Alisha POV
I woke up slowly.
Not because I wanted to—but because pain dragged me back.
My head throbbed. My throat felt dry. My body felt heavy, like it didn't belong to me anymore.
Darkness.
Complete darkness.
I tried to move.
Rope tightened around my wrists.
My breath hitched immediately.
I was sitting on the floor. Cold concrete pressed through my clothes. The air smelled old. Metallic. Like rust and something darker beneath it.
Blood.
Not mine.
At least… I hoped not.
"Hello?" My voice came out cracked.
No answer.
My heart started racing, panic creeping up my spine. I tried to calm myself. Think. Breathe.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate.
Whoever was walking wasn't in a hurry.
They stopped in front of me.
I couldn't see them, but I felt them. That weight. That presence that made the room feel smaller.
"Easy," a male voice said calmly. "Panic ruins the experiment."
Experiment?
My chest tightened.
"Why am I here?" I asked, forcing the words out.
A soft chuckle echoed.
"You're not the question," the voice replied.
"You're the answer."
Cold fear slid through me.
"What does that mean?"
Another step closer.
"You're here because someone cares," he said. "And we need to know how much."
My stomach dropped.
Alex.
They meant Alex.
"Where is Mandy?" I asked quickly.
Silence.
Then—
"She's alive," the voice said casually. "You're not the one we're worried about."
That was worse.
I swallowed hard. "If this is about Alex, then leave me out of it."
Laughter.
Real laughter this time.
"Oh no," another voice joined in. Deeper.
Colder. "You're already in it."
I stiffened.
There was more than one of them.
"Don't turn your head," the first voice warned.
"You don't get to see us."
Something brushed past my shoulder.
I flinched.
"You're special to him," the voice continued.
"That makes you useful."
My hands trembled.
"Does he know I'm here?" I whispered.
A pause.
Then—
"We told him."
My heart stopped.
"How… how did he react?" I asked, barely breathing.
The silence stretched.
Then—
"He's trying very hard not to become what he truly is."
My skin prickled.
That sentence didn't feel like a threat.
It felt like observation.
Like scientists watching a dangerous creature press against the walls of its cage.
Suddenly, something cold touched my cheek.
Metal.
I froze.
"This is a test," the voice said quietly. "For him."
My breath shook.
"And for you."
The metal withdrew.
Footsteps backed away.
Just before they disappeared into the darkness, the voice said—
"If he fails… you won't be the one who suffers first."
The room went silent.
Too silent.
Then everything faded.
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Alex POV
They took her.
I knew it the moment her phone stopped ringing.
The air around me felt wrong. Heavy. Tense. Like the calm before something violent.
Mandy sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clenched together.
"She didn't say where she was going," she whispered.
That was enough.
I stood.
Slow.
Controlled.
But inside, something was breaking loose.
I dialed Alisha again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
My jaw tightened.
They'd crossed a line.
My phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
I didn't hesitate.
"She's with us."
My vision darkened.
I typed back calmly.
Where.
Three dots appeared.
Then—
"Relax. She's breathing."
My fingers curled into a fist.
You're testing me, I typed.
A pause.
Then—
"Good. You're still sharp."
My chest burned.
They weren't hiding anymore.
If she's hurt—
"Then what?"
I closed my eyes.
Memories pushed forward. Blood. Screams. Orders given when I was too young to understand mercy.
I swallowed them down.
This ends now.
Their reply came slow.
Enjoying it.
"No. This begins now."
Another message followed.
"We want to see which side you choose."
My breath came steady.
Dangerously steady.
"You already know," I muttered.
Outside, the night felt alive.
Watching.
Waiting.
I slipped on my jacket, hands steady, heart cold.
If they wanted a reaction—
I would give them one.
Just not the one they expected.
*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*★*
Alisha POV
I woke up again.
Light this time.
Blinding.
I gasped, my lungs burning as I sucked in air. I was lying on the ground near the science block.
My hands were free. No ropes.
No people.
No shadows.
Just silence.
My phone lay beside me.
Screen lit.
One message.
Unknown number.
"Round one is over."
My heart pounded.
Another message appeared.
"Let's see what he does next."
I stared at the screen, shaking.
Because for the first time—
I understood.
I wasn't just in danger.
I was the trigger.
And somewhere out there—
Alex was being pushed closer to something he was never supposed to become again.