"Did this interrogation even lead to anything?" Adara asked, hugging her stomach as it grumbled. 

"We know there are gaps in our memories," Rylen offered. 

Carmen and Zane walked down the carpeted stairs. Since the path was narrow, Carmen bumped into the armrests as she walked in unison with Zane. There was a gap between them, one she did not wish to close. 

"I want to go home," Adara whined. This time, her tone was void of any fear. Just hopelessness. 

"I don't know how to say this nicely," Rylen began, "but do you suspect anyone? It might be awkward because we're all stuck in one room but-"

"Yes," Carmen said, cutting him off. 

Zane gave her an obtrusive look as if to say I see what you're doing. Carmen's eyes didn't follow him; any chance she thought she had at manipulating him had faded away. He knew what he was doing. 

"So do I," Adara said. 

"I think we're all thinking the same thing," Rylen said. 

"Adara."

"Zane."

"Rylen."

Carmen, Rylen and Adara spoke in chorus, a stupefied expression plastered on Rylen and Adara's fair skins. Rylen looked at Adara, his eyes stung with the familiar feeling of hurt. Adara on the other hand, locked eyes with Carmen, her jaw open wide. 

"It's so obviously Rylen!" Adara began, "Like he's been saying, it's his drugs that went missing and they just landed on my doorway! I can't help that! Maybe he was tired of working for Bane!"

"Just because I distributed his drugs doesn't mean I'm the one he's looking for!" Rylen exclaimed, "I've tried being nice to you since the beginning but you've just latched yourself onto me! Zane admitted to saying that he wouldn't keep quiet any longer! Maybe, he'd had enough and gone to the police!"

Carmen's eyes were locked on Zane tight jaw; if she didn't build her theory, he'd have a go, unveiling the only surmise that was accurate. 

"Maybe if you based your accusations on more than your judgements, perhaps we'd take it with more than a grain of salt, Adara," Carmen began, shooting Rylen a look of reassurance. 

She had to bring the strong and comparatively muscular man on her team. 

"Zane mentioned this before, but there's no way to know for sure if he went to the police or not. Besides, I think it's pretty obvious that the police station incident was the catalyst for Bane's bizarre plan! Do you know who's the crux of that? Adara." Carmen said. 

"See, that makes sense but I found the packet outside my house! I didn't even know about Nikolas until then!" Adara said.

Carmen bit her cheeks, pausing to create a sense of anticipation. She'd done that a lot as a tarot card reader and it seemed that the wait demonstrated that she'd put effort into what truths she spoke. 

"If that's the case, Adara, why did you take the drugs to your room? The news report stated they found the stash in your bedroom so you can't deny acquiring it. If you never knew of such a thing, why not leave it at the doorstep?" Carmen asked. 

"Well, I-" she began, "I thought it was a parcel for my parents so I just brought it in with me. Only when I took it to my room did I realize."

"Why didn't you throw it away once you did?" Carmen asked, squinting her eyes at Adara. 

"I called my father. When I told him what was inside..." Adara said, hesitating, "he told me to keep it. That he'd explain later."

Rylen looked at her with abhorrence, "So it's fine if your father wants you to retain the drugs but when I did as little as distribute them, you decide that I'm the bad guy?"

"Distributing is a lot worse! Besides, I don't know why he wanted me to keep it! He told me to and I obeyed, that's it!" Adara exclaimed, defending herself. 

"And you just failed to mention this before? What happened to not knowing anything?" Carmen asked. 

"I still don't! I just listened to my father, that a crime?" Adara asked. 

"I think it's clear that-" Carmen started. 

"Nothing's clear, Rose. Nothing will be."

Zane walked closer to the circle as the group realized that he was the only one not to accuse anybody. Strangely out of character, from what they all had witnessed. The man who was ready to just about blame everyone stayed quiet. 

"There's no way to fact-check anything we just said. We can't figure this out without knowing what truly happened and that's impossible when you're stuck in a home theatre," Zane said. 

"Who do you suspect, Zane?" Adara asked, hoping to put the spotlight on anyone but herself. 

Zane looked at Carmen. She remembered him alleging that Adara would blow things out of proportion, which is why he hadn't told anyone. Still, could the condemning Zane keep quiet when his perspicacity was entailed? 

"I like Carmen's theory," he began, "but I don't trust her. I don't trust any of you until you give me a reason to do so."

"That's rich coming from you," Rylen said. 

"We're just wasting our time! We should be finding our way out!" Adara exclaimed. 

"Are you saying this because we have reason to suspect you?" Carmen asked, condescendingly. 

"You know, I thought you and I were the only innocent ones here! Now, not so much!" Adara spat. 

