Sincerely, Marlena

5

Sincerely, Marlena

I lay on the narrow cot, staring up at the ceiling, trying to push away the gnawing frustration that settled in my chest after Lucien's visit. My mind raced, torn between my instinct for self-preservation and the growing pressure to act. Every hour that passed felt like a weight on my back—one I couldn't afford to carry much longer.

My body was healing, slowly but surely, and I could feel strength returning to my limbs. The pain in my side was dull now, no longer the sharp reminder of my defeat. But the dull ache wasn't enough to distract me from the real problem: the silence I'd wrapped myself in.

I thought of my brothers again, their faces flashing through my mind like fleeting memories. Calvin's boyish grin, always brimming with optimism, even in the worst of times. The others, each hardened by the world, but united in their fierce loyalty to one another. If they knew where I was, what had happened to me, they would never stop until they found me.

I couldn't let them. If they came here, if they stumbled into Lucien's fortress... it would be chaos. Blood would be spilled, and in this world, that kind of conflict would only mean more death.

But keeping silent was becoming harder. Lucien was right—time was running out. They couldn't keep me here without answers forever, and the longer I held back, the more dangerous my situation became. I was a stranger in their midst, a liability, as he'd said. In this broken world, liabilities weren't tolerated for long.

The door opened again, this time without warning, and Nolan stepped in. His usual quiet demeanor was gone, replaced by an unsettling urgency. His eyes met mine, sharp and calculating, as he crossed the room to check the bandages at my side.

"You've made things difficult," he said, his voice clipped as he worked. "Lucien's patience is wearing thin."

I kept my mouth shut, but my body tensed involuntarily.

Nolan continued, his movements precise. "I've been around long enough to know when someone's hiding something. And you're hiding a lot."

I didn't answer. I couldn't afford to.

"There are people here who would see you as a threat," he said, not looking up from his work. "Lucien's been trying to protect you, whether you believe it or not. But his influence has limits."

My eyes flicked to his face, catching the glint of something—whether it was genuine concern or manipulation, I couldn't tell. Either way, I wasn't buying into it.

"And you?" I asked, my voice low. "What do you think?"

He paused for a moment, then looked up at me, his expression unreadable. "I think you're dangerous."

Dangerous. The word sent a ripple of defiance through me. He wasn't wrong, but it wasn't for the reasons he thought. My danger came from my silence, from the secrets I held, and from the storm that would follow if I ever revealed where I came from—or who I was.

Nolan finished checking the bandages and stepped back, wiping his hands on a cloth. "You should think about what you want, before the decision is made for you."

With that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him. I lay there, my mind buzzing with the tension of his words.

I wasn't going to break. Not yet. But I needed a plan.

Later that night, when the fortress was quiet and the sounds of people moving outside had faded, I forced myself to sit up. The pain in my side was sharp again, but I gritted my teeth and swung my legs over the side of the cot. I had to see what I was up against. If I could just get a better sense of the fortress, maybe I'd find a way out. Maybe I'd get a glimpse of my captors beyond the stone walls of this room.

The window was small, barely big enough to peer through, but I pushed myself toward it, using the wall for support. Outside, I could see the shadowy outlines of figures standing guard, their faces hidden in the darkness. Beyond the fortress, the world stretched out in endless desolation—a broken, barren landscape that mirrored the state of humanity itself.

I took a deep breath, pressing my hand to the cool stone beneath the window. The fortress might have kept me contained, but it wouldn't hold me forever. My brothers were out there somewhere, and I couldn't allow myself to become a prisoner here, no matter what Lucien or Nolan tried to convince me of.

Tomorrow, I'd find a way to escape. I had to.

But as I turned back toward the cot, I caught sight of something out of place on the table by the door—a small, folded piece of paper. It hadn't been there before. I hadn't noticed it when Nolan left. My pulse quickened as I hobbled over to it, carefully unfolding the note.

We know who you are.

The words were written in clean, precise script. Simple. Direct.

I felt a chill run down my spine.