Gideon and the others moved to the basement, the same room where Piggy had once been imprisoned. It was intentionally left without a heater, making the underground chamber damp and cold enough that every breath became visible in the air.
A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, lazily swaying back and forth and casting moving shadows across the stone walls whenever the wind slipped through the narrow ventilation shaft.
Elaine was the first to enter, followed by Freya, who escorted the prisoner inside before forcing her onto the chair. Delilah quietly walked in last, hugging a thick book against her chest.
Her face remained as unreadable, yet Gideon noticed the subtle stiffness in her shoulders the moment she stepped into the room.
She had been like that ever since Jace and Otis returned from their expedition, or more precisely, ever since Arthur's report repeatedly mentioned one particular name, Leon Miller.
