Marcus stared at Noah for several seconds, the smug confidence he'd carried only moments ago nowhere to be found. His jaw tightened as his eyes flickered toward Sage, then Levy, searching their faces for any indication that he could still salvage the situation. There was nothing.
His gaze eventually returned to Noah. He exhaled through his nose, shoulders sinking as the fight seemed to drain out of him.
"Alright."
Sage raised an eyebrow. "Alright, what?"
Marcus hesitated, his eyes dropping toward the floor before he reluctantly looked back up. More of a glare than anything.
"I lied."
Levy blinked.
"Wow. Character development."
Marcus's eye twitched. "Shut up."
Levy grinned.
Sage stepped closer, her eyes never leaving him. "Then let's try this again. Why were you here?"
Marcus remained silent.
Noah watched him carefully. There was something different about his expression now. The arrogance was still there, but it had been buried beneath something else—something guarded, almost uneasy.
"You weren't looking for a weapon," Noah said.
Marcus's eyes flicked toward him.
"I was."
"Yeah, but that's only part of it." Noah paused, studying his reaction. "Isn't it, 'Kirk'?"
Marcus's brow furrowed. For a moment, he seemed genuinely confused. Then his expression changed. His eyes widened, and the color seemed to drain from his face as realization struck him.
"H-h-how'd you know?"
Noah ignored the question. "How about we start talking? What's the real reason you're here?"
Kirk opened his mouth to answer, but Noah cut him off before he could get a word out.
"And don't try lying either. I'll have a way of knowing."
Kirk's mouth slowly closed. For once, he had nothing smart to say.
What the hell did I get myself into? He wondered.
He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling dry. The room seemed to grow smaller around him. Three pairs of eyes were fixed on him now, though Noah's were the ones he found himself avoiding the most.
There was something unsettling about him.
Kirk couldn't explain it. Maybe it was the way Noah had calmly called him out, or the faint confidence behind his words. Whatever it was, it made Kirk feel as though every answer he gave was being weighed before he even finished speaking.
He shifted in the chair, testing the restraints. The rope barely budged.
"I wasn't here because I wanted to be."
Sage's brow lifted. "That's a convenient thing to say after getting caught."
"I'm serious."
"Then start talking."
He hesitated.
Noah remained silent, his spear resting loosely against his shoulder. He didn't look threatening. That was the problem. Kirk would have felt better if the kid were glaring at him or making some kind of threat. Instead, Noah simply watched him, waiting.
"I was sent here," Kirk finally admitted.
Sage's expression immediately sharpened.
"Sent by who?"
Kirk's jaw tightened.
"I don't know if I can tell you that."
Sage gave him a flat look. "You're tied to a chair."
"I noticed."
"And you're still worried about what happens if you talk?"
Kirk's eyes flickered toward her. "You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
He took a slow breath through his nose.
"I was given a description. That's it."
Noah finally spoke. "And I'm assuming it was hers?"
He pointed at Sage, who was tapping her feet impatiently.
Kirk nodded.
"The question still stands," Sage said. "Who sent you?"
Kirk stared at Sage for several seconds, his jaw tightening as the question hung in the air. His gaze dropped toward the floor, his mind racing through the possible consequences of answering. He could lie again, but Noah had already proven that wouldn't get him anywhere. Whatever trick the boy was using, he wasn't willing to test it a second time.
He could stay quiet, but judging by the way Sage's fingers rested against the grip of her bow, silence probably wouldn't save him either.
"I..."
Kirk lifted his head, his eyes moving between the three of them.
"It was—"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound came from the front door.
Everyone froze.
Sage's expression changed immediately. Noah's head snapped toward the hallway, his enhanced senses already reaching beyond the room. Levy drew his knife, his grip tightening around the handle. Even Kirk went completely still.
For several seconds, nobody said a word.
Then—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The same three knocks.
Sage slowly turned toward the others, her eyes narrowing.
"Were you expecting someone?"
Noah and Levy both shook their heads.
Levy turned to Kirk. "What about you? Your boss finally coming to save you?"
Kirk's face had gone pale.
"N-No."
Sage's eyes narrowed.
"More uninvited guests; who would've thought?"
She turned toward the hallway, already pulling at the bowstring.
"I'll check."
Levy immediately stepped forward. "I'll come with you."
Sage glanced at him, then gave a small nod. "Alright, just stay behind me."
"Was planning on it."
The two headed toward the doorway, leaving Noah alone with Kirk. Noah waited until they were a few steps away, then turned his attention back to the man in the chair.
Kirk watched them disappear, his face still pale.
Fuck.
He cursed silently, his mind struggling to process how badly everything had gone off course. This wasn't supposed to happen. He'd been given a simple task: find the girl, take the weapon, and leave.
That was it.
Instead, he'd somehow managed to get himself knocked unconscious, tied to a chair, and interrogated by three complete strangers he'd never seen before. Whatever he'd expected when he set out that night, this certainly wasn't it.
Kirk's eyes slowly shifted toward Noah, only to find the boy already staring back. Kirk swallowed, suddenly unsure of what Noah was thinking. Something unnerving about how calm he looked, leaning casually against his spear as though whoever stood on the other side of the door was hardly worth his attention.
Who the hell is this kid?
Noah, meanwhile, wasn't entirely concerned with the person at the door. He was more concerned with whether he'd catch him in his lie.