This shouldn’t have come as a surprise. “And if I refuse?”

“Like I said before, you are too valuable for us to kill, but your friend on the other hand…”

“Xavier.” she breathed, horrified.

Clarice smiled. “Xavier Coleman. We’ll make sure to give him a slow and painful death.”

“You witch!”

“Now now, let’s watch our language shall we? After all, your friend’s life is on the line here.”

Ailith glared at Clarice, seething with rage. How dare she use her friend to threaten her.

Clarice chuckled. “Alex, escort her to her new room.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Ailith was still not used to this new him.

Reluctantly, she followed him as he led her out and down the hallway. She had no choice but to listen to Clarice’s orders. One wrong move on her side and they would kill Xavier. He was her best friend and the nicest, sweetest person she knew. If anyone, it was her who deserved to die, not him.

Alex stopped in front of a door. A metal door with a small slit. She doubted it would give easily. With once glance, Ailith could tell that the rest of the room would be the same. ‘Some room.’ She thought to herself. It was clearly a prison cell. The room did not disappoint. All the furniture was bolted down to the floor. The walls were made of concrete and there were no windows. Sighing, AIlith stepped in just as the door shut on her. From outside the cell, she could hear Alex.

“Until your mission, meals will be served through the slit in the door. You are allowed access to the workout and training room only according to your schedule. From tomorrow, you are expected to wake at 4:30 AM. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be served in your room and you will be given 30 minutes to eat. Workout starts at 5 and ends at 8. You will train with Evan until 11. Lunch is served at 1, dinner at 11. You will be given until 11:30 to tend to your personal needs whether it be taking a shower or scrolling through your treker until it’s light out.”

He paused.

“Can I see my friend?” she asked.

“No.” he answered without hesitation.

“Why not?”

“Miss Gallow, you have lost many privileges doing what you did. You should not have betrayed us in the beginning.”

From friend to jailer. She huffed an annoyed breath and lay down on her bed. Even the bed was uncomfortable. Nothing was working out today. Her so-called friend had betrayed her, no- he had been playing her the entire time. It hurt. It shouldn’t have but, it did. She had trusted Alex, so much so that she had almost told him about the base and her connection to the rebellion. Almost. At the time, she had felt guilty that she had decided to keep it from him. Some good it did her now. He had stabbed her in the back while she wasn’t looking.

Ailith groaned out of frustration and a tear slipped out from her eye. So far, life as a rank 1 had been nothing short of horrible. Living in the suburbs was much, much easier than having to deal with this crap. On this day last year, Ailith would have given anything to be moved to a higher rank. Now? Now, she would give anything to return to her previous life.