Ultimatum

The silence in Gwen's bedroom was suffocating. I could hear my own breath, quick and shallow, as the weight of what I had to say settled on my shoulders. Gwen stood by the door, arms crossed, her eyes cold and calculating as she waited for me to speak. I hated being here—being at her mercy, of all people. But I had no choice. I had escaped from the cell, and I had nowhere else to turn.

"Why should I help you?" Gwen asked, her voice laced with distrust. "You've never given me a reason to."

She wasn't wrong. We weren't friends—barely even acquaintances beyond what we had in common with Dragonir. The memory of him lying bandaged and broken in the infirmary flashed in my mind, his face twisted in pain. That was why I was here. I needed help, no matter how much I despised asking Gwen for it.

"I don't expect you to care," I started, keeping my voice steady. "But something terrible happened. Dragonir—he was tortured."

Her expression softened, but only slightly. "Tortured?" 

I nodded, keeping my gaze on the floor. "Yes. It wasn't just some accident or injury. It was intentional, and if you don't help me, he's going to suffer even more. They're going to blame me for what happened."

Gwen's brows furrowed, but the suspicion in her eyes remained. "Who did this? Who's behind all of this?"

I hesitated, the name dancing on the edge of my tongue. Eleri. But I couldn't say it. Not yet. My feelings toward what happened in that room were still tangled, confused. The way Eleri's power had surged, how I'd felt when she was in control—it wasn't something I could make sense of. Not yet.

"I... I don't know for sure," I lied, my heart hammering in my chest. "But I need your help to figure it out. If I stay locked up, there's no way I can stop this."

She watched me closely, as if trying to pull the truth from my words. I could see her thinking, weighing her options. "Why should I believe you?" She scoffed. "Dragonir wouldn't want me to help you."

I clenched my fists at my sides, feeling the anger rise in me. "This isn't about what Dragonir wants. This is about doing what's right. He's hurt, Gwen. You saw him. Do you really think I'd just let that happen if I could've stopped it?"

The room fell into another heavy silence. Gwen's jaw tightened, her arms still crossed as she stared at me. For a moment, I thought she was going to throw me out—leave me to deal with this on my own. But then, she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Alright," she said, her voice quieter now, though the edge remained. "I'll help you."

Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived as she stepped closer, her eyes narrowing.

"But I have one condition."

Of course, there was a condition. I should have known nothing with Gwen would ever be simple. I swallowed hard, nodding for her to continue.

"You leave Dragonir alone," she said, her words biting. "For good."

I blinked, taken aback by the demand. "What?"

"You heard me," Gwen snapped, her eyes blazing. "If you want my help, you stay away from him. No more playing the hero. No more dragging him into whatever messes you create. You cut him out of your life."

I opened my mouth to protest, but the words stuck in my throat. Leave him alone? After everything we'd been through? After he had nearly died? The thought of it stung more than I expected, but looking into Gwen's eyes, I could see she was serious. Dead serious. 

She stepped even closer, her face inches from mine. "He's not yours, Seraphina. He never was. You think you can just swoop in and take everything you want, but that's not how this works. You either take my deal, or you go back to that cell. Your choice."

I stood there, frozen, as her words sank in. She was giving me an ultimatum, one that felt impossibly cruel. But what choice did I have? If I went back to the cell, I wouldn't be able to do anything. Dragonir needed help, whether he knew it or not, and I wasn't going to let him suffer because of my pride.

"I..." My voice faltered. "I'll leave him alone. If that's what it takes, then fine. I'll do it."

Gwen's lips curved into a slight smile, though there was no warmth in it. "Good. Then we have a deal."

I couldn't look at her. My hands trembled at my sides, but I forced myself to stay still, to breathe. I had to focus on what mattered—getting out of this mess, finding out what Eleri had done, and stopping it before more people got hurt. If that meant sacrificing whatever connection I had with Dragonir, then so be it.

Gwen turned away, already heading for the door. "I'll get the arrest warrant canceled," she said, as though it were the easiest thing in the world. "But you'd better keep your word, Seraphina. I'll be watching."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone in the dim room. I sank to the floor, my mind racing with everything that had just happened. I'd secured her help, but at what cost? And why couldn't I shake the memory of Eleri's face, the way my heart had raced not just in fear, but something else... something darker?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. There was no time for this. I had to stay focused. I had to stay strong.

But as I sat there, the weight of Gwen's ultimatum pressed down on me, heavier than any chain.