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A promise

The air in the dorm was thick with tension, a stifling silence interrupted only by the distant clinking of chains and the muffled cries of the punished. Luke sat against the cold stone wall, his arms folded, staring at the flickering lantern hanging from the ceiling. Jake paced the length of the room, his fists clenched, his face shadowed with frustration.

"So, that's it?" Jake finally snapped. "You're just gonna stand there, glaring at me like I'm the problem?"

Luke didn't respond immediately, his jaw tightening. "Taking the pet is already a risk, Jake. But her friend? That's on you."

Jake stopped pacing and turned to face him, his voice rising. "We're already neck-deep in this. What difference does one more make? You saw what they did to her friend. Lexie's on her last legs, Luke. They'll kill her."

"And that's exactly the point," Luke shot back, his voice sharp. "She's weak, Jake. She's a liability. If she can't keep up—"

"I'll carry her if I have to!" Jake interrupted, his voice breaking. "I'm not leaving them behind. Either we're all free, or what's the damn point?"

Luke exhaled slowly, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Fine. But if it falls apart because of them, the consequences are on your head. Not mine."

Jake's expression softened slightly, but the tension between them lingered. "They're not just... pets, Luke. They're people. Just like us."

Luke's gaze flickered toward the small barred window high on the wall. "No. Not like us. We're slaves. They're... something else."

The following evening, as the dorm quieted and the slaves settled into uneasy sleep, Elias crept closer to where Luke and Jake sat whispering in the shadows. His wiry frame moved with practiced caution, his sharp eyes flickering with curiosity.

"Still talking about that, are you?" Elias asked, his voice low but tinged with amusement.

Luke stiffened, but Jake leaned forward, his tone defensive. "What do you mean, 'still'? You've been eavesdropping again?"

Elias smirked, unbothered. "Hard not to when you're as loud as a pair of drunken guards. But I have some information that might be... useful."

Jake exchanged a wary glance with Luke, who nodded begrudgingly. "Go on."

Elias crouched beside them, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I've been hearing things. The guards—they're not as careful as they think. They talk when they think no one's listening. One of them mentioned the feral prison."

Luke frowned. "What about it?"

"They're renovating it," Elias continued. "It's not secure right now. Apparently, it's been a mess for weeks. If you're planning something, that might be your way out."

Jake's brow furrowed. "And what the hell is a feral prison?"

Elias's expression darkened, and he glanced over his shoulder as though expecting someone to appear out of the shadows. "It's where they keep the ones who lose control. The ones who don't feed for too long. They go feral—mindless, monstrous things that only care about blood."

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Luke's stomach churned. "Why haven't we heard about this before?"

Elias smirked. "Because they don't want you to know. If you knew how much they need us, you'd realize they're just as vulnerable as we are. Maybe more."

The weight of Elias's words hung in the air, and for a moment, none of them spoke. Finally, Jake broke the silence.

"So, they're just animals if they don't drink?"

"Worse than animals," Elias replied. "From what I've heard, they don't care who they kill. Human or vampire. They'll tear through anything until they've fed. It's why the renovations are taking so long. They're scared of what happens if something breaks loose."

Later that night, as the dorms fell into silence, Luke and Jake sat huddled together, their voices barely audible over the hum of restless breaths.

"We need a distraction," Jake said, his tone resolute.

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Something big enough to pull their attention away from us. But how?"

Jake shook his head. "Haven't figured that part out yet. But we'll need more than just us to pull it off."

Luke leaned back against the wall, his mind racing. "Elias doesn't need to know about the girls. Not yet. The fewer people who know, the better."

Jake hesitated, then nodded. "Agreed. But he's right about one thing—we can use that prison to our advantage. If it's as vulnerable as he says..."

"It's a death trap," Luke interrupted. "If those things get out, they won't stop until they've killed everything in their path."

Jake's expression hardened. "Better them than us."

Luke didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the dark ceiling above. He couldn't argue with Jake's logic, but the thought of unleashing something so dangerous sent a chill through him.

A guard barked the order, his tone sharp and final, and Jake obeyed without question. He wasn't sure why he'd been chosen, but when he arrived at the pets' chambers, the sight before him made his stomach churn.

Lexie lay on a narrow cot, her fragile body covered in bruises and shallow cuts. Her breathing was faint, her lips cracked and dry. Maria knelt beside her, her hands shaking as she tried to clean the wounds with a damp cloth.

"You're late," Maria said sharply, her voice cutting through the oppressive silence.

Jake flinched but said nothing, moving quickly to her side. "I came as soon as they called me," he muttered, setting down the supplies he'd been given.

Maria looked up at him, her piercing gaze heavy with suspicion and exhaustion. "She's worse today. They've been pushing her too hard."

Jake glanced at Lexie, his chest tightening. "What happened?"

"They said she wasn't fast enough," Maria replied bitterly, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "So they made an example of her."

Jake clenched his jaw, his hands trembling as he began tending to Lexie's wounds. "They're monsters," he muttered under his breath.

Maria's expression softened for a moment, but her tone remained guarded. "Do you still think we're not worth the risk?"

Jake froze, his hand hovering over a particularly deep cut. He looked up at her, guilt flashing across his face.

"You told him, didn't you?" Maria pressed, her voice low but insistent.

Jake swallowed hard. "I did."

"And?"

Jake hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Luke's... hesitant. He thinks it's too dangerous."

Maria let out a bitter laugh, her voice laced with frustration. "Of course he does. It's always easier to look the other way, isn't it?"

"It's not like that," Jake said quickly. "He just... he's scared. For all of us."

"And what about you?" Maria demanded, her eyes locking onto his. "Are you scared too?"

Jake hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm scared of what will happen if we don't try. You and Lexie... you don't deserve this. None of us do."

Maria's gaze softened, a flicker of something—hope, maybe—crossing her face. "Then help us. Please. I'm begging you, Jake."

Jake's throat tightened, and he looked down at Lexie, her frail body trembling beneath his touch. "We will," he said softly. "I promise."

Maria exhaled shakily, her shoulders sagging with relief. But her expression quickly hardened again. "You have to convince him, Jake. If he doesn't agree..."

"He'll agree," Jake interrupted, his voice firm. "I'll make sure of it."

Maria studied him for a long moment, her sharp eyes searching his face. "You're different," she said finally. "Not like the others."

Jake looked up at her, confusion flickering across his face. "What do you mean?"

Maria hesitated, then shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Just... don't let me down."

"I won't," Jake said firmly.

Maria nodded, her expression unreadable, and turned back to Lexie, gently brushing a strand of hair from her friend's face. "She doesn't have much time left, Jake. If we don't act soon..."

Jake's chest tightened, and he nodded. "We will. I promise."