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
I move the spies to another room with the camera too open for comfort.The group of teens are a bit reticent, but they follow my orders without any complaints. As the last of the spies is ushered into the new hidden room we found, I take a step back and survey the scene. Our new prisoners are glaring at us, their expressions a mix of anger and fear, but I feel no remorse. Zane sits at the other end of the room, far away from the others, his eyes never leaving his knees where he's curled up. As for Everett, she sits by the far wall, her eyes unreadable as they survey new quarters.She suddenly meets my eyes, her brow quirking.Looking away, I clear my throat, pining the grumbling traitors with a glare. They brought this upon themselves by infiltrating our class and threatening our lives."You can't keep us here forever," one of the bolder spies snarls, his hands clenched into fists. "The Principal will find us, and then you'll all be sorry."I lock eyes with the man, my gaze unwaverin
I knock on Valerie's door, my heart pounding with anticipation and trepidation. It's been a few hours since I handed her the chip, and I'm eager to hear what she's discovered.The door swings open, and Valerie ushers me inside, her expression serious. "Ande, I'm glad you're here. I've been examining the chip, and I think I've figured out what it is."I nod, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "What did you find?"Valerie sits down beside me, her fingers drumming nervously on the desk. "This chip is a tracker, Ande. It's been monitoring our movements, our location, everything."I feel a chill run down my spine, and I must resist the urge to tug at the collar around my neck. "Are you saying that even if we escape the school, the Principal can still find us?"Valerie nods, her eyes dark with worry. "That's exactly what I'm saying. The chip is integrated with the collar we're all wearing, and if we try to remove it, the collar will likely explode."I swallow hard, my mind racing. "So wh