MISSION MOONLARK, kotlc

14

Sophie wanted to scream here revelation for the entire room to hear and strangle Vespera until she coughed up her plan-

Wait.

Voices.

And not just the voices bickering outside of the claustrophobic vent system she was so unfortunately stuck in...

As in, voices inside the claustrophobic vent system that she was now so much more unfortunately stuck in.

"What was that?" Sophie hissed through the darkness, expecting herself to come face to face with a pair of bright teal eyes- and maybe some periwinkle ones too, but instead found a pair of cobalt blue staring back at her -and a particularly maniacal smile.

Looks like we weren't the only ones that had the idea for the vent, Sophie thought, not sure if she believed the person she was staring at.

Handsome features- even though it disgusted her to admit. Dark blue eyes like his mother. Painfully slicked back hair. An expression so full of bitterness, it almost hurt to look at.

"Alvar?" Sophie whispered, trying to find a way to scoot as far away from him as possible. She figured she had two choices:

One, was sitting tight with a Neverseen member while his comrade was about to burn down the interrogation room with her and the Collective still in it.

Two, was bursting out of the vent, kicking down the panel, and warning everyone about their plan- which also came with the risk of getting strangled by two different organizations- aka a death wish.

He sighed. "You know, I always did wish I'd inherited that talent that my sister and my dear mother had- they always seem to be able to flicker out of sight, so stealthy that way. They said I could be like that- but now even fourteen year old fools like you can see me."

The remark was desperate- almost a bluff -but worse. Sophie had been trained to realize that. His words could easily be some second grade insult.

"Somethings not going right for you," Sophie said slowly, trying to get the gears in her brain to move faster. "Otherwise I'd be kidnapped, this room would already be in flames, and-"

But his smile didn't falter- if anything, it turned more evilly giddy. "Bluffs can also stall Sophie- and you just gave us our last seconds we needed."

Sophie turned around to face the interrogation room outside of the vent, just in time for a flame to flicker and dance across the floor-

And before she could scream, Alvar pulled the tiniest match out of his pocket, and set it on the floor of the vent, barely half a foot away from her.

Sophie tried to decide what to do- either way the fire was going to burn everything in the room.... and right as she was about to whirl back around to face Alvar, she was faced once again with darkness.

He'd left- closed off the only exit -and now she was trapped in a tunnel that was about to fill up with flames.

Sophie screamed- but everything was already turning darker..

And the match exploded in her face right as the world turned black.