Chapter 2

Aanya leaped away from the training room with her thoroughly bruised face. The migraine she felt in her head was too agonizing and she couldn't ignore it no matter how hard she tried to act tough towards it. She made her way to her room and the thought made her stomach churn. She knew she would have to face Aida's constant troubles. What she needed was rest and she knew that she wasn't going to get it.

Aanya exhaled sharply as she pushed the door of the room open. It was dark and that meant Aida wasn't in. Thank heavens, now she could have some time to rest. She flicked on the light switch and her soul almost jumped right out of her body as she saw a figure on the bed. She calmed down a bit when she realized that it was just Aida. She wasn't expecting her and what the hell was she doing, with the room in thickdarkness?. The last time she checked, Aida hated dark rooms.

"Why did you turn off the light?. You aren't even asleep or you just wanted to scare me" she said with a scowl on her face as she dropped her training bag on her side of the bed.

"And what happened to your face?"Aida asked, totally ignoring Aanya's statement. Aanya knew that she wasn't asking because she cared, instead she was just curious to know what happened in the training room.

"I don't want to talk about it. Don't act like you care anyway" Anaya said with an exhausted tone as she sat on her bed and ran her hand across the sheets.

"You are right, I don't. You know I have always wondered why master chose you. You are weak and no match for the outside world""Who are you to decide that?" she couldn't let the words get to her because she knew well enough how Aida could be when jealousy kicked in. In all, she was not ready to bicker over anything. She just needed rest to stop her pounding head that was already affecting her reasoning at that moment.

"You are the weakest and we all know it" "You think you would have been a better option?"

"Even Lydia would survive better than you. The outside world is tough and no match for you"

"no one has been to the outside world, so you can't speak of something you don't know about"

"Why do you think we learn to do all this. Train, learn new rules every day, and get punished when we forget one? Well, it'sbecause they are preparing us for the outside world. All of us" she voiced out, emphasizing the 'us' to prove a point.

"I don't think the outside world is as bad as it might sound"

"You don't know anything"

"Master goes there and comes back without a scar on his body"

"Because he tough and you are a weakling" the look in her eyes held disdain and it always made Aanya wonder what wrong she ever did to her.

Ignoring always worked for her when it came to Aida. She didn't want to get into trouble for fighting with a sister. The punishment was too hazardous. They took Mabel for punishment after she fought with Aida. Of course, Aida lied that she was attacked first and Mabel wasn't the defending type. They took her to thedarkroom and no one heard of her since then. It was almost 3 months and she wasn't still back. They all wondered what happened to her, except for Lydia though, who showed complete nonchalance and it pissed the other girls off, most especially Aanya.

Anaya laid on the bed, with her heart on her throat. She was going to the outside world for the first time and she didn't know how to feel. In all, she just felt numb. Enrolling her in college all felt crazy to her. All the girls were schooled right there in Ghista, so she was quite confused why there was even a need for her to further in a strange land that she knew nothing about. The question she kept asking herself, was why she was chosen when numerous girls were more fit and strong enough to be to the outside world. Aida was right, she was indeed a weakling. Master knew well enough that she couldn't be classified as strong, neither was she as calculative as some of the othergirls. She just proved that to him during the training session, but she was still chosen.

She tilted to the other side of her bed, slowly with her head still aching profusely. She didn't even want to pay attention to the pain in her ribs as that would only compound her suffering. Ghista's hospital was like a torture zone. They always seemed to handle the girls approximately. causing more pain to what they were already feeling. Aanya knew better than to go over to the hospital.

The door opened, causing a little light to shine across the darkroom. Aanya knew it was Lydia. It just had to be Lydia because the rule clearly stated that 'no girl is allowed to visit another room that was not assigned to her. No one dared to defile that rule as they all knew the consequences of defilement.

Lydia walked over to her bedside andhopped on it and the first thing that Aanya heard was a whimper. It was sure coming from Lydia's bedside. Aanya ignored it at first. It wasn't her business anyway, she had a big day tomorrow. She thought inwardly.

The sob continued and Aanya knew that she couldn't ignore Lydia's cry anymore. She brought her feet down from her bed and the moment she stood up, the pain in her head hit her so hard that she almost fell back to her bed. She was already too weak. She made her way to Lydia's bedside and sat beside Lydia who was sobbing silently. She knew how painful it was when someone cried in silence, she had been there, so she knew Lydia had to be in so much pain. Aanya touched Lydia slightly on the shoulder and Lydia flinched as a result of the sudden movement. She resumed her sob when she realized that it was Aanya, totally ignoring her.

"It's okay, it's fine" Aanya coed at her softly."If you keep crying like this, you are going to get sick

"And pray death follows," Lydia said with a shaky voice and it got Aanya surprised at the words she uttered.

"Don't say that" she reprimanded. "Have you lost your mind?"

"We are all going to die Aanya. Can't you see ? This place isn't what you think it is" she stated as she looked at Aanya. Anaya knew that Lydia had always been the smart one, but this time, she was talking strangely.

"What are you saying, Lydia? Don't say that. You know what, go to bed. We will talk when you are thinking properly" Aanya said. The topic that Lydia was trying to bring up was very triggering and she had watched many girls die for even speaking about it. it was too sensitive and she wasn't going to indulge in it"We can't continue to hide from the truth"

"Why are you suddenly talking about this. You have always been the loyal one"

"That... That' Lydia's voice trailed off as she stammered. Her eyes held pain and hurt." That guard had his way with me" she blurted and the tears rolled down her cheek with reckless abandon.

"Oh my God" Anaya said with disbelief. She quickly embraced Lydia and she continued sobbing on her shoulder. Aanya patted her back slightly, trying to calm her down. "Do you know the guard?"

"My eyes were tied up. I didn't..." She trailed off and her sobbing continued

"It's okay. Everything will be fine"

"No it won't Aanya, can't you see? This place is second to hell. The outside world is better""Don't say that" Aanya whispered, looking at the door continuously. She feared that a guard might burst into their rooms and take the two of them in for punishment

"It's true"

"The outside world isn't how you think it is. It's evil"

"It's better than here, trust me Aanya"

"Please don't say that. You might get punished

"I have already had enough. I don't care

anymore"

"Lydia" Anaya cautioned

"You are so lucky that you get to go out there. It's a free world and you won't know until you get there"

"Can we drop this"

"Aanya you are 19 for goodness sake, stopacting like a child. You all are just being fooled and you are too blind to see it"

"And I suppose you are the smart one?"

"Aanya you have to trust me on this" the tears on her face had already dried as she stared at Aanya. "Promise me what thing"

"What?"

"Promise me that once you leave this place, you would be leaving for good"

"You know I can't and it's almost impossible Master has eyes everywhere and I can't get the chips out of my body"

"This is an opportunity not to be missed and if I was given the opportunity as they did to you, I would never come back"