|Theodore|
"If you're telling the truth... then what is it that you want in return for helping us?" I asked, my voice steady despite the knot forming in my chest.
The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. I kept my gaze on her, searching for any flicker of deceit in her weathered expression. But even now, after everything, it was hard to know what was real with Gracia.
My mind replayed the moment earlier—her twisted little act, the mockery of a deadly bargain. The way she'd stared so seriously at us, as if truly considering taking a life in exchange for her help, only to reveal it was a test... or a joke. It had been cruel. Unnecessary. Who, in their right mind, would toy with something so sacred—so irreversible?
And yet, here we were. Still standing. Still needing her.
