Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
With one look, Lana knew, and I knew. The way her eyes gave away what her expression didn’t, I realized I hadn’t just lost one of my best friends—I’d lost both.
But this was Lana.
Even with her eyes brimming with tears and the truth of our loss confirmed, she gingerly hugged me, and I clung to her as if she were the only thing anchoring me to reality. I knew she needed the comfort as much as I did.
Maverick remained off to the side, Carol and Hayven on either side of him trying to be comforting. He was doing his best to hold it together. His usually steady hands were trembling ever so slightly, and though he tried to keep his face composed, the cracks in his resolve were becoming more evident with each passing second.
No one said a word.
The silence was thick, almost choking, until I sensed Ky’s approach.
I instinctively drew back from Lana, but I couldn’t let her go completely. I turned to Ky, the smell of blood hitting me instantly. He was still bleeding. Lana’s gentle hand on my arm guided me toward him before she stepped back, her own grief mirrored in her eyes. Ky didn’t hesitate. He took one look at my hand, and then his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice thick with guilt. As if any of this was his fault.
But there was no time to grieve, no time to linger. Within those few minutes, the screen on the wall changed, and iron bars slid across both sets of doors, sealing us in. The voice from before crackled to life, the same twisted cheerfulness in its tone.
"Now that was a twist the crowd did not expect. You should be ecstatic with the views you’ve all brought in. So, let’s keep this going with a classic game of hangman."
I tensed, feeling Ky’s grip on me tighten as the words sank in. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind racing as the voice continued.
"Attached to the ceiling are four solid chains. Four volunteers must participate—hands-on. Pick your four and have them get ready, but among those four must be one main player. Move quick, you have..." The voice paused, letting the tension build, "...five minutes."
The speaker went dead, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. I looked up, dread pooling in my stomach as the altered fan overhead began to spin slowly, its blades whirring to life. The chains hanging from the ceiling clinked together with the movement.
Ciaran’s voice sliced through the room, cold and unyielding. “We don’t have time to wait. We need to choose. Now.”
Panic fluttered in my chest, but I forced myself to breathe, to focus.
“We need to pick four people, but…what does she mean by main player?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady.
“One of us,” Ciaran answered, his eyes locked onto Lana. She hadn’t said a word since entering the room.
Brody was the first to step forward, his jaw set in grim determination. “I’ll do it,” he said, not waiting for anyone to respond. He moved toward the chains, his steps steady and sure. Jessica followed without a word. Something was unsettling about how quickly she stepped up, but I couldn’t help but respect her for it.
As the clock ticked down, the air grew thick with tension. No one else moved, fear and uncertainty freezing them in place. Ciaran lacked the patience to care about their feelings, and I agreed with the sentiment.
He seized a man by the back of the neck, dragging him over to the third chain. The man’s eyes were wide with terror, but Ciaran’s grip was unyielding.
“We need a fourth,” Ciaran ground out, his eyes scanning the room.
“Use Juno,” Ky said suddenly. His eyes were focused and cold, giving no room for argument.
Ciaran’s brother nodded and moved swiftly toward a girl with dark hair. She looked shocked, but she didn’t resist as he led her to the final chain. Meanwhile, Ky held me close, his hand gently stroking my hair in a soothing motion. As I looked up at him, all I could see was the blood soaking through his black shirt, spreading like a dark, ominous stain. His face was composed, but the sight of him like this made my heart clench painfully.
“This is nothing, Sunshine,” he said quietly, trying to reassure me.
I could see the strain in his eyes, the tightness in his jaw as he forced a smile.
“No,” I choked out, shaking my head. “You’re hurt, Ky. I can clearly see it.”
He kept stroking my hair, his touch both comforting and heartbreaking. “I’m fine,” he insisted, though I could hear the lie in his words.
Lana moved toward Brody with a shuttered look in her eyes, her hands trembling as she reached for what I had initially thought were shackles but now saw were collars—cold, metal, and soon to be deadly. The realization made my stomach twist further into knots.