SINS OF FROST AND HEAT

FIRST ELIMINATIONS.

The night had been far too quiet before it all descended into chaos. Liam lay in his bunk , trying to calm his mind after a long day of relentless training. The tension from knowing that eliminations were near made it hard to close his eyes.

Suddenly, the room was flooded with a sharp red light. The blare of emergency alarms ripped through the night, loud and shrill. Liam jerked upright, heart hammering in his chest. The blinding red lights flickered, filling the dormitory with an eerie glow.

“What the hell is happening?” Peter growled, leaping out of bed, his expression pale but alert.

Everyone was rushing now, throwing on boots and stumbling into the hall as the alarm screamed above them. The oppressive blare only heightened the panic. Ruby had instructed them to meet in the lodge if anything went wrong, so Liam bolted toward the familiar place with the others close behind. His mind raced as they ran, fear gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.

When they reached the lodge, Ruby was already there, standing tall amidst the chaos, her figure outlined by the ominous red lights. Her face, usually calm, looked strained.

“What’s going on?” Calypso  asked, her voice uncharacteristically serious as the group gathered around Ruby.

Ruby shook her head. “I don’t know yet,” she replied, her voice low but steady. The alarm cut off abruptly, plunging the room into a thick, expectant silence. Loud banging echoed through the walls heavy, metallic thuds that seemed to reverberate through the very floor.

Then, a cold, robotic voice sliced through the air.

“Camp has been attacked"

A collective gasp rippled through the group. Liam’s stomach twisted with fear, and he wasn’t alone. Even the older kids looked terrified. The younger ones paled, some of them trembling.

“Stay calm,” Ruby barked, her voice rising above the noise. She began issuing orders swiftly. “Strongest up front, the rest fall back. Get ready.”

Peter, with his usual confidence, moved to the front along with a few other strong trainees. Liam’s pulse quickened. He stepped forward, squaring his shoulders. “I can help.”

Ruby turned toward him, her eyes assessing him quickly before she shook her head. “Not this time, Liam. I need you to find Ms. Sayid.”

“But I can—”

“No,” Ruby interrupted sharply, her expression softening just slightly. “We need answers. If anyone knows what’s happening, it’s Ms. Sayid. Take Calypso  and go.”

Liam’s frustration simmered beneath his skin, but there was no time to argue. He glanced at Calypso, who gave a quick nod, and the two of them hurried out of the lodge with a few others following. The night air was cold, biting at their skin as they ran through the dimly lit corridors toward Ms. Sayid’s quarters.

When they reached her door, it was ajar, hanging awkwardly from its hinges. Liam felt a knot tighten in his stomach. Something was terribly wrong.

He pushed the door open, and there, in the middle of the room, lay Ms. Sayid’s body, sprawled on the floor, her head severed. Blood thick and red pooled around her lifeless form.

A wave of nausea washed over Liam as he froze in the doorway. “No...” whispered one of the  kids, his voice shaky with fear. Calypso, normally flippant, took a step forward, her eyes wide with horror.

Liam knelt beside the body, his hands trembling as he stared down at the pool of red liquid. Something wasn’t right. Ms. Sayid was a robot he knew that. So why was there blood?