Lie

Sara's voice was sharp with anger, her words a venomous hiss. "Hurry, carry everything that can kill Mia. I'm tired of her presence." Her every step echoed through the cold hallway as she walked with an intensity that made her hair bounce with each forceful stride. Her eyes were dark with fury, her mind already set on the destruction she planned.

"But before I kill her," she muttered under her breath, her voice laced with hatred, "I need to deal with the one who helped her that night." Her fists clenched in tight fury as she walked, the thought of the person who'd aided Mia like a poison in her veins. "Remove their support, and she'll die alone."

A deep breath escaped her as she turned to her men, her eyes cold. "I'm coming, Mia. You have no idea what you've called down on yourself. Hope you're ready."

"Yes, young lady. We are," they answered in unison, their voices steady as they followed her like shadows, all dressed in blue jumpsuits with a large red circle emblazoned on their backs.

Sara, dressed in white, walked ahead of them. The fabric of her jumpsuit hugged her body, revealing the curves she wished she could hide from their predatory gazes. Every door they passed slid open with a metallic hiss, and the guards stood motionless, opening each one in her path. The hall stretched endlessly in shades of white and black.

Her heart pounded as she took command of the situation. "Divide them into four groups. Get to the main exit, and kill her," she ordered before the lift doors slammed shut.

The command echoed through the factory, reverberating in the cold, concrete walls.

Back in the heart of the building, James, Jake, Nicky, and Mia huddled in silence, the weight of what was coming pressing down on them like a storm.

"James," Jake's voice trembled with anxiety. "They're coming, and it's not just a few of them. It's many." His hand ran nervously through his hair, clearly lost, unsure of which direction to turn. "I don't even know which way to go…"

Alex stood there, unaffected, his eyes narrowed in quiet contemplation. He hadn't moved an inch, even as his friends panicked around him. Without a word, he pointed to a door across the room. "Use that door."

The tension in the air thickened, but Nicky wasn't having it. He stepped forward, his breath warm against Alex's face, forcing him into a confrontation. "You always have the final say, right? So talk, Alex. What's your plan?"

Alex didn't look up. He stared at the floor, silent, unmoving. His expression was unreadable.

Nicky let out a frustrated sigh, his voice tinged with impatience. "Fine, we'll go without you then. But if you want to deal with it alone, go ahead." He grabbed Mia's hand, pulling her toward the door.

She couldn't stop him.

But Mia's heart ached. She watched Alex stand there like a statue, cold and distant, refusing to meet her gaze. As she passed in front of him, her hair falling around him, she caught a fleeting glimpse of his stillness. Her chest tightened. It was as if he didn't even care anymore.

Her heart screamed at him, but she didn't have the strength to say it again. "Alex," her voice broke, barely above a whisper. "What do you want to prove? What's going on inside your head?"

Alex didn't move. Mia's eyes burned with unshed tears, her body trembling with the effort to hold them back. "Think about yourself for once, Alex. Don't think about me, or your friends, or your sister. Think about you. Be selfish tonight. You won't die if you are."

She paused, hoping for any sign of reaction, but there was nothing.

"Alex," she whispered again, a tremor in her voice. "What do you really want?"

But Alex didn't respond. His silence cut deeper than any words. The hurt inside her burned like a fire. She couldn't stay here, not like this.

Her fury rose to its peak. "Fine. If you're not going to listen, I'll leave." Her heels clicked sharply against the cold floor as she stormed away.

She didn't wait for any of them to follow. But her heart felt shattered, broken. Her eyes blurred with tears as she moved farther into the factory, her thoughts a chaotic mess. Why wouldn't Alex share his pain with them? Why was he always so cold?

At the end of the hall, she stopped, her body tense, still trembling. "Are you coming?" she asked, her voice bitter. "Or will you just stand there, disappointed by him? By Alex's actions… cold as ice?"

Jake, James, and Nicky stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Mia's question hung in the air, unanswered.

Just as the silence threatened to swallow them, the door at the far end of the room slammed open at the differe side of the factory.

"Ha, Uncle Timmy," Nawe's voice rang out, but there was something wrong in her tone. She stepped into the room, but the moment she did, a violent coughing fit overtook her. She staggered forward, eyes wide with shock, as her breath became labored.

"Are you okay?" Father asked, his concern immediately shifting to Nawe.

Nawe wiped her mouth, struggling to speak between fits of coughing. "There's a tunnel somewhere... Alex shared the map of this place before he left. We need to find it."

"Wait," Nawe's voice wavered, suddenly filled with worry. "How did Alex know about this place, Uncle Timmy? What's really going on? Is he already in danger?"

Timmy glanced nervously behind her, his voice low and barely audible. "I'm worried too. You know him. He might do something reckless just to protect his friends... and his love."

Nawe's breath caught in her chest, and she hurried to search the area, throwing things aside in desperation. "Where is it? Where's the damn tunnel?" she asked, her voice desperate, her hands shaking with frustration.

