The woman responsible for all your headaches for the last month was finally captured and cuffed to the beam above your head. Her feet barely touching the ground

You got lucky your man found my weapon otherwise I would never have been caught. You and all your men are jokes.

You know who I am, kidnapper. The woman who's been giving you a run for your money these past few weeks. Now it's my turn to ask the questions.

Irritated, she tries to pull against the cuffs with no effect before glaring at you and saying, "What's it gonna be? You going to talk or do I have to keep trying to make you?" Her body shifting slightly as she arches her back.

You take off her mask, revealing a pair of swollen lips and heavy panting. She glances at you with narrowed eyes before sighing, "Fine then. Who tipped you off that I was planning to attack?" Her body tensing as she tries to pull against the cuffs again.

Her eyes widen and she grits her teeth, trying to contain the anger. "I'm not going to let you win that easily," she snaps, looking away for a moment as she takes deep breaths. "Let me think... Anyone from your past? An old enemy?" She pauses again, glancing back at you before continuing, "Or maybe someone who wants to see us both fail?"

Her chest rising and falling quickly with each breath, she grinds her teeth and eyes you warily. "You're a hard man to break," she says through gritted teeth, obviously struggling to remain calm despite the anger and frustration welling up inside her. She turns away from you again, trying to compose herself before continuing: "Tell me about your plan... Why did you really think I was going to fall for it?"

Her anger flares as she glares at you with narrowed eyes, daring you to repeat yourself. "Fine," she growls through clenched teeth, voice raspy from the effort of maintaining control. "I'll show you." She takes a deep breath, focusing on her magic before unleashing it in an explosion of force. The beam holding her up shatters into splinters and she drops heavily to the ground with a loud thud, landing limply on her side.

"Ha," she wheezes, "that's for calling my plan personal." Blood trickles from the corner of her mouth where some of her teeth were knocked loose when she hit the ground. She continues to pant as she glares up at you once more, defiance in her eyes.

The sound of laughter fills the air as she shakes her head, blood dripping down onto the ground beside her. "I'm not afraid to die," she spits out between breaths, "but I'll be damned if I go easily." She pushes herself up onto one elbow, wincing from the pain in her ribs and side.

"Come on then, you pathetic excuse for a man," she sneers, motioning you closer with a shaking hand. "Give it your best shot." Her chest heaves as she waits, a mocking smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes widen, then narrow as she glances between your face and the knife. "You really don't know when to give up, do you?" she growls, swallowing hard against the pain in her throat. She tilts her head slightly to the side, exposing her neck more fully. "Strike me," she dares you. "I dare you."

Her pulse thrums wildly beneath her skin and her breath comes faster as she waits for your next move, her eyes locked on yours in a silent battle of wills.

She lets out a high-pitched squeal as you snap her finger clean off, pain and fury contorting her features into a grimace. Blood spurts from the stump of her finger, dripping onto the ground beside her. "You bastard!" she hisses through gritted teeth, trying to swing at you with her other hand. But she's too weak and in too much pain; her blow misses completely.

Her face grows flushed as she tries desperately to contain her agony, tears of rage streaming down her cheeks. "You... You fucking coward," she whispers hoarsely, blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. Her chest rises and falls rapidly as she struggles for breath, each inhale sending waves of pain through her body.

With a final defiant glare, Alissa goes limp, slipping into unconsciousness despite her best efforts to remain alert.

Through clenched teeth, she snarls at you. "Go to hell." But when her gaze meets yours, there's something else in her eyes as well: a spark of defeat and fear. She glares away from you again, refusing to admit defeat even now.

The anger and defiance begin to fade, replaced with a mixture of relief and shame. She sits up slowly, wincing as pain shoots through her body. "Fine," she mutters, looking away from you once more. "I'll tell you what you want." Blood trickles down her chin from where she bit her lip too hard earlier, but it barely registers amidst the throbbing ache all over her body.

She takes a deep breath before continuing in a defeated tone, "There is someone helping us both... Sort of. They're trying to keep things balanced." Her gaze flickers toward you briefly before darting away again, uncertainty etched onto her features. "But I don't know who it is. We all just follow their orders..." She trails off, shaking her head as if to clear it.

You can see the exhaustion and humiliation writ large on her face now, the proud warrior reduced to this: defeated, broken, and speaking under duress. There's something in that vulnerability that stirs a strange mix of pity and power within you.

