CHAPTER 99: ROHAN

Rohan finds Savannah in a mirrored studio shattered by recent turmoil. He approaches cautiously, acknowledging her anger and his fear of her, then proposes a final wager: three yes-or-no questions that, if answered correctly, will make him leave for good.

First, Rohan asks if he killed a man with a rock at age six. Savannah answers yes, and Rohan explains how that violence fractured his relationship with his mother and taught him to push people away. Second, he asks if he signed away the Proprietorship—the Mercy—to save Savannah when he thought her life was at stake. Savannah deduces the answer is yes, and he confirms it, admitting he chose her even before he could face what he felt.

For the final question, Rohan goes to his knees and asks if he loves Savannah. She resists, saying she hates him, but he presses. He names the truths he knows about her until Savannah concedes: yes, he loves her. Keeping his word, Rohan turns to leave.

Savannah stops him, confessing hate that reads as aching attachment. She pulls him into a kiss, and they surrender to desire while agreeing there will be “rules,” fully aware they will break them. Rohan warns he cannot be normal; Savannah answers she doesn’t want normal. They set their sights on a larger game—the world—choosing each other despite the damage.