For a few seconds after the door closed… no one spoke.
It wasn't just silence.
It was that kind of emptiness where no one wants to be the first to say out loud what everyone already understood.
He wasn't joking.
— He's coming back — Emily said, finally, almost in a whisper.
Lucas nodded slowly.
— He is.
Noah let out a breath through his nose, tired.
— Great. So we have… what? Ten minutes? An hour? A day?
— It doesn't matter — Lucas replied. — We can't be here when he comes back.
That changed the atmosphere.
It wasn't just fear anymore.
Now it was urgency.
Emily looked around, as if she was seeing the place for real for the first time.
— The door… — she said — …is it locked from the outside?
— Probably — Noah replied. — And even if it isn't, look at us.
Chains.
Bindings.
No mobility.
No advantage.
Lucas started testing his wrists, twisting as much as he could.
The rope was tight.
But not perfect.
— This isn't new — he said.
— And that's good or bad? — Noah asked.
— Good… if we use it right.
Emily moved as close as she could.
— How?
Lucas took a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts.
— He wants control. Wants us to stay still. Afraid.
— Working perfectly so far — Noah muttered.
Lucas ignored him.
— So we do the opposite.
— Which is? — Emily asked.
— We move.
Silence.
— Lucas… — she started — …we're tied up.
— Not yet.
That made Noah lift his head.
— You got a better idea?
— I do — Lucas said. — But it's not going to be comfortable.
— Nothing here is comfortable.
Lucas leaned as far as he could in the chair, trying to reach a loose point in the wood behind him.
— The chairs are old… — he muttered. — If we break the balance…
— You want to fall on purpose? — Emily asked.
— I do.
— You could break your arm.
— Or I could loosen this.
Silence.
Noah thought for a second.
— I'm in.
Emily looked between the two of them.
— You're insane.
— Probably — Noah replied. — But staying here is worse.
Lucas positioned himself.
Took a deep breath.
— When I fall, try to pull the rope forward — he said to Emily. — Any slack helps.
— Lucas—
— Trust me.
She hesitated.
But nodded.
— Okay.
He closed his eyes for a second.
And then—
He threw himself.
The chair hit the ground hard, the impact echoing through the room.
— Damn it! — Noah cursed. — That was loud as hell!
— Doesn't matter — Lucas said, straining his arms. — Emily, now!
She dropped to her knees beside him, hands shaking as she tried to pull the rope.
— It's too tight…
— Keep going.
He twisted his wrist with force.
Pain.
But also—
A slight give.
— It's loosening — he said through clenched teeth.
— Just a little more—
Emily pulled harder.
The rope slipped a few millimeters.
That was enough.
Lucas pulled with everything he had.
And his right hand came free.
He took a deep breath, relieved.
— Nice… — Noah said.
But Lucas didn't respond.
Because something…
Was wrong.
He froze for a second.
His eyes slowly shifting to the door.
— Lucas? — Emily asked.
He raised his head slowly.
— He wanted this.
Silence.
— What?
— He wanted us to try to escape.
The cold came back instantly.
— How do you know? — Noah asked.
Lucas swallowed hard.
— Because it was too easy.
And then—
A click.
Everyone froze.
The door.
Opening.
Slowly.
Emily stepped back.
— No…
The door opened completely.
But it wasn't him.
It was Ryan.
Being pushed inside.
He fell to the floor, breathing hard, trying to get up.
— What the hell— — he started.
Then he saw them.
And froze.
— You…
His eyes went straight to Lucas.
And then—
To the loose rope.
A brief silence.
Heavy.
Loaded.
— Interesting… — Ryan muttered.
Lucas felt something off.
Wrong.
— What happened to you? — Emily asked.
Ryan stood up slowly, wiping blood from his mouth.
— He found me — he replied.
But he didn't look scared.
He looked…
Thinking.
Calculating.
— He did this on purpose — Lucas said.
Ryan looked at him.
— Of course he did.
— He wants us together.
Ryan nodded.
— Always did.
Silence.
— So what's the plan? — Noah asked.
Ryan smiled.
Small.
Cold.
— The plan?
He looked around.
Then back at Lucas.
— Survive.
But something in the way he said it…
Didn't seem to include everyone.
🖤 Poem — Lucas
we thought we could break free
rewrite what was done
but some traps are silent
until you start to run
and the moment you fight back…
means the game has begun