"Keep as far left as you can, and you’ll get around it," returned the doll, the surety of having seen the area ahead of time showing in his voice. "People who fight that guy aren’t going to win." No time to explain the details, of how the third young man was probably under the Institute’s control and acting as the master’s puppet in this area. Later, and only if Melissa found the idea worth believing.

From what he could see, there were people sneaking left and right, but the two youths he’d seen hadn’t run or back down. Rather, they were sprawled on the floor by the wall, one flashlight rolling slowly across the floor.

He didn’t know enough about the mental manipulation to know how deep it ran--if the point was to keep terrorizing even once their opponents were down--but Ren didn’t like the thought of walking away himself, only to have the two get launched off the balcony or something. Pausing, a frown settling on his face, his thought was Should I risk distracting them long enough to get away? So many things could go wrong if he did, including a couple of kids refusing to leave, thinking they didn’t have to.