Chapter 6: Interrogations of Silence

“Name?”

No answer.

“Affiliation?”

Silence.

Cyrus dropped the file onto the metal table with a sharp crack. Nora didn’t flinch.

She sat handcuffed, ankles chained to the floor, bruises shadowing her jaw, but her eyes—those volcanic grey eyes—burned steady beneath the flickering interrogation light.

He leaned forward. “You’ve been designated a high-priority rebel. Your silence doesn’t protect you anymore.”

Nora tilted her head. “Then why are you asking?”

He studied her. “Because there’s a part of me that thinks you’re more than your file.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Am I?” he said. “You’re not just another saboteur. Your movements, your tactics—they’re deliberate. Precise. Not random rebellion. Strategy.”

“I’m thorough,” she said. “That’s not a crime.”

He leaned closer. “It is when people die.”

“People like you killed my entire tribe,” she said softly. “Should I cry for yours?”

His jaw tensed. “You’re not the first to say that.”