Helanie:
I felt as if I’d grown wings. My heart swelled with pride and joy, a feeling so rare I couldn’t recall the last ti I’d felt this way. The mont Emt announced I had achieved the highest scores in both tests, I jumped up and hugged Lucy, who had already run toward , arms outstretched. Gavin quickly joined, and we all shared a group hug that felt like ho.
I have never had friends before or soone who would celebrate with my victory. So it ant the world when those two cheered for .
As I looked around, I saw Kaye clapping steadily, Emt giving a proud smile, but Maximus and Norman stood silently, their faces unreadable. Why couldn’t they be happy for the candidate?
After we celebrated, the brothers left, while the rest of us headed back inside the shelter. The sisters didn’t stick around, though; I wasn’t sure where they went to spend their ti, but I was relieved not to have to face them again.
Gavin and Lucy had ordered pizza to celebrate my victory. They were genuinely thoughtful. For the candidates who ca last in this session, a pairing with those who also ranked low in other groups was in store. They would then face another exam, and finally, the candidates who ranked lowest would be let go. That’s why finishing the tests mattered so much. What surprised most was how thrilled Gavin seed, even though he’d co last in the academic test.
Lamar lay on his mattress, barely moving. I didn’t think he was actually asleep, but he was definitely pretending.
"Tomorrow is the final exam. It’ll be tough, but I’m certain you’ll do great," Lucy said, holding my hand reassuringly.
"What’s the test about though?" I asked, realizing that unlike everyone else here, I hadn’t trained for months in preparation. Most of them had spent ages gearing up for these exams, while I’d decided on a whim to join the academy.
They say ti flies, but for , it felt as if it had frozen that night. It had been more than a month since that incident, yet it felt like it had only happened yesterday. The faces of those alphas were still vivid in my mind, their mocking laughter and the humiliation still haunting , no matter how many cheers I received for passing each test.
"All the candidates will be given different colored shirts," Gavin explained, his words making my heart race. "We’ll have one hour, and in that ti, we need to avoid getting caught. If we’re able to catch at least one candidate, we’ll rank higher. The one who gets caught will be ranked last. The winner sits out, and the loser—yeah, that’s what they call them—is given one more chance. If they get caught again by soone else, they’re disqualified. But if they manage to avoid capture the second ti, soone else will take their place as the lowest-ranked candidate and will be moved to another shelter to compete against the other lowest-ranked candidates. Which is a final round between all the losers of each shelter"
So all I had to do was avoid getting caught—twice.
"Hey, don’t worry; you’ve got this," Lucy assured with a smile. She motioned for to lean in closer to her and Gavin. "We’ve got a plan."
I leaned in, listening intently.
"Since I’ve already co last in the previous two exams, if you’re the first to get caught, I’ll go after Lucy—since she hasn’t ranked last before—and bring her to the finish line. That way, you won’t be disqualified. Then you and I will end up in the last round together, and I’ll help you in the physical rounds and you help with the educational part," Gavin flashed a smile, brighter than any I’d seen before.
"Really? You two would do that for ?" I didn’t know what ca over , but I found myself breaking out of my shell and talking more freely.
"Of course! We’re friends, after all," Lucy cheered, making my eyes misty.
"Thank you so much, you guys. I don’t know why you’re being so kind to , but it ans the world." I rose and hugged them both, drawing out their laughter.
They were so full of life. Even though I knew they’d been bullied by Sydney and Salem, they still stood up for . Kaye had told about it. How I wished I could take a stand against the alphas, but no one would believe . That’s why I couldn’t rely on anyone else to pass judgnt.
I need to seek justice for myself.
"Now, let’s get so rest. Tomorrow is judgnt day," Gavin said, giving a comforting pat on the head like a big brother offering strength.
I went back to my mattress, and sleep took over quickly. When I woke up, I noticed two mattresses were empty—the sisters hadn’t spent the night with us. Maybe it was nothing, or maybe it ant they’d rather avoid the sight of altogether.
I could only imagine the humiliation Sydney must have felt, being locked up. From what her sister said, Sydney hadn’t received any special treatnt in the prison.
We got ready and assembled outside the shelter, waiting for the brothers to arrive. The two sisters showed up hand in hand, swaying their ponytails as they walked past us, each shooting a cold, unsettling glare.
Sydney stood right beside , but Gavin slid between us, giving so relief. I flashed Gavin a grateful smile as the brothers approached, holding shirts and reminding us of the rules.
While we waited in line, I overheard Sydney murmuring sothing to her sister. Her words didn’t escape my notice.
"Today will be the perfect chance to show certain ’people’ what we’re capable of," she said, her tone laced with malice. Goosebumps crept up my arms—I had no doubt she ant .
"Absolutely. Let’s win this match and maybe even knock soone out of the list," Salem replied, her gaze directly aid at . Their exchange made it clear: they were planning to target in this round.
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