"My name is Thana," Thana responded firmly. For a brief moment, Davion looked at her pleadingly, as if hoping she would change her mind. But who she was remained one of the few certainties Thana still held onto. Delilah glanced briefly over her shoulder at Thana, but instead of making a remark, the girl winked briefly. It was a small gesture, but Thana realized she wasn't alone in this. She didn't want to know what risks the girl had already taken for her sake, but she wasn't going to let her go. A self-assurance that began to melt away as Davion started laughing. His laughter was icy, and she almost wanted to cover her ears like a child to shut out the sound.

Davion laughed as if she had just told a big joke, then shook his head. "Mara, I wanted to give you another chance, but now you realize I will have to punish you too?" It felt more like scolding a child underfoot than addressing Thana herself, so she decided to remain silent. He had called her Mara again. "And don't worry, others have already found Adrienne," he continued cunningly. "Nicely done, I must say, using my mother as a leader is indeed less conspicuous. Unfortunately for you, I also have people on our side." Delilah seemed startled when Davion mentioned his mother's name, but she didn't respond. Thana suppressed the urge to ask if Lola and Viggo were safe. She didn't know if revealing those names Adrienne had mentioned would betray secrets!

Instead, Thana took the opportunity to scrutinize Emilia again. She didn't know the woman at all, but to her surprise, Emilia also wore a necklace around her neck. However, Emilia's necklace was still crystal clear, just like the one Thana had found once. Did everyone have such a necklace? Thana didn't know; she hadn't seen Delilah with one. "Let us go," Delilah replied, which surprised Thana. What kind of question was that? As if she hadn't asked that herself before, if it was all so simple. Davion seemed to laugh again at Delilah's question. It was slowly dawning on Thana that Emilia bore a striking resemblance to Delilah, was that a coincidence?

"You're not going anywhere," he said again. "Neither of you." Thana realized she no longer knew which feeling was overpowering her—whether she wanted to run away in fear or stand her ground. She didn't want to give up and let herself be defeated again. Delilah had gotten her this far; she couldn't abandon her now. So she lifted her head high and stood beside Delilah, or rather just slightly behind her. "Mara will return to my side, and Delilah will get what she deserves," Davion declared, as if he could simply decide their fate like that.

Thana realized that keeping silent was proving more difficult than she had thought. "You jerk," she sneered at Davion, "Do you really care about no one?" Davion didn't seem startled by her reaction, only curious. This realization made Thana even angrier. "You pull me out of my bed, bring me here, force me to be someone else, and refuse to see me for who I really am!" She wanted nothing more than to slap him, but the armed guards made Thana reconsider. She wasn't ready to give up her life just yet.

"Anything else?" Davion's remark was almost casual, as if Thana hadn't just berated him in front of everyone. "This is your moment, Mara, tell me what's on your mind. It may be one of your last chances." The words sounded strange to her ears, and Thana realized she would never understand the man in front of her. It was easier to yell at someone when they yelled back; it gave you more reasons to be angry. Davion, on the other hand, seemed to have regained his composure, much too calmly for Thana's liking. Yet she still had so much she wanted to shout at him, and now she was finally being heard.

She decided to nod instead. "Oh yes, indeed! You're a terrible person! Incapable of ever thinking about anyone else's feelings." She could still feel the imprint of his lips. "You may call it a fairy tale, but you're the villain here! You're the monster here!" After all, he was the one who had pulled her out of her bed. Klaida had listened to his orders. Her arm no longer tingled, and Thana hadn't looked at it anymore, but that didn't mean she could forget everything that had happened.

Finally, she got a reaction from Davion, though it was just an eyebrow raised. "Oh?" he replied dryly. "So I'm the monster here?" Thana nodded, but she began to doubt if it was wise to say it all out loud. After all, she had no idea what he was capable of. "I'm not the one here telling you lies," he continued softly. "I've always said what I wanted, and what I want is to have you back, Mara." Thana's heart pounded in her chest when she realized he still called her Mara. Yet she had no time to protest because Davion continued with his explanation. "I'm not the one who brought you here under the guise of lies. What have they told you? That they'll get you out of here? And then what? What will you do?"

