The silence after the masked man's departure was suffocating.
Nobody moved. Nobody breathed too loudly. The echo of his footsteps still lingered in their minds like a curse.
At last, voices broke through the tension.
"…It's been years," Kai whispered, scanning the others with disbelief. "Since college… we haven't seen each other."
Jinni wiped at her wet face, her voice trembling. "You mean… you all knew each other before?"
Rose's sharp eyes narrowed. "We did. Back in college… we were in the same circle."
Logan let out a bitter laugh. "Circle? More like a mess. And now look at us dragged back together after all this time."
Zoya frowned, arms crossed, her tone sharp and analytical. "And you're telling me this is a coincidence? That out of all people in this world, only ten parents end up here? No. Something's wrong. That man he chose us for a reason."
Ethan swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "But… every single one of us said the same thing, didn't we? Our kids were taken. That's the one thread tying us all together. Whoever he is… he's using that against us."
Sara nodded weakly, her tears spilling over. "Yes… all kidnapped. Every last one of them. And he knows we'll do anything to get them back."
The realization settled like a stone in their chests.
Finn finally broke the silence with the question none of them wanted to ask. "So… what now? What do we do?"
No one answered at first. Then, slowly, voices rose together:
"…We don't have a choice."
"We have to do what he says."
"There's no other way."
Logan growled, his voice laced with fury. "Choice or not, I swear… I'll kill that masked bastard with my bare hands."
"Enough," Kai's voice cut through like a blade calm but sharp. "Rage won't save anyone. Our priority right now is our kids. Nothing else matters."
The room fell silent again, but this time it was heavier, as if his words had shackled them all over again.
Zoya's voice, quiet but steady, broke it last.
"No… this isn't just about kids. There's more. Why us? Why only ten? Everything about this is deliberate. And until we figure out what that man really wants… none of us are safe."
Zoya's words hung in the air like poison.
For a moment, no one spoke. Even those who had been loud a moment ago fell into silence, their faces shifting confusion, dread, and the first shadows of realization creeping in.
Jinni's trembling voice broke it.
"D-Do they want money? Or… are they some kind of organ trafficking gang?"
Sara's hands shook as she whispered, eyes wide with terror.
"Will they… kill us all?"
Eli shook his head firmly, though his voice carried a heavy weight.
"No. If killing us or stealing organs was their goal, they would've done it already. That's not what this is."
He paused, his eyes narrowing. "This is something else… something we don't understand yet."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. Fear had shifted into something colder now suspicion, calculation.
Kai's voice cut through the tension, steady and calm, yet it carried a finality that silenced the room.
"Yes. And until we know what it really is, there's only one thing we can do obey him. Do exactly what he says."
Silence swallowed the hall once again. This time, no one argued. No one dared.
The steel doors groaned open.
Guards poured in, rifles raised, boots pounding against the concrete in unison. In seconds, the circle of guns surrounded the parents once more, their shadows stretching long under the dim light.
And then he entered.
The man in the demon mask walked forward slowly, each step deliberate, each echo a reminder that he owned this room, and everyone in it.
He stopped in the center, tilting his head slightly as though admiring them.
"Ah," he said softly, his voice carrying in the silence. "Look at you all. So quiet now. Fascinating how fear can tame even the loudest of mouths."
No one breathed too loudly. The tension pressed against their chests like an iron weight.
Rose was the first to break. Her sharp voice cut through the stillness, though her eyes betrayed unease.
"Fine. We'll follow your orders. Just tell us what do we have to do?"
The masked man chuckled low, the sound void of warmth.
"Do?" He leaned forward slightly. "Tonight, you will do nothing. You will rest… you will sleep beside your children, in peace. Maybe it will be the last time."
He let the words hang, heavy and merciless. "Or maybe not. Who knows?"
A few gasps broke out among the parents. Jinni clutched at her chest; Sara's knees buckled slightly.
The masked man straightened, his voice calm, almost mocking.
"Tomorrow, I'll decide what comes next. For now…" He tilted his head again, almost playfully.
"…sweet dreams."
He snapped his fingers. The guards moved, unlocking their chains with practiced efficiency. The sound of metal falling to the floor was almost liberating but the rifles never lowered.
The parents were herded toward another door. Heartbeats thundered in the silence, dread and fragile hope tangled in their throats.
The door opened.
On the other side was a brightly lit room, in stark contrast to the cold hall. Their children. All of them. Playing, laughing, oblivious to the nightmare outside. An old man sat among them, watching over them with an expression that was impossible to read.
For a moment, the parents simply froze caught between relief and fresh terror.