A startled laugh bursts out of me as he spins me once, smooth and effortless, the world tilting for just a second before my feet touch the floor again.
“Sylvian!” I gasp, breathless, laughing despite myself.
His mouth curves faintly, something softer than usual in his expression. “You looked too serious,” he says.
“I was not—” I start, but Ashton cuts in.
“You absolutely were,” he says, grinning. “Very brooding. Very tragic.”
“I donotbrood,” I protest, though I’m still smiling.
Oberon snorts quietly. “You do.”
Traitor.But the warmth stays, lingering between us as we continue down the hall. For a moment, it almost feels normal.
“Do you think we’re close?” I ask after a beat, glancing between them, and everyone knows I’m not talking about the hall. “To the end?”
Cassius considers it, his expression thoughtful. “We’ve survived multiple trials. Statistically, we should be nearing the final stages.”
“That’s the least comforting way you could’ve said that,” Ashton mutters.
“It’s accurate,” Cassius replies.
Sylvian glances at me. “We’re closer than we were,” he says. “That’s enough.”
Oberon nods once. “We’ll make it out.”
Not if. When. The confidence in his voice quiets something restless inside me.
“And when we do,” Ashton adds, “I’m eating the largest, most ridiculous meal I can and not moving for a week.”
I laugh. “What would you even eat?”
“Everything,” he says immediately.
“Helpful,” Cassius murmurs.
“Roasted meats,” Ashton continues, counting on his fingers. “Fresh bread. Something drenched in butter. Sweet pastries. More than is reasonable.”
“Wine,” Sylvian adds.
“Goodwine,” Ashton corrects.
Oberon huffs. “Something that our chefs whip up just for us.”
“That too,” Ashton agrees.
I shake my head, smiling. “You’re all impossible.”
“And you love it,” Ashton says.
My smile lingers, because he’s not wrong.
The conversation fades after that, not into silence, but into something quieter. Comfortable. Each of us lost in our own thoughts, but still moving together, still close.
For a few moments, it feels like we’ve already made it out. Like this is what comes after. Peace. Then, a sound cuts through it. Soft. Broken.
A woman crying. Again.
