The malevolent dance of snowflakes in the frigid air gradually descended, settling ominously upon Zane's tense shoulder. His unwavering gaze locked onto the sinister crimson dot that bore into him with relentless intent. With a swift, predatory movement, he reached for the concealed firearm in his pocket and, in a single decisive motion, extinguished the life of the malefactor within his dark narrative.

As the snowflakes landed on his eyes, he closed them, blinking in a frantic frenzy. When he dared to open his eyes once more, he found himself cruelly awakened from his dreamlike reverie. The ominous red dot persisted, an unyielding beacon of dread, and the venomous puppeteer who wielded it remained very much in control of his fate.

I need to talk to someone, he kept mumbling. To think that talking would be preposterous was insane, but Zane lived in insanity. 

His unusual comradery with Carmen had come to an end. Neither did he feel comfortable around her, nor did she seem in the right state to respond. Rylen, who knew Bane relatively, hated him. In his mind, he made countless arguments to convince Rylen that he would try to protect all of them, not just himself. But that required speaking and Zane had lost his voice. 

He caught Adara staring daggers at him, her focus waning from him as she glared at Carmen and vice-versa. 

The chilly air tried to comfort him, caressing his face as the flakes calmed his bare feet. But every time something made close contact with him, he'd flinch as his mind drew an image of Bane's cold stare. He told himself that if he escaped the home theatre, he'd laugh at the irony. He who was once Bane's tormentor, became the tormented. 

Similar to the rhythmic ticking of a clock, his eyes consistently shifted towards Bane's camera. His mouth seemed restless, as though it was struggling to find the right words to engage with his tormentor. After all, Bane was the sole person he had permission to communicate with. Glancing over at Rylen, who sat in a recliner with his posture slightly slouched and rhythmically tapping his knees, he recognized that Rylen was perhaps the only remaining member who maintained a level of clarity, albeit to a limited extent. If he could persuade Rylen to assist him, he might find a way to ensure everyone's safety.

"Bane," he said. His voice was not as commanding as he believed it was, "You know who caused all your troubles now. Adara and Rylen are innocent, you should let them go. That's what you promised, isn't it?"

See Rylen, I'm on your side! Zane exclaimed as he caught Rylen's eye. 

Rylen let out a visible sigh when he received no response. He walked confidently towards Zane, relieved that Bane wasn't watching them. However, as soon as Zane caught on to what Rylen was doing he put his hand up, signalling for him to stop. Zane knew better than anyone that Bane was always present. Always watching. 

"You can't ignore me, Bane!" Zane exclaimed. 

"You said it yourself a long time ago. Or was it a long time ago? It appears we're both losing track of time," Bane said, chuckling, "But I can't let them go. They know who I am, don't they?" 

Zane wasn't phased. He knew that this was going to be the outcome. Instead, he locked eyes with Rylen again, hoping that someone would be on his side. 

I'm trying to find a way out, that's why I agreed to help Bane! He exclaimed, but only to himself. Perhaps if there was a psychic in the room, she could read Bane's mind. They could communicate through thoughts alone and find their way out. 

In the symphony of life, words are notes that compose harmony. Without them, people stumble into a mute world, lost in the cacophony of unspoken thoughts. Words are the compasses that guide people through the wilderness of silence, shaping existence, and avoiding the disaster of unexpressed truths. But words were banned in the theatre. 

There has to be some way, Zane told himself, working his brain till there was no room for thoughts. He could feel the absence of ideas, those that he had planned with his team what seemed like ages ago. 

Beside him, he sensed an ominous presence, a turbulent mix of unease, animosity, and bewilderment. Yet, amidst this cacophony of emotions, faint traces of optimism emerged as the presence descended to meet Zane at his seated level, revealing its identity - Rylen. Zane turned to him, boisterous in his heart. It was concerning that Rylen was so quick to trust him yet again, but he was happy. He possibly had Rylen on his side and that was better than no one. 

As they stared at each other longingly, neither spoke a word. Cryptic sentences formed in Zane's mind which he could have used to relay his predicament to Rylen. But his omnipresent enemy wasn't dumb; he was present, always. 

Instead, they sat in each others' presence, thoughts wandering to different areas, all that would amalgamate into one. As Zane reminisced on the cold tiles that lay on the other side, he concentrated on regaining control over the final boss. As for Rylen, he never thought far ahead. Rather, he went back to the arguments of the past, a complete contrast from Zane. As he recollected their past findings, he hoped something would fall into place. 

He hoped he would be able to speak his last words that would transform into a plan. 

