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“I never told anyone about what I saw. But that day, I had my eyes set on that facility. I had intended on attacking the facility myself. My plans were thwarted by that explosion. And ever since, I’ve been trying to find out the truth.”
He leaned in closer. “And the rumor of a survivor. I’ve been trying to track him down for five long years. But my search led me to a dead end. And then…” He gestured around the room. “…Ikmal happened.”
He looked away, a hint of bitterness in his voice. “One mistake, one slip-up, and I ended up here. My gang on the outside is still searching, though. I could have left Ikmal, used the escape strategy I have in place… but what’s the point? I’ll only end up breaking another law, and they’ll make it even harder to get out the next time.”
He looked at me, his gaze intense. “So, again, I thank you, Violet. Although, I must admit, I’m a bit jealous I couldn’t get a taste of what could’ve been.”
Before I could react, the room around us changed.
It transformed into a vast, dimly lit space, with a grand bed in the center.
I looked down and saw an illusion of myself and Ikhax together, our bodies entwined.
Two of his hands held my arms back, while the other two viciously pinched my shadow’s nipples.
A wave of nausea swept over me.
He appeared next to me, whispering in my ear. “This is what you’re missing out on, Violet. But it’s not too late. We still have time…”
I recoiled, trying to force the sickening image from my mind.
I closed my eyes tightly, desperate to return to the reality of Ikhax’s cell.
When I opened them, the illusion was gone, but the heavy feeling in my chest remained.
I stumbled backward, still trying to shake off the eerie feeling.
The taste of bile rose in my throat.
Ikhax watched with a smirk, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
“Please yourself,” he said with a shrug, his voice dripping with disdain.
Gathering my composure, I met his gaze, my voice firm. “We had a deal.”
The dim lights of Ikhax’s cell glinted off his pale skin, making him appear even more ghostly.
After a long, scrutinizing look, he finally broke the silence, his deep voice echoing throughout the cell. “I’ll uphold our deal, Violet.”
His announcement brought a rush of relief I hadn’t realized I’d been holding in.
I tried to maintain a calm facade, though my heart raced, pounding loud enough that I worried he might hear it.
“The plan is in place,” he continued. “Tonight, when everything settles, come to my cell with your chosen prisoner. I’ll ensure your escape goes smoothly.”
As he spoke, Ikhax reached out, placing each of his four hands on me — two on my shoulders and one on each arm.
It was an oddly gentle gesture coming from someone like him.
The warmth of his hands contrasted with the cold metal of the cell, sending a shiver down my spine.
“You’ve done a great service for me today,” he murmured, a rare smile touching his lips. “I won’t forget this.”
The intimacy of the moment, the closeness of Ikhax, sent a rush of mixed emotions through me.
The lines between friend and foe had blurred, and I had to remind myself that in this prison, allegiances shifted as quickly as sand in the wind.
I hope you do forget, I thought, thinking about Kuana.
