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The smell of the prison mingled with the warmth of his body, created an oddly comforting aroma.
I could hear the distant hum of the prison coming to life, the quiet murmurs of inmates waking, the clinking of chains, and the footsteps of the guards.
Tix shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to face me.
His eyes were earnest, filled with a determination that was both inspiring and a little intimidating. “Grace,” he began, his voice low and gentle, “do you want to try it? To escape from this hellhole?”
I swallowed hard, tasting the bittersweet mix of hope and fear. “Tix,” I replied, taking a deep breath, “I’m with you on this. But… there’s a condition.”
His brow furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t want to be claimed by any other aliens. If they do, they’ll ensure I don’t get a wink of sleep. That means no dreamworld. No chance of escape.”
Understanding dawned on his face.
He nodded, his hand coming up to brush a strand of hair behind my ear.
The simple gesture, paired with the soft texture of his skin, sent shivers down my spine. “I’ll enter the pits,” he promised, determination shining in his eyes. “I’ll claim you every day.”
“The pits are so unpredictable,” I argued. “It’s dangerous.”
Tix smirked, and for a moment, that old playful glint returned to his eyes. “What if we can tilt the odds in our favor? Every day, we could infiltrate the minds of my opponents. Figure out their strategies, their weaknesses.”
I blinked, surprised by the audacity of the plan. “You mean cheat?”
He grinned cheekily. “Let’s call it a… strategic advantage.”
A chuckle escaped my lips, the sound echoing softly in the silence of the cell. “All right,” I agreed, laughing softly, “a ‘strategic advantage’ it is.”
Tix’s smile widened, and I could feel the excitement building between us.
It was like a palpable energy, tinged with the sweetness of optimism. “And there’s more,” he continued. “Uhah, naps every afternoon at two, right on schedule. We could use that time to our advantage too. Dive deeper into his subconscious.”
The prospect of spending more time in the dreamworld, working together with Tix, felt both thrilling and daunting.
I knew we had to seize every opportunity, no matter how slim the chances.
“Can you take a nap around the same time in the Prize Pool?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes. Yes, I think so. Some of the other Prizes take a beauty sleep around that time.”
Our hands intertwined, fingers lacing together in a tight grip.
The warmth of his touch sent tingles of anticipation up my arm. “Together,” he whispered, his breath warm against my cheek, “we can do this.”
A surge of emotion welled up within me, a mixture of hope, determination, and the budding feelings I was developing for this enigmatic alien. “Together,” I echoed, smiling up at him.
The world outside the cell might have been filled with uncertainty and danger, but in that moment, lying beside Tix with our fingers entwined, I felt invincible.
Every sensation — the cool touch of the floor beneath me, the distant sounds of the prison, the faint aroma lingering in the air.
We shared a smile, an unspoken promise passing between us.
A pledge to work tirelessly, to put our combined skills to the test, and to unravel the mysteries of the dreamworld in search of that elusive secret exit.
If it existed, we were determined to find it and make our escape from the confines of Ikmal.
Promises in the real world might be fragile, easily broken by circumstance or change of heart.
