Experiment of Fate ~ A Bellamy Blake story

10 - Back in a Cell

Isla Griffin pulled herself from the cold, damp ground, her legs trembling beneath her. Each step felt like a battle, her body weighed down by the storm raging inside her. The world blurred around her, the voices, the faces, all drowned out by the relentless echo of Bellamy's betrayal. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest like it was trying to escape the pain clawing at it. She steadied herself with a deep, shaky breath, her resolve hardening. She needed to move. To focus. To find Kane.

The corridors of their makeshift hideout stretched before her, dimly lit and eerily quiet. Her footsteps echoed as she pushed forward, desperate for clarity, for guidance. She found Kane in a small room, his broad shoulders hunched as he sat with his head in his hands. The weight of leadership hung heavily on him, but he looked up when she entered, concern softening his weary expression.

"Isla," he said, his voice gentle but firm, "are you alright?"

The question broke her. She stumbled toward him, collapsing into his arms as a sob tore from her throat. "I don't know how to be okay," she whispered. "Everything's falling apart, Kane. Bellamy... he chose Pike. He's following him. I don't understand—how could he do this?"

Kane held her tightly, his steady presence grounding her against the chaos. "You're not alone in this," he murmured, his voice a balm against her fraying edges. "We'll get through this together. We always do."

But his reassurance felt hollow. Isla's thoughts spiraled, circling back to Bellamy, to the anguish in his eyes that mirrored her own. "If Pike finds out about me—about my abilities—what if he uses me, Kane? What if Bellamy finds out? What if..." She trailed off, her voice shaking.

Kane's brow furrowed, his grip tightening slightly. "That won't happen," he said, his tone firm. "Bellamy might be lost right now, but he wouldn't do that to you."

Isla wanted to believe him, but the doubt gnawed at her. Before Kane could say more, the door flew open. Abby burst in, her expression alarmed. "They're back," she announced breathlessly.

Kane's arms fell away, and he exchanged a grim look with Abby before rising. He turned back to Isla, his expression softening. "Stay strong," he said again before following Abby out the door.

Isla remained frozen for a moment, her heart pounding as fear and dread coiled in her stomach. Slowly, she followed, keeping to the shadows as the crowd gathered near the gates. The group entered, battle-worn and silent. Bellamy led them, his face a mask of indifference, though Isla could see the tension in his clenched jaw, the heaviness in his eyes.

Her breath hitched when his gaze swept the crowd, searching, almost desperate. Isla froze as his gaze swept over her hiding place. He didn't see her, but she saw him. He looked... broken. She knew that look. It mirrored the pain she felt.  Pike's booming voice pulled her focus, and her stomach churned as he climbed onto the platform.

"Less than 24 hours ago, you elected me as your Chancellor," Pike declared, his voice radiating authority. "Every action I've taken since, and every action I will take, is to secure Arkadia's future!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, but Isla felt like she might vomit. She caught sight of Octavia and Lincoln, their expressions mirroring her own disgust. Pike's words grew louder, sharper, each one slicing through Isla's fragile composure.

She couldn't take it. Turning, she fled back to the safety of the building, collapsing onto her bed as the sobs she'd been holding back finally broke free. The tears came in waves, relentless, until exhaustion dulled their edge. Hours passed in a haze, and Isla lay staring at the ceiling, her chest hollow and aching.

The door creaked open, and Octavia slipped inside. "Hey," she said softly, sitting beside Isla. Her voice was laced with gentle reprimand. "No more tears for that idiot, okay?"