"𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐀 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥"

XIV/ Secrets Beneath the Surface

Amelia had been studying the paper for hours, her eyes tracing every line and detail over and over again. Then, a revelation struck her. What if the organization kept this place hidden on purpose? she thought. What if there's a way out?

Her fingers trembled as she examined the sketch. The construction plan began near the cells, extending from one side of the prison and then abruptly stopping. The absence of continuity was deliberate. The hidden floor must be connected to the cells, she realized. I need to go there to investigate.

But going to the cells was a nightmare. The cells were cold, cruel, and full of punishment. Everyone in the organization had been sent there at least once. Even Amelia and her group, despite their attempts to appear loyal and obedient, had endured its horrors. The memories of their time there were seared into their minds, a constant reminder of the brutality of the place.

To return to the cells, I need to have a plan, Amelia thought. But I can't tell my friends yet. I don't want to raise their hopes only to have them shattered again.

That night, after a grueling day of training and educational classes, they had dinner and retired to their common room. Scott immediately collapsed onto his bed, exhausted. Amelia noticed the weary expressions on her friends' faces, knowing that another night of nightmares awaited her.

Whenever Dina, Liam, Zane, or Mike took her for torture sessions, Amelia knew they spiked her friends' food with sleeping pills to keep them from hearing anything. It was a twisted routine, a sick game played by the monsters who ran the place.

As her friends drifted off to sleep, each one slipping into their own troubled dreams, Amelia didn't blink, waiting for the monsters to come and drag her away for another night of pain. This time, however, she had a plan. She would endure whatever they threw at her, knowing that she had a purpose. As long as she kept the secret of the hidden floor to herself, she could continue to investigate without endangering her friends' fragile hope. And maybe, just maybe, she would find a way out.

Amelia's thoughts drifted back to the last time she was in the cells, the memories as vivid as if they had happened yesterday.

**Flashback Begin**

The cell was small and dark, the air thick with the stench of rot and despair. The walls were lined with crude graffiti, desperate messages from those who had been imprisoned before her. Rats scurried across the damp floor, and the walls were alive with insects. Amelia sat on the cold, hard ground, her body aching from the latest round of "training." Her mind was a haze of pain and exhaustion.

She remembered the first time they had taken her there. The cell was a place of punishment, a tool for breaking the spirit. The guards had thrown her in roughly, and she had hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of her. She had laid there, gasping, as the door slammed shut, the sound echoing in the small space.

Her first night in the cell was a nightmare of darkness and silence. She had tried to stay awake, terrified of what might happen if she fell asleep. But exhaustion had eventually claimed her, and she had drifted off into a fitful, restless sleep, filled with nightmares of pain and suffering.

The days that followed were a blur of agony. The guards came regularly, dragging her out for torture sessions that left her battered and broken. They used whips, batons, and electric prods, each method more brutal than the last. She had screamed until her voice was hoarse, her pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.

In the moments between the torture, she had learned to endure the isolation and the darkness. She counted the days by scratching marks on the wall, each one a testament to her will to survive. She focused on keeping her mind sharp, on not letting the despair consume her. It was during those endless, dark hours that she had first developed her fascination with knives, seeing them as a symbol of control and precision in a world where she had none.

**Flashback Ends**

The door creaked open, and two guards stepped into the room. Amelia's heart pounded, but she forced herself to remain calm. They grabbed her roughly, pulling her to her feet and leading her out of the room. She glanced back at her friends one last time, making sure they were still asleep, before steeling herself for what lay ahead.

They dragged her through the dimly lit corridors, the path to the cells all too familiar. The guards' hands were rough and unyielding, but Amelia kept her thoughts focused. I need to get to the cells, she reminded herself. I need to see if there's a hidden floor.

As they reached the torture room, Amelia was shoved inside. The familiar faces of Dina and Zane awaited her, their cruel smiles sending a shiver down her spine.

"Welcome back, Amelia," Dina sneered, picking up a knife from the table. "Ready for another round?"

Amelia knew she needed to provoke them, to make them angry enough to throw her back into the cells. She squared her shoulders and looked Dina straight in the eyes. "You think you scare me, Dina? You're nothing but a pathetic, power-hungry bitch."

Dina's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," Amelia spat, her voice dripping with disdain. "You hide behind your knives and your guards because you're too weak to face anyone head-on. You're a coward."

Dina lunged at her, the knife slicing through the air and grazing Amelia's arm. "You'll regret that," she hissed, her face twisted with rage.

"Maybe," Amelia said, biting back the pain. "But at least I'm not the one torturing innocent people to feel powerful. You're such a bitch."

Dina's face contorted with fury, and she slashed at Amelia again, this time cutting deeper. Blood seeped through Amelia's shirt, but she didn't flinch. She needed to push Dina further.

"Is that all you've got?" Amelia taunted. "No wonder you need Zane here to back you up. Can't handle it on your own?"

Zane stepped forward, his eyes cold. "You should watch your mouth, little doll."

"Why?" Amelia shot back. "Afraid I'll tell everyone how you cower behind Dina? How you're just as pathetic as she is?"

Dina's hand shot out, slapping Amelia hard across the face. "Enough! You're going to spend a lot of time in the cell for this. No water, no light, nothing. Four days in the cold, dark hell you deserve."

The guards dragged Amelia back to the cells, throwing her roughly into one of the smallest, darkest ones. The impact sent her sprawling, and she hit her head hard on the stone floor. Stars exploded in her vision, and darkness threatened to overtake her.

As she lay there, the pain from Dina's knife wounds mingling with the throbbing in her head, Amelia knew she had succeeded. She was in the cell, and now she had to find the hidden floor. But first, she had to survive the night.

The cold seeped into her bones, the dampness making her shiver uncontrollably. Her head spun from the concussion, and she fought to stay conscious. The darkness pressed in on her, and she could hear the scurrying of rats and the hum of insects all around her.

Stay awake, she told herself. Stay awake.

But the exhaustion and the pain were too much. As the darkness closed in, Amelia blacked out, her last thought a flicker of hope that she would wake up and find a way out of this nightmare.
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Don't forget to vote and comment. I'm patiently waiting for your opinions.

Also, I'm feeling extra energetic today, so I'll have two more chapters updated. 😻🎉

Sending love <3,
-M"