ATARAXIA • BELLAMY BLAKE

[ 5 7 ]

"Kane," I call out as soon as I spot him in the hallway leading to Medical. He stops, turning to face me, his focused expression softening slightly as I jog to catch up. "Please tell me you have a plan—something to—"

"I do," he interrupts, his stern gaze silencing me before glancing cautiously up and down the corridor.

"What is it—" My words are cut short as Kane grabs my arm and pulls me into a narrow corridor lined with storage rooms.

"Indra signaled," he says in a hushed tone, glancing over his shoulder. "She wants to meet."

It takes me a moment to process. I'd almost forgotten about the radio she'd been given before everything spiraled out of control with Pike.

"I'd go myself, but Pike's watching my every move now."

He shifts his duffel bag onto the floor, rummaging through it before pulling out a rifle. I stiffen as he hands it to me.

"You want me to go see Indra?" I ask, already knowing the answer as my fingers wrap around the cold metal.

Kane meets my gaze. "I need you to."

I glance down at the rifle as Kane takes a step back, leaning against the wall. "I'm in," I say, firming my grip on the weapon. "But how do I get out? The gate is armed with—"

Kane cuts me off with a grunt, pushing a section of the metal wall aside. Behind it is a narrow, hidden crawlspace.

A small smirk escapes me as I step forward, peering into the dark opening.

"Crawlspace door twenty feet down will drop you outside the camp wall," Kane explains. I lean back out of the hole and glance at him.

"Get out there, find out what the hell happened, and report back to me. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir," I reply, shouldering the rifle. Without hesitation, I jump into the crawlspace just as a sharp beeping noise crackles over the PA system.

"Marcus Kane, report to the Chancellor's office."

Our eyes meet briefly—unspoken warnings exchanged—before Kane slides the wall closed behind me, plunging me into complete darkness.

The crawlspace is cold and tight, the rough metal scraping against my knees and palms as I crawl forward. Twenty feet later, I reach the small door Kane mentioned. Testing the latch, I cautiously push it open and poke my head out.

Cool air greets me. The door leads to the perimeter outside Arkadia's walls. I pull myself out and look around. No guards. No patrols. Just trees and silence.

I move quickly, rifle slung over my shoulder and start navigating the dense forest as I head toward the last known location of the peacekeeping force.

The sight of the first body stops me dead in my tracks.

Blood stains the forest floor, dark patches of red marring the earth between fallen leaves. My heart sinks as I move forward. The further I go, the more bodies I find, scattered haphazardly, their lifeless forms sprawled between the trees. The silence of the forest is deafening, broken only by the sound of my labored breathing.

When I step out of the treeline and onto the field, the scope of the massacre becomes clear.

Hundreds of bodies.

They're everywhere—men and women of the Grounder peacekeeping force, torn apart by gunfire. Bullet wounds ravage their bodies. The sheer brutality of it is overwhelming. And not a scratch on Pike's men. My stomach churns as I step over the dead. This is slaughter.