"Why, because I suspect you? That is the low level of rationale I'd expect from you," Carmen said. 

"You're insufferable!" Adara said, "I agree with Zane, there's no way to prove anything! So instead of wasting our time, we should find a way out! There must be a way around this, we're in a home theatre for crying out loud!"

Carmen moaned. Even she could see that she was in over her head, so much so that all the functions in her brain seemed to heat up. There was no doubt, she could handle it, but for how long? 

Every person in the room looked out of their wits, except Zane. After all, he'd only spoken for a while before he decided to be an observer. Carmen didn't have that luxury - neither the luxury of spectating nor the luxury of being innocent. 

"Adara's not wrong," Carmen said, easing the tension in her shoulders. 

"What do you propose then?" Rylen asked. 

"This doesn't need to be a team event," Adara said, the fight in her dissipating, "I'm done for the day. Done for my life too, I'd say. Just leave me the fuck alone for a while."

"I second that," Zane said. 

The pair walked in cahoots as there was only one stairway. Once Adara reached the fourth row, she departed Zane's presence, taking the seat farthest to the left. With the same idea, Zane went as far right as he could. 

Rylen stood next to the giant, black screen with Carmen at his side. He didn't plan on moving, hoping he could stay as far away from the camera as possible. 

Although there was a man right next to her, Carmen's eyes were on the man who left; Zane. His eyes were closed as he let his hair fall back in place. His posture looked normal, almost calm but Carmen knew better - he knew how to keep a secret. 

She couldn't leave him in solitude for too long. He hadn't spoken for all he had was a hunch but the more time he spent with his brilliant self, the more dangerous he'd become. She had to sway him. 

Carmen pulled her black shorts that had risen up beyond her knowledge. Just as she prepared herself to leave, Rylen began to speak. 

"Thank you. For sticking up for me."

Carmen smiled. It seemed he had grown fond of her already. "It's no big deal. No one goes down this shitty path without a good reason."

Rylen smiled, "The thing is, I can't even blame Adara. I know a lot of people who don't like what I'm doing. There's a good reason behind it too."

"Your sister?" Carmen questioned. 

"You're quite perceptive," Rylen chuckled, "yes, my sister. I had kept this a secret from her for a long time. I didn't want her to worry, you know? She figured it out though, and she's been pissed off ever since."

"If you don't mind me asking, why even do any of this?" Carmen asked. 

"My mum died nine months ago. It was all so sudden but she used to do all sorts of odd jobs and she must have got an infection. She died of sepsis," Rylen said, "I didn't care for the details back then, all I knew was that she was gone."

Carmen looked away. She didn't know how to react to loss, not when she'd had nothing to lose for years. She was unfit to show pity and was heedless on whether he'd want that. She couldn't talk to him the way she talked to herself - saying that everyone lost something in life and to get over it. 

Instead, she gave him another smile, "You must've missed her."

"I still do. If she was here, she would never have let me go down this path."

Silence filled the air between them. 

"That's not the point though, is it?" Rylen asked, shutting his eyes, "My sister is four years younger than me. If I want both of us to finish our studies, I kind of need the money. Say what you want about Bane but he pays well."

"What would your sister be doing right now?" Carmen asked. 

"Her name is Raven by the way. For future reference," Rylen said, "And to answer your question, I don't know. All I know is that I can't leave her without an explanation. I need to go home."

"Do you think Bane will check if anything we say is true? What if we give him a name, will he simply take our word and... do what he must?" Carmen asked. 

Rylen hesitated, "I didn't even think of that. If we give a name, we might be the reason for someone's death!"

"Do you really think he's capable of it?" Carmen asked. 

"I don't know him that well. I've only been doing this for six months now. But if he went this far," Rylen said, pointing at the walls that surrounded them, 'I don't think there's a question to it. He definitely can."

"I suppose so," Carmen said, "I know this sounds bad but I'd rather sacrifice whoever I believe is the cause of Bane's misfortune if it means I get to go home safe."

"I get where you're coming from," Rylen said, "but I truly don't believe that you could bring yourself to do that. Especially since Bane is the bad guy here, he deserved to get caught at some point. Whoever went to the police is innocent and was only doing the right thing."

"I don't know if this is the right time, but you saw how quick Adara was to throw the blame. I'm almost convinced that she orchestrated your drugs being stolen. I mean, isn't it a coincidence that it just happened around her house?" Carmen asked. 

"You want to give Bane Adara's name?" Rylen asked, discombobulated.

"It sounds bad, doesn't it?" Carmen said, changing her tone at Rylen's reaction. 

"I don't think I'd ever be able to live with myself if I did that. Besides the fact that she did nothing wrong, she reminds me too much of my sister. She's the last person I'd want to hand over," Rylen said. 

