ForestLands Institution

Chapter | 41√

Jace, Freya, and Anthony sat at the meal table discussing their plans, away from the hearing of the guards. The table they found was in the middle of other tables which had multiple occupants that managed to block the view of the camera in the room.

They didn't want anyone inspecting the surveillance camera later and reading their lips. They didn't want anyone reading their lips and finding out about the tunnel they built to get out of this hellhole.

Freya and Jace met Anthony after one month of staying at The Resistance. Freya had overheard him talking to a bear shifter about a secret tunnel leading out of the organization. Freya confronted Anthony and forced him to let her in on the plan or else she would tell the authority. She was introduced to the other members; a bear shifter and a fairy. To Anthony's dismay, she also told Jace about it and he had to let him join.

"I finally got the chemical to rub on ourselves when we release the hellhounds," Anthony said.

The chemical was demon blood burnt in phoenix fire. When dried, it was pounded into powder and mixed with Nephilim blood. The guards rubbed it on their bodies to prevent the hellhounds from attacking them. It repels them.

The hellhounds were creatures The Resistance got from a deal with a higher demon. The guards release them during the night when all the students have been locked in.

Jace and the others were planning to release the hellhounds before time to create a distraction so that they could escape through the tunnel they have been building for three months and had just completed.

"I don't know about this. The other students could get hurt because of this. I don't want innocent blood on my hands," Jace said.

Freya let out an exasperated sigh. "Jace listen. We have talked about this. They will get a head start and when everyone is distracted..."

"We get to the tunnel and get the hell out of here," Anthony completed.

"What about the chips? We have done anything about them," Jace said as matter of fact.

"Minty got that covered," Anthony said.

Freya tried to reassure Jace when she saw him still looking unsure. "Come on Jace, we have been planning this for three months now," she sighed and leaned back, taking a sip of her water. "Or don't you want to see your girlfriend again?"

Anthony's jaw dropped and Jace's face went red. "Dude! I didn't know you have a girlfriend."

"Alexandra is not my girlfriend."

Freya rolled her eyes and hid her smile behind her glass cup. "Alright, your crush," she teased.

"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that you of all people would have a crush," Anthony declared with a laugh

Freya had just got to her room after dinner when the door slid open and a guard walked in.

"You have a visitor," he told her, before moving aside to reveal an older male version of Freya.

"Father," she addressed him coldly.

"Leave us," her father said, never taking his eye off her.

"How have you been?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow and then sighed. She dropped on her bed and picked at her haggard nails. "Oh, you know. I've been quite peachy being held here and forced to train as a soldier for a course I don't wish to fight for. I'm good. I'm feeling great actually."

Her father narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't you dare use that tone on me? Since when did you start addressing me as a father instead of dad?"

"Since you're all in this madness, it makes me feel less connected to you than calling you dad does."

"You know I'm doing this for you. I'm doing it for your mother. You should be grateful for the resistance. Very soon, we will no longer have to hide anymore."

"No! Don't you dare say that? Mom wouldn't have wanted this. Mom wouldn't have wanted any of this! Why does it have to be this way? Stupid experiments that are taking our lives for goodness sake."

"They should consider it an honour to die for the resistance," he said. "If you join the resistance, we wouldn't have to live in hiding anymore. There would be no chance of you getting caught by those worthless humans and killed like your mother."

"We have had this discussion before and like before, my answer is no and will always be no."

His nostrils flared. "When will you stop being a disappointment? You still haven't gotten to a level five and you let a newcomer beat you at the forestlands games."

Freya let her face go emotionless. Only the clenching of her fists betrayed her.

The father seeing as hopeless as this was, walked out of the room in a rage.

Ahryan walked into the lab room after a message from one of the guards to come to settle an issue. He walked in to see Mia held down by a guard and some of their nurses crowding the doctor. The other four guards were avoiding his gaze.

"What is going on here?" he demanded.

One of the guards told him, "The doctor wanted to give her the regular dose for the experiment but she somehow had a scissor on her which she used to stab the guard holding her. She snatched the injection from the doctor and injected him with it. We tries to stop her but it was too late."

Ahryan face went red with anger. "Fools!"

They flinched.

He raged on. "All of you as fools. Can you even hear yourself? You're not ashamed to tell me that a girl who had the power bracelet on managed to outsmart five of you."

"We are sorry sir," They apologized.

His next words drained the color from their faces, "You can tell that to the boss."

He leveled his gaze on Mia who had been quiet all this while. "You. You have been a pain in the neck all this time. It's time we do something about this."

"Take her to the torture room," he ordered one of the guards.

Mia didn't so much struggle as the guards hauled her up and started leading her out of the room. This was a frequent occurrence after all. She was already used to it and Ahryan seemed to think the same thing because he stopped the guards before they could leave.

"Bring one of the test subjects in here. Make sure you pick a fragile one," he instructed another guard.

The guard left and returned minutes later on with a trembling girl.

Ahryan faced Mia who was confused about what was happening. "Since you are now used to our punishment. I think it's time we changed tactics. This girl will be punished for what you've done and you will be made to watch. If you dare step out of line any day again, someone will take your punishment for you."

Mia began pleading because she couldn't bear the fact that someone was going to get hurt because of her. She would never be able to live with herself. "No, leave her alone. She's innocent. Don't do this."

"Ahryan! You beast! I can't believe this. You will pay for this! You will surely pay for this!" she screamed at his retreating figure just before the door shut close.