Page 82 of Us Dark Few

As the prisoners dispersed for their afternoon assignments, she tried to catch up with Derek, but he raced out of there as if he didn’t want to speak anymore. The truth shone in his eyes.

He’d already lost faith in anything or anyone saving them.

Khalani kept rubbing her hands together and rolling her neck back and forth as she walked through the tunnels alone.

Her muscles moved. Her heart beat. But she felt disconnected.

She was on a train with no conductor.

When Khalani first set foot within the stone walls of Braderhelm, she resigned herself to a slow, cold, and lonely death.Acceptingthe cruel fate handed down to her, beckoning the end to draw nearer.

But now. Everything changed. She had…friends.

People she cared about. People who cared about her. They returned something she thought was lost in her life forever—a hope thatendured even when her worst fears threatened to tear her apart. Proving that she was more than the bad things that had happened or the mistakes she’d made.

Life was like poetry in that way. It was never meant to be shared alone.

That afternoon, as she walked to her cell to wait for Takeshi, a wild part of her mind yearned to confront him.

To find out if he knew the truth about the crops.

His duty as Captain would be to kill them all for thievery and insubordination alone.

But what if he could help?

She shuffled nervously back and forth, waiting for Takeshi in front of her cell. Every passing second felt like an hour as war waged in her mind.

The heavy sound of rugged boots barreled around the corner.

About time.

Khalani stepped forward, about to deride him for being slow, until she realized who had rounded the corner. It wasn’t Takeshi.

It was Guard Barron.

Khalani’s body froze, taut as a string, as icy-cold fear shot down her spine. His characteristic, evil smile was on full display, his bulky body nearly filling the entire walkway.

“Well, well, look what we have here.”

All at once, goosebumps rose on her arms, and she slowly inched backward, not taking her bulging eyes off him. Her heart pounded like a drum in her chest.

Barron cocked his head to the side. “Going somewhere?” His eyes flickered with malicious intent as he stepped toward her.

Without hesitation, Khalani whirled away, running in the opposite direction. She pumped her arms as fast as possible, turning at the corner.

The hard slam of boots chasing behind ignited every cell of fear in her body. Her body trembled, eyes racing the dim hallways to find someone. Anyone.But no one was in sight to save her. Everyone was down in the pit, and Takeshi was nowhere to be found.

Her lungs rasped as her feet kicked up dirt. His harsh footsteps grew louder as a deep, grunting sound bounced along the walls like a lingering curse.

True panic set in.

She hastily turned at the next hallway, heading toward the pit, praying with every fabric of her being to make it in time. Metal bars flew past her vision as she barreled forward. The set of stairs leading to the pit were in sight. She was going to make it.

Suddenly, a powerful arm grabbed her shoulder and slammed her into the wall.

Her cheek scraped against the rough rocks, and Khalani cried out in pain, trying to throw a punch. But Barron's arms wrapped around her from behind, his immense weight pinning her down and robbing her of any movement.

Khalani bucked backward, desperately trying to force him off her, but he didn’t budge. Hot breaths exhaled past her ear.

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