Elara flinched. The words were brutal. But she didn't look away.
"It is the easy way out," Marcus said. "And no one would blame you."
He lowered one finger.
"Or," Marcus said. "Choice two."
"You stand up."
He leaned forward.
"You walk out of this cell. You breathe the air outside. You eat. You sleep."
"It will hurt," Marcus warned. "It will hurt every single day. You will miss him every time you close your eyes."
"But you will live."
Elara stared at him. Her lips parted slightly.
"You can find a better life," Marcus said. "Not the one you planned with Thomas. That life is gone."
"But a new life. A different life."
"Why?" Elara whispered. "Why bother?"
"Because Thomas died trying to give you that chance," Marcus said.
He pointed at the corpse.
"He fought for you. He crawled across this floor with broken ribs for you."
Marcus's voice grew intense.
"If you die here, his sacrifice means nothing. His fight was for nothing."
"Do you want to make his death meaningless?"
