101.

Taliya’s vision blurred as she stumbled toward the door, feeling the unfamiliar heat coursing through her veins. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and her skin felt uncomfortably warm. She barely managed a few steps before her legs faltered. Just as her knees began to give way, she felt a firm grip on her arm, steadying her before she could collapse.

"Taliya," Faraz’s low, scrutinizing voice cut through the fog clouding her mind. His face was close, his dark eyes narrowing as he took in her flushed cheeks and unfocused stare. His tone turned both concerned and mocking. "What have you done?"

She blinked up at him, trying to muster her usual defiance, but her words came out sluggish. "Let go of me," she murmured, swaying even as she tried to pull herself out of his grip. "I… I’m fine."

"Fine?" Faraz’s grip only tightened, his gaze trailing down to study her trembling frame. His mouth twisted into a smirk, though his eyes gleamed with something far more intense. "You look anything but fine. You’re sweating… and your pupils are dilated. What did you take?"

Taliya’s mind struggled to process his words, but her own came out in a faint laugh. “Cookies… I just… found them. So I ate them.” She broke into a giggle, her voice light and breathy, as if she’d shared a private joke.

Faraz’s eyes darkened as the realization set in, his face hardening. "You really thought you could just take anything that wasn’t bolted down, didn’t you?” He shook his head, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips. “Typical."

She narrowed her eyes, trying to hold onto a sliver of clarity. “You think this is funny?” Her tone was slurred but defiant, her gaze still challenging despite her hazy state. “Maybe if you didn’t keep me locked up… I wouldn’t have to scavenge.”

Faraz arched a brow, his expression unreadable. “You think your little act of rebellion matters?” His voice was calm, almost chillingly so. “You’re in my world now, Taliya. Nothing happens here without my say.”

“Your world,” she scoffed, though her voice wavered. She could feel her heart racing, her pulse quickening as the warmth spread deeper. Her skin tingled, and she felt an ache that made her cheeks flush even more. “You’re pathetic, Faraz… hiding behind your power, thinking it makes you strong.”

“Is that so?” he replied coolly, stepping closer until she could feel the heat of his breath against her cheek. His voice dropped to a whisper, dangerous and taunting. “And here I thought you’d finally realized the truth. That in my world, you have no control. No power. Not over me, and certainly not over yourself.”

Taliya’s fists clenched, her resolve fighting the drug that clouded her thoughts. “I don’t care about your world, or your power,” she bit out, though the words came weaker than she’d intended. “You’re nothing but a coward, Faraz.”

For a moment, his expression wavered, his jaw tightening at her accusation. But he quickly composed himself, his gaze turning steely as he tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. “A coward?” he echoed, his voice dangerously soft. “No, Taliya. A coward hides. A coward runs. But I… I stand here, face-to-face with you, no matter how much you try to resist.”

“Resist?” she repeated, voice barely a whisper. Her mind swirled, each word slipping away as the haze clouded her thoughts. But even through the fog, she held onto her anger. “You… you’ll never break me.”

His lips twisted into a smirk. “Oh, Taliya,” he murmured, his voice dripping with mock pity. “You keep telling yourself that. But every time you fight, every time you challenge me… it only makes this game more entertaining.”

Her breathing grew ragged, her skin prickling as she felt his words sink in. “You’re sick,” she spat, though the bite in her words was fading. The drug’s effect was too strong, her body betraying her with every shiver, every flush.

“Am I?” he whispered, his gaze locked onto hers, holding her in place. “Or am I just… patient?”

She swallowed, the weight of his stare making her pulse quicken. “I… hate you,” she murmured, but the words sounded hollow, even to her.

Faraz’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. “Good,” he replied, his fingers tracing down her arm. “Hate me, Taliya. Let it fuel you. Because that hatred?” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a murmur. “That’s what keeps you alive.”

She trembled, his words sinking into her mind, twisting and coiling in the haze. The warmth in her veins pulsed, her senses heightened, her skin oversensitive to every touch, every word. She tried to pull away, but her body betrayed her, refusing to respond.

Faraz’s grip remained steady, his expression unreadable as he took in her struggle, her helplessness against the drug’s effects. “Remember this, Taliya,” he whispered, his voice like silk wrapping around her. “You’re here because of me. You breathe because of me. And until you understand that…” His gaze hardened, a flicker of something almost darkly affectionate in his eyes. “…you’ll keep fighting. But it won’t change a thing.”

Taliya closed her eyes, her anger a faint ember against the overwhelming wave of heat and confusion. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, didn’t want to let him see how vulnerable she felt, how desperate she was to hold onto herself. But her mind was slipping, her thoughts blurring together as the world around her tilted.

Faraz’s hand moved to her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. “Look at me,” he commanded softly. “I want you to see who’s in control here.”

Her eyes fluttered open, locking onto his, her breaths shallow and rapid. She could feel his presence, his control, pressing down on her, suffocating yet oddly grounding. It was maddening, the push and pull of her own anger and his unyielding dominance.

“Faraz…” she murmured, her voice barely audible, caught between defiance and a strange, reluctant submission.

“Say it, Taliya,” he demanded softly, his voice both gentle and unyielding. “Admit it.”

She held his gaze, her heart pounding, her mind battling the effects of the drug and her own pride. But as the heat continued to build, as her body betrayed her, she found herself at a breaking point, teetering between hatred and surrender.

“…Never,” she whispered, a final, quiet act of defiance, even as her body swayed, drained and weary.

Faraz’s smirk widened, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face as he leaned back, releasing her. “Good,” he murmured, his voice filled with satisfaction. “Hold onto that fire, Taliya. It’s the only thing keeping you interesting.”

With that, he stepped back, leaving her trembling, the air between them thick with tension, the weight of their exchange hanging heavily around them.