-transfixed- Kenna James- Lauren Phillips- Jade... Upd (2025)

And in the hush of the empty gallery, under the gaze of paintings that saw nothing and knew everything, Kenma James remained exactly where she was—transfixed between two points of gravity, with no intention of ever drifting free.

“You’re not supposed to be here either,” Kenma whispered, though it wasn’t a question.

That’s where she saw her.

“She’s trembling,” Jade observed, her voice a murmur.

Lauren Phillips stood beneath a single spotlight, her silhouette impossibly long and sharp against a canvas of deep crimson. She wasn't looking at the art. She was looking at Kenma. Her posture was a study in control: one hand on her hip, the other holding a glass of dark wine that caught the light like a ruby. -Transfixed- Kenna James- Lauren Phillips- Jade...

“The question,” Lauren whispered, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Kenma’s ear, her knuckles brushing the shell of it, “is not whether you want to leave.”

And Kenma realized she was right. Not because they were holding her. Not because the doors were locked. But because she had stopped wanting to escape. The scarf slipped from her fingers and puddled on the floor like a surrender. And in the hush of the empty gallery,

Lauren’s smile finally reached her eyes. “Good girl,” she breathed.