His eyes shot up to the ceiling, as they had once before. Although he felt himself changing, his train of thought had not. In a blazing surge of raw, unbridled energy, he remembered exactly what he had thought of all those days ago. Back then, he hadn't found the words to articulate his plan, and he'd harboured doubts. However, with the unexpected relationship between Adara and Bane, he sensed the breakthrough he longed for might be within reach. 

Every home theatre had a projector. Except this one. Perhaps if he could find the projector and talk to Adara, he might be able to find it. The projector might even be their last hope. Once the projector was found, they wouldn't have to fear communicating. 

He needed to talk to Adara. 

He needed to talk, period. 

Even in Zane's presence and the constant feeling of freedom that appeared and disappeared, he felt utterly alone. 

Despite everything, Bane was always one step ahead. 

On the other side of the room was Carmen, her eyes fixated on the two. Actions speak louder than words, or so she had heard. Still, as her stare lingered on Zand and Rylen, she couldn't hear a word. Her entire life had been built on telling people what they needed to hear, manipulating people with the sweet chords of her innocent face. Without words, she was nothing. 

Carmen had risked it all by divulging her secrets, resulting in a growing number of adversaries. But she refused to let it be in vain. Carmen realized that speaking inside the theatre was not an unattainable goal; all that was needed was a distraction for Bane outside the four walls, a task she now believed Zane could accomplish. If the stakes were high enough, Bane might open the doors for his ally again. 

Carmen was the stakes. Carmen had her voice. 

First, she sold everything for her grandmother. Her smile, her morals, her desires. Then, she sold everything for a dishonourable life that never gave her her smile back. She sold her heart, her body and her mind before she was a weak example of living life to one's own accord. 

But no more of that. The man who made her fear life, something she had given up years ago, would see the grave mistake he'd made. Now that she had her voice back, she wasn't going to stay quiet. She would push all buttons until everything broke loose and she was herself again. 

Until those who trusted her would be glad they did so. 

"Zane," she commanded, lifting herself from her sadness cave. She marched toward him, eyeing the camera down as she took careful steps. 

Startled, Zane whipped his head around, discerning the fierceness in her eyes, the look that once said I'll do anything to get out. Manifesting the same look, he hardened his jaw and creased his eyebrows, waiting for her to command the room once again. 

"What does Bane want you to know now? What's left of me that is still forcing him to keep me alive? Get it over with, coward," she spat. 

Unsure whether the insult was directed at him or Bane, he kept his traitor look alive, "Who is helping you, Carmen? Your heinous acts cannot be a one-woman job so don't make this hard. Who is helping you on the other side?"

A look of realization dawned on Carmen. Bane was covering all bases. He would not stop until each and every person who knew about him was gone, forever. Of course, only she knew that it was a one-woman job, that she was the only mastermind behind all of Bane's misfortune, but the truth never mattered. Escape did. The finale seemed nearer and nearer, and at the end of the tunnel, a silhouette stood, staring at the rubble that formed behind it. Carmen's determination burned brighter than ever.

That silhouette was Carmen. She had begun the mess, roped in two innocent lives into the tapestry of poorly sown threads. Although she never took the blame for Zane's misfortune, she felt entitled to protect him, as he had tried to himself. 

Contrary to what Carmen had believed, she was the author of her own misfortune. And only the authors can control the end of a story. 

"If Bane really wants to know," Carmen said, seething, "ask him to ask me himself. Or is he too cowardly to take me on like a real man?"

Recklessness was not Carmen's forte. But standing in the middle of the crowd with all eyes on her as she took the credit for her actions and faced them like a champion, she felt undefeated. This was what she was made for. 

She turned to the camera, "If you want to know something, ask me like you asked Zane. Don't think for even one minute that I'll make this easy for you."

"So the black sheep finally speaks up," Bane mused, "Zane, I expected better from you. You were supposed to answer my question by manipulating her. You shouldn't have been so straightforward."

"Maybe if you had given me more instruction than to just deal with it, I might as well have," Zane said. 

"I might even reconsider letting you go now. You should be careful, Zane," Bane said. 

"Talk to me, Nikson," Carmen commanded, "If it's a name you want, you're going to have to work for it. Make me a deal the way you did with Zane."

"He's not going to give you what you want, you know that," Adara said. 

The girl who had been wallowing in her corner, trying to erase the picture of her dead aunt and innocent cousin stood before Carmen, as the flame of determination refused to burn. She walked towards the people who betrayed her, concealing any hits of hatred that rested behind those fierce eyes. The days were numbering and Adara knew that. 

