The room looks like it belongs in a facility.Frowning, I step forward, the soles of my feet whispering against the polished tile floor and echoing through the hollow chamber. My gaze darts around, searching for any sign of an exit, but the room appears wholly sealed off. A faint rustling draws my gaze to the far corner. My breath catches in my throat at the familiar mop of hair illuminated in the low light."Zane?" I whisper, hoping against hope this is some strange dream. But those sea-green eyes, usually alight with wicked calculation, meet mine with a detached emptiness that confirms my worst fears. He sits propped against the wall, long limbs are drawn up, and hands dangling limply between his knees like a marionette with cut strings. Dark shadows haunt his pale face, and sweat coats his skin. "Zane?" I called out cautiously, taking a few steps toward him. "What are you doing here?"Zane lifts his head, his expression curiously blank. "Ande," he responds flatly. "I should
As soon as she fades from view, I whirl to face Zane, still propped limply in his corner. Grasping his ragged sleeves, I tug him upright to meet my eyes, finding them startled but alert. "She said no one can enter without permission. Do you think that's true?" I ask low and urgent. He pins me with a look, his expression blank. "Yes. But no one's going to give you the permission to walk out of here. And no one is going to save you either. Like i said, no one can find you unless they turn the whole place inside out." He mutters.I release him with disgust, scowling."So you're just going to roll over and let them use us both?" I ask, my tone harsh.Zane scoffs, eyes bitter . "I don't know what else to do, Ande. I'm trapped, just like you."I shake my head in disgust. "Well, don't expect me to just sit back and accept whatever 'special plans' they have for me." I scan the room, searching for any potential means of escape. "There has to be a way out of this place."Zane watches me warily
But the man merely chuckled, eyes hooded, "Try to guess, my boy."I narrow my eyes at the tall man looming over my restrained body, trying my best not to show the fear building inside.Though my heart races like a stampeding herd, I keep my expression steely. "I said who are you?" I ask again, my voice coming out stronger than intended. He smiles, but it doesn't reach his dark eyes. "Now now, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Old friend? I wrack my brain but come up blank. Nothing about this man seems familiar. Before I can reply, the door slides open with a loud hiss. Everett strides in, head held high, though I notice a subtle tremble in her stride. "Father, a word if I may?" she says, her tone polite yet clipped. Father? A spark of recognition lights in my mind, followed swiftly by a flare of rage. I strain against the rough ropes binding my wrists, my words tearing from my throat in a snarl."You're the Principal? You bastard!"A flash of anger crosses his face, there
Unfortunately, I don't have time to dwell on these thoughts, however, as the doctors turn their attention back to me.They unclasp the restraints, and I slump to the floor, my muscles trembling from the ordeal. Exhaustion weighs heavily on me, and I can barely muster the strength to stand.How long had I been trapped here? What more did they want from me? As if on cue, the heavy steel doors slid open with a loud clang, the harsh sound grating against my frazzled nerves. I tense, dreading whoever or whatever has come to torment me next. To my surprise, it's not the principal that returns, but a female scientists clad head to toe in white coats. The woman immediately starts a brisk walk towards me, her jaw set in a rigid line that sends a fresh wave of fear through me. Sweat prickles across my skin as I scramble backward, putting as much distance between me and the doctors as the cramped space allows. "Stay back!" I cry, my voice cracking with defiance and dread."Don't you dare com
I finally look away from glass tube, feigning unconsciousness as the scientists as the scientists finish up their notes make for the exit. The door slides shut behind them with a soft hiss and I allow myself to breathe a sigh of relief. At least for now I am alone. I wait a few more moments to be sure they have truly left before slowly opening my eyes. The harsh lights of the lab assault my vision, causing me to squint as my eyes adjust. I glance around, taking in my limited surroundings, trying to ignore the way my body aches and throbs after what they have put me through. I shudder, hating how vulnerable I feel strapped down like a lab specimen. My gaze falls upon my bound wrists, raw and irritated beneath the thick leather straps holding me securely to the table. I experimentally tug at my restraints, grunting with the effort, but they do not budge."Come on, come on," I mutter through gritted teeth, yanking at the restraints until my wrists ache. I strain against them with al
Everything aches as I sit here on the frigid floor of the lab. I feel hollow, numb inside and out like my soul has been ripped from my body, leaving an empty shell behind. The fluorescent lights above cast a harsh glare that pierces through my heavy eyelids, yet I can't find the strength to close them. I stare blankly ahead, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts, yet feeling oddly disconnected from it all.I can't believe my mother would do this to me.My body trembles from the cold seeping into my bones but I don't have the will left to move. After what feels like an eternity, the heavy metal door hisses open with a rush of cool air. I don't even look up to see who enters, finding I no longer care what fresh horrors they have in store. Strong hands grip my arms, yanking me from the floor without care or concern. I'm tossed onto a table like a rag doll, my limbs splayed out awkwardly. Straps are secured across my wrists, ankles, and waist once more with efficient, clinical pre
