18. Mercy??

Aurora crouched down, her face eerily calm, a faint smirk playing on her lips. Her sharp eyes bore into Vero's trembling form, sending shivers down his spine. "Now, now," she began, her voice deceptively sweet, dripping with mockery. "Don't cry, and don't get scared. Just tell me what I want to know. Or…" She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "Do I need to spell it out for you? Or perhaps… you'd like to play a little more?"

Vero shook his head violently, his earlier bravado crumbling like sand under her gaze. "N-no!" he stammered, his voice cracking as sweat trickled down his face. "We'll tell! Just—just don't hurt us anymore!"

Aurora tilted her head slightly, her expression darkening as the corners of her lips curled in a chilling smile. "That's what I like to hear," she said, her tone laced with dangerous amusement. "Now, speak."