Chapter 200

Grayson’s POV

A tiny smile tugged at my lips as Elaine exaggerated her movements, mimicking some Disney princess I couldn't identify. She raised her hand dramatically, twirled, jumped, and shook her head in mock frustration.

"Come on, jumping? Frogs? Tiana," she laughed, collapsing onto the floor opposite me. Her hair clung to her damp forehead, her cheeks flushed, but a bright expression kept me grounded. "You know what? You're the problem. You suck at this game, Grayson. And don't think I haven't noticed—you refuse to take a turn."

I didn't reply, but my mouth twitched. This was easier—sitting here with her, distracting ourselves. How long had we been doing this? Hours? Days? I didn't know, and for the first time, I didn't care. Focusing on something else, I'd stopped counting the minutes and the potential ways this could end.

Elaine shifted, lying back. The sweat on her skin made her slide as she stretched. I felt a pang of guilt. We'd been trying—I had been trying—to escape. But without our wolves, we were powerless. The immobilizing drugs had worn off, but her connection to her wolf remained severed. We were hurt, vulnerable, and out of options.

I'd tried everything. But clawing at the vault door and searching for weak spots yielded nothing. I had to accept the truth: there was nothing I could do. Elaine suggested I stop stressing and wasting energy. She said if this was the end, we might as well make the remaining time bearable.

"Like when we were kids," she added, smiling. "The imitation game."

And I agreed. Acceptance, however daunting, felt lighter than the crushing weight of failure.

Elaine sighed. "You know what would be epic?" She turned, her brown eyes bright with mischief. "One of us realizing we have superpowers. We could bend metal."

I frowned. "What?"

She rolled her eyes and sat up. "Oh, right. You stopped watching cartoons. Anyway, there's this series where people bend the four elements—water, earth, fire, air."

"So where does metal bending come from?"

"It's an extension! Waterbenders can bloodbend, firebenders control lightning, airbenders can fly. But earthbenders are the coolest. They control sand, rocks, metal… even lava. There's this character who thought he was going to die, and then—bam—he could lava-bend."

She trailed off, noticing my gaze. Her playful expression softened, becoming uncertain. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Because it's been a long time since I've seen you like this," I said impulsively. The words hung heavy.

Elaine smiled sadly. Before either of us could speak, a sharp hiss filled the room. Gas. Again. She sighed, leaning against the wall as the acrid smell filled the air.

"He's pumping more in each time," she muttered, brushing her hair back. "I can't believe I fell for it. I'm so stupid."

I shook my head, leaning closer. "Hey, none of this is your fault. Do you hear me?" I waited until she looked at me, her eyes glistening. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. I made bad choices. For fifteen years, I lost sight of everything. I became something I hate." My voice cracked. "If I'd been stronger, smarter, better… maybe we wouldn't be here."

She smiled sadly. "I just… I wish it wasn't too late."

I looked at the vault door, still locked, still impenetrable. My eyes fell to my discarded jacket, and an idea struck me. Maybe I could use it to block the vent. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"What are you doing?" Elaine asked.

"I'm trying something," I muttered, climbing onto a crate to reach the vent.

Elaine peeled off her shirt, leaving her in a sports bra. She tossed it to me. "Here. Use this too."

I froze, suddenly aware of her bare shoulders and the sweat on her skin. I quickly turned back to the vent. "Elaine… what the hell are you doing?"

"Don't be such a prude," she laughed. "It's just a shirt. We're literally dying, Grayson. Focus."

Despite the situation, it felt weird. "I am focused," I muttered, shoving the jacket into the vent and adding her shirt. It wasn't perfect, but the hissing dulled.

Elaine sat back. "So… now what?" she asked, her voice laced with tired humor.

I stared at the makeshift barrier. "I have no idea."

She laughed softly, then glanced at the vault door, her smile fading. "Do you think anyone's coming for us?"

I wanted to lie, but I couldn't. I shook my head. "No."

Elaine nodded, but the sadness in her eyes cut deep. I looked away. She would have come for me. If I hadn't pushed her away, she would have. But I had no right to think about that now. I focused on the faint hissing.

Suddenly, a sharp pop echoed through the room, and the jacket and shirt were blasted away. Elaine's eyes widened. "What's happening?"

A thick cloud of gas poured into the room, far more than before. The hissing intensified, and the smell burned. Elaine coughed, pressing her arm to her face.

The sound of creaking metal filled the air, and the walls trembled. Panic seized me. Something big was shifting. I grabbed Elaine, shielding her.

"What the hell is going on?" she choked out.

"I don't know," I said, my heart hammering. The creaking grew louder, building into a deafening groan. The floor vibrated, and then—

Boom.

The explosion ripped through the room, knocking the air from my lungs. Heat and light engulfed us, a deafening roar drowning out all thought. I was slammed backward, the impact jarring every bone in my body.