SIXTEEN | Not Again!

[ZARINA]

“No, I can’t do it. What if we get caught?”

She sighed, staring at me silently. It was unusual for her to be quiet, and it made me uneasy.

“Please say something,” I urged her. She closed her eyes briefly, shook her head, and pressed her lips together.

Her green eyes met my blue ones again. “Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen. Trust me, I’m here to help you escape,” she reassured me with such conviction that I didn’t doubt her for a moment.

I surveyed the room I was in and took in my surroundings. It was one of the cramped cells located in the basement of the orphanage. The walls were decayed and the stench was so overpowering that every breath felt like a slow death. It was terrifying initially, but after spending five years of my life here since turning eighteen, it had become a strangely tranquil place, although more peaceful than I would have preferred.

“Zarina! Are you paying attention?” She whispered quietly, and I nodded, turning my gaze back to her.

“Great! So