My eyes crack open reluctantly, dry and gritty after whatever meager rest I managed to find strapped to this cold metal table. Every muscle aches in protest as I test the binds feebly, mouth parched and body stiff. For a moment there is blissful stillness, then the heavy doors sigh open. I go motionless, pretending the depths of unconsciousness while sharp scientist eyes scrutinize monitors. Their hushed conversation carries clearly in the empty silence."His vitals are stable, but the new serum doesn't seem to be as strong as we'd hoped," one of the scientists says, brow furrowed in concentration."We'll just have to increase the dosage for tomorrow's test," the other replies, jotting something down on their clipboard. "The higher ups are growing impatient. We need results. Fortunately, the subject seems to be recovering faster than expected."I strain to hear more, dread pooling in my stomach as I wonder what other horrors they have planned. God, what are they going to do to him
We're almost there, the exit is just down the hall. After everything we've been through, freedom is finally within reach. In my excitement, I push through the crowd with the unconscious boy in tow, my heart pounding from elation as I outrun my classmates.But just as I'm about to make my move, a familiar figure comes charging towards me - Everett, the literal bane of my existence.She blocks my path, her eyes narrowed into a menacing glare."Going somewhere, Ande?" she hisses, her eyes narrowed to slits.I scowl, tightening my grip on the gurney handles. "Get out of my way, Everett. I'm getting out of here."She lets out a harsh laugh, shaking her head. "I can't let you do that. You all belong back in the Labs, where you can't cause any more trouble.""Trouble?" I spit, my anger boiling over. "You call what you've been doing to us 'trouble'? You're monsters, the lot of you!"Everett's expression darkens, and she takes a menacing step forward. "I told you to go back ANDE."I sneer bac
"We're not your enemies. We're students, too. We escaped the school just like you." I hesitated, my grip loosening. "Prove it," I demanded. "How do we know you're telling the truth?" At last they took off the mask from their faces, they looked nothing older than eighteen at most, but I wasn't going to be fooled, definitely not by their appearance especially. We pointed the guns at them, cold sweat dripped all over my face but that wasn't enough to make me tremble, at least I wouldn't allow myself to fall victim to such trickery. “No problem, no problem, I'll prove it, I'll show you that we mean no harm I swear,” the female of the group yelled. “Please, just back off with the gun a bit, that thing's dangerous and I doubt you even know how to hold them properly which makes it more dangerous.” Was she mocking us or what? I couldn't make due with it. I took a quick look at her and her colleagues behind us. They didn't seem to have any sort of weapon on them and they didn't retali
I could hardly believe my eyes at first, but that was the honest truth apparently, and just like that, we had finally escaped the school, but freedom felt like a distant memory as we trudged through the arid landscape. Where we would go from here, that was the next question. Amid the celebration and excitement from my classmates I looked around, something didn't feel right, not in the slightest, but what was it? Suddenly, it occurred to me to look ahead as if I surveyed the land. "Does anyone have a binocular?" I asked. "A binoculars? I think I got one while we were escaping, it was amongst the staff gadgets," someone said. At once it struck me. Why exactly would they need such in the first place? The more I puzzled about this uneasy feeling the more restless I felt. The girl handed over the device with a bothered look on her face. I grabbed hold of the device and peered through. Scanning- Scanning- The coast looked clear, crystal clear however, what was this cloud of dus
(Diego's POV)I dart through the shifting corridors of the maze, my heart pounding in my chest as I try not to lose sight of the others. The disorienting twists and turns of this twisted landscape make it difficult to keep my bearings.And I'm finding it harder and harder to keep on going.As I watch my classmates struggle to cross the swaying platforms, a seed of doubt begins to take root in my mind. Something about this whole scenario doesn't feel right. The way the walls shift and the floors move - it's almost as if it's an illusion, a trick of the mind.I take a step back, studying the maze around us more closely. The patterns on the walls seem to shimmer and distort, and the very air feels charged with an unnatural energy. Narrowing my eyes, I focus my senses, trying to pierce through the deception.Suddenly, a flicker of movement catches my eye, and I whirl around to see a shimmering figure in the distance. It's the teacher, I'm sure of it. A wild surge of anger rises within me
(Ande's POV)We wait patiently for Ethan in the game room, the few of us that are still free, trying to cross check if we have everything. It was almost….. peaceful.Alas, things were not meant to be, as the world around us suddenly shifts and distorts.I grip the railing as the building contorts before my eyes, the once familiar corridors and classrooms twisting and distorting like a kaleidoscope. The floors seem to shift beneath my feet, and I struggle to maintain my balance as the world around me turns upside down. "What's happening?" I shout, my voice laced with panic as I glance at my teammates. Ava clings to the wall, her eyes wide with terror, while Chris braces himself against a doorframe, his knuckles turning white.A sinister chuckle echoes through the disorienting space, and I feel a chill run down my spine. "Did you really think you could escape me so easily?" The teacher's voice, dripping with malice, surrounds us.I whirl around, searching for the source of the sound.
