The barn breathed with broken air—shallow, trembling inhales echoing through the dim space. Old blood clung to the damp rot of wood, and the faint light slipping through the ventilation slits drew shifting shadows along the walls, as though the souls of the dead were still dancing.
Tiflos sat uneasily, with Noor leaning lightly against him—the very reason for his nervousness.
She didn't know that Tiflos had barely spoken to any girl in his entire life. He had never been popular, never handsome or charming, and even during his school years he was practically invisible. Half-social at best—and avoided by most.
Some girls even called him that boy obsessed with his brother. Orion, two years younger, was painfully withdrawn, but no one dared to bully him because of Tiflos. Anyone who tried mocking Orion would find themselves beaten savagely… though Tiflos always paid the price afterward when the other students ganged up on him until he couldn't move.
Still, no one ever again dared approach the brothers. Tiflos was stubborn beyond reason. And even Orion—small, quiet, and fragile—would jump into fights too. He wasn't strong, but he acted like the spark that kept Tiflos from giving up.
So Tiflos never interacted with girls at all during school.
And now—now he found a beautiful girl so close he could feel her breath.
His heart pounded viciously, and he sat there frozen like a carved statue, his face burning red.
"How many hours has it been?" Noor whispered, pressing closer to his shoulder as though seeking warmth in the frigid gloom.
Tiflos glanced quickly at his visual watch—a digital device the organization had issued him. It displayed seconds, minutes, dates—a complicated thing.
"Three hours and forty minutes…"
"You know… when I was a kid, I used to be scared of the dark," Noor said, her voice soft with old memories. "My father would leave a little light in my room. Now I wish darkness was the only thing I feared."
Tiflos felt this was his golden opportunity—rare and precious—for someone like him. He slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulder in what he hoped was a natural, impressive gesture.
"Darkness isn't so bad," he said, attempting wisdom. "It… hides what we don't want to see."
"Is this supposed to be philosophical?" Noor tilted her head, her silver eyes glowing faintly.
Tiflos stuttered, trying to hide the embarrassment. "No… I was… just trying to find… some meaning in all of this," he gestured around at the sleeping prisoners.
A light cough from one of them made both jump. Noor settled back down after a tense second.
"My nerves are turning into glass," she exhaled.
"At least you look beautiful when you're scared," Tiflos blurted, looking away instantly.
Noor froze, then burst into laughter. "Seriously? Flirting in a basement full of corpses?"
"Well… when you run out of normal flirting scenarios, you improvise," he muttered.
"Let me guess… you learned that from self-help books?"
"Exactly," Tiflos said, putting a fist to his mouth like a pretentious scholar. "Chapter five: How to Flirt During Catastrophes."
Their quiet laughter softened the dark around them—then slowly faded into a sad silence.
"You know… these moments remind me that we're still human," Noor whispered, taking his hand gently.
Tiflos felt his whole body tremble at her touch.
"You're… right," he answered softly.
---
Another hour passed.
"Why are they taking so long?" Noor asked.
Tiflos had stood up, scanning the barn with analytical eyes. "I noticed something strange… all the prisoners are around the same age. Almost the same level. No one from lower tiers."
"What do you mean?"
"It's like someone is collecting specific samples," he said while examining one prisoner's eyes. "Look—same age… same eye-level potential."
Noor's expression tightened. "Do you think… Cain really doesn't know about this place?"
"What matters is… does he know what we're about to discover?" Tiflos replied grimly.
---
Engines roared outside. Blinding floodlights punched through the cracks of the barn. The doors slammed open as the organization's men marched in with robotic precision.
"Finally," Tiflos said, standing—only for Noor to grip his hand tightly.
"Wait… something's off." Her eyes scanned the men sharply. "Look at how they're spreading out… like they already know the layout."
"Maybe they trained for this."
"No… look at the team leader." She pointed subtly. "He's walking straight toward the secret room we found… without hesitation."
---
Cain entered the barn like a hero arriving at the end of a movie—every step measured, every gesture calculated.
"A heroic effort. You saved many lives today," Cain said with a warm smile, while his men began the evacuation with uncanny efficiency.
Tiflos stepped forward, studying his face. "We found something horrifying… Nathan said the government and the organization are harvesting stolen eyes."
Cain's face didn't flinch—not even slightly.
He looked like he had expected this.
"Of course he said that," Cain answered calmly. "Traitors always try to drag the righteous into their swamp."
"But do you have any proof—" Noor began.
"Proof can be forged, my dear." Cain cut her off with a paternal tone. "But pure hearts… those can't be faked. And I trust yours."
Tiflos and Noor exchanged a heavy, uneasy look.
Whatever Cain meant… it was either a clue—or a warning.
---