ForestLands Institution

Chapter | 44.2√

Anthony swiveled to Jace in urgency. "Let's get out of here," Anthony said.

But Jace face contorted in a grimace then he let out an agonizing scream and fell to one knee. The others stared at him in panic and confusion.

Freya went down beside him. “Jace! Jace! What's wrong?”

He couldn't respond as he lay on the ground, struggling to get enough air into his lungs. It felt like he had become a living oven, his insides being baked.

Approaching footsteps were heard around them and the group except Jace got into a defensive stance. They soon got surrounded by guards with Mr. Maximilian and Mr. Asole.

The gang exchanged grim glances. They were outnumbered.

Mr. Asole gave a cruel smile. “I suggest you don't struggle if you don't want to end up like him.”  He turned up his nose at the bear shifter's corpse.

Freya gestured to Jace who was writhing on the floor in pain. “What did you do to him?”

Mr. Maximilian ran his eyes over Jace lazily. “Just a pinch of Phoenix ash sprinkled in his breakfast.

Do you think we are so gullible that we can let you escape easily? How could you be digging a tunnel for three months in my territory and think I wouldn't know? There are hidden cameras apart from the visible ones, even in the bathroom. It's disappointing to see my best warriors act like fools.”

They could only stare at him with varied looks of hatred.

Then Minty transformed in a blink and she propelled herself in the air toward Mr. Maximilian, before Anthony could stop her. It all happened really fast but the man was able to twist his body to the side, allowing her to get a little past him. Just as quickly, he caught her tail and slammed her to the ground, he placed his booted feet on her head and she transformed back, hissing venomously under his feet. He brought his leg back and kicked the back of her head. The girl fell unconscious.

Eyeing her with distaste, he addressed his guards, “Take her to the isolation room. Let's see if she still has this attitude when she spends some quality time back. As for the others, get them back to the base and dish out their punishment. Give the demon the antidote.”

The guards grabbed the group and they complied without a struggle. Jace had to be supported by two guards as he couldn't stand on his own.

Freya wanted to scream when the base came back into view. So much for an escape plan.

Nadia tucked a gun into the waistband of her leather trousers and placed throw knives in her leather boots. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to use the gun.

Already prepared, she took in the other girls in the room she shared with them. They were all dressed in the same leather, and all shared the same determination but the loss in their eyes varied in various degrees of emotional pain. They were all going to do one thing moments from now and that is rescue their friends.

It has been one month since Nadia woke up from a coma, one month since she reunited with some of her friends. One month of intense training. Today is the day, they get their friends back.

Nadia sat down on her bed and took the box she kept on it. She opened it and ran her fingers over the pendant in it. The pendant that Jace had given her months ago.

She smiled sadly. We will start all over again when you get back.

She snapped it shut when Joanne asked, “What's that?”

Nadia looked up to see Joanne standing before her. “Nothing.” She replied. “Is Faryal ready?”

Joanne eyed the box curiously but let the topic slide. “Yeah. Just praying,” she pointed to the back of the room where Faryal sat Indian style, her hands cupped together and head bowed in silent prayer. “We are going to be needing a lot of that.” Still staring at Faryal, she sat beside Nadia. “Can't imagine going against my own family.”

A knock came on the door and the member of the resistance said, “Come down to the training room.”

Nadia removed the pendant from the box and wore it, tucking it into her shirt. Faryal rounded up her prayers, folded her prayer cloth, and kept it aside. Together the three headed for the training room.

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