Chapter 51

The air was thick with tension as Isabella, Enzo, Jayden, and Liana bolted through the dark alleyways, their breathing ragged from the desperate escape. The city's neon lights flickered in the distance, but here, in the shadows, everything felt colder, tighter, more dangerous. The echo of their own footsteps against the damp pavement only fueled their paranoia.

"I swear," Isabella huffed, pulling Enzo forward as he stumbled, "if you collapse now, I'm leaving you for the rats."

"Wouldn't blame you," Enzo muttered, his voice strained.

Jayden, keeping watch over his shoulder, hissed, "No one's on us yet, but let's not pretend that'll last."

Liana nodded. "We need to disappear. Fast."

But before Isabella could respond, a shadow detached itself from the darkness ahead.

"Great," Jayden groaned, reaching for his knife. "Because we haven't had enough trouble today."

The stranger stood calmly, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. He was tall, wrapped in a long coat that blended into the night, his presence exuding an unsettling confidence. He wasn't just waiting for them-he had been expecting them.

"Impressive," he said smoothly, his voice carrying an amused lilt. "I expected you to die back there. Either you're lucky, or Viktor is getting sloppy."

"Who are you?" Isabella demanded, already sizing him up.

"Call me a friend."

"Liar," she shot back instantly.

He chuckled. "Fair enough. I'm not here to be your ally, but I do have something you want."

"And that is?" Liana asked cautiously.

The man's smirk widened. "A little birdie told me you've been looking for answers. About the traitor. About the ones still hunting you."

Silence fell, heavy and suffocating. Isabella's grip tightened on Enzo's arm.

"What do you know?" she asked, voice dangerously low.

"More than you'd like," he said, stepping forward. "And less than you'd hope. But trust me-you won't survive long without the right information."

The way he spoke sent a chill down Isabella's spine. He was toying with them, dangling a thread of knowledge just out of reach.

"And what do you want in return?" Jayden asked, voice dripping with suspicion.

The stranger's smirk remained, but his eyes darkened. "Nothing-yet. But I suggest you keep breathing long enough to find out."

He has information about the traitor still hunting them.

The more they moved through the city, the more Isabella felt it-the weight of unseen eyes. This place wasn't just dangerous. It was alive, a web of criminals, spies, and informants all feeding on desperation.

Jayden exhaled sharply, scanning the streets. "Anyone else feels like a big neon target right now?"

"Because we are," Liana muttered. "This city doesn't just watch-it remembers."

Enzo, still pale from exhaustion, let out a slow breath. "It's worse than that. They know where we are."

Jayden stiffened. "That's impossible. We've been careful."

Isabella stopped in her tracks.

"Not careful enough."

Liana turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Isabella swallowed the lump in her throat. The answer was obvious now.

"There's a mole."

A cold silence stretched between them. Jayden's jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. "No. That's not possible."

"Think about it," Isabella pressed. "How did Viktor's men know we were coming? How did they trap us so perfectly? Someone has been feeding them information."

Liana's expression hardened. "We've only trusted a few people."

Jayden took a slow, measured breath. "Then one of them just signed our death warrant."

Isabella's mind raced. It didn't make sense. They had been careful, choosing their allies wisely. But the reality was staring them in the face: someone was betraying them.

A slow clap echoed from above.

The moment they looked up, figures stepped out of the shadows, surrounding them. A dozen, maybe more. All armed.

"Ah," Jayden muttered, tightening his grip on his blade. "So much for lying low."

"Yeah," Liana sighed. "We're really bad at that."

Isabella and Enzo realize they've been led into another trap.

When Isabella opened her eyes, the first thing she felt was cold metal biting into her wrists. Her arms were restrained above her head, chains secured tightly to the damp stone wall behind her. Her shoulders ached, and her legs were numb from sitting on the hard ground for too long.

Great. Another prison.

She glanced around the dimly lit dungeon. The air was thick with the stench of damp earth and rusted metal. Torches flickered weakly along the walls, casting eerie shadows.

To her left, Enzo sat slumped against the wall, shackles binding his wrists and ankles. His breathing was shallow, but at least he was conscious. Across from them, Jayden and Liana were restrained similarly, both looking thoroughly unimpressed with their situation.

Jayden groaned. "I've had better vacations."

"Really?" Liana deadpanned. "Name one."

"That time I got stranded in a desert without water was slightly better than this."

Isabella rolled her eyes, testing the chains. No give. "Well, let's hope this doesn't become a permanent stay."

A scraping sound echoed through the chamber as a heavy door creaked open. Footsteps-slow, deliberate-approached.

A man emerged from the shadows, his hands bound in chains, yet he carried himself like he was the one in control. He was lean, with sharp eyes that studied them like they were puzzles waiting to be solved.

He stopped just a few feet away, tilting his head. "You're in trouble."

Jayden let out an exaggerated gasp. "Wow. You must be a genius."

The prisoner ignored him, his gaze locking onto Isabella. "I know why you're here."

She lifted a brow. "Great. Then you can tell us how to get out of here."

The man's lips twitched in amusement. "That depends."

"On what?" Liana asked warily.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "How badly do you want the truth?"

The room felt colder. Isabella narrowed her eyes. "The truth about what?"

The prisoner smirked. "About the traitor. About the real war you've been dragged into. And most importantly" He let the moment, relishing the suspense. "About the real enemy you're facing."

Her pulse quickened.

"And if we want that information?" she asked.

The man leaned in, his smirk widening. "Then we make a deal."

The prisoner offers them a deal: freedom in exchange for a deadly truth.