It was now or never. 

"We'll see about that," Carmen challenged, although she agreed with Adara. 

"If you just want a way out of the theatre, I'd like to remind you that it's not simple. He'll blindfold you and you can't find a way out, Bane isn't that stupid. He'll have guards follow you around and they'll always be beside you. You're better off just telling me whatever it is," Zane said discreetly, hoping she had all the information she needed. 

"I'll deal with that, Zane," she said curtly. 

When Bane remained silent, Carmen turned to Zane, feeling confused and uncertain. She had put forth her best effort, but if Bane didn't fall for her deception, they were all in trouble. As Rylen observed Carmen's unshakable confidence, he silently prayed that the projector he himself mentioned was a valuable asset. Deep down, he suspected that Carmen could somehow sense his plan, which was why she took such a risky gamble. Despite all the revelations about her, he had no other option but to trust her. Provoking another argument wouldn't benefit anyone, so he had to rely on Carmen to help herself if nothing else.

The group waited for the conqueror of words to relay his commands to them. 

Everyone except Adara hoped that Carmen would leave the room soon. 

And that she would remain unscathed. 

𓆩⟡𓆪

The door creaked open, a sinister silence shrouding the room. A masked figure emerged, a pink blindfold extended like a harbinger of impending doom. Their presence marked the second time someone would be escorted away, but this time, an eerie hush gripped the atmosphere. No one dared disrupt the ominous ballet unfolding before them; every step part of a malevolent masterpiece.

Carmen turned her back to the shadowy men, resigned to her fate as the satin cloth descended over her eyes. The others in the room stole anxious glances at the clock, yearning for confirmation of the hour. The date, etched in infamy, was the noon of October 17th, 2023. Rylen and Zane bided their time, patiently waiting for Carmen to exit, their hearts heavy with the weight of secrets they clung to. Only when she had vanished from their midst, and Bane was ready to enact his own sinister plan, would the cherished, ominous words be spoken.

The door shut and Carmen was gone. She had taken her words, her contribution away from the room. As Zane watched the others warily, his mind shifted to Carmen and what she was about to do. If anyone could manipulate words, it was her. If anyone could spot the slightest cracks in Nikson's flawless plan, it was her. He had faith and he had a fettering connection with Bane which he would hold onto as much as he could. 

An alarm clock set off in all three hearts, signalling them that it was time. Without skipping a beat, Rylen spoke first, knowing he had the most to contribute. 

"Adara, you said you weren't very close to Nikson and his family, right? Did you have, no matter how small, a connection with them? Please try to think Adara. We really need this!" Rylen urged in a panicky tone. 

"You're putting me on the spot," she complained, but her mind was racing back. Of course, they live in the same city and her father would talk to Nikson often. But what has she done with them?

Adara's memory suddenly clicked into place. She realized she had a connection to the Badgelys, or at least one of them. Emily and Jonah had spent a period of time staying at her house, and that's where she recognized the baby monitor from! Back then, Nikson hadn't been with his family, but they all used to bond over movies at night. Adara hadn't paid much attention to the specifics, but she remembered watching those same movies on her own monitor with her family. Somehow, Bane had orchestrated a situation where both monitors, his and Adara's, played the same movie simultaneously.

"I didn't talk to Bane personally a lot, but we used to watch movies together. He had this great set-up at his home and he used to ensure that both us and him could watch the same movies at the same time. It was connected, or something," Adara said. 

"This is it! I knew there was something missing in the room! Look around, there is no projector, let alone all the other devices that go along with it! If he was able to connect both devices without a hassle, it means he does have a good set-up! It must be here somewhere!" Rylen exclaimed. 

"What are you going on about?" Zane asked, perplexed. 

"Don't you see it? If we find the room with all the equipment related to the theatre, we can connect his devices with Adara's! We can send a message from here to the outside world and pray that her parents read it!" Rylen exclaims. 

"But to get the room, we need to leave the theatre!" Adara exclaimed. 

 "Zane and Carmen left the room, we can too! We will leave soon. Trust me, Adara."

Those sixteen words made up for all the words that were left unspoken under Bane's unwavering gaze. 

𓆩⟡𓆪

A/N: The second half of LT4 starts off with a bang! At least, I really hope so 😅😬. What did you think of this chapter? What do you think Carmen will see outside? Most of all, will this be the plan that finally takes them somewhere? Let me know everything in the comments. Also, I know there wasn't much focus on Carmen's betrayal in this chapter which might've been odd, but it's coming 👀 
WN: 2779