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Chapter 27: Shattered Control

I exhaled shakily, my entire body exhausted from the weight of it all. The betrayal. The lies. The fact that I was still here, trapped in this place with him.

And for what?

I looked up at him, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Why am I still alive?" My voice came out quieter now, almost broken. "Why didn't you just kill me like the others?"

For the first time, the Front Man hesitated. Just for a moment. But it was there.

Then, in that same cold, unwavering tone, he said, "Because you were always a part of this."

My stomach twisted.

Not again.

I clenched my fists, shaking my head as frustration bubbled up inside me. "I'm sick of this," I snapped. "Sick of you saying that over and over without ever explaining what the hell it means!"

The Front Man didn't respond right away. He simply stood there, his masked gaze locked onto me, his posture unreadable. The silence only made my anger flare hotter.

His silence was a sign that I wasn't going to get my answer. Im stuck here and i should just accept my fate.

I let out a sharp breath, forcing myself to stay in control. I couldn't fall apart now—not in front of him. Not when I was already trapped here with no way out.

A thought struck me then, something I hadn't fully let myself consider before. If I was stuck here, if there really was no escape... then I needed to survive. I needed to make things easier for myself.

I swallowed, forcing my voice to steady. "If I'm going to stay here, then I need more freedom."

The Front Man tilted his head slightly. "Freedom?"

"Yes." I squared my shoulders, pushing past the fear tightening in my chest. "I can't just sit in that room all day. I need to move. I need fresh air. I need to—" I hesitated, then pushed forward. "I need to feel like I'm still human."

He remained silent, but I could tell he was listening.

"I want to be able to walk around on my own, without those scary guards following my every move , but if its Sharpy I don't mind ! " I continued. "I want to go outside sometimes. And—" I hesitated, knowing this next request was pushing it. "I want my phone back."

At that, his shoulders stiffened. "No."

My stomach sank, but I pressed on. "I just want to be able to watch something and read books on it. You said I wasn't a prisoner, right? Then why am I being treated like one?"

The silence stretched between us. I knew he wouldn't give in so easily, but I wasn't going to stop trying.

Finally, he exhaled. "I will allow some freedom."

Relief flickered through me, but I stayed cautious. "What does that mean?"

"You may walk around—under supervision. You will not leave the premises." His voice remained firm, unwavering. "But a phone is out of the question."

I clenched my jaw, knowing I wouldn't win this argument. "Fine."

There was another pause before he spoke again. "You will also have a television in your room."

I blinked, surprised. I hadn't even asked for that, but... I wasn't going to argue. It was something.

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

For the first time since this conversation started, the tension in the air seemed to shift, settling into something quieter, heavier. It almost felt like... an understanding.