Interlude: Hourglass

In the cold, dim light of the room, Liriana sat on a small cot, her knees drawn up to her chest. She shivered, partly from the chill that seemed to seep from the steel walls and partly from the hollow ache that had settled deep inside her.

She glanced around, taking in the stark, sterile room with its harsh lights and transparent glass pane that separated her from the rest of the facility. The hours had blurred together in this isolated place, but whenever she closed her eyes, she saw the faces of Squad GX, their kind smiles and warm voices. She remembered Jessie’s jokes, Mira’s gadgets, Talia’s steady presence, Dax’s gentle encouragement, Rhea’s strong, protective aura… Each memory was like a small flicker of warmth in the darkness surrounding her, and she clung to them, desperately hoping they would come for her. But that hope grew fainter with each passing hour.

Just then, a shadow passed by her cell, and she looked up to see Reid Evaris standing there. His gaze met hers, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of pity and contempt.

“Expecting a rescue?” he asked, his voice low and metallic. “Thinking that the knights are going to storm in here and save the day?”

Liriana held his gaze, refusing to let him see her fear, but she couldn’t hide the glimmer of tears that threatened to spill.

“You think you’re special?” Reid continued, anger seeping into his tone. “You’re not. To them, you’re just a mission—a pawn. And to us… Just a resource. Useful, but disposable. No one’s coming for you, little girl. You belong to the Aequitas now.”

Her lip trembled, but she steadied herself, summoning all the strength she could muster. “They’re… they’re my friends,” she whispered, the words barely audible but laced with conviction.

“Friends?” Reid laughed, the sound echoing against the glass. “Friends… family… all that is a weakness. It blinds you, makes you vulnerable. And that’s exactly why they’ll fail if they try to come for you.”

She clenched her fists, anger stirring in her chest. “They won’t fail,” she said, her voice stronger this time. “They’re stronger than you know.”

“I used to believe in things like that…” Reid muttered, almost to himself. “I believed in the knights. And those same knights were the reason for my suffering all along…” For the first time everything but his robotic features in Reid’s face seemed to lit up in anger.

“You’ll see soon enough. Hope is a fragile thing, and it shatters all too easily.”

He turned, starting to walk away, but paused when one of his followers approached, whispering something in his ear. Reid’s eyes flickered with a flash of intrigue, and a small, dangerous smile tugged at his lips.

“Well, It seems your ‘friends’ might be a bit more foolish than I expected. Dax Vanon, of all people, has decided to show up. Alone, just as requested.”

Liriana’s heart leapt at the mention of Dax’s name, a flicker of hope rekindling inside her. They came for me.

But Reid’s dark smile quickly snuffed out that spark.

“Don’t get too excited,” Reid warned, his voice icy. “This won’t end the way you think it will.”

With that, he turned and strode away, leaving her alone once more.

They’re stronger than you know, she repeated to herself, clutching her knees tighter.