Cole sat still.
Stillness that isn't calm. Not the quiet after insight. Nothing like that serene glow people talk about.
No.
This silence pressed down so hard that each breath seemed too loud.
A lone lamp flickered, as if tired from its first breath. Cracks ran through the walls like old scars. Each footstep brought a groan from below, the boards shifting under weight. Smells hung thick - sour, stale, soaked in regret.
"Nice place," Cole thought. "Five stars. Would definitely not survive again."
Back of his hands bound by rope - coarse stuff, nothing gentle about it. This wasn't the smooth sort. More like something that makes you rethink every choice leading up to that moment.
Around him were other captives.
One person's eyes stayed shut, as if dreaming somewhere else. Another wore a face that begged for unconsciousness. A third sat wide awake but empty, spirit long gone before the body noticed.
Cole glanced sideways.
Junaid.
That man, once distant, now acted as though Cole had wronged him long ago.
But Now That Cole Looked Closer
Something was off.
Fear didn't show on his face. Stillness sat in his hands instead of shaking.
At all.
Breathe steady. Silence fills the space instead. The mind holds firm without cracking.
Just calm.
Too calm.
"Yeah… that's suspicious," Cole thought. "Either he knows something… or he's already accepted death. And I refuse to sit next to someone that comfortable with dying."
Cole gave the rope another quiet tug.
Tight.
Very tight.
"Right. Breaking free with raw strength is not happening. Good to know I'm still weak."
He paused.
"…Wait. Didn't I level up?"
He blinked.
"Yeah, still weak."
Footsteps echoed outside.
Heavy.
Slow.
Guard.
Cole let his head fall straight down, shoulders going loose, as if he'd just quit everything for good. His frame sank, arms limp, like standing there meant nothing anymore.
A slow groan came from the hinges as it swung loose. The gap widened without hurry.
Light spilled in.
Two men entered.
Was there breath left? that was the question.
"Does it matter?" the other replied. "They just need to last till tomorrow."
Tomorrow?
A spark fired through Cole's mind right away.
"Tomorrow what? Auction? Ritual? Execution? Buy one get one free?"
The guards moved through the room, checking the captives.
Cole stayed still.
Breathing slow.
Eyes half-lidded.
A kick against the leg caught his attention. The man was there.
"Oi. You awake?"
Cole allowed his head to tip a little to one side.
He spoke softly, as if pulled too soon from a sleep that offered no rest.
"Weak," muttered the guard.
"Wow," Cole thought. "At least insult me with creativity. I'm disappointed."
A sudden jerk came from the guard as he seized both wrists, pulling tight on the rough cord.
Cole held back his response by choice. He kept still on purpose.
Tight.
Secure.
The man on watch relaxed his stance then stepped back. He lowered his arm slowly after checking the area.
Then -
Clink.
A small sound.
Very small.
Yet here, within this quiet?
Loud.
Cole didn't move.
Didn't look.
Didn't react.
"Control yourself," he told his brain. "We are not dying because of curiosity today."
Footsteps faded down the hall after their shift ended.
Door shut.
Silence returned.
Cole waited.
One second.
Three.
Five.
Ten.
Still nothing.
His eyes rose inch by inch, barely moving. A long pause stretched between each breath. Then at last, he looked up.
Near the door -
Something shiny.
A key.
He blinked.
"…No way."
Still there.
Still real.
Still beautiful.
Right then -
A twist of chance shaped something small today. Sometimes luck nudges things without warning. A tiny shift happened because of it. Not everything unfolds by plan. Small moments carry unseen turns. Fate slips in when least expected
Cole almost laughed.
"Minor outcome? That's literally my survival plan right there."
His jaw tightened, a quick look slid across his face. A moment passed before he turned his eyes away.
It wasn't just him - Junaid noticed it as well.
Their eyes met.
This time, he actually noticed the man.
Progress.
Cole turned his head a touch, aiming it near the key.
For just a moment, Junaid stood still - after that, he barely moved his head up and down.
"Ah," Cole thought. "So he does communicate. Amazing."
Cole moved a little, acting like he was getting comfortable.
Slow.
Casual.
As if the idea of doing anything reckless had never crossed their mind.
Inside?
Chaos took over. Minds raced without pause. Thoughts spun wildly. Everything felt out of control.
Distance: reachable.
Risk: very high.
Reward: not dying.
"Yeah, we're doing this."
He moved again.
Floor met his fingertips first. Then came the quiet shift of touch.
Dust.
Splinters.
Very uncomfortable splinters.
"Why is this place so committed to being terrible?"
Closer.
Closer.
Out of nowhere, his fingers crept forward an extra inch
Cold metal.
Contact.
A sudden jolt inside, yet nothing showed on his skin. Stillness held where motion might have been.
Slowly, he closed his hand over the key.
Still sitting there, untouched for now.
Didn't celebrate.
Kept quiet on the inside - well, almost. Just a tiny bit slipped through.
Just held it.
Still.
Hidden.
Secure.
"Step one done," he thought. "Step two: don't ruin it."
Back stiff, he shifted the key slowly into place. Then, fingers tense, the metal slid just right beneath his palm.
Slow.
Careful.
Every movement controlled.
His eyes moved back to Junaid.
The guy was watching.
Not panicking.
Not rushing.
Just waiting.
"Yeah," Cole thought. "Definitely not your average NPC."
Good.
Things were less likely to fall apart because of that.
Cole started turning the key slowly near the rope.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
If it slipped -
Should it have made a sound -
If -
"Okay, brain, relax. We're not dying today."
A rustle came as the key touched the knot.
Almost there.
Almost -
Footsteps.
Close.
Very close.
Right outside.
Cole froze.
"Ah. Timing. Of course. Perfect timing. Love this for me."
The handle moved.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Cole curled his fingers tighter around the key - slipped it quick into the space where his hands met. The metal vanished, sealed off by skin.
Breathing steady.
Face blank.
Body still.
A creak came from the doorway as it started to swing inward.