The Heart of Deception
The oppressive air of the hospital pressed down on Lara like a heavy weight, suffocating her. The flickering talisman lay shattered on the bathroom floor, its faint protection extinguished. Andy stood by the door, her presence a strange contradiction—calm, unnervingly poised, and somehow menacing.
The low, guttural laugh that had haunted Lara moments earlier was gone, leaving only the suffocating silence in its place. But the quiet wasn't comforting. It was waiting.
Lara's heart pounded, her breathing shallow as the realization hit her. Something about Andy didn't add up.
"You're not human," Lara said suddenly, her voice trembling but gaining strength.
Andy turned her head slowly, her dark eyes narrowing. For a moment, she didn't reply, letting the words hang in the air. Then she smiled—a slow, deliberate smile that sent a chill racing down Lara's spine.
"You're smarter than you look," Andy said softly.
Lara's fists clenched, her fear giving way to anger. "You've been lying to me this whole time. Pretending to help me. Why?"
Andy chuckled, the sound low and mirthless. "Lying? Oh no, Lara. I told you the truth. I just didn't tell you all of it."
"Stop playing games," Lara snapped. "You said you've been here for years. That you've seen things, know things. But how is that possible? How did you know about Margot? How could you have seen what happened to Elene?"
Andy's expression darkened, the amusement fading from her eyes. "I told you—I've paid my price. That means I'm no longer what you think I am."
Lara took a step back, her body trembling. "What are you, then?"
Andy didn't answer immediately. Instead, she moved to her cupboard, her movements unnervingly smooth. She rummaged through it briefly before pulling out a photograph and handing it to Lara.
Lara hesitated before taking it, her hands shaking. The image showed a younger Andy standing beside a girl who looked eerily familiar.
"Lyn," Lara whispered, her voice barely audible.
"You know her," Andy said, her voice flat. "She brought you here, didn't she?"
Lara nodded slowly, her stomach churning. "She said this hospital held answers about the City. She… she saved us. She was one of us."
Andy laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "Saved you? Is that what you think?" She shook her head, her smile twisting into something cruel. "She brought you here because that's what the hospital wanted."
"That's not true," Lara said, though the words felt hollow.
Andy leaned closer, her eyes boring into Lara's. "Do you know what happens to people who come here, Lara? They don't leave. They become part of this place. Just like Lyn did. Just like I did."
Lara's breath caught in her throat, her mind racing. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Andy said, raising an eyebrow. "Think about it. Did Lyn ever tell you why she knew so much about this place? Why she led you straight into its jaws?"
Lara's knees buckled, and she sat heavily on the bed, her head spinning. Roman's warnings echoed in her mind.
"Everyone here is alive. They're experiments of the City."
"You're saying she's… one of them?" Lara whispered, her voice trembling.
Andy smirked. "Now you're catching on."
Lara's fear morphed into anger, her fists clenching. "And you? What's your part in all of this? Why are you here?"
Andy's smile widened, revealing teeth that seemed sharper than they should be. "I've been here longer than I can remember," she said casually. "This hospital… it keeps you alive. It keeps you useful. But it takes things from you. Your humanity. Your memories. Your will to fight."
Lara shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "You've been manipulating me. Acting like you wanted to help."
Andy's expression turned cold. "I never said I wanted to help you, Lara. I just wanted to see how far you'd go for the truth. And now that you have it…" She trailed off, her eyes gleaming with something dark and cruel.
"What?" Lara demanded.
Andy stepped closer, her shadow seeming to stretch unnaturally across the floor. "Now I've decided it's time to end this little game."
Before Lara could react, Andy's body began to change. Her skin darkened, shadowy veins crawling across her arms and neck. Her eyes turned pitch black, her teeth sharpening into jagged points. The air around her grew colder, suffused with a heavy, suffocating presence.
Lara scrambled back, her heart hammering in her chest. "What… what are you?"
"I told you," Andy said, her voice layered with an unnatural echo. "I'm not what you think I am. Not anymore."
Lara's hands shook as she reached for something—anything—to defend herself, but there was nothing. "Why are you doing this?"
Andy tilted her head, her smile widening. "Because the hospital wants you, Lara. It needs you. And I've been here long enough to know you don't fight what it wants. You give in. Or you die."
Andy took a step closer, her movements smooth and predatory. "I'll give you a head start," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "Go ahead. Run. Hide. But it won't matter. I'll find you. And when I do…" She smiled, showing her jagged teeth. "You'll beg for death."
Lara's blood ran cold, her body frozen with fear. "Why me?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
Andy laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally in the small room. "Because you're special, Lara. The hospital sees something in you. Something it wants to break."
Lara's mind raced, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. "You're wrong," she said, though her voice wavered. "I won't give in."
Andy's grin widened. "We'll see."
Without another word, Andy stepped aside, gesturing toward the door. "Run, little lamb," she said mockingly. "The game's just beginning."
Lara didn't wait. She bolted from the room, her bare feet slapping against the cold tile floor. The hallway stretched endlessly before her, lined with flickering lights and doors that seemed to breathe.
Behind her, Andy's voice echoed, chilling and filled with cruel amusement.
"Run faster, Lara. I'm coming for you."
The walls seemed to close in, the air growing heavier with every step. But Lara didn't stop. She couldn't.
Her fear drove her forward, but so did something else—something stronger.
Determination.
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