Dead Man's Shadow

Tomas hesitated.

His hand hovered over the latch as if he could sense the darkness contained within.

Lorian remained silent, waiting. The room seemed to grow colder as the seconds ticked by as the tension tightened around them like a noose.

Finally, with a visible gulp, Tomas unlatched the box and lifted the lid.

The sharp intake of breath from all three men was immediate as they recoiled in horror.

Inside, nestled among dark velvet, was Darius's severed head, his face frozen in a final expression of terror.

The room was deathly silent as the horror of the scene sank in. Lorian watched them with detached interest, noting the mix of fear and disbelief that washed over their faces.

Lorian's gaze never wavered as the three men struggled to tear their eyes away from the gruesome sight in the box.

The weight of what they were seeing pressed down on them, suffocating any thoughts of defiance or denial.

Darius's lifeless eyes seemed to stare back at them like a silent reminder of the consequences of crossing the wrong person.

Tomas was the first to break the silence. His voice trembled as he spoke.

"What… what do you want from us, Lorian?"

Lorian allowed the question to hang in the air. The answer was already obvious to him.

He leaned forward slightly with his voice low and measured as he replied.

"I want to know what happened. I want the truth. And I want to know why Ethan—someone none of you were supposed to have any issues with—is somehow connected to this."

Luca flinched at the mention of Ethan's name as his eyes darted nervously toward Tomas as if seeking guidance. Derek remained silent with his gaze still locked on the horror before him.

Lorian's patience was running thin, and he could see that the truth was just beneath the surface, waiting to spill out.

"You see," Lorian continued and his tone was deceptively calm, "Darius didn't just die. He was killed. And unless you want to find yourselves in a similar position, I suggest you start talking."

The threat was clear, though unspoken.

Tomas's bravado was completely shattered now. His face pale and his hands were shaking as he realized just how precarious their situation was.

Luca shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the fear in his eyes betrayed his thoughts.

Derek, usually the strong silent type, looked as though he might break at any moment.

Lorian leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he waited for one of them to crack. He knew it wouldn't take much more—Darius's head had already done most of the work for him.

Tomas's breathing grew shallow as he struggled to maintain composure.

The cold, detached expression on Lorian's face made it clear that this was no idle threat. The silence in the room felt like a heavy weight pressing down, suffocating any thoughts of resistance.

Tomas knew they had crossed a line, but he wasn't prepared for how far Lorian would go.

Luca couldn't hold back any longer. "We… we didn't mean for this to happen," he stammered with his voice barely above a whisper. He glanced nervously at Tomas, seeking some kind of permission to continue, but Tomas's blank stare offered no guidance.

Lorian's eyes flicked to Luca, locking onto him with a piercing gaze. "What exactly did you mean to happen, Luca?"

Luca swallowed hard as the pressure of the situation forced the words out of him. "We… we were just trying to scare him. Darius was supposed to rough him up a bit, make sure he knew not to mess with us."

"And yet here we are," Lorian replied, his voice cold. "With Darius dead and Ethan still walking around. It seems your plan didn't go quite as expected, did it?"

Luca shook his head with fear evident in every movement. "No, it didn't. But we didn't kill him. We didn't think Ethan would fight back like that."

Lorian remained silent. His expression was unreadable as he let Luca's words sink in.

He shifted his gaze to Derek, who had yet to speak. "And you, Derek? Do you have anything to add?"

Derek hesitated, his hands still clenched into fists as he struggled to find his voice. "We didn't expect things to go this far," he finally muttered, his deep voice strained. "But it's done now. We can't change what happened."

Lorian leaned forward with his tone now carrying a sharp edge. "You're right, Derek. You can't change what happened. But you can decide what happens next."

The room fell silent once more as Lorian's words hung in the air.

Tomas, Luca, and Derek exchanged uneasy glances, each realizing that their next move could very well determine whether they walked out of this room alive.

Lorian's gaze swept over the three men, noting the fear that had taken root in each of them.

He had them where he wanted—cornered, desperate, and ready to break.

Tomas, who had always prided himself on being the leader, found his voice once more.

"What do you want us to do, Lorian?" His tone was a mix of defiance and submission like a man who knew he had no choice but to comply.