"Are you really searching?" Nawe's frustration was palpable. She turned to Timmy, her eyes pleading. "Uncle, please. I can't just sit here and wait. Where is the other entrance?"

Timmy's eyes flickered with guilt. He glanced down at the floor, and in a barely audible whisper, he replied, "Go straight ahead. There's a path. You'll find it."

Thanks she replied.

Before she could start to ran. Timmy quickly added, "I'm sorry... Nawe. He told me not to let you meet him... not today." He thought.

Nawe's heart raced as she turned and ran toward the path he had indicated, her thoughts a whirlwind. "Brother," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please stay safe."

But as she sprinted away, Timmy's gaze lingered, the sorrow in his eyes hidden behind a veil of worry.

"I'm sorry, Nawe," he whispered, as the weight of his own decisions pressed down on him. "Not today. Not yet."

And in that moment, Nawe didn't know that the danger was already far closer than she imagined.

The sharp click of Nawe's boots echoed across the field as she stormed forward, her worry seething beneath her skin. Her shoes struck the ground with such force that the grass beneath her feet was flattened in an instant. Every step felt like a blow, the earth beneath her sinking into the weight of her rage. Eh, eh, eh—her breaths quickened with each stride as her mind raced. She'd been following wrong way, and now, she wasn't even seeing any path. Did Uncle Timmy lie to me ? she thought bitterly. The suspicion gnawed at her, her heart pounding in her chest.

When she finally caught up to him, her suspicions were confirmed. Uncle Timmy, the man she'd trusted all her life, was hiding something. He wasn't alone; a group of others were with him, heading toward the old, forgotten tunnel. They lied to her. They lied to me. The words burned in her throat like acid.

Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides, her nails biting into her palms. The bitter taste of betrayal filled her mouth, making her stomach churn. She turned back, her eyes narrowing, her entire body pulsing with fury. The dark sky above seemed to reflect the storm inside her. Her gaze lifted, her lips curving into a cold, twisted smile. So, you think you can hide from me, big brother with the help of Uncle Timmy? she thought, her voice a low hiss in her mind. You forget one thing—you can never outrun me.

With a sharp, defiant step, she moved toward the tunnel. Her heartbeat thudded in her chest as she pulled open the heavy door, the rusty hinges screeching in protest. But she didn't care. She'd follow them to the ends of the earth if she had to.

"Oh, Uncle Timmy," she muttered, her voice dripping with mockery as she slipped inside, the darkness swallowing her whole. "You lied to me... Haha, you should have known better."

The dim light from her flashlight barely illuminated the passage as she moved deeper into the tunnel. She could feel the coldness of the stone walls pressing in on her, a chilling reminder of how far she had to go. But her anger kept her warm, fueled her every step. Her breath came in sharp bursts, her muscles tense, ready for whatever lay ahead.

Suddenly, a figure appeared before her. Uncle Timmy's face emerged from the shadows, his expression dark, but there was something else there—fear. He had always been so composed, so confident, but now his eyes flicked toward her with a mix of shock and something more. Regret? Fear? Nawe couldn't tell, but she didn't care.

She stepped closer, her movements deliberate, each one a statement of the anger that burned through her veins. "Father, I'm back," she said coldly, her voice carrying the weight of someone who'd been betrayed. "Now, where did I stop? Tell me. I dare you. I dare you to lie to me again."

Her eyes locked onto his with a deadly intensity, and for the first time, Uncle Timmy took a step back, the light from her flashlight casting her face in sharp relief. Her expression was a storm—her features set in a grim mask of determination and fury.

He swallowed hard, but Nawe wasn't finished.

"Don't lie to me, Timmy," she hissed, her tone shifting in an instant, her anger quickly melting into something colder, more menacing. She reached out and tapped him on the shoulder lightly, the gesture almost mocking in its simplicity. "Lie to me again, and you'll regret it. I'm not that little girl anymore."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest a sense of urgency crackled through the air. Inspector John and his partner, Paul, split off in different directions, taking separate routes to get inside. John headed to the front, while Paul circled to the back, their men trailing behind them. The night was thick with tension as they made their way toward the building, the weight of the mission pressing down on them. Their flashlights flickered in the darkness, their movements swift and coordinated.

But inside, Mia still occupied with Alex's previous actions as she walked beside Jake, James, and Nicky, her heart heavy with worry. Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, her hands trembling as she read the text. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart skipped a beat. "I found her. It's me Mary Paul's wife. Mia, head to the opposite door. I can see you now. Hurry. If you don't hurry, you might lose two people in your life. Hurry. She's alone now, only four guards left. Your mother is waiting. It's now or never."

Panic surged through her, her pulse quickening. There was no time to waste. She couldn't let this slip through her fingers. Without a word, she turned on her heel, moving fast, her body a blur as she sprinted toward the opposite door. No one noticed her leave. She was a ghost in the night, slipping away with the urgency of someone who had everything to lose.

The others continued to walk, unaware of her departure, but Mia's mind was already focused on the task at hand. Her mother. Her every step was filled with a quiet desperation, a quiet fury building within her chest. She wouldn't fail. She couldn't.