The three of them stared at him, their eyes widening in sudden realization. Lyam. The leader of the Primara Nation. The very man Cantina had sent them to find. Starfania felt her breath hitched, her mind racing to process the shocking revelation. They had been searching for him, ready to aid in his mission–yet here they were, locked in a cell, completely at his mercy. The weight of the situation crashed over them like a dark wave. Cantina had spoken of Lyam with reverence, painting a picture of a fierce warrior and a cunning strategist. But face to face, he seemed different. His arrogance was palpable.
Starfania managed to say, her voice shaky but determined. "We came to help, not to be prisoners."
Lyam chuckled, an indistinct sound that held little humor. "Help? Your intentions are as irrelevant as your predicament."
He paced slowly, the shadows in the cell dancing around him as he moved. Beside her, Aeron clenched his fists, anger flickering in his eyes. "Let us go then, if you're not interested in our assistance. We've come too far to be toyed with."
"Ah, the fire in your spirit is commendable," Lyam replied, stopping to look Aeron square in the eye. "But your bravado won't change your circumstances. You are here for a reason, whether you accept it or not."
The surrounding air thickened with tension. Starfania exchanged a glance with Aeron and Violet, each silently weighing their options, gauging the urgency of their next move. Each moment of uncertainty felt like an eternity, a ticking clock reminding them of the stakes at play.
"Why keep us here, then?" Violet finally spoke, her voice steady, betraying none of her fear. "What purpose do we serve in your game?"
Lyam's smile faltered just a fraction, revealing a glimmer of irritation. "You are here because fate has brought you to me. The details can be arranged once I gauge your worth."
"So we're just pawns in your scheme?" Starfania shot back, her tone defiant.
"Everything in life is a game of strategy," he replied, his gaze unyielding. "You can choose to play, or you can remain in this cell until you will break."
His expression darkened into something stern and calculated. He stepped closer, his gaze narrowing as it swept over them, and then fixed on Starfania with an intensity that made her heart pound in her ears. His voice was low and measured. " I need to be sure that you're not playing a dangerous game. "
Lyam's eyes flickered to Aeron and Violet, then back to Starfania. " Tell me Starfania. I think that is your name from what I heard. Are you and your companions secretly working as spies for VulcanFire? Is this some elaborate ruse to infiltrate our ranks? "