Kaelith had been kneeling outside the council chamber for hours, her voice hoarse from begging just to see her parents. In the end, the organization finally agreed.
But instead of granting mercy, they led her through damp, shadowed corridors, down to the deepest level of the prison.
Dim light flickered from a dying oil lamp. Inside the cell, her parents were bound tightly, their bodies gaunt and bruised, lash marks still clearly etched into their backs. Her mother slowly lifted her head; upon seeing her daughter, tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered,
"Kaelith…"
Kaelith collapsed to her knees, trembling hands gripping the iron bars.
"Dad… Mom… It's me. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Her father's hand shook as he tried to reach out, only to be yanked back by the chains. All that remained was his exhausted yet gentle gaze. Kaelith choked back sobs, her heart shattering.
She cried for a long time. She told them everything she had done to Noir. Yet her parents did not blame her. Their voices were soft, steady.
"I'm believes in you. Your father believes in you. And Noir believes in you too."
"Dad… Mom…" Kaelith sobbed.
Back in the council chamber, Kaelith finally snapped.
"You promised me! I brought Noir to you! And yet my parents are still treated like animals!"
One of the council members scoffed, his eyes glinting with malice.
"You misunderstand, Kaelith. A promise is still a promise… but who ever said your family was entitled to comfort? Your parents are alive only because we allow it. If you dare harbor any disloyal thoughts, then their deaths will be on your hands."
The cold threat pierced straight into her heart. Kaelith clenched her fists, eyes burning red, but she couldn't fight back. She understood—every step she took from now on would be bound by invisible chains forged from her own blood.
Summoning every ounce of courage, her voice shook but did not break.
"Let my parents leave this place. They are innocent."
A brief silence followed—then a mocking laugh. One of the figures in power raised an eyebrow.
"Leave? Do you think this is an inn? But…" He paused, glancing at the others before continuing slowly, "we can negotiate."
Kaelith gripped her clothes tightly, a spark of hope igniting in her chest.
"What are the conditions? I'll do it."
The leader rested his chin on his hand, his lazy tone cutting like a blade.
"Very simple. If you want your parents to live, you will continue working for us. Not just Noir—bring the entire group into the trap. By any means necessary."
The room seemed to freeze.
Kaelith trembled, biting her lip until blood spilled. Her heart screamed in defiance, but the memory of her parents' despair left her ice-cold.
"If… I succeed?"
"Then they live."
The answer struck like a dagger, shredding what little hope she had left. She had reached the end of the road.
In a special holding cell bathed in the dull yellow glow of an old bulb, Noir lay motionless, her breathing faint but steady. Unhealed wounds had drained her strength, leaving her like a sleeping specter.
The door creaked open.
Kaelith stepped inside. A dagger gleamed coldly in her hand, her grip tight, trembling uncontrollably.
She approached the bed. Noir—someone who had saved her again and again, who had shielded her—was now the very reason her parents suffered.
Kaelith's vision blurred.
"Just one strike… and my parents will be safe… just one…"
The blade lowered, hovering over Noir's chest
But Kaelith froze.
She couldn't do it.
Memories flooded her—Noir holding her hand, Noir stepping in front of her to take the blow. The dagger slipped from her fingers and clattered against the metal floor.
"I… I can't…" Kaelith whispered, her shoulders shaking.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the doorway.
Lysander.
Shock flickered in his eyes before darkening into something grim. He stared at Kaelith kneeling beside Noir, her trembling hand still near the fallen blade.
His voice dropped, rough and cold.
"What were you planning to do, Kaelith?"
The air in the room turned suffocating.
Tears filled Kaelith's eyes.
"I… I just want my parents to be safe… this was the only way…"
Lysander locked eyes with her. The silence stretched, heavy as a thousand weights.
"If you don't have the resolve to strike, then never let the thought cross your mind again. Otherwise… the next one to fall may be you."
Kaelith lowered her head, shaking violently. She ran out.
In the corridor, she pressed her back against the icy wall, heart pounding, tears spilling freely. Noir's weak, unmoving form burned into her mind, twisting relentlessly inside her chest.
Lysander didn't follow. He turned back to Noir, still unconscious, gently pulling the blanket over her. A shadow of something unreadable passed through his eyes.
Elsewhere—
Specter and Dr. Aurel were urgently trying to reestablish contact with Noir. The table before them was littered with system schematics and secret passage maps. Orion paced back and forth, barely able to contain himself.
"We can't just sit here, Dr. Aurel. They have Noir. If this drags on—" Specter slammed his fist onto the table.
Dr. Aurel spoke in a low voice, eyes bloodshot from days without sleep.
"I know. But rushing in blindly will only make things worse. We need to find a flaw in their system… then we can extract Noir safely."
Orion clenched his jaw, then finally nodded. No matter how unbearable it was, they had no choice but to wait—just a little longer.