Page 14 of Knot Your Fated M.U.S.E.

Darkness waits.

And I count ceiling cracks,

Listening to shadows sing

Of freedom I can't imagine

And salvation I don't deserve.

Patient 495.

The M.U.S.E. they created.

The weapon they fear.

Nyx, I remind self.

Nyx Blackwood.

Have to remember.

Have to hold on.

Until shadows' promise comes true.

Or until pain finally ends.

Whichever comes first.

3

INFILTRATION IS KEY FOR OPPOSITION

~DANTE~

The blueprints of Ravenscroft mock me from the table, their neat lines and orderly layout belying the horror within. My good ear strains against the static of the earpiece, trying to catch any snippet of information about their next "collection."

Fucking collections.

That's what they call it when they round up omegas like cattle, claiming they show signs of M.U.S.E. potential. Most are lies – convenient excuses to disappear the ones who ask too many questions, who fight too hard, who refuse to submit.

The static crackles, and I adjust the frequency again. Have to get this right. Need to know when they're moving next. The monthly sweeps are our best chance to catch them off guard, to strike when their security is spread thin.

My fingers trace the path through Ravenscroft's lower levels. Six subfloors. Each worse than the last. The bottom level isn't even on the official blueprints – just rumors and whispers of what goes on down there.

"...Operation Cleansing scheduled for..." Static cuts through the transmission, and I swear under my breath, adjusting the dial. "...full moon cycle. Primary targets identified in sectors..."

More static. Fucking hell.

Movement behind me. Can't hear the footsteps with my bad ear, but I feel the vibration through the floor. Someone approaches, their presence familiar.

Kieran says something. The words get lost in the dead zone of my right side, the side that's been silent since…

Heat.Crushing weight. Can't breathe.

Dirt in mouth. In nose. In lungs.

Bombs falling like rain.

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