Liam

As the door swung open with a menacing creak, my heart plummeted into my stomach, the sudden appearance of the guard sending a jolt of fear coursing through my veins.

"What the heck are you doing here?" the guard demanded, his voice dripping with suspicion as he leveled a menacing glare in our direction.

I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender, hoping to diffuse the tension before it escalated any further. "Easy there, buddy," I said, my voice steady despite the rising panic threatening to consume me. "We're just... uh... taking a stroll, you know? Stretching our legs a bit."

But even as I spoke, I could...