Her expression darkens at your words, and she jerks her head up to glare at you defiantly. "I'm not some animal," she snaps. "And I don't need your pity." She tries to stand, but winces and sits back down again, shaking her head slowly as she works through the pain.

"There is someone else," she says finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Someone who's been watching us both... They say they want peace, but I don't know how much longer we can keep fighting like this..." Her eyes meet yours again, pleading for understanding or sympathy in that moment before her defenses slam back into place and she looks away once more.

Eyes narrowing, she glances at you warily before nodding reluctantly. "Fine." She braces herself against the pain and slowly extends her arm, waiting for you to bandage her finger. As you do so, she mutters under her breath about trusting men one last time before anyone else hears it and gets ideas.

Once your done, she pulls off her cloak, revealing a collection of minor wounds across her body, some still bleeding. "Can we get to that oblivian part now?" She asks with a tired smile, attempting to maintain some semblance of dignity despite the situation.

The idea catches her off guard, and she stares at you in disbelief. "What do you mean?" she asks, hesitantly. "You want me to work for you now? After all this?" She motions vaguely toward herself, unable or unwilling to accept such a proposal outright.

There's curiosity in her eyes as well, mixed with wariness and suspicion. A small part of her wonders what kind of deal you could possibly offer that would make working alongside the man who's been trying to stop her worth considering.

Her eyes widen in shock and horror as the implication sinks in, realization dawning slowly. "N-No!" she stammers, heart racing. "You wouldn't really do that! You can't!" Her voice cracks with panic and fear, tears beginning to stream down her face as she struggles to comprehend the enormity of your offer.

"Wait!" She cries desperately, reaching out to you, pleading for understanding or mercy. "Please, don't make me choose between them! I can still help stop this!" Her voice grows hoarse from shouting and tears, her body shaking with emotion as she tries in vain to make you see reason.

Her breath comes in ragged gasps as you sit down before her, your gaze boring into hers. Tears stream unchecked down her face as she tries to form words through the panic and fear that grip her. "I-I can help you," she manages, voice barely audible above the pounding of her heart. "Please... don't make me choose."

She looks away, unable to meet your gaze anymore as her resolve begins to crumble under the weight of your demand. Her hands tremble where they lie clenched in her lap, and she can feel herself growing weaker by the moment, both physically and emotionally.

The sound of feet shuffling toward you draws her attention back to you; it's one of her men. His expression is a mix of confusion and fear as he takes in the situation before his eyes. The seconds tick by like hours as they all wait for your response, their fates hanging in the balance.

Her chest rising and falling rapidly with each ragged breath, she glances from you to her man before answering. "I know the others... Their plans, their weaknesses," she says, her voice thin but determined. "If I work for you, I can help keep them in line, make sure they don't threaten your position." She pauses, looking away again as if gathering her courage before continuing, "And I won't cause any more trouble... Not on my end."

The man behind her takes a tentative step closer, confusion etched into his features. He glances back and forth between you and Alissa, clearly struggling to process the situation. The tension in the air grows thick with anticipation as they all wait for your decision.

Her face flushes crimson at your words, and she opens her mouth to retort before forcing herself to remain silent. She takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out again, carefully considering her next move. For the first time since you've met her, there's a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes as she weighs the risks and rewards of working with you against the consequences of refusing.

Her gaze drops to the floor, and she bites her lower lip nervously as she thinks about your words. Finally, she looks up at you again, determination flashing briefly across her features before she shrugs helplessly. "I'll do it," she says quietly. "But if anything happens..." Her voice trails off, leaving the rest of the sentence unspoken but heavy with implication nonetheless.

The man behind her exhales in relief, a look of gratitude spreading across his face as he realizes he won't have to die tonight. For now, at least, Alissa is yours to command. And as you consider what that might mean for your future plans against your enemies, you can't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction.

With a grateful nod, she starts to follow you as you lead the way toward the medical bay. "Thank you," she says softly, her voice still shaky with emotion. As they reach the doors leading inside, she glances back over her shoulder at her man, offering him a brief, reassuring smile before turning away once more.

The medical team rushes forward to attend to both of them, efficiently cleaning and bandaging their wounds. Alissa watches as they work on your injured hand with a mixture of curiosity and fear, not sure what her place in all this truly is anymore. But for now, she's yours to command... And that's going to take some getting used to.