The figure at the end of the hallway is still, but the gun in their hand is steady, pointing directly at us. My breath catches in my throat as I glance around, realizing there's nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.
Jason steps forward, his expression suddenly serious. "I see you brought backup," he says, his voice colder than before.
The gunman doesn't speak. They just stand there, their eyes scanning the room like a predator sizing up its prey. The tension is palpable, suffocating.
Ethan moves closer to me, his body slightly in front of mine. It's protective, but there's something in his posture that tells me he's not just worried about me. He's scared.
"Ethan," I whisper, my voice shaking, "what's happening? Who is this?"
He doesn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze flickers from Jason to the gunman, his jaw tightening. "This is bigger than both of us," he mutters, almost to himself. "This isn't something I wanted you involved in."
I'm about to ask him what he means when the gunman finally speaks, their voice smooth but dripping with menace. "You've come too far, Ethan. The clock's ticking."
"Ticking for what?" I ask, my voice louder now, demanding. "What do you want from us?"
The gunman tilts their head slightly, as if amused by my defiance. "What we want is simple. You, Ethan, have something we need. And you've kept it from us for far too long."
Ethan's eyes widen, and I can see the weight of those words pressing down on him. He takes a step forward, but the gunman raises the gun, just enough to warn him.
"Don't move," they say, their voice cold as ice.
Ethan stops, his eyes never leaving the gunman's face. "You're too late," he says, his voice steady but with an edge of desperation. "The plan's already in motion. You're not going to stop it now."
Jason laughs softly, the sound chilling. "You think you've outsmarted us, Ethan? You think you've escaped the consequences? Think again."
I look between the two of them, my mind racing to make sense of it all. What plan? What consequences? What have they dragged me into?
"You're both playing a game you can't win," Jason says, his voice dripping with venom. "And when the game ends, it's not going to be pretty."
I can feel the weight of their words in my chest, the suffocating pressure of not knowing what's coming next. I want to scream, to demand answers, but the fear holding me back is too strong.
The gunman steps closer, their boots making soft echoes in the silence of the hallway. "You've made your choices, Ethan. Now it's time to face the consequences."
I look at Ethan, but his face is hard, unreadable. The confident, carefree boy I once knew seems to have disappeared. In his place is someone I don't recognize—someone burdened by a past I can't even begin to understand.
"You have no idea what this is," Ethan says, his voice shaking with something I can't identify. "But you're wrong. It's over."
Suddenly, there's a noise from behind me—a soft thud, like a door opening. I turn, heart leaping in my chest, but there's no one there.
"Who's there?" I call out, my voice trembling.
No answer.
I'm about to turn back when a figure steps into view from the shadows. The last person I ever expected to see.
"Leah?" I gasp.
Leah, my best friend from school. The girl who had disappeared without a trace months ago. She's standing there now, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear.
Her appearance sends a shockwave through me, and I can't help but wonder—what is she doing here? Why is she here now, at this moment?
Jason doesn't seem surprised at all. He steps aside, allowing Leah to move into the hallway, her expression distant, almost detached.
"Leah, what's going on?" I ask, my voice trembling with confusion and shock.
She doesn't answer right away. Instead, she looks at Ethan, then back at me. There's something in her eyes that I can't quite place—something dark, something that makes my stomach twist.
"I'm sorry," Leah finally says, her voice soft but laden with regret. "But it's too late for all of us now."
*****
Chapter 11
*****
The cold barrel of the gun hovers dangerously in Leah's direction, and my heart stops. The air is thick with uncertainty, the weight of every unspoken word hanging between us like a storm waiting to break. I can't tear my eyes away from the gunman's hand, the grip on the weapon unwavering, as if they are certain of their power over us all.
Leah stands motionless, her eyes distant, her lips pressed into a thin line. She doesn't seem scared—at least, not in the way I expect someone in her position to be. Her gaze flickers briefly to me, then back to the gunman, as if weighing her options.
I take a step toward her, my voice coming out in a near whisper. "Leah, what are you talking about? What's going on?"
Leah's expression falters for just a moment, a crack in the calm façade she's been holding. Then, with a deep breath, she finally speaks.
"You should have never gotten involved, Amara," she says, her voice soft but laced with an edge I've never heard before. "This was never meant to be your fight."
I blink, feeling the confusion flood back into my chest. "What do you mean? What fight? Why are you here?"
Leah's lips curl into a bitter smile, but there's no warmth in it—just cold, sharp edges. "You really don't know, do you?"
I look between her and Ethan, who stands frozen by my side, his expression unreadable. Jason's eyes gleam with amusement, as if watching the entire scene unfold is some twisted game to him. The gunman remains silent, their grip on the gun still unwavering.
The silence feels unbearable, as though the entire world is holding its breath.
Finally, Leah breaks it. "The truth is, Ethan and I have been part of something… bigger than you realize. Something we never meant for you to get caught up in."
I can feel my pulse quicken. "What do you mean? What are you involved in?"
Leah's eyes lock onto mine, her expression haunted. "It's not just about you and Ethan anymore, Amara. The choices we made, the paths we took, they've led us to this point. To the point where we don't have control anymore."
My heart races as a chill runs down my spine. "What do you mean? What's going to happen?"
Before Leah can answer, the gunman interrupts. "Enough talk. It's time to make a choice."
Leah flinches at the command but doesn't flinch away. Instead, she turns to face the gunman, her jaw set in defiance. "I've already made mine," she says, her voice steady now. "I'm in. And if you want to survive, you should make the same choice."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. In? What does that even mean? What kind of choice is this?
I turn to Ethan, my eyes wide with desperation. "Ethan, please. What's happening? What's the truth?"
He looks at me, but there's something different in his gaze now. A guarded expression, one I've never seen before.
"It's complicated, Amara," he says quietly. "But if you want to make it out of this alive, you have to choose."
I feel my heart race even faster. "Choose? What am I choosing?"
"You're choosing sides," Jason says with a smirk. "Either you're with us, or you're against us. Simple as that."
A heavy silence falls over the group. I can feel my pulse hammering in my ears, the weight of the decision looming over me like a dark cloud. Everything I thought I knew about Ethan, about Leah, and about this whole situation is crumbling, piece by piece.
I don't know what to believe anymore. But the truth is, there's no time left for hesitation.