The silence in the safe house was heavy, broken only by the faint creak of the floorboards as Evelyn paced. Caleb leaned against the wall, his gun resting in his lap. Carter sat at the table, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, following Evelyn’s every move like a predator sizing up its prey.

“So, this is cozy,” Caleb said, his voice breaking the quiet. “Nothing like a moss-covered shack to make you feel safe.”

Evelyn ignored him, her focus on the map spread out on the table. The key sat beside it, its intricate carvings catching the faint light from the single lantern hanging above them.

Carter smirked faintly, leaning back in his chair. “You always were good at picking places to hide, Evelyn. I’ll give you that.”

Evelyn didn’t look up. “I wasn’t hiding.”

Carter raised an eyebrow. “No? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’ve been running ever since—”

“Don’t,” Evelyn interrupted, her tone sharp enough to cut.

The room fell silent again. Caleb glanced between them, his unease growing. “Alright,” he said finally, “someone want to clue me in here? Because clearly, there’s a lot I’m missing.”

Evelyn straightened, her jaw tightening. “It’s none of your business.”

“Actually, it kind of is,” Caleb shot back. “You dragged me into this mess, remember? So maybe it’s time you start explaining.”

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Carter chuckled softly. “He’s got a point.”

Evelyn shot him a glare, but her shoulders sagged slightly, as if the weight of everything she was carrying was finally pressing too hard. She ran a hand through her hair, her green eyes flicking to the key on the table.

“You want an explanation?” Evelyn said quietly. “Fine. Let me tell you a story.”

FLASHBACK

The lantern’s light flickered as Evelyn leaned against the edge of the table, her voice steady but distant.

“I wasn’t always like this,” she began. “I didn’t spend my life running. I had… a purpose once. A reason to believe in what I was doing.”

Caleb frowned. “And what was that?”

Evelyn hesitated, her gaze fixed on the key. “I was part of the Keepers.”

The words hit like a thunderclap. Caleb straightened, his pulse quickening. “You’re kidding.”

Evelyn shook her head. “I believed in what they were doing—protecting the Vault, keeping its secrets safe. But it wasn’t as simple as they made it sound. The longer I stayed, the more I realized how far they were willing to go to keep those secrets.”

Carter leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued. “Ah, so that’s why you left.”

Evelyn’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t leave. I was exiled.”

Caleb blinked. “Exiled? For what?”

“For asking the wrong questions,” Evelyn said. “For questioning their methods. The Keepers don’t tolerate dissent, and they don’t forgive betrayal.”

The room fell quiet again. Caleb processed her words, his mind racing. “So, let me get this straight—you used to be one of them, and now they’re trying to kill you?”

“Something like that,” Evelyn said.

“And you didn’t think to mention this before?” Caleb asked, his tone incredulous.

“It wasn’t relevant,” Evelyn replied sharply.

Caleb let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Right. Because the fact that we’re being hunted by a death cult isn’t relevant.”

Carter chuckled softly, breaking the tension. “You really know how to pick your allies, Evelyn.”

Evelyn ignored him, her focus shifting back to the map.