I chose to trust Nova and did what she asked of me. The world went dark. I saw spots behind my eyelids. Everything hurt, and I wondered if I would pass out again.

The room was soon filled by a peculiar ringing noise that made me want to puke even though I had yet to eat a thing.

Soon, I was freed from my restraints.

I wanted to blink, but Nova said, “Not yet.” And she grabbed my wrist. And she led me out, up steps that felt like they would never end, until they did, and we saw the light of day again.

Even if we had yet to get away, I was persuaded we were close, for the shade behind my eyelids had gone from a deep darkness to a muted red.

“You can look now.”

I had been hopeful, thinking that in all terrible moments, there were bound to be good ones that come after. I had believed, that this was the good one, and that the situation couldn’t get worse than losing a piece of myself; whoever that was.

Yet, before me stood three doors, all of them transparent, locked and labelled as if what lived inside were lifeless dolls, not beings deserving of souls.

Nova bit her lip. She squeezed my wrist. “Choose,” she muttered. “I found them here. We can only save one, and then…we need to go.”

I felt sick to my stomach.

I thought long and hard about it, never stopping once, until I found my answer.

A) I parted my lips to speak, but the syllables came out all wrong. Eventually, I pointed at the woman, whose ginger bangs were cut all wrong. She looked ill. I figured it would be best if we favored the person who was the least likely to find themselves able to escape—not to mention that, as the person who had surely been in here the longest, there were chances that she could fill us in on things the others might not have known.

B) I parted my lips to speak, but the syllables came out all wrong. Eventually, I pointed at the humanoid creature that was looking back at me with his terribly lonely, round eyes. I didn’t know whether he was friendly, nor what he was exactly—however, something about his sharp fangs and claws told me he would either become our biggest worry yet, or our greatest ally. I had to take the risk.

C) I parted my lips to speak, but the syllables came out all wrong. Eventually, I pointed at the young man, whose long hair covered his face as he slept on the floor, peacefully, like a spell had been cast upon him—he intrigued me, I was fascinated. I wanted to know more about his past, and how he was able to stay as calm as he did in such a situation.