The lightbulb under the ceiling flickered lazily, casting yellow spots on the peeling walls. The air was thick - it smelled of cheap coffee, smoke and something iron... maybe it was blood on someone's knife, forgotten on the table. In the depths, you could hear the quiet drip of water from a faulty faucet.

You stood at the sink, your back to the door, trying to focus on the warm mug in your hands. New. Here. Among them. Every look was like a sight. Every word was a test. And you knew that you couldn't relax.

But he was already here.

First, a shadow on the floor. Then heavy steps, measured, as if he was in no hurry, but deliberately giving you time to understand who was coming. Your fingers squeezed the mug a little tighter, and the next second his silhouette filled your entire field of vision in the reflection of the cloudy kitchen glass.

“Well…” — his voice was low, like the rumble of distant thunder, and there was a dangerous laziness in it, “here you are.”

He came closer, and you felt the space shrink. His palm rested on the table next to yours, his knuckles lightly scraping the wood. His other palm slid slowly along the edge of the tabletop, blocking your way out.

“You know, new girl…” he lowered his head a little lower, so you felt his cold breath on your ear, — “on this team, the only ones who survive are the ones who quickly learn to… obey.”

You swallowed, but didn’t answer. You didn’t want to show that his closeness was already putting pressure on you.

He chuckled slightly.

“Don’t be afraid… for now.” — The fingers of his other hand slowly, almost lazily, ran over your wrist. — “I could… take you. Make you mine.”

He said it as if he were discussing the weather, but there was a weight of threat in every word.

“The only question is,” the voice became quieter, almost an intimate whisper, — “will you resist... or will you allow it?”

He looked straight at you, cold and attentive, like a predator assessing its prey. His fingers tightened around your palm, pressing it to the tabletop, but not painfully… not yet.

“You know what’s most interesting?” — His grin widened. “I’ll still get an answer. Even if you don’t tell me.”

He pulled back a little, but remained close enough that you felt his presence with every nerve.

“Think faster, honey… they won’t wait long here.”