"But she's so-" Carmen began precipitately, realizing that she was losing him. 

"Harsh? Rude? I mean, everyone is frightened, including you and me. She's just finding a way to deal with it. I'd never forgive myself if I get her into trouble for trying to do the right thing," Rylen said, "I mean, we don't know it's her. But if it is, my answer remains the same."

"That's an unreasonable way to look at things. So if it's anybody else, you'd let them take the fall?" Carmen asked incredulously. 

Rylen thought for a moment, "You're right. No one here should take the fall for doing the right thing. We should never have wasted our time trying to blame someone. I think it's best if we find a way out. Together."

"You're being impulsive-" Carmen began. 

"Thank you for your insight. I know what we should have done from the start."

Rylen stepped away from Carmen, tenacity in each footstep he took towards the persons in desolation. Carmen balled her fist, disgusted at who she'd become - someone unable to control the situation around her for the second time in a row. 

Rylen is a sentimental fool, she told herself, something she should have realised a lot sooner. 

Years of self-sufficiency made her numb to the emotions that drove Rylen. 

𓆩⟡𓆪

"You don't know how to leave people alone, do you?" Zane drawled. 

"I'm sorry," Rylen started, "but I was talking to Carmen and I realized something - we're wasting our time!"

"That's what I've been saying but when I do it, I'm trying to cover up my tracks," Adara said, huffing. 

"Just listen to what he has to say, Adara," Carmen said, clicking her tongue. 

"What I'm trying to say is, we don't really know what Bane wants. Adara clearly went to the police, so why hasn't he just stopped at her?" Rylen asked. 

"That's a good question," Zane said, acknowledging him. 

"The person who ratted him out to the police is not enough for him, I think he wants more. I just don't know what that is," Rylen said. 

Zane rubbed his chin unremittingly, "You're right! He could have easily ended things with Adara but he didn't. I think he suspects that she doesn't know the whole story. I think he believes that someone apart from Adara is the real culprit."

"Then why did he bring me here?" Adara asked, hopefully. 

"Maybe he didn't want to take any chances. There's always a possibility that you know more than you're letting on," Zane said, "you know, Rylen, I wasn't expecting you to give us a breakthrough."

Carmen facepalmed internally. How was Rylen - the seemingly bootless guy - the cause of the collapse of her schemes? Not only had he failed to see the point Carmen had tried to make, but he was also taking the scrutiny away from Adara. 

"That's not what I'm trying to say," Rylen urged, "It doesn't matter who well-nigh caused his downfall! I mean, they were just exposing a drug lord and punishing someone for that is insane!"

"Now is not the time to be noble," Zane said.

Carmen bent her neck and smiled; at least someone was inadvertently sharing her point of view. Zane would have made the perfect ally, if not for what he suspected. 

"I agree with Rylen," Adara said, shocking everyone in the room, "We can't just give this dude what he wants, not when whoever caused this was trying to do the right thing!"

No, she wasn't, Carmen remarked but kept it to herself. 

"That's a rather bold assumption," Carmen said. 

"I don't know why you're so against this." Adara said, "Like Zane said, there's no way to be sure of anything! So why bother when we could have been finding our way out!"

"How does this benefit me? I might be throwing my chance at my life again! Who knows what Bane will do when he learns that we failed to follow his instructions," Zane said. 

"Say we suspect you and give your name to Bane; is that benefiting you in any way?" Rylen asked. 

Zane opened his mouth to speak but shut it at a loss for words. He turned to Carmen, recalling the deal they'd made the very hour that they'd woken up. Carmen evaded his gaze - why would she help him now? Carmen couldn't ignore Rylen's valid point: if they didn't suspect Adara the way she wanted and instead suspected her, she would be powerless to do anything about it.

"I agree with Rylen. He has a point," Carmen said finally. 

"So do I," Adara said. 

"I don't see how that's possible. The three of you have made it very clear that you do not trust each other. Or me," Zane said. 

"We should start now. Starting this hour, whatever it might be," Rylen said. 

"We just need a plan. Rylen knows Bane to some level and Zane, you've blackmailed him! Surely you know something that will help us get out!" Adara exclaimed, matching Rylen's enthusiasm. 

"Why should I take the fall for someone else's mistake?" Zane asked, vexed by the fact that he was outnumbered. 

"No one made a mistake, though," Rylen said, "Whoever tried to rat him out is not the villain, Bane is!" 

I'd beg to differ.

𓆩⟡𓆪

A/N: Pretty big decisions were made in this chapter 👀. I want to know, what are your thoughts on Bane? Do you think he wants more than he demands and if so, what?
WC: 2816