other side.
A key slides into the lock.
Lila stills her restless leg, rising to her feet as the mechanism turns with a heavy metallic click.
The door opens with the familiar hiss of compressed air. Maria steps inside, carrying a small plastic tray with two fresh bottles of water and a plate of crackers balanced carefully in her hands. The door closes behind her.
She sets the tray on the metal table, her movements slower tonight and noticeably more careful than before. After a glance toward the door, she looks back at us, her attention lingering on my abdomen before something in her expression tightens.
“You should drink,” she says quietly. The words sound normal enough. But the tension in her voice is impossible to miss.
Lila steps closer to the table while Maria lowers her voice further. “I heard what happened.”
Neither of us responds immediately. Maria studies our faces. “They said Ivan killed Arkady.”
Lila exhales slowly. “Yes.”
Maria looks back at me, her attention lingering on my stomach as her expression grows more serious. “He knew?”
