2291

~Aria

The following days after Malik and I's date were a whirlwind.

He took others on dates, including Brynn. While he did so, Zariah and I plotted how and when we are going to sneak into Malik's quarters. Over those few days, I learnt Zariah is one of the smartest people I know, yet at the the same time, the stupidest.

Her Wisdom Pack counterpart has been sent home after she picked one too many fights with the other girls. Zariah didn't like her anyway. I just wish that Macie would be sent home too, since she has completely turned into a different person since she began hanging around with Phoenix and Mareli. They all leave me to wonder what will happen when it gets to the last few girls.

No doubt they will turn on each other like wild animals.

"I know Phoenix's family is beyond rich, but apparently so is Macie's," I'm told at breakfast. I stop eating my apple, watching Zariah carefully. "Her father is a plantation owner."

Macie hadn't mentioned it, but not many girls mentioned their pasts. Some think we aren't even allowed to, which I don't see why not. Keeping secrets seems to be a common game here. I'm curious about Macie though; what he father grows in our winter climate is beyond me, but whatever it is, he must make a fortune off it.

It just makes me feel even more insignificant.

"I see the wheels turning," I say, moving my apple in a circle to emphasise my point. Zariah gets this expression on her face when she is onto something.

She burys her hands into her thick hair. I wish I had the naturally thick, dark hair that she does. The fact that she can style into anything she wants amazes me; and when she has it down, it looks just as magnificent. She seems indifferent about it, though.

"Tonight is going to answer everything. We are going to find out what's really going on behind this competition," I hear her say behind a bite of my apple.

Honestly, I don't care about whatever is behind the competition. Sure, it would make me mad to know our Luna is going to be some female is an influential family, who was chosen before we all even arrived, but that's not what I'm here for.

I'm here for the necklace.

"We can't go while he's sleeping," I say lowly, so no one else would hear us.

The dining room has been whittled down significantly. Not only had Livia Green from the Wisdom Pack been sent home, but so bad Imani Lee from the Independence Pack - the girl who spoke to no one but Malik. The camera crew who hardly seen in here now, now that the hype has died down, have struggled to keep up with the amount of girls being sent home.

With no official ceremony to dictate it, whenever one of us is alone, we all are instantly worried it's the worse case scenario.

"He will probably be on a date tonight or something," Zariah says, tapping the sheet of paper she carts around everywhere with her. It's scrawled with ideas and plans for what we are doing tonight. "We have no other choice but to do it now. Otherwise, one of us might get sent home."

"Hey Aria, how was your date?"

My eyes cast up from the piece of paper I was looking at. A girl sat across the table from us, looking at me curiously. This is the first time I have talked to her this entire time - she's quite shy. Is her name Reese?

Her warm eyes didn't look mad at me, which I'm not used to after, after coming back from the date. All the glares shot my way I easily dismissed. Now, this is the first time I've been questioned about it, and it catches me off guard a little. And by the looks of it, Reese wants to know out of curiosity, rather than spite.

However, she catches the attention of a few other girls at the end of the table. One of them, the girl from the Power Pack who has intimidated everyone since she has arrived. She befriended the strange girl with violet eyes.

"Good, thanks," I say coolly, brushing a piece of hair behind my air.

Reese smiles. Her hair is neatly pulled back into a French braid; she seems like a rather put together person. From the little Zariah found out about her, she is very book oriented, like myself, yet more into the romance kind of novels. She must be loving this experience...

"Tell us what happened," a sharp voice demands from the end of the table. Alani Prelich, the Commander's daughter.

Everyone else looked over.

"Well..." I break off. "He took me to meet my family."

There is no way I was about to admit the rather romantic way he set up that picnic area for us both. None of them would understand our tolerance to cold for a start. Then, they would surely question my relationship with my parents. And not to mention the jealously...

Mareli looked offended. "Why hasn't he done that for the rest of us? I miss my family."

"Well my family lives close by," I try to excuse, but the frustrated whispers of irritation fill the room. No doubt I'm being completely trashed by most of the girls here. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?

All of a sudden, a girl's shrill scream sounds from the other end of the room, stealing everyone's attention off me, thankfully.

I stood up to cast a glance over the tables, so see a girl clinging to another. One of them was crying desperately, clawing at the other girl, who I had been the one of scream. Both are from the Freedom Pack. Immediately questions arise from the confused girl, who wants to know what's going on with the completely broken down girl.

"She's having a panic attack!" The girl pleaded.

I believe her name is Averi. Her and I talked briefly before, but that's about this. Now, she's a completely different person, as she clutches the other girl, I know commonly as Rose.

Other girls rush over to help her, but I know better. Being from the Freedom Pack, she must be feeling trapped. It's the only conclusion I can come to, since staying in this place might just be the perfect situation for a lot of girls. However, being from a Pack where everyone has the ability to roam freely wherever they please, to come to a place almost like a prison with all its rules, must be tough.

