I can barely process what's happening. One moment, we were settling into our familiar routine of scavenging and guarding the old facility that had become our safe zone from any roaming destitute. The next, we were forcibly relocated to a sterile room by a massive amount of guards. As we're herded into the room, I glance around at the other students, their faces etched with confusion and unease. Ethan reaches for my hand, his grip tight. "What's going on?" he whispers. I shrug helplessly, my mind racing.The room falls silent as the facility's management scurries about, barking orders and making adjustments. The cacophony of power tools, squeaking wheels, and clanging metal is overwhelming. I wince at the piercing whine of a circular saw, feeling the ground groan under our feet. Swallowing, I clear my throat, gaining the attention of my peers, " let's…… sit tight for now and wait them out," I suggest quietly.The students quickly nod, settling in the dusty ground and huddling togethe
Ethan, seemingly dissatisfied with my silence, suddenly steps forward, his voice trembling with barely contained anger. "Hey! And what exactly are we being prepared for? What kind of challenges are you talking about?"Mrs. Baker's gaze shifts, and for a moment, I swear I see a flicker of…. something in her eyes. "That's...a discussion for another time," she says, her tone clipped. "For now, I suggest you all get some rest. Your first training session begins bright and early tomorrow morning."As she leaves, the room erupts in a flurry of whispers and hushed conversations. As we all file out of the mess hall, Zane leans in close. "Did you see that?" he whispers. "She's hiding something. Something big."I nod, my mind racing. "We have to find out what's going on here. This isn't just about combat training - there's something else at play."Ethan's hand finds my shoulder, his grip tight. "Whatever it is, we're not going down without a fight," he murmurs. "We'll get to the bottom of thi
The day starts with news of our performance yesterday.The air is thick with tension as our group gathers to see the results of our training exercise.I can feel the eyes of the other students lingering on me, sizing me up, waiting to see how I performed. I stare at the floating scoreboard, my eyes narrowing as I take in the numbers next to my name. A sixty-nine. It's just slightly above average. My frown deepens.I can't help but think it isn't good enough.And I'm not the only one who thinks so."Hey, Ande!"I turn at the call of my name, eyes narrowing at the teenagers suddenly approaching me, their expressions a mix of scepticism and disdain.My mouth curls when I realise it was the group that had knocked me over during the run."Yes?" I reply briefly. The boy in the middle, clearly the leader of his rag-tag group, steps forward, eyes dark"So, you think you're gonna lead us to victory with those mediocre scores?" he sneers, gaze sweeping over my form. "Guess you didn't get the
The air is tense as our group surrounds Everett and her team. We've got them cornered, guns that were taken from the training room trained on them, and I can see the panic in their eyes. This is it - we've finally caught the enemy."Alright, spies," I growl, stepping forward. "Time to fess up. What are you doing here? How much do you know? Tell me."Everett clenches her jaw and remains stubbornly silent.At that, the group erupts into heated debate. Some are calling for us to throw Everett and her crew out to the Destitutes now that we know their true allegiance. "They're traitors! We can't trust them!" one teen shouts, pointing at them, "they deserve to be killed."But some are more cautious. "Hold on, we need to figure out how to get off this planet first," a small girl argues. "We can't just abandon them - they might be our only way out of this hellhole."The debate rages on, with voices rising and tempers flaring. I stand back, overseeing the exchange. These people are scared,
The Night Before...When the dust finally settles, I lift my head, coughing and choking. Valarie and Miguel are at my side, their faces etched with fear and concern."Ande, are you okay?" Valarie asks, her voice trembling.I nod, my gaze fixed on the girl's neck. Where the device had been, there is now nothing but a gaping, ragged wound. "I'm fine," I murmur, my mind racing. "But what the hell was that?"Miguel shakes his head, his expression grim. "I don't know, man, but these things are rigged to explode. We're lucky to be alive."I glance down at the collar on the boy's own neck, a chill running down my spine. "We have to figure out what's going on, Miguel. And we need to do it fast."The young engineer nods, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Okay, let me take a look at that chip. Maybe I can figure out how to disable it without blowing us all up."The girl's neck is a mangled, gaping mess. Steeling his nerves, he slipped on a glove and gently parted the skin, revealing somethi
Adrenaline surges through my veins as I sprint through the dark, twisting maze, my boots pounding against the hard ground. "Everyone, stay behind me!" I shout, my voice desperate and commanding. I can hear the others scrambling to keep up as I forge ahead, determined to outrun the horrifying sounds of the destitute The eerie snarls and grunts of the twisted, inhuman creatures send shivers down my spine."Come on! We can make it!" I yell.Glancing back over my shoulder, I catch sight of their shambling, contorted forms lurching towards us. Without hesitation, I raise my weapon and start firing, squeezing the trigger in rapid bursts. I need to clear a path to get my friends to safety. "Keep moving, everyone!"The maze is a labyrinth of shadows and dead ends, making gaining ground impossible. I push myself harder, my lungs burning, praying we can outrun the destitute. But they seem to be everywhere, their numbers endless. Panic starts to claw at the edges of my mind, but I force it
I feel like an absolute fool. How could I have let my guard down, even for a moment?I knew we were in the heart of enemy territory, with danger lurking around every corner, yet I still managed to doze off. But I was just so exhausted from everything that's been happening. I didn't mean to fall asleep, Everett had refused to tell us anything, no matter how many times we asked her what her plans were. The girl barely paid us any mind, absolutely infuriating.Thankfully, I was only out for a few minutes. I slowly make my way to the room where Zane is being held. I need answers from him - why did he betray us? Was he ever really on our side, or was he playing us the whole time?I need to stay alert and focused. There's too much at stake. As I walk back towards the room, a tiny part of me can't help but feel embarrassed and ashamed. Ethan and Valerie had seen me in that vulnerable state, and I was not too fond of them thinking I was weak or incapable. We're all under immense stress,
I take a deep breath as I face my team, their expressions ranging from distrust to outright hostility. Valerie steps forward, her brow furrowed. "How could you hide something so important from us, Ande? We're supposed to be a team - we can't trust you anymore."Ethan refuses to meet my gaze, and his arms crossed defensively over his chest. "I don't know what to think. You put all of us in danger by keeping this secret." My palms feel clammy as I try to explain myself. "I know, I know. But if I had told you, it would have put you all at risk. I was trying to protect you." Valerie scoffs. "Protect us? How is that protecting us? You should have let us decide for ourselves."The tension in the room is palpable as my team murmurs in agreement. I feel cornered, my heart racing. Everett suddenly snorts.Valerie tenses, her eyes narrowing as she turns to face the other girl, "and just what are you laughing about?" she says dangerously, eyes hooded, "You don't get to laugh about anything, y