Thana looked at Delilah, hoping she would start protesting. That she would tell Davion how wrong he was and that she hadn't lied at all. Yet Delilah pressed her lips together and said nothing. Delilah had told her not to doubt, was this what Davion was trying to make her do? To make her doubt Delilah? But then why was the girl silent now? "Delilah?" she asked cautiously, but the girl didn't look back. Still, Delilah hadn't stepped aside and was still standing between her and Davion to protect her. "Stop trying to deceive me," Thana replied firmly.

However, Davion shook his head. "I'm not deceiving anyone." He took a step closer, and Delilah moved closer to Thana without looking at her. "Tell me, Mara, what is their plan that both of them thought they had?" Davion continued, "Have they ever given you information about that? Or have they just raised questions you're so eager to get answers to?" Thana pressed her lips together to refrain from answering his questions. He wanted to trap her, that was all! He wanted her to start doubting Delilah and then choose him again. To become Mara again and betray the plans. Just as he had always said he wanted. Thana realized he was right. But that didn't mean she couldn't trust Delilah, right? That was what Delilah had asked of her, to stay silent and not to doubt.

Thana couldn't say he was lying now, but she refused to be deceived by his sweet words. "Now, Delilah," Davion continued, "Have you told our girl here what happens once you get what you want from her?" A shiver ran through Thana, and she almost begged Delilah to contradict him, to put Davion back in his place as she had done so many times before. "Tell Mara why you're the villain here and not me," Davion smiled. It felt like Thana's heart shattered on the ground. Delilah didn't protest at all and didn't even look back. The young girl's gaze was fixed on Davion and on Emilia who still stood beside her.

"It was for her own safety," Delilah replied softly but sharply. However, it wasn't a rebuttal to everything Davion had said. "She wouldn't want to face the truth, we didn't have enough time for that." Every word felt like thunderclaps to Thana. Was this what Delilah had done? And what did she mean exactly? Finally, Delilah turned to face Thana so she could look her in the eye. "I can't say he's wrong, but I ask you again to trust me. I did it for all of us, for our own safety!" Thana realized it sounded almost pleading. While Davion remained calm, Delilah seemed increasingly agitated. However, Davion looked on coldly as if he had mentally cornered Delilah. "Please," Delilah concluded, now scanning the corridor.

Davion shook his head. "I know you're waiting for Viggo, my dear." The next name echoed down the corridor, and it seemed to shatter Delilah even more. "We've already taken care of him before, despite Lola's best efforts to stop us. He too will now reveal his true self." Thana wasn't sure if she was relieved that the attention wasn't on her but on Delilah, who was paler than her shirt. It gave her time to think so she could try to follow what the two were talking about, what did they mean? However, Delilah seemed to be getting more and more panicked and seemed to want to address her again.

"Thana, please!" she begged again, "I don't want to become a monster! I'm not a monster!" She seemed to want to grab Thana, but Thana took a step back. She didn't know why exactly, she wasn't sure anymore who she wanted to trust. She didn't even know if she could trust anyone. Why was Delilah now screaming about a monster? She didn't understand anything anymore. "Klaida," Delilah continued, stumbling over her words, "She was the one who helped Mara escape, she was punished. Please, I don't want to." Thana struggled to process the new information. Klaida had been a woman? It felt like her blood turned to ice again, just thinking about the monster. Was this what Delilah meant before they left the room? That she didn't want to lose her freedom? Was this what Viggo was going through now? Thana wanted to scream, shout, and rage.

Yet she wasn't the one speaking. "Seize the traitor," Davion's command echoed down the corridor, prompting the guards to spring into action.