There was silence as everyone awaited what he wanted to say. Beads of sweat rolled down Quinn's face. With a final gasp of air, he spoke.
"I wasn't sent to watch or protect Edward…" he paused, glancing at him.
I shifted my gaze to Edward. His face was twisted with betrayal, a flicker of disgust bleeding through it.
"The true reason I was sent was to prevent everyone involved in this expedition from getting out alive," Quinn continued. "This wasn't the first expedition into the unknown, and it won't be the last. We, the Norman Corporation, believe there's a valuable treasure in there. My main mission is to get that treasure—and kill every single person present. Including you, Edward."
No one responded right away. They just stared at the man in the chair until someone finally broke the silence.
"As expected of humans," she said, voice flat. "Blinded by greed. You're more broken than I expected."
The truth didn't shock me. I'd expected it. From the first time I saw him, I knew Quinn was on a hidden mission. And I also knew he hadn't told us everything.
The only one I felt pity for was Edward. I was sure he believed Quinn was sent to protect him. Instead, he was sent to kill him.
Who is Norman, to sacrifice his own son for a treasure he's never even seen? Is the treasure worth more than his son?
The answer could go two ways.
Yes—the treasure could be worth more. There might be a secret inside that couldn't be found anywhere on Earth, something that granted power and authority beyond measure.
Or no—it wasn't worth more.
Human life is priceless. Relatively speaking, no one can measure a person's worth with material things.
Only if those things were true. This world only respects those who have power. Only those with power can get away with anything.
"Why would Father do that?" Edward shouted, voice cracking.
"Boy, do you really think your father is the one controlling the Norman Corporation?" Quinn snapped. "Don't be naive. He's just a figurehead. The real mastermind lurks in the shadows."
That hit me harder than it should have. In all my years, I never expected the Norman Corporation wasn't actually headed by Norman. Someone else was pulling the strings. That explained why he could order his son's death without hesitation.
Power is intoxicating. It makes people do anything. To gain it, they'll sacrifice anything—even family. Looking at Edward, I knew it now. He'd been a pawn in someone's play for power.
"Well, that's covered," she said dryly. "Your teammate is someone you can't trust. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."
Her gaze slid to me, and a chilling smile formed.
"That was taken care of… Darok, bring her. Take everyone else away from here."
"Yes, Leader," he obeyed, like an obedient puppet.
He repositioned the blindfold over his eyes and moved with speed that defied logic. In seconds, the others were unconscious. Only I remained awake.
With a calm face, he brought me to the dental chair and vanished, taking the others with him.
Selka studied me in silence, her eyes scanning every inch of me with quiet intrigue. She didn't speak. She just watched.
"You're probably wondering why you're alone," she said at last. "And why I'm studying you. The answer lies in you."
"Me?" I asked.
"Ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew you weren't simple," she said. "You cloak yourself in mystery, distancing yourself from the group. Am I right? But that's not all. You seem prepared for every situation."
I didn't answer. I just stared, thinking: How did she know?
"You're not going to answer," she said, smiling. "Your silence gives me the perfect answer."
My mind raced. When did I give myself away? How did she know? Why is she asking me this? But the real question clawing at me was: What is she going to do to me?
I kept my face blank as she continued.
"This isn't the real reason I sent everyone out," she said, pointing to Peter. "The real reason is about him."
"What I want from you is to watch him," she said. "But that's already taken care of, isn't it?"
"You've been watching him because you sensed something in him. Or was it something else?"
She leaned forward, pressing her hands against the arms of the chair, bringing her face close to mine.
"Am I right?"
"You know, I really value your resourcefulness," she said quietly. "Quietly watching everyone in your group. Not doing anything—just watching. Sometimes helping. Your group may not know it, but you're the backbone of the group."
That's when my blank face broke. I grinned.
"To all your questions, and the ones you're about to ask—the answer is yes," I said. "Yes, I watched him. Yes, I watched them. But do you really think I didn't expect our capture? Or your interrogation? Miss Selka, for someone who prides herself on being unpredictable, you're pretty predictable."
A vein bulged on her forehead for half a second before vanishing.
"Tell me," I said, voice calm now. "How much can you see with those eyes of yours?"
She replied with that same calm face.
"For someone locked in a chair, you sure like to bluff your way out. You might look unfazed now, but I know you have feelings for him. Does that answer your question, Miss Emily?"
"What do you want from me?"
"Whoa, you're not going to say anything about that, as expected," she said. "Well, I just need a little from you."
"And what would that be?"
"I need you to lead the team I've set up—including your teammate—into the castle," she said. "And protect him at all costs."
"If I say no?"
"Don't be foolish, Emily," she said plainly. "You know you're not in a position to say no."
"You seem really fixated on him," I said. "Why do you need me to protect him?"
"Nothing complicated," she replied. "He's someone I believe could help both of us. Both our realms."