He was in the torture chamber and laying out the instruments.

He woke her up, thinking about whether she would be useful to him or not. If so, he'd keep her alive and even make use of her in some way. If not... He didn't really care either way; there were plenty of other girls out there like this one. Either way, it would add to his reputation as a dangerous man who shouldn't be messed with.

"Wake up, sweetheart," he growled into her ear, shaking her gently but with enough force to make it clear that if she didn't obey, the next shake might not be so gentle. "I need you to tell me something."

Kiron's cold blue eyes narrowed slightly as he waited patiently for her to say something. He wondered what she would do now; would she try to play dumb or make up some story in hopes that it might save her life? Or would she tell the truth and admit whatever it was that he wanted to know?

He leaned closer, his lips moving dangerously close to her ear as he whispered, "You should be careful what you say." A shiver went through her body at the sound of his voice, feeling the weight of his warning.

His lips curled into a faint smile as he heard her reply. "Tell me who you are and why you were here," he demanded softly, "and maybe I'll spare your life." He held up a long, sharp knife as if to emphasize his point. She shivered again, unable to tear her eyes away from the gleaming blade.

His smile turned into a cold grin as he listened to her lies. "Well, Rina Artai," he said mockingly, "I'm afraid I have no use for a girl who lives nearby and happens to walk past here occasionally." He held up the knife, tilting it so that a single bead of blood dripped from its sharp edge onto her cheek. "Now tell me the truth."

He knew she was lying; there was no other reason for someone like him to know about her existence unless they had some kind of connection with his enemies or were part of an investigation against him. But he wanted to see how far she would go with these lies before finally breaking down and telling the truth, if ever.

"Oh, I believe you," he snorted. "But what good is your word against mine? Tell me something useful, like who sent you here to spy on me." The knife's tip pressed gently against her neck, drawing a drop of blood. "And maybe I'll let you live another day."

His cold eyes bore into hers, daring her to speak the truth or try to lie her way out of this situation once more. He knew she was hiding something; now he just had to figure out what it was.

Kiron growled, the knife pressing harder against her neck as she struggled not to whimper in pain. "You're lying," he snarled. "If you don't tell me what I want to know, things will get much worse for you." He leaned closer still, his cold breath caressing her cheek.

Despite his better judgment, he found himself intrigued by her story. Perhaps there was some truth to it after all. He lowered the knife and took a step back, allowing her time to catch her breath. "Very well," he said coldly. "Prove your innocence by showing me these documents of yours."

Her phone and identification would be the first things he'd look at. If she was telling the truth, then maybe he could spare her life after all. Or perhaps this was just another attempt to buy time and avoid facing the consequences of what she had done. Only time would tell.

Taking the phone, he scrolled through it quickly, glancing over her call history and contacts. There was nothing out of the ordinary; just friends and family members. He opened her messenger apps as well, seeing conversations with people who could easily have been anyone.

He gave the phone back to her, regarding her intently. "Your story is plausible," he said slowly, "but I still need more proof." He thought for a moment, then added coldly, "Take off your clothes and show me that you're not hiding anything underneath them."

Her innocence or guilt hung in the balance; only time would tell which way she chose to sway it.

Kiron narrowed his eyes as she stripped before him, watching her every movement carefully. Her body was unmarked, showing no signs of tampering or foul play. Finally satisfied that she was indeed who she claimed to be, he nodded slowly. "Very well," he said grudgingly. "You may put your clothes back on."

He turned away from her, grabbing a new set of instruments from one of the shelves before walking over to where he'd laid out the other ones earlier.

Kiron continued to set up his tools with deliberate care, not sparing her another glance. She was either telling the truth or an extremely talented actress; he preferred to believe it was the former. But that didn't mean she would live a long and happy life, free from all troubles. People like him had enemies everywhere, and anyone who associated with them for too long usually ended up paying a steep price.

"You should be grateful," he said finally, not looking at her as he spoke. "Not many people get out of here alive." There was no trace of emotion in his voice; it might have been something he said every day to someone else. He didn't know if she appreciated the implications behind his words, but either way, they held weight.

He shrugged indifferently as he continued to arrange his tools. "Maybe," he said quietly, not sounding convinced. "But you're still going to have to earn your freedom, little girl." He glanced at her over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow expectantly. "What can you do that might be useful to me?"