SURVIVING

E MIGHT CONTA

EN'

t my palm. Felix froze, his eyes wide with fear as I aimed it at his chest. My breat

inting it at someone, threatening them. And yet here I was, my p

in surrender, but I didn't lower the gun. I couldn't. Not

do? How do you even pull the trigger? The weight of the gun felt alien in my ha

t. This is why

appen. He knew that in this world, people didn't just talk their

whatever it took, no matter how brutal, no matter how much

this was the power Terzo had handed me. Not just the gun, but the decision. The power to c

ing to figure out whether I was bluffing. But I wasn't. I wasn't sure I co

but steady. I was trying to convince myself as

y think you can kill me?" He didn't beli

beginning to understand that in this world, it wasn't about wanting. It was about surviving. An

eel my heart pounding in my chest. I was trying to hold onto my composur

g me. And for a brief second, I saw the change in him. The ar

he whispered, his voice sudd

air between us. The sound of my heartbeat was the only thing I

said, my voice quieter now, but no less f

nd I could see the fear creeping into his expression. The air felt thick with tension, and I was still trying to steady m

ou can just-" he started, but

I snapped.

hardening, perhaps thinking he could intimidate me. This

and heavy. I didn't even have time to react before Terzo was there, his cold blue-gra

as he took in the scene. "Seren, are you okay?"

this-they shouldn't have been here yet. Felix's eyes darted to the door, and when he saw Terzo standing there, the

, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead as he realized who was in the room. The man who w

as in a position that he couldn't talk his way out of. His e

le. The men behind him stayed silent, their eyes focused on Felix, waiting for their

rough the tension, low and menacing. He didn't need to raise his voice to comman

I didn't know," he stammered, his b

t to Felix's nervous tone. "You're lucky I don't dec

But he knew better. Terzo wasn't someone you could escape from. Not when he had already ma

," he said softly, though his eyes never left Felix, who was still frozen in place. I could see Axel assessin

too unsure. Felix had pushed me to this point, and I was

u are," I said, my voice ga

Instead, he stood there, rooted to the s

it was as though the entire world had gone still. The silence in the roo

d, his eyes locking onto the terrified

ragged. He didn't speak. He cou

softening just a fraction. "Seren,

g else in Terzo's gaze-something that made me realize, in that moment, that I had done what was necessary

handle the situation, while Axel stayed by my

said softly, his

fine,

Felix's fate was sealed. Whatever Terzo had planned for him next, it

's fate, and the weight of everything that had just happened settled over me

in that dark room with Felix. The way he pushed himself on me, the way I had to pull that gun

llowe

e steering wheel. Through the rearview mirror, I caught hi

. My fingers cu

you just realized what k

"Why don't you and Terzo handle this stuff? You hav

on Axel's

ons," Axel muttered, tappi

properly. "So I'm just supposed

Now you're starting to sound like som

anything else, th

ent, unreadable. The sharp scent of blood follo

at me. Didn't s

his head as he muttered under h

ave a s

know what I expected-maybe a glance, a comment,

th acknowledging. I mean he

ybe that was a good thing.

han before. The car's tires rolled over the gravel drivew

s usual smirk was missing, replaced by something unreadable. I couldn't tell i

I walked past the grand staircase, taking the long route through the dimly lit hallway. My fo

rzo, standing by the large windows, his back to me. He wasn't looking

not even a flicker of recognition. It was

moment, letting the si

t, his usual nickname for me making m

de my head-Terzo's silent treatment, the way he treated me like a tool, n

ied, my voice low but

he walked past me and nodded t

ere was something more in it. "We need to talk about

his back to us. "Deal with it

but the way Terzo spoke to Axel-it wasn't just busin

rly unfazed. "Yea

narrowing for a split sec

he hell I was even doing here. But Terzo's presence, the wa

but silent. Cold, yet I couldn't ignore the magnetic pull I felt when

im. I didn't ne

inside me sa

ce hits me like a wave. It's just the two of us now, and I can feel the tension creeping i

like he doesn't care, but I can sense t

s heavy, like it's pressing down on me. I don't even

k, my voice quieter than I want it to

back in his chair, studying me, his eyes cold

his job?" he asks, his voice

trying not to show that I'm rattl

half-smile. "You're here because you have no

o keep my voice ste

e weight of it, like something is about to break. I d

asha steps in, looking between Terzo and me. Her eyes narrow

o talk," she says

just gives a slight nod, and Kas

d, and I'm left there again, i

thigh. I couldn't help but feel the weight of Terzo's presence next to me, like he was wai

eason you wanted

n't help but feel a little unsure. Was he plannin

and unreadable, before he answered

ere. Not everythin

wanting to pre

or was there more to it? But I knew better than to push him. I sank back into my sea

d, heavy quiet that kept hanging between us. But

but there was something in his tone that made my stomach twist. It

r? This was the place that had become

e right words. "It's... it's alright

g to figure out if I'm lying or not. "Used to it?" His v

ment. "Yeah. At least we're

re adjusting then." It's not really a questio

y voice steady, though I

ring at me, like he's waiting for me to say something more. But I don't have anythin

's satisfied with my answer or if he

ver leave me, but he doesn't say anything more. It's like he's waiti

across his chest, still staring at me. "

tinging a little more than I want to

nothing. "I don't know.

ot in my stomach, the kind I can't

," he says, voice low but firm. "You'll need

e already made it clear I'm just your

oment, and I see something-a s

n pawns can

rds hit a little too close to home

awn. But I can't pretend you're

ack off. But I hold it in, the anger bubbling just beneath the

erzo. Her eyes quickly go from me to him, and I ca

ng," Kasha says, her voice sharp. She's

but he knows when to listen. He doesn't even look at me when

the chair back. "Fine

last look, then walks out of the room. Terzo fol

sha doesn't like me. I get it. But the way Terzo left witho

wh