Half an hour later, the tension hung thick and cold on the air. Mirabella stood a calculated distance from the village, her gaze sharp, arms crossed over her chest. Facing her were Eve and her fifteen girls, their expressions a mix of fear and relief, all centered on the young woman they knew only as Spectral.
"I know everything you said back there was a lie," Mirabella stated, her voice devoid of the earlier menace, yet still commanding. "Do you know why I didn't kill you?"
Eve nodded slowly. She wasn't surprised that Spectral had seen through her performance. An ordinary player wouldn't possess this overwhelming power. She knew Spectral was beyond ordinary. What truly stunned her was that she was still drawing breath.
"Why are you letting us go?" Eve asked, her tone measured, every word a deliberate step on thin ice.
