The room settled into a tense quiet. Lucas leaned back against the doorframe, arms crossed, his sharp gaze flicking between Sylus and Rose. Meanwhile, Rose sat with the notebook open in her lap, absently twirling the pen in her fingers. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the pages, the faint hum of her thoughts filling the silence.
Sylus stood nearby, his posture tense despite the calm facade he always wore. He watched her carefully, his sharp eyes noting every flicker of emotion across her face. It was only when she began writing something down that her voice broke the silence.
"Sylus," she said, her tone soft but deliberate. "Babe."
Sylus blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly as her words caught him off guard. It wasn't just her use of the word—it was the weight behind it. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but his tone remained steady. "Yeah, kitten?"
She set the pen down, looking up at him. "You still haven't answered my question. How did I even get here? Were they really prepared for me in this... game world?" Her voice didn't waver this time, each word measured. "Or is there something else—something bigger—behind pulling me into this?"
Lucas shifted, glancing at Sylus as if waiting to see how he'd handle this. The air between the three of them thickened, heavy with tension.
Rose pressed further, her gaze locking onto Sylus. "When I was pulled in, it wasn't just random. I heard a voice. Familiar. Someone called me... honey." Her voice softened, her brows knitting together as she searched his face. "I don't know why, but it felt real, like someone close to me was involved."
Sylus's expression didn't shift immediately, but Rose noticed his hand twitch ever so slightly, a crack in his otherwise perfect composure. He took a step toward her, crouching so he was eye level.
"Maybe," he said quietly, his voice carrying a calculated calm. "Sometimes things like that happen when crossing over. Memories, echoes—they can feel real even when they're not."
"Maybe?" she repeated, narrowing her eyes. "That's all you've got?"
"Rose," Lucas interjected, his voice clipped. "This isn't the time to get caught up in details. Whoever pulled you in, whatever voice you heard—it doesn't matter right now. What matters is keeping you alive."
"It matters to me," she snapped, her gaze flicking to Lucas before settling back on Sylus. "If I'm the center of all this, if people are willing to kill for whatever I'm connected to, then I deserve to know the truth."
Sylus exhaled slowly, standing and running a hand through his hair. "You're right," he said, his tone steady but distant. "You do deserve answers. And I'll give them to you—when the time is right."
She frowned, gripping the notebook tighter. "That's convenient."
"Kitten," Sylus said softly, his tone shifting to something gentler. "Trust me on this. Not everything can be unpacked at once. Knowing too much too soon might do more harm than good."
For a moment, she said nothing, just staring at him. The tension in her chest felt suffocating, but she also felt the sincerity in his voice. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that he wasn't hiding something to hurt her. But the doubts lingered like a storm on the horizon.
"Fine," she said finally, her tone clipped. She picked up the pen again, returning her attention to the notebook. "But don't think I'm letting this go."
Sylus smirked faintly, his sharp gaze softening just a fraction. "Wouldn't expect you to."
But as she scribbled something in the margins of her notebook, her thoughts drifted back to the voice. Honey. The word echoed in her mind, bringing with it a pang of familiarity she couldn't shake. And though Sylus kept his expression neutral, she caught a flicker of something in his eyes—something almost guilty.
Lucas cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "If we're done with the interrogation," he said, "we should talk strategy. Dorian won't be the last person to show up uninvited."
Rose closed the notebook with a snap, standing. "Good. Let's focus on what we can do right now. But, Sylus?" She looked directly at him, her gaze unflinching. "This conversation isn't over."
Sylus nodded, his lips quirking into a small, almost resigned smile. "Wouldn't have it any other way, kitten."
But as they moved into planning, Sylus's mind remained elsewhere. The weight of her questions lingered, a reminder of truths he wasn't ready to reveal. And though he'd managed to deflect her for now, he knew it was only a matter of time before the past caught up to them both.