Chapter 284: Ch 283: A Place to go back to - Part 1
As Selene stepped past the threshold of the Vale facility, a chill ran down her spine.
It wasn’t the cold steel floors or the overly sterile air—it was mory.
This place, so clean and polished on the surface, was one of the hidden compartnts in the sprawling Vale estate.
A facility where "spares" were kept—those who held no current value to the family. Unawakened, weak, unimportant.
Selene had been one of them once.
She hadn’t walked these halls in years, but her feet rembered the rhythm. Her skin rembered the emptiness. Her heart rembered the ache.
She paused, frozen in place as the wave of mory hit her square in the chest.
The guard behind her didn’t like that.
He jabbed her sharply in the back with a tal baton—not enough to injure, just enough to snap her out of her trance.
"Keep moving."
He barked.
Selene’s eyes flashed for a brief second, her instinct nearly reacting on its own. But she forced herself to swallow the reaction and took a step forward.
The group she was with—thirty other volunteers—was led into a massive workroom with high ceilings and organized chaos.
Various stations buzzed with activity.
People were hauling supplies, organizing boxes, cataloguing data.
The guard stopped at the front of the room and raised his voice.
"Those of you who need a place to stay, sign up here. You’ll be assigned a bunk and scheduled rotations."
Selene’s eyes landed on the clipboard being passed around. She knew the smart choice was to sign.
Living on-site would give her more access. More chances to slip away. More ti to find her father.
But it would also an staying away from the others... abandoning them, even if just for a while.
She couldn’t do it.
Her fingers twitched, but when the clipboard reached her, she simply passed it to the next person.
That earned her a few side-eyes from the guards—ones that lingered too long.
Selene ignored them and rged into the work groups. She took up odd jobs, mostly transport. Moving crates from one room to another. Hauling supplies. Cleaning equipnt.
She kept her eyes open, searching for exits, restricted areas, anything.
But no opportunities ca.
Everything was locked down tight.
When the shift ended, the supervisor told everyone to return the next day at the sa ti. Selene gave a nod and slipped out with the others.
She didn’t go back to the worker housing. She didn’t even look back.
Instead, she made her way through the side streets and alleys until she returned ho.
The mont she walked in, she was greeted by the rest of the group.
They’d been waiting.
"What did they say? How did the eting go?"
Orion asked, stepping forward first.
Selene kept her expression calm, her voice steady.
"It went well. But it’ll take ti. I’ll have to go back every day from now on."
She said.
Everyone exchanged glances.
"So, we’re going to keep going to the dungeons?"
Nora asked cautiously.
Selene nodded.
"Yes. I need all of you to keep ranking up and gathering supplies. It’s important."
Nora frowned.
"You’re lying."
The room fell quiet.
Nora didn’t yell. Her tone wasn’t accusing. Just soft. Sad.
"You’re hiding sothing. I don’t know what it is, but... it doesn’t feel right."
Selene t her gaze, but didn’t answer.
Ethan finally stepped in, arms crossed.
"Let’s give her space. She asked us to trust her, so let’s do that—for now."
The others nodded, though none of them looked satisfied. They knew that Ethan’s words were just lip service, but this was what Selene needed for now.
One by one, they left the room to prepare for the next day’s missions.
Zara lingered the longest.
She stood near the doorway, hand on the fra, back turned.
And then, it hit her.
A sharp, burning ache in her chest. Sudden and overwhelming.
Her knees buckled slightly before she caught herself against the wall.
"Zara? Are you okay?"
Orion rushed to her.
The others turned to look, eyes widening in alarm.
Zara forced a small smile, waving a hand.
"I’m fine. Just tired. Didn’t eat enough today."
She said.
Her voice sounded steady enough, so no one questioned her further.
But Zara knew better.
She could feel it.
That ache hadn’t co from exhaustion.
It had co from inside—from the part of her that had been weakening slowly without her realizing.
Her ti was running out.
Madam Verta had been right.
And now... now Zara had to make a decision she’d been avoiding for far too long.
If she wanted to live—if she truly wanted to survive—then she needed to go back.
She needed to see Verta again.
And she needed to strike a deal.
Even if it cost her sothing she couldn’t take back.
______
Madam Verta’s eyes opened slowly, the glow of her chamber’s candles reflecting in her irises.
A quiet hum escaped her lips as she pushed herself up from her seat, her long fingers curling over the edge of her crystal table.
"It’s ti. The seed has taken root. Tomorrow, we collect."
She murmured.
From the corner of the room, Isabelle leaned against the wall, arms crossed and a subtle frown tugging at her lips.
"You an Zara."
Madam Verta nodded once, serene.
"She will co to us. The mont she feels the weight of her mortality, she will look for an escape. We offer that."
"But... are you sure this is okay? Zara’s not just another recruit. If you’re right, she’s... a sacrifice."
Isabelle’s voice dipped, unusually uncertain.
Verta’s gaze shifted to Isabelle, cool and unwavering.
"Sotis, child, lies must be wrapped in comfort to move people where they need to be. It is the nature of sacrifice. It is the price of salvation."
Isabelle frowned deeper.
"For our salvation."
"For everyone’s. The path we walk is not clean. But it is necessary."
Verta corrected softly.
Isabelle didn’t answer. She looked away instead, the flickering candlelight painting shadows across her conflicted face.
Verta, anwhile, closed her eyes again and whispered, "She will co. And when she does, the wheels of change will turn faster than ever before."
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