The deal was simple on paper, but nothing ever stayed simple for long.
By nightfall, Mara's people were digging through the data chip. Aria knew it wouldn't take them long to find the darker truths buried within: failed experiments, weaponized trials, names that could ruin powerful people.
They were playing with fire.
"Think she'll hold up her end?" Rhea asked as they were led to a shared tent.
"No," Kael answered flatly. "But she'll pretend to."
"Then why stay?"
Aria sighed. "Because running is worse. And we need a few days. Just to think. To breathe."
That night, she couldn't sleep. The camp was too alive—voices murmuring, fires crackling, deals being made in whispers. She stepped out into the cold air, wrapped in a thick coat.
Mara was there, standing alone at the edge of the camp, watching the stars.
"You're not what I expected," she said without turning.
"I never am," Aria replied.
Mara glanced over. "That chip... it's dangerous."
"I know."
"Then why give it away?"
"Because it's more dangerous if only we have it."
Mara laughed softly. "You really believe in balance?"
"No. But I believe in buying time."
Mara didn't answer.
The silence between them wasn't hostile—it was heavy, like the sky was about to fall.