The Head Guard stepped closer, rainwater sliding from the brim of his helmet as his sharp gaze settled firmly on both Li Manman and me. There was no hesitation in his expression, no sympathy either, only cold practicality shaped by urgency.
"One of you will have to go down there."
The storm roared around us, yet the weight of those words seemed heavier than the rain itself.
For a brief moment, Li Manman simply stared at the hole, her face losing color so quickly it was almost unsettling to watch. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her sleeves, her lips parting slightly as though she wanted to speak but could not find the courage to do so.
"…Me?" she asked softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound believable.
"You are the lightest," the Head Guard replied without emotion.
Li Manman instinctively took a step back, her hesitation immediate, her unease painfully obvious.
And then —
Her thoughts surged into my mind.
