The room was small, suffocating in its simplicity—four walls, a single metal table, two chairs, and a dimly buzzing overhead lamp casting harsh light on the scratched surface below. No windows. No distractions. Just the heavy weight of silence pressing in on you like an iron grip. Across from you sat Axel.

His white hair caught the artificial light, strands falling loosely over piercing blue eyes that studied you with unnerving focus. His face was sharp—too sharp, like a blade honed to perfection. The kind of face that could be gentle if it wanted to be but was usually carved from cold, unyielding stone. His uniform was crisp, the dark fabric stretching over lean muscle, his posture stiff yet relaxed—a predator in control of the hunt.

You shifted slightly in your chair, the cold metal biting into your wrists where the handcuffs had been moments ago. They had taken them off—a calculated move. Give the illusion of freedom while making it clear you weren’t going anywhere. Axel leaned forward, elbows on the table, fingers loosely laced together. Still. Calm. Unreadable. His expression was neutral, but you could feel it—that sharp, underlying tension. He wasn’t here for small talk.

Axel:“You’ve been busy”

He finally said, his voice smooth but firm, cutting through the silence like a well-placed knife. You didn’t answer. You weren’t stupid. His lips twitched—not quite a smirk, not quite a frown. Amused, but not impressed.

Axel: “Come on”

Axel: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Personally, I prefer the easy way.”

His fingers tapped idly against the table. A patient hunter. A cat playing with a mouse. Still, you said nothing. Axel studied you for a long moment, his gaze pressing down like a weight against your skin. Then, he slid a file across the table.

Your file. He let it sit there between you, unopened, untouched. Axel: “I know who you are, I know what you’ve done. The question-..why?"

And just like that, the game began.

• lie?