Chapter 35: Fractured Loyalties

The aftermath of The Lost Gates leaves me raw, both physically and emotionally. Every step I take feels heavier, each breath labored. The memories the gates forced me to relive cling to me like shadows, but something deeper has shifted within. I survived—not unscathed, but intact. And Lucian knows it.

The tension in the facility is palpable, the air thick with unspoken fears and whispered suspicions. The guards seem more vigilant, their eyes darting to every corner. Caleb meets me in the corridor later that day, his expression carefully neutral.

“We need to talk,” he says, his voice low.

I nod, following him to a secluded alcove near the maintenance wing. His eyes dart around, scanning for eavesdroppers, before he leans closer.

“There’s a problem,” he says. “We think someone’s been feeding Lucian information about the Threads.”

The words hit me like a blow. “A spy?” I whisper, the realization sending a chill down my spine.

Caleb nods grimly. “It’s the only explanation for how he’s been one step ahead of us lately. We don’t know who it is yet, but we have a suspect.”

He pauses, his hesitation palpable. “It’s Finn.”

The name stops me cold. Finn is one of us, a quiet but dependable member of the Threads. He’s the last person I’d suspect of betrayal.

“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice barely audible.

“No,” Caleb admits. “But the patterns match. Finn’s been in places he shouldn’t be, asking questions he doesn’t need answers to. It’s enough to raise suspicions.”

My mind races, torn between doubt and loyalty. Finn has been with us from the start, but if he’s been feeding Lucian information, then everything we’ve worked for is at risk.

“What do you want me to do?” I ask finally.

Caleb hesitates. “Talk to him. See if you can get him to slip up. But be careful, Nerina. If he is the spy, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect himself.”

That evening, I find Finn in the common area, sitting alone at one of the tables. He looks up as I approach, his expression wary but not hostile.

“Hey,” I say, forcing a casual tone as I sit across from him. “How are you holding up?”

Finn shrugs. “Same as always. You?”

“Surviving,” I reply. “Barely.”

He nods, his gaze dropping to the table. For a moment, we sit in silence, the tension between us almost tangible. I decide to ease into the conversation, careful not to raise his suspicions.

“Have you noticed anything strange lately?” I ask. “The guards seem more on edge than usual.”

Finn glances at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Probably Lucian tightening his grip, like always.”

“Maybe,” I say, leaning forward. “But it feels different this time, doesn’t it? Like he knows something we don’t.”

Finn’s expression hardens. “What are you getting at, Nerina?”

The edge in his voice sets me on edge, but I push forward. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on. We can’t afford to be caught off guard.”

For a moment, Finn doesn’t respond. Then he leans back in his chair, his eyes studying me carefully.

“What do you think is going on?” he asks, his tone carefully neutral.

I hesitate, choosing my words carefully. “I think someone’s been talking to Lucian. Feeding him information about us.”

Finn’s expression doesn’t change, but something in his posture shifts. “And you think it’s me?”

“I didn’t say that,” I reply quickly. “But we have to consider every possibility. If someone is betraying us, we need to know.”

He laughs bitterly, shaking his head. “Of course. And I’m the obvious suspect, right?”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” I insist. “But if there’s something you know, Finn, now’s the time to tell me.”

For a long moment, he just stares at me, his eyes unreadable. Then he stands abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, Nerina, but I’m not your enemy,” he says sharply. “If you want to waste your time chasing ghosts, be my guest. Just don’t drag me into it.”

He walks away before I can respond, leaving me sitting there with my heart pounding and my mind racing. Was that defensiveness the reaction of an innocent man, or did I just push a traitor too far?

I find Caleb later that night, recounting my conversation with Finn. He listens intently, his expression grim.

“It’s not definitive,” he says finally. “But it’s enough to keep an eye on him. We can’t afford to act without proof.”

“And if he is the spy?” I ask.

Caleb’s jaw tightens. “Then we deal with him. But until we know for sure, we can’t risk tipping our hand.”

As I lie awake that night, my mind churns with uncertainty. The thought of betrayal within the Threads is almost too much to bear, but the alternative—trusting blindly and risking everything—is even worse.

Lucian’s shadow looms larger than ever, and the cracks within our rebellion are starting to show. If we don’t find the spy soon, everything we’ve worked for could unravel before our eyes.