The Camp.

The cafeteria's focus on Trudy and Kristensen took the whole situation a level tense higher. The stares of recruits latched onto them, curiosity and a source of amusement written all over their faces. Arson shifted uncomfortably, caught between the two - by no intention of hers to start a fight.

Kristensen broke the stalemate, her voice steady. "Calm down, will you? They might have noticed something out of the ordinary. I don't think they're just stupid busy bodies."

Trudy's gaze didn't waver, but a flicker of uncertainty crossed her eyes. "You're taking their side?"

"It's nothing to do with sides. I just think we should remain calm." Kristensen responded, her tone softening.

Trudy's gaze shifted between Kristensen's hand holding Arson's and Kristensen's gaze on hers, the conflict in her eyes hidden. She snorted and left.

"Trudy..." Kristensen chased after her.

Arson's eyes dimmed as she watched Kristensen run after Trudy and she dipped her head down to hide it, when she raised her head back up, there was no trace of her eyes darkening, she was back to her usual cheerful self.

"Would you stop?!" Said Kristensen as she caught up, holding Trudy's hand from behind.

"What?!"

"What's wrong?" Kristensen asked, her voice gentle.

Trudy sighed, her shoulders tense. "You saw what just happened in our class. We don't have the time or luxury to care about stupid omegas going missing. You know that, don't you?"

Kristensen fell silent. She understood the gravity of the situation she was in more than anyone else, but she didn't want to spend all her time obsessing about things beyond her control. It so happened that there was currently something to divert her attention.

Wasn't that therapeutic? A shallow escape?

"I understand. Alright then, I won't force you, but if you change your mind, come back. Brooding over something you can't change isn't any better." replied Kristensen as she let go of Trudy's hand.

Trudy's gaze softened, her eyes looking at where Kristensen's hand was. The conflict in her eyes gave way to determination. "I won't let others jeopardize my progress. I can't."

But Kristensen didn't catch any of it. She had already walked back to the cafeteria.

The moment she walked in, Arson crashed into her. She stumbled back a little as she caught her.

"Slow down. You trying to crush me..?"

Arson giggled as they stabilized, her eyes curved at the end. "We've decided to check out this place. We've been cooped since... since forever, and today's training is canceled. So we thought..."

"Where's Mel?" Kristensen asked with a small smile.

"They went ahead, but I know where they are. I... I wanted to wait for you."

As she and Arson left, she couldn't help looking in the direction where Trudy went.

It surprised Kristensen how normal and calm of a place The Camp was. If she hadn't known better, she would've thought she was at some small town in Alba.

Her eyes were wide open as she walked alongside Arson on the streets, taking everything in. A part of her wondered if amongst people they passed, were any of them human or any other race?

They stopped at many stalls along the way, mesmerized by the specialities of The Camp.

"You don't sell moonstones?" Kristensen asked one of the stall owners.

The stall owner threw them a peculiar gaze and then started to chase them away. His weariness and impatience struck Kristensen as odd.

She thought it was her mistake, but the following stall owners reacted more directly. They told them to leave outright.

"That was weird. Wasn't that weird?" Kristensen asked as they walked towards the restaurant, glancing back - most of the stall owners were packing up in a hurry.

"Why? Many people in Crandale don't sell moonstones. The alpha house in charge of that area would be the official seller." Arson remarked offhandedly.

Kristensen paused for a split second and then continued. Her countenance changed without Arson noticing. "Oh... How do you know that?"

"Huh? It's the same in my home town and some people from our class talked about it."

It hadn't escaped Kristensen's notice that most recruits were from Crandale, abducted like her - of course - but more informed than her about wolves, the dynamics of the wolves, all in all life in Crandale.

Her instincts, though, or her pessimistic self couldn't trust them enough to ask.

The stall owners, their reaction wasn't a regular - scared of officials fear she thought, the fear came from more than that. But Kristensen didn't continue to ask. She cast a last glance at the street and walked into the restaurant.

Arson and Kristensen made their way to Mel and the others with tons of people stealing glances at them. She had thick skin, but she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when she sat down.

"Sure took you a while to get here." Mel said snidely as they sat.

"How could we not? There's so much to see." Replied Arson, ignoring Mel's tone.

No one spoke during the meal. They listened to the chatter in the restaurant but picked out nothing. Kristensen instinctively felt something was wrong through her eavesdropping. It didn't make sense that all patrons did was idle chat, not exchanging gossip whatsoever.

The whole atmosphere seemed stage. She regretted not listening to Trudy so much, but there was no pill for regret. She could only act according to the situation.

"Who are they, and what are they doing here?" A figure wearing a mask asked from the upstairs private room, watching Kristensen's table.

Isaac watched Kristensen with heated eyes but hid the look quickly and responded obediently. "They're this year's new recruits."

