Luke sat on the edge of his bunk, staring at the cold, cracked floor beneath his bare feet.

Around him, the other slaves settled into their thin, scratchy bedding, their hollowed faces turned away, their whispers drowned out by the rattling chains hanging from the walls.

Jake was pacing again, his footsteps agitated and loud enough to draw annoyed glances. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his frustration palpable.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Luke muttered, rubbing his temples.

Jake turned sharply, his voice low but filled with intensity. "We can't keep doing this, Luke. Day in, day out, letting them bleed us dry.

We're just waiting to die."

Luke sighed, leaning back against the wall.

"You think I don't know that? But rushing headfirst into an escape isn't bravery, it's stupidity. We don't have a plan, Jake. No tools, no information, nothing."

Jake's eyes burned with fury. "So what? You want to rot here until they throw your lifeless body into the fire pits? Because that's all we're heading toward."

Luke stayed silent, his jaw tightening.

Jake sat down across from him, his voice dropping to a whisper. "We need more people. They're not just going to let us waltz out of here. If we find others-slaves who know things we don't-maybe we stand a chance."

Luke shook his head. "More people means more risk. Someone talks, we're dead before we even start."

Jake leaned in closer. "And what about her?

You think she deserves to stay here? You think she'll survive another year with that monster draining her dry?"

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Luke froze. The image of her haunted him-the way her green eyes had locked onto his during the vaccinations, the desperation in her whispered plea for help. He didn't want to admit it, but Jaake was right.

Still, his voice came out firm. "She's a liability, Jake. Bringing her along would paint a target on all of us. If we're caught, it won't just be the guards. Every vampire in this mansion will be hunting us down."

Jake scoffed. "You don't think they'll hunt us anyway? What's the difference?"

A voice from the shadows cut through their argument. "The difference is numbers."

Luke and Jake turned to see a wiry figure stepping into the dim torchlight. It was Elias, one of the quieter slaves who kept to himself.

His sunken eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence, his gaunt face betraying a calculating mind.

Elias crossed his arms, his tone calm but edged with mockery. "You take her with you, and you might as well hang a bell around your necks. They'll never stop hunting. But a few ragged slaves? They might not bother wasting the effort. They've got hundreds more where we came from."

Jake stood, squaring up to Elias. "And who asked you?"

Elias didn't flinch, his smirk widening. "No one. But I hear things

.

And I can think-something you two seem to struggle with.

You're not getting out of here without a plan.

And you sure as hell won't do it alone."

Luke frowned, studying Elias. "Why would you help us?"

Elias shrugged. "Because you're idiots, and you'll get yourselves killed if someone doesn't step in. I'm not strong, but I'm smart.

Smarter than both of you put together. And trust me, brains matter more than brawn when it comes to slipping through cracks."

Jake looked ready to argue, but Luke raised a hand, silencing him. "What do you want in return?"

Elias's smirk faded, his expression darkening.

"The same thing you do. Freedom. But I'll tell you this-if you're taking her, count me out.

She's a death sentence."

Jake glared, but before he could reply, Luke spoke. "We'll think about it."

Elias nodded, retreating back into the shadows. "Do that. Just don't take too long.

Your window's closing faster than you think."

The dorm fell silent again, the weight of the conversation hanging over them like a shroud. Jake climbed into his bunk, his anger still simmering, but Luke remained seated, staring into the darkness.

His mind drifted back to a memory he had tried to bury-the day the vampires came for his family. He had been ten years old, hiding under the kitchen table as his mother, father, and older sister were dragged into the living room. He had watched, trembling and powerless, as they were ripped apart limb by limb, their screams echoing in his ears. Blood pooled across the floor, staining the pristine carpet as the vampires fed.

When they finally found him, he hadn't even screamed. He had been too numb, too broken.

Now, the memory didn't bring fear or sadness. It brought a cold, burning resolve.

He wouldn't let that happen again-not to Jake, not to her, not to anyone.

For the first time, the idea of escape didn't feel like a distant, impossible dream. It felt necessary.