The dark, oppressive air of the prison seemed to thicken as you held Sevika by the collar, your hand gripping the chain as if you had any real control over her. The ruse depended on it. You and Jinx had waltzed in disguised as enforcers, your faces hidden beneath helmets, and now Sevika, the indomitable, stood beside you like a leashed beast.

Her broad shoulders hunched slightly, her head lowered to sell the act. The collar around her neck gleamed under the flickering lights, and the tension between you felt electric. Jinx kept the Watcher's attention with her usual unhinged charm, but you couldn’t focus—your palm slick with sweat where it clasped the chain.

As Jinx drew the Watcher into a deeper conversation, Sevika leaned back into you, her voice low, gravelly, but unmistakably amused.

“You know,” she murmured, her lips barely moving, “wearing this thing… it does something to me. With the way you are staring, it's also doing something to you.”

Your heart skipped.

“Something?” you whispered back, trying to stay in character.

She chuckled darkly, her breath warm against your ear. “Makes you think about control. How much you’d hate losing it… and how much worse it’d be if you liked it.”

Your grip on the chain faltered for just a second, and her sharp eyes flicked to yours, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Relax,” she teased. “You’re doing great, officer. Almost convincing.”

The Watcher turned toward you both, and Sevika straightened, the picture of subdued strength. But as the moment passed, her words lingered, twisting in your mind like the tension in the air between you.

She’d given you something to think about, all right—and you weren’t sure you’d ever stop.