The masked figure tapped on the table for a while and sighed. "Forget it, as long as they don't disrupt our plans. Leah's delivery wasn't enough... we have to bring forth the next delivery."

"Yes. Yes... we're already working on it, but..." Isaac trailed.

"But what?" The masked figured asked softly.

"But there's been a slight change in our plans. Someone from the capital is here, and we can only nab omegas." Isaac hesitated before continuing.

"There's a recruit - Kristensen. She's an alpha and has an aptitude that would more than make up for countless omegas and betas, I've been observing her. She's special."

The masked figure's eyes narrowed, and a sense of intrigue wrapped around them. "Oh? Special... I haven't heard that word from you in a long time. Elaborate."

"There's something different about her. Both her awakening and class test, she indicated to be the one. THAT one." Isaac cautiously explained.

The masked figure considered this information, tapping a finger on the table. "You're sure?"

"I can't be a hundred percent sure until the full moon, but so far, all signs point to it." The excitement on Isaac's face could barely be contained.

"Interesting. Ha. All these years... to appear at this garbage site... How intriguing. Keep an eye on her, but don't stop the next batch." The masked figure's eyes narrowed. "She... she'll be the last meal."

Back in the restaurant hall, Kristensen and the others finished their meal, unaware of the conversation taking place above.

They decided to explore The Camp further, the girls strongly advocating how it might be the last chance they'll get to leave the facility.

As they strolled the streets, they would spot a person there and a group here, sporadically. Mel couldn't help but notice Kristensen's occasional furrowed brow. "Something bothering you?"

"No." Her frown deepening as they passed yet another group. Kristensen debated whether to share her suspicions.

"What? Say it. I can't stand your contorted face." Mel's flat voice responded.

"I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong with this place. Everything's too..." Kristensen said, her tone a mixture of frustration and worry.

Mel paused but didn't respond.

"Maybe it's just the way things are here. After all, we're strangers to them." Arson, with her usual oblivious and cherry persona, chimed in.

Arson went on to point out different things she found interesting, breaking Mel and Kristensen's exchange up.

As they continued exploring, they stumbled upon a unique-looking building, entirely different from the ones around it. There was a sign with symbols on the door.

The building seemed to have been closed for a long time.

"Arson honey, why don't you go with the others for a little bit? I want to talk to Kristensen alone."

"You..."

Mel pulled Kristensen away in the middle of Arson's response.

She didn't say anything, her gaze intently on the building, and Kristensen watched her quietly.

"That's an Alpha's symbol. Have you ever seen one?" Mel's eyes stayed on the symbol.

Kristensen's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. The legendary alpha house, as in the one in charge? "That, that unassuming thing? That sign?"

"It's unassuming now, but... well, I don't know what happened to the alpha, or else it wouldn't be."

Upon closer look, Kristensen realized she couldn't make out what the image was. She saw the overall shape and some symbols, but if she had to remember it later, she wouldn't be able to tell.

Mel's chuckle snapped Kristensen out of her inspection. "Don't bother, you'll never get it. I don't think anyone's ever been able to memorize an Alpha's symbol."

That different side of Mel Kristensen saw, it put her more on edge. She put her curiosity away and focused...

"What did you want to talk about?" Kristensen asked as she straightened.

"You saw it too, didn't you?" Mel said quietly.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, you know what I mean. All those people..."

Kristensen remained silent. They had ventured into a relatively abandoned area, but one could never be too safe.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they glowed. She scanned the area to be sure there weren't any shadows lurking in the dark...

"I did. The stall owners, at first they were friendly and welcoming, when I asked about moonstones, they started acting weird."

She hesitated but continued after a while. "At the restaurant, all those patrons... it was as if, as if..."

"They were deliberately avoiding talking about anything that involved The Camp or themselves." Mel added.

Kristensen nodded, her gaze returning to the Alpha's symbol. She resonated with it somehow. The longer she looked, the more she felt the need to solve its puzzle. It went beyond mere curiosity.

She moved closer to the building, her eyes moving up the walls until they reached the sign...

How bizarre. Kristensen felt the same energy as when Drew formed that veil at training, but while Drew's was attacking, the building's was supporting.

Were there moonstones in that seemingly abandoned building?

She'd just taken a step when Mel shouted from behind, but it was too late. Kristensen got attacked by a strong force that threw her back. She fell on her knees and coughed up blood.

"Are you okay?" Mel ran towards her, helping her to her feet.

Kristensen wiped her mouth and took another look at the unimposing building.

How deceiving.

"I'm fine."

"It's getting late. We should go back." Suggested Mel.

Kristensen threw a lasting look at the building before agreeing. "Yeah, let's go."

What they didn't see was the blood Kristensen had coughed up drawn to the building throw lines like veins until it reached the Alpha's symbol.

The symbol read - RYSON.