Matthew''s head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing with each heartbeat. He tried to reach up to touch his forehead but stopped when he felt the tight restraints on his wrists, tying them firmly behind the back of his chair. His legs were bound, too. He cursed under his breath,


    struggling against the ropes, when a low voice echoed in the dark, sending a chill up his spine.


    "Finally awake, are we?" Eligos''s smooth, taunting tone boomed through the warehouse, and Matthew flinched, scanning the shadows until the man stepped into view.


    "Where am I?" Matthew''s voice came out hoarse, a mix of frustration and, just maybe, a bit of fear.


    Eligos grinned behind his mask. "Oh, just a cozy little hideout," he replied with mock sweetness. "An abandoned warehouse... Don''t you worry, Matthew. I''m not going to keep you here forever. Maybe." He smirked, leaning closer, as if savoring Matthew''s difort. Matthew tried to move, but the ropes just dug deeper into his skin. "You''ve got a real sense of humor, you know that?" he muttered, throwing Eligos a look filled with defiance.


    Eligos didn''t respond immediately, instead reaching into his pocket and pulling out a worn file, holding it up for Matthew to see. "I came across something interesting in your... files, let''s say. It seems you and ire enjoy a little detective work, yes?" Matthew narrowed his eyes. "Not sure where you''re getting that idea."


    "Oh, don''t y dumb with me." Eligos leaned forward, his voice dropping to a cold whisper. "I saw the files, Matthew. I know you two have been snooping around, digging for information. Care to exin?"


    Matthew kept his gaze steady, his expression calm despite the growing knot in his stomach. "ire doesn''t trust the police. She''d rather handle things herself, and I''m just along for the ride."


    "Is that right?" Eligos cocked his head, as if genuinely curious. "But why doesn''t she trust them?"


    Matthew shrugged, his tone casual. "Who knows? Maybe she just doesn''t like their fashion sense."


    Eligos let out a low, humorlessugh. He stepped closer, the mask obscuring his expression, though Matthew imagined he was ring. Matthew couldn''t help but smirk, ncing at the mask and raising his eyebrows. "What''s so funny?" Eligos asked, his voiceced with irritation.


    "Honestly? You look like a kid trying too hard to be scary on Halloween," Matthew replied, a grin slipping onto his face. "Next, you''ll be begging for candy."


    Eligos''s eyes narrowed behind the mask. "You wouldn''t beughing if you knew what I''m capable of."


    "Oh, I''m waiting for the big reveal," Matthew shot back, feigning boredom.


    Eligos''s patience snapped. He took a step closer, his posture tense. "Tell me, Matthew, who''s Allen?"


    The question made Matthew''s pulse quicken, but he kept his face nk, raising an eyebrow as if clueless. "Allen? Never heard of him."


    Eligos''s jaw tightened. "Let''s try that again. Who is Allen, and why are you and ire searching for him?"


    Matthew gave a nonchnt shrug. "Like I said, no clue who you''re talking about."


    With a growl of frustration, Eligos lifted his foot and kicked the chair hard. Matthew toppled backward with a loud thud, the metal legs of the chair nging against the cold concrete floor. Pain shot up his spine, but he bit down on a groan, refusing to give Eligos the satisfaction. "Care to answer now?" Eligos''s tone was all mock sweetness as he peered down at Matthew.


    Matthew took a breath, steadying himself, and smirked up at Eligos, still as stubborn as ever. "Still not ringing any bells. Sorry."


    Eligos''s face twisted, his patience clearly wearing thin. He took a deep breath, then leaned down, muttering in a voice that held a dark, ominous edge, "Loyalty is admirable, Matthew. But do you really think ire would go this far for you?"


    "I''d take a bullet for her," Matthew replied without missing a beat. "So, good luck getting me to spill anything."


    Eligos gave a bitter chuckle. "We''ll see just how far that loyalty goes." He snapped his fingers, signaling to one of his men. "Seems our guest needs some... convincing."


    At the signal, one of Eligos''s henchmen stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. Matthew swallowed, a nervousugh escaping him.


    "Let me guess," Matthew said dryly. "This is the part where you beat me up, right? Real original."


    The henchman smirked, flexing his fists as he approached. "Hey, you''re the one who wouldn''t y nice."


    Matthew held his gaze steady, a slight smirk on his lips even as he braced himself. "Maybe if you guys had better customer service, I''d reconsider."


    The man scowled, obviously unamused, and threw a punch to Matthew''s gut, making him double over as much as the ropes allowed. Pain shot through him, but he managed to let out a painedugh, looking up at Eligos with a hint of a grin. "That the best you''ve got?"


    The henchman growled, gripping


    Matthew''s shirt and yanking him back up before delivering another punch, this time to his jaw.


    Matthew''s head snapped to the side, his vision blurring for a second. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, but he refused to let go of that defiant spark.


    "Still waiting to be impressed," he muttered through gritted teeth.


    Eligos watched, his arms crossed, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "You know, Matthew, you could save yourself a lot of pain if you''d just cooperate. All I want is information."


    Matthew gave a breathlessugh, wincing as he shifted against the ropes. "Funny, I thought you wanted to y twenty questions."


    Eligos''s expression soured, and he


    motioned for his henchman to continue. Another punchnded in Matthew''s ribs, hard enough to make him gasp, but he managed to keep hisposure, biting back any sound of pain. He wasn''t about to let Eligos see him break, no matter how hard they tried.


    Eligos leaned down, his voice a low hiss. "Last chance, Matthew. Tell me who Allen is."


    Matthew''s gaze was unwavering, his voice steady as he replied, "Wouldn''t tell you even if I knew."


    Eligos''s face twisted in frustration, but there was a glimmer of admiration hidden in his gaze, as if he respected Matthew''s defiance, however inconvenient it was.


    "Fine," Eligos said, his voice dripping with cold amusement. "Keep ying the hero. We''ll see how long that loyalty of yours holds out."


    He gestured to his men, who continued to deliver blow after blow, each one sending fresh waves of pain through Matthew''s body. But even as the room spun and his strength waned, Matthew held on to his resolve.


    Through the haze of pain, he let out


    a weak chuckle, forcing himself to look at Eligos one more time. "You know," he said, his voice hoarse, "for a guy who''s so smart, you sure picked a lousy interrogation tactic. Pretty sure ire''s going to figure this out soon, and when she does..." He managed a grin. "You''re in for one hell of a surprise."


    Eligos stared down at him, a shadow of doubt crossing his face, but he quickly masked it with a cold, dismissive re. "We''ll see about that," he replied icily. "For now, you''re exactly where I want you. Let''s see if your precious ire really cares enough toe looking." As Eligos turned and disappeared back into the shadows, Matthew allowed himself a small, triumphant smile, even as his body ached with pain. He''d bought himself some time, and with any luck, ire would figure out where he was before things got any worse. After all, he knew one thing for sure: if anyone could outsmart Eligos, it was ire.