Eliana quickly got up and returned the book to the shelf from where she'd taken it. She had learned enough for today. The map alone was already a huge win, and she didn't want to dive deeper into the horrors of this place. Her only goal remained the same: escape.
She walked back toward Cobra, remembering the second reason she'd arranged this. She opened her mouth to speak, trying to find the right words. "So, ehm—"
But before she could say more, he turned around and began walking away towards the hallway.
Well, that went great.
With a sigh, she rushed to catch up, her shoes slapping softly against the stone floor as she hurried to keep pace with his long strides.
"I wanted to ask you something," she started, her voice quieter now. "That's actually why I asked Theo if you could be the one to escort me to the library. I don't really know why you agreed, but that doesn't matter right now."
She was rambling, and it was making her nervous. Cobra said nothing, just kept walking ahead of her like a silent shadow. The tension was thick. As they neared the hallway to her room, she realized she was running out of time. She couldn't let this chance pass or she would forever stay the weak girl who gets thrown around.
"Could you stop for a second? I need to ask you something," she said, reaching out and grabbing the back of his shirt.
The reaction was immediate.
Cobra flinched, his entire body tensing as he whipped around, grabbed her arm, and slammed her front-first into the wall. Her cheek hit the cold stone, pain bursting through her face as she tasted blood.
"Don't ever touch me again," he hissed into her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
Then, just as quickly, his grip loosened. It was as if he realized what he'd done.
"Ask what you want now, or go back to your room. No stammering around anymore," he said, his voice returning to its usual detached monotone.
Eliana was trembling, but she swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn't going to back down.
"Can you teach me how to fight?" she blurted out.
For a moment, there was only silence. Then Cobra fully let go of her and stepped back. She turned around, rubbing her sore arm, and faced him. He was studying her with an unreadable expression.
"I thought Keith was training you. I don't have time for that shit," he said at last.
She expected that answer. Still, she had to try.
"Keith just beats me up. He doesn't teach. I need someone to actually show me how to fight, or I'll be dead on my first mission. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for all of you if I became competent instead of just being another body to clean up? Think of it as investing in a weapon. And as a bonus, you can hit me as much as you want while doing it." She again rambled and hoped she could convince him somehow.
Cobra stared at her, his eyes narrowing. He didn't respond for several seconds, just stared in that blank, eerie way of his—like he was looking right through her.
Finally, he said, "Okay. Come."
He turned and started walking again.
Wait. Did she hear that right?
Eliana quickly followed, adrenaline kicking in. He led her through the dark hallways until they reached the training room. He stepped onto one of the mats and faced her.
"Show me what you can do," he said simply.
Oh, they were starting right now?
She hesitated for a second but then stepped onto the mat and wiped her sweaty hands onto her hoodie to make sure the map from earlier was secured under her bra so it won't slip out during the fight and then took a fighting stance. Well, sort of. She wasn't exactly sure if she was doing it right.
"I don't have all day," Cobra said.
Fine. If he wanted to see what she could do, then so be it. She pulled her arm back and went to punch him—only to have her wrist snatched mid-air and a boot driven into her stomach, sending her flying back onto the mat.
The air rushed out of her lungs as she curled in on herself, gasping.
"You can't be serious. You've been here almost three months, and that's all you've got?"
"Like I said... Keith only beat me up," she wheezed.
Cobra sighed and ran a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed.
"Get up. Fighting stance."
She hesitated but got up and moved into the stance again. This time, Cobra stepped closer. He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, then her hips.
At first, she assumed he was just correcting her stance—but as his hands moved slowly over her body, unease crept over her. Her breath hitched. Memories of Theo's hands on her earlier surged forward.
She flinched and shoved his hands off, backing away, realizing only now that they were completely alone and that she was too vulnerable.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
He looked genuinely irritated now. "I was checking your posture."
"You can use your eyes for that. No need to grope me," she snapped.
His face hardened. "I would use my eyes if they worked."
Eliana blinked and looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant but then realization hit her.
"You're blind..." She muttered under her breath.
It all clicked. That blank stare. The way he didn't react when she hid the map despite directly looking into her direction. The eerie sense that he wasn't looking at her but through her. Before she could ask more since she suddenly felt very curious, he was talking again.
"If you want my help, we do it my way. Now shut up, get back into position, and let me work. Or you can continue to train with Keith and let him beat you up."
She opened her mouth to say something else, but he was already waiting and clearly reaching his limit with her. Enough talk. She took her stance again, her mind whirling.
Cobra moved once again towards her and while watching how he moved she would have never guessed that he is blind.
Behind every person here, there seemed to be more than she first realized.