(Ande's POV)After washing out the blood from my clothes, I looked down with a heavy sigh of disbelief, I could not believe that this was what I had been reduced to. A monster, perhaps. "We have to go," Chris said to me, his hand upon my shoulder. Yes, there was somewhere we had to be and I refused to let anything come in the way of my freedom, not even myself. Chris and I rejoin the others. The students from the lab are gathered, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and anticipation. They couldn't possibly reject me and I knew that, I was one of them and they were just like me, we had the same substance or whatever it was that was put in me running through their veins, they couldn't possibly bail on me. "Ande," one of them says, her voice tinged with relief. "We've been trying to make sense of what happened back there."As I explain what I found in the lab and the chip I retrieved, their expressions shift from confusion to horror."So they were trying to turn us into desti
(Ande's POV)I shake my head, refusing to believe what they're telling me. "No, I can't have done this. There must be some mistake." I couldn't accept that in the slightest bit, how could everything turn out this way, we had come so far and yet this was supposed to be the result?No, it couldn't possibly be this way. "Ande, listen to us," Ethan says, his tone urgent however I looked away from him, the last thing I wanted on my plate was someone to interfere with how I felt but he was persistent an attribute that I had hated for quite a while now. "We all felt... different, after what happened in the lab. And now, with what's happened here... we can't risk staying any longer. For our own safety, and for yours."I want to protest, to demand answers, but the fear in their eyes gives me pause. I took a deep sigh, surely this wasn't the end of everything, I knew there had to be some sort of way but the opportunity seemed difficult to come by. "I understand but I'm sure there's a cure
(Ande's POV)Ethan's head snaps up, his eyes wide with fear. "No, please, Ande! I swear, I won't do anything like that again. I'm with you, all the way. You can trust me, I promise.," he said, while desperately leaning to us for trust. I hold his gaze, searching for any hint of doubt or deception. After a long moment, I nod slowly. "Alright, Ethan. I'm going to hold you to that promise. We can't afford any more risks, not when we're so close to freedom."Ethan nods, his shoulders slumping with relief. "I understand, Ande. I won't let you down, I swear it."Before I can say more, Jay suddenly interrupts us, his gaze strangely vacant as he clutches the sleeve of my shirt. "Ande," he says, "Ande…""Jay, what's wrong?" I ask, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You seem... different."Jay turns to me, his eyes clouded with an almost otherworldly intensity. "We need to go back to the school," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's important, Ande. We have to leave go back now."I'
I'm in my office when a guard bursts into my office, breathless and wide-eyed. "Sir, there's an urgent joint summit being called. You're expected to attend immediately."I let out a frustrated sigh. These summits always mean more demands and red tape to deal with. "Can't they handle this without me for once?" I grumble.The guard shakes his head. "I'm afraid not, sir. They've specifically requested your presence."I groan in frustration, slamming the files shut. The benefactors - those stupidity wealthy elites who oversee the Games - are the bane of my existence. "Unbelievable. Can't they see I'm up to my neck in work here? We're still recovering from the disastrous events of the last Games."The guard shifts nervously. "I'm afraid they won't take no for an answer, sir. They said it's non-negotiable."I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling a migraine coming on. "Fine, fine. Tell them I'll be there momentarily." As the guard scurries off, I mutter a string of curses under my breath.
There is a dismembered hand lying on the floor, partially obscured by the doorway. My stomach lurches at the gruesome sight, bile rising in my throat.The skin is pale, the fingers contorted, and there's still fresh blood pooling around it. I freeze, my eyes fixed on the grisly scene.Ethan and the others hadn't noticed it by the looks of things, their focus probably only on getting into the school undetected. But I can't tear my gaze away. Something about the hand catches my eye - it appears to be clutching a small electronic device, a tablet of some kind. Swallowing hard, I slowly approach the severed limb. I need to get a closer look. Crouching down, I carefully pry the fingers open and retrieve the tablet, wincing at the sticky, warm sensation of the blood on my skin. My heart is pounding as I examine the device, realizing it's emitting some kind of frequency. An idea struck. Quickly, I pull out my jammer and connect it to the tablet, grinning as I gain access to the video.