hina

he kitchen, only to stop at the threshold as the

teel, while spotless counters gleamed without a single trace of use. There were no crumbs, no scent of food lingerin

more like a laboratory designed by

afraid that even breathing too

r Thorne's break

verywhere at once, making me spin around wit

silver toast rack. Wild blueberry preserves. Soft scrambled eggs with ch

one smooth recital before sil

in the corner of the ceiling, and I realised immediately

fast," I murmured

anic h

d the first

ed while scanning the walls for a switch,

was no

vibrated

arlier that morning under the pretence of "efficiency". The memory of the c

prepare

isplayed. No recipe. No d

ced myself to remember whatever

le trying to steady my breathing. "Coffee and fru

de inside that kitc

the eggs exactly as I imagined someone like Evander Thorne would expect them to look. Steam curle

stepped back and

ed imma

vibrate

layed on the scr

he kitchen, knowing I would have

confuse anyone unfortunate enough to walk through it. Every hallway looked identical, with the same

y, I foun

Ground. Bas

o idea where

cus had already given, and before I could stop

oor, I would simply move on.

oothly before stoppin

her corridor filled with identical

not mine.

o the lift and the

or, I hesitated before stepping out th

es of the corridor like secured vau

a voice cut through the silence shar

e you do

I turned

a communication radio attached to his shoulder. His face carried no expression whatsoever, yet his

wrong word f

ost," I man

listening to something I could not hear, and his ja

ce that somehow felt far more threatening t

s tone. No dramatic inti

into the lift while my heartbeat p

military documentaries,

Evander Tho

ould be guarded

anding outside waiting for me with perfect post

ve a heari

but somehow that made h

..

at myself," he i

tone unsettled me mor

ickly while steppi

y towards my wristwatch b

ame measured voice, "what di

ast," I

ou ignore

ly. "I missed the first part. I on

ed between us

arcus finally said evenly, "your consequenc

mach d

ve two

id not rais

ent the same way someone el

y into the garage, and the si

h ceilings and bright white lighting refle

h sides of the garage

ervants, while beside it rested a silver Bentley Continental, a deep blue As

ed windows revealed expensive leather inter

polished horseshoe, their shining grilles fa

is to wash every

of it nearly swa

ey

sound of the u

and for the first time since arriving at the Thorne Empire, I

u doing here

een pun

r w

ed brea

efore giving a smal

own here? You

at him in

tuna

with his food usuall

oat ti

er

ja

ed heavily in

hy

equivalent to poisoning," he ex

luxury vehicles and silently calcul

e first?"

red, almost as

hile already walking t

washing bay outside the garage and demons

e stairs are for the undercarriage. P

me a sponge a

ace, and I immediately felt terrified of scratching somethi

y while time slippe

first car, my arms trembled

a half had a

n cars

d the re

with another car and

lightly. "I imagine another c

d not

rk," he

lph

me again and nea

nc

I said quickly.

wards my soa

st. Kitchens h

rse th

tened carefully to every single word spoken by the robotic

lunch, a sharp metallic cl

sh followed im

ad come fro

e comp

tairs, but whatever had fallen

lash echoe

tepped out of the kitchen and

or door stood

abandoned across the tiles while one

ndoor swimming pool glow

ater floated a man fac

Tho

ible second,

I ran forward and dove

e. My soaked clothes dragged heavily against me as I swam towards the m

hteningly solid be

until I finally broke through the surface again, ga

ir

selessly through

th

harsh lighting, and his lips ca

grip

? Now, if he dies,

quickly tilted his head back,

in

st his chest and began

Two. T

d slightly ben

I whispered

into his lungs while the scent of chlor

he process m

t the frantic rhythm of my breathing and the despe

or him to