Patient B-2

Chapter Thirty-Six: Cierien

For the past two days, Sophie has been out cold, and it's been an agonizing wait by her bedside for any sign of improvement. Both Wrath and I have been stuck here, unable to shake off the worry gnawing at us. No one has dared to leave the house, for we all know what happened. Despite the wound in her gut healing swiftly, we discovered a small dot of blood on the back of her neck- a telltale sign of a dart wound. It's unmistakably the work of WWA, and the tension in the air is palpable as we await Sophie's awakening.

Idalia had been adamant that WWA would leave us alone, convinced that the headman knew of our existence but wouldn't take any action against us. She sounded so sure about it. Well, it turns out she was wrong. And judging by the terrified expression that seems permanently etched on her face since Sophie's arrival, she knows her miscalculation has cost us greatly.

The first thing that left her lips was the urgency to get out of here, followed by the need to ditch Sophie. She suggested we head back to her apartment- the one she had been sharing with Avalyn- but all it took was one look out the window to realize that wouldn't be as simple as she thought.

They're sitting there, lurking in the shadows- waiting for us. We haven't caught sight of their faces, but we know they're there. If we listen closely, we can almost hear the beating of their hearts. It seems they're content to wait us out, biding their time in the darkness.

We've been taking turns keeping watch at the window, hidden from view, to ensure that no one creeps up to the front of the hotel. Our room is on the first floor, with no lobby standing between us and the outside world. It's just a short hallway leading to our room. It would be relatively easy for someone to get in, but much harder to get out unnoticed.

We're at a loss of what to do, aware that we have to leave but unsure of how to proceed. With Sophie still unconscious, we know we can't make any sudden moves. Frankly, we're in the dark about what we're dealing with, or how many of them there are. We can hear heartbeats, but it's impossible to determine how many people are lurking outside. I'm certain that if we were to leave this place now, we'd be immediately struck by darts, and before we knew it, we'd be locked up in cells.

We're waiting on Idalia's orders now, whether we like it or not. While we can't be certain that she wouldn't put our lives at risk for her own, we have to trust that she knows better than us. After all, she's been infiltrating them for centuries. We have to trust that she has more experience in getting away from situations like this.

Though I think we all know by now, we won't be.

We're forced to put our plans to attend the next auction on hold- perhaps indefinitely. Now that they're aware of our existence and actively coming after us, it seems nearly impossible to attend any future events without risking our safety. Wrath, coming to terms with this realization, is taking it particularly hard. He's been relentlessly picking at the skin of his hands, and I find myself having to hold them to stop him from mutilating himself. The weight of helplessness has finally consumed us, leaving us feeling utterly powerless in the face of our predicament.

We're stuck. None of us have a plan.

Avalyn is enduring the most unimaginable pain, something I'm all too familiar with, and it tears me apart knowing there's nothing I can do to alleviate her suffering. I feel utterly useless, and it seems like we're all in the same boat- powerless to change our circumstances, helpless to protect those we care about.

We don't deserve her. We never have. And I'm certain that wherever she is, she's thinking the same thing. Avalyn is far stronger and more resilient than any of us give her credit for, and I can only hope that she knows how much she means to us, even in our moments of weakness and despair.