Malik and a few other people I don't know make it into the room, a beeline carved for the poor girl.

Clearly this has taken Malik by surprise. He wears rather casual clothes, which usually no other girl would have seen him in. Aside from me; he loves to dress casually when he shows up in the library late at night.

Instantly, the Alpha was helping Averi out of Rose's arms, cradling her to his chest. Concern showed across his entire being, as she cried. Clearly she is having a hard time breathing right now, and Malik knows to take her outside the room from where the rest of us are.

The moment they leave, silence settles over us.

Rose doesn't say a word. She looks like a void of shock. I think we all are. Something like this hasn't happened before, and for Averi to blow up like this is extremely random. Does this mean she is going to go home? She isn't cut out for this, and everyone here knows it, and Malik must do too.

A feeling of dread settles over my shoulders. Who knows what this competition will truly lead to.

****

"To our last day here," Zariah says, holding her palm up.

I take a deep breath. Despite her joking tone, we both know she's potentially right. If we get caught, then this is over.

I slap her hand. "Of course."

Stupidly, we are dressed from head to toe in black. It was Zariah's way of making sure we are as close to inconspicuous as possible. Honestly, I think it makes us look like criminals ready to fall to their knees in front of Malik and beg for him to kick us from the competition.

Luckily for Zariah's map, we know where to go. It's just past 10 PM, when we should all be in bed sleeping.

"What's our excuse again?" Zariah questioned. She knows, she is just ensuring I do too.

I sigh. "We got lost. In ridiculous outfits."

Zariah rolls her blue eyes, that stand out brighter than anything on us. What next, she would force us to wear masks?

"Look, we aren't going to get caught anyway. Malik is too busy with that Averi girl and her concerned parents. Surely he won't be back to his room for at least an hour," Zariah reminds me.

Of course. Averi is going home. The rumour spread, with an added fact that apparently Malik is torn apart over it. When I look at Averi, I'm not surprised. Her eyes are so incredibly green, they make you want to sit there for ten minutes just to understand them.

"Shall we then?" I say, motioning to the door.

Zariah had clarified what he needed...Evidence.

My mind reminded me of the necklace. Had he taken it off? While he were on our date, I managed to softly hint toward the fact, and he told me he only wears it during the day, and always stores it at night. My hopes are high.

The halls are quiet, as they always are at this time of the night.

Zariah leads the way, map in hand, although we have little to see with. She tried to get me to commit it to memory, however, the maze of corridors and potential rooms were too confusing for my mind to comprehend. She had just rolled her eyes at me and learnt it in about two glances.

Our first problem arises once we make it out of our allocated roaming space. The main door that separates the beginning of the Royal families quarters was locked firmly.

"I didn't think I would have to do this," Zariah mutters. I watch as she plucks a hairpin from her hair, and folds it back.

"You're not-"

My words are cut off, as she slides the pin into the lock. I've been convinced that kind of thing never works, yet Zariah completes the illegal method in less than ten seconds. She mocks a bow, as the door swings open, her white teeth gleaming in the little light we are offered.

"This just came a whole ton more real," I whisper, glancing down the main corridor. Already, it's different from our own space.

"Come of you big baby," Zariah says, grabbing the straps of her bag before she waltzes straight past the threshold. "Our window of opportunity will close before you can blink."

I follow her, cursing myself with every movement on my part. The confidence in Zariah's stride is hard to match, but I manage to seem somewhat stable. My eyes keep darting around, taking in the look of this place. It's dressed to impress people that aren't as mortal as Zariah and I are.

Malik and his family definitely are staying somewhere down this place.

"His parents room," Zariah notes in a hushed whisper, pointing to a door we walk past.

It's an average door, but I'm sure the other side of it begs to differ. Gritting my teeth, I keep my steps light, as I sneak past the room, hoping they wouldn't hear us. If anything, they would hear my nervous heart, that just won't stop beating. I've broken rules, but this time, it's not for a book.

Malik kept his room quite far from his. We have to delve deep through the maze of corridors to get there.

Zariah still looks confident, yet I can't feel the same. The further we get away from our escape route, the more nervous I become. My fingers quiver around the straps of the bag Zariah insisted I bring. Apparently there is going to be two bags full of evidence pointing to a botched competition.

"Here, I think," Zariah says suddenly, grabbing my attention.

A door stands lonely and insignificant in the wall. Is this seriously where is his room is? Could he have picked a more difficult place to sleep, or is that ten point? Lure idiots like us here so he can trap us and immediately eliminate us.

We stop in front of the door, and exchange glances.

"Ready?" She questions, a grin splitting across her face.

I can't believe I agreed to this.

💜••💜

🔮🔮

midikacrane

Midika

~Midika