The hum of the engine filled the silence between Zara, Rev, and Axel as they drove through the narrow streets of the city. Noor sat in the backseat, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, clearly trying to block out the heavy atmosphere that had settled over the trio. It was evident she was more concerned than she let on, but she wasn't about to show it. Not yet.
Zara glanced sideways at Rev, catching him in a rare moment of vulnerability. His jaw was tight, eyes focused on the road ahead, but there was something in his expression that Zara couldn't ignore. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was still carrying something with him. She couldn't pinpoint it, but there was an invisible weight pressing down on him.
They had been through a lot together, but Zara had never seen him this distant.
Axel, however, seemed completely at ease. His relaxed posture in the passenger seat was at odds with the rest of their tension-filled silence. But Zara knew Axel better than that. He was always calculated. Always two steps ahead. And as much as she wanted to trust him, something still felt off. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Zara glanced sideways at Axel, who met her gaze and gave her a slight, almost imperceptible nod. He was aware of her discomfort. She could see it in the way his eyes darkened just a fraction. But he didn't push her. Instead, he focused on the road, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the dashboard.
"Rev," Zara said softly, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "What happened back there? You know... with the guy in the warehouse. You were acting like you knew him."
Rev flicked his gaze to hers, then quickly back to the road. His jaw tightened, his grip on the steering wheel visible. "I didn't expect him to show up like that," Rev replied, his voice low and gravelly, avoiding her gaze. "But it's not over. It won't be until I get answers."
"About my accident?" Zara asked, her voice tight with hope and fear. The crash that had torn her world apart was always just a distant memory. A fragment of her past that she couldn't fully grasp. But if Rev knew something — if he could give her that missing piece — she needed to know.
Axel's gaze flickered toward Zara. "There's more to this than you realize," he spoke up suddenly, his deep voice slicing through the growing tension. "Rev's not the only one who knows things. But some of us are playing a different game."
Zara's pulse quickened, her fingers gripping the seat as the words settled in her mind. "What are you talking about, Axel?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Axel looked back out the windshield, a shadow passing over his features. "You don't get it. The stakes are bigger than you think. And there's no turning back. We either finish this, or it finishes us."
Zara's stomach tightened at his words. There was no comfort in them. No reassurance. Only the harsh truth of their reality. She wasn't sure if it was Axel's cryptic warning or Rev's guilt-filled expression, but the weight of their journey was starting to crush her.
Noor, ever the calming presence, shifted in the backseat. "We need to stick together," she said quietly, though her eyes were sharp and observant. "It's not just about the past anymore. We need to think about the future — about what comes next."
Axel's eyes flicked to her in the rearview mirror, but he didn't respond. Instead, he kept his focus on the road, his thoughts seemingly miles away.
Zara turned her gaze back to Rev, her heart still pounding in her chest. "What now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"We stick to the plan," Rev said, his tone harder than before. "We get the information we need, and then we deal with whoever's pulling the strings. But we can't do it alone."
Zara's mind was spinning with all the pieces of the puzzle. But there was one piece she couldn't ignore. One question that kept nagging at the back of her mind.
"Axel," she said, her voice firm. "Are you hiding something from me?"
Axel's gaze snapped to her for a brief second before looking back to the road. "No," he replied simply, his tone sharp. But even as he said it, Zara caught the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. It was subtle, but it was there.
Rev's jaw tightened. "Don't push him, Zara."
But it was too late. Zara had already made up her mind. She wasn't about to trust anyone completely until she had all the answers. Not even Axel. Not even Rev.
As the car pulled into the dimly lit alleyway, Zara's heart raced. They were close now. Close to the truth. But she didn't know what was waiting on the other side. Would it be the freedom they all longed for? Or would they be forced to confront a past that might be more dangerous than they ever imagined?
The door to the safe house creaked open, and they stepped inside, each of them carrying their own burdens. The air felt thick with the weight of everything they were about to face. But Zara couldn't shake the feeling that no matter how many truths they uncovered, they would always be trapped in the shadows of the lives they had once led.
And for the first time in a long while, Zara wondered if she could escape them — or if they would always haunt her.