# Chapter 8 — Cracks in the Wall
Krist pulled a plate from the food cart and dragged a chair in front of the dark cell.
He sat down comfortably and began eating.
The aroma of freshly cooked food drifted through the small opening.
Inside the darkness, the prisoner remained silent.
Then—
Grrrrrrr...
His stomach growled loudly.
The men inside the nearby glass cells exchanged glances.
Some looked at Krist with fear.
Others looked at the prisoner with pity.
Every single one of them knew exactly what he was going through.
Because they had all experienced it before.
At first, they had arrived confident.
Loyal.
Determined to protect their employers.
Then Krist had started talking.
Day after day.
Meal after meal.
Question after question.
Never shouting.
Never threatening.
Just waiting.
Patiently.
Relentlessly.
Eventually, everyone broke.
Every single one.
The only difference was how long it took.
Krist finished another bite before speaking calmly.
"Let's start again."
Silence.
"Who sent you?"
The prisoner said nothing.
Krist nodded.
"I already have a good idea who hired you."
Still no answer.
"I just want to hear it from you."
The silence continued.
Krist chuckled softly.
"Interesting."
The prisoner shifted slightly.
"What?"
Krist smiled.
"You think you're protecting your client."
No response.
"But here's the funny thing."
Krist leaned forward.
"If I capture the person who hired you, they'll tell me everything about you within an hour."
The prisoner's jaw tightened.
"They always do."
Silence filled the room.
Krist calmly finished the rest of his food.
Then he placed the empty plate on the cart.
"Tell me something."
The prisoner looked up.
"How does it feel?"
"How does what feel?"
"Being loyal to people who would sacrifice you without hesitation."
For the first time, uncertainty appeared in the prisoner's eyes.
Krist noticed immediately.
Then smiled.
"There it is."
The prisoner frowned.
"There what is?"
"Doubt."
Krist stood up.
The prisoner remained silent.
Krist pushed the cart toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped.
"Oh, one more thing."
The prisoner looked up.
"I have all the time in the world."
Then the hatch closed.
Darkness swallowed the room once more.
The prisoner sat alone.
This time his stomach wasn't what bothered him.
It was the doubt.
---
Krist moved toward the larger cell and passed food through the slot.
"You know the rules."
The men nodded.
"You have ten minutes."
Krist walked to a control panel and activated a timer.
The prisoners immediately began eating.
Nine minutes later, Krist stood.
"One minute remaining."
The prisoners hurried.
When the timer finally reached zero—
The lights inside the cell changed from white...
To green...
Then blue.
One of the men immediately froze.
"Oh no..."
A second later, he collapsed onto the floor.
Electric currents surged through his body.
The others sighed.
"Again?"
Krist shook his head.
"This is the sixth time."
The man eventually stopped shaking and painfully reached into his sock.
Pulling out a hidden knife.
With trembling hands, he placed it on the collection table.
Immediately the blue light disappeared.
The collection system activated and removed the weapon.
The room returned to normal.
The prisoners groaned.
"How many times do we have to tell you?"
"You're never sneaking weapons past the scanners."
The man collapsed into a chair.
Defeated.
---
A few minutes later, Krist returned upstairs.
After storing everything away, he entered the living room.
Harrison and Luna were already waiting.
Luna sat calmly in a chair.
Meanwhile Harrison paced back and forth like a man about to explode.
The moment he saw Krist—
He rushed forward.
"Show me."
Krist blinked.
"Show you what?"
"The impossible thing!"
Harrison grabbed his shoulders.
"How did you break Stark security in one night?!"
Krist stared at him.
Then slowly said:
"I didn't."
Harrison froze.
"...What?"
"I found a key."
Silence.
Then Harrison's entire body relaxed.
"Oh thank God."
He placed a hand on his chest.
"For a second I thought you became better than me."
Krist raised an eyebrow.
"That's what you're worried about?"
"Obviously."
Luna buried her face in her hands.
"I can't believe I'm related to him."
Krist pointed toward the kitchen.
"I made noodles."
Harrison immediately sprinted away.
Harrison rushed into the kitchen the moment he heard there was food.
"Thank God."
He grabbed a bowl and immediately started eating.
Luna folded her arms.
"Whose fault is that?"
Harrison looked up.
"What?"
"The reason we're starving."
Harrison pointed at Krist.
"His."
"Mine?" Krist asked.
"Yes, yours."
"You called me."
"Because you said you found a way into the Stark database!"
Harrison said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You know how insane that sounds?"
Krist shrugged.
"You could have eaten first."
"Eaten first?" Harrison repeated in disbelief.
"You expect me to eat while one of the biggest technological mysteries of my life is happening?"
Luna rolled her eyes.
"He woke me up at six in the morning."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
"I knocked politely."
"You kicked my door open."
"It was already unlocked."
"You broke the handle."
"The handle was weak."
Luna stared at him.
Harrison avoided eye contact and continued eating.
Krist couldn't help but laugh.
"So you dragged Luna here before breakfast?"
"I dragged nobody."
Luna pointed at him.
"He literally pulled me into the car."
"It saved time."
"You're unbelievable."
"Yet somehow I'm still your favorite brother."
"You're my only brother."
"Exactly."
"You're unbelievable," Luna muttered before following him.
Krist shook his head and smiled faintly.
Then he noticed something.
Harrison had left his phone behind.
A wicked grin slowly appeared on Krist's face.
"Oh no.."
Krist picked up Harrison's phone and connected it to his laptop using the Stark Key.
The security disappeared almost instantly.
"Huh," Krist muttered while scrolling through the files.
Then he froze.
His eyes widened.
"What the heck..."
There were hundreds of photos.
Not random photos.
Photos of Ash.
Screenshots from social media.
Pictures from school events.
Even photos taken from angles that suggested Harrison had personally taken them.
Krist slowly scrolled through the collection.
The number just kept increasing.
A wicked smile spread across his face.
"Oh..."
"Oh, this is good."
Very good.
At that moment, footsteps approached.
Krist reacted immediately.
He closed the photo gallery and returned the phone to the exact screen it had been on before.
A second later Harrison entered the room carrying a bowl of noodles.
Seeing Krist holding his phone, he frowned.
"What are you doing?"
Krist casually handed it back.
"Nothing."
Harrison narrowed his eyes.
"You look suspicious."
"I always look suspicious."
"Fair point."
Harrison shrugged and sat down.
Krist opened his laptop and pretended to focus on work.
Meanwhile, his mind was racing.
Three hundred and forty-seven photos.
Three hundred and forty-seven.
He almost wanted to laugh.
A few moments later, Harrison noticed the strange smile on Krist's face.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
Krist looked up calmly.
"No reason."
The smile grew wider.
Harrison suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
And somehow...
He had a feeling Krist was the reason.