The Secret

Chapter 8: Training Day

My hands were throbbing with every punch I threw against the bunching bag. "Again!" Zayn grunted. Over and over until my hands were cramping. Why was he helping me, he was the person I was to go against. It makes no sense for him to be helping me possibly kill him tomorrow.

"Why are you helping me?" I grunted throwing another punch. My hair was drenched in sweat falling in my face.

"Because when I'm not here after tomorrow, I need to know you're safe. I need to know youre going to be okay." His brown eyes focused on me, "Fix your stance, throwing a punch like that is going to throw you off balance. Keep your center and your feet planted, knees bent ready to pounce." His hands laid on my hips, making their way down my thighs spreading my legs to fix my balance. I tried not to blush.

"Zayn, I'm not going to beat you, we both know this."

"Yes, you will. I'm not going to fight you."

"Why are you helping me? Seriously, you don't owe me anything. Hell, you barely know me."

"That's where you're wrong. I know a lot more than you think, every word you said in my presence I kept in my memories." He was fighting back a grin.

"You're so full of shit." Throwing another jab, bringing my fist closer to his face.

"Oh, is that so? So, your favorite flower isn't a tiger lily? And your favorite season isn't fall? Oh! Your favorite Holiday isn't Halloween." I threw another jab; he moved the punching bag throwing me forward. His arms catching me, like I was being dipped during a dance. "Liam never deserved you in the slightest." He pulled me back up.

"I need some water." I walked over sitting on a couch they had left in the room. I watched as Niall used swords against the wooden dummies in the room.

Each clash of the sword chipping away. He looked like he had fire in his eyes. Hacking at the dummy with no form or skill. Just pure hatred. Switching out to two daggers he walked over to the grappling dummy. Picking it up and slamming it on the ground. He stabbed different spots of the dummy with such precision. One dagger in the jugular, while the other went through where the ribs would be. Making sure his blade was horizontal going in the chest, so it was able to slide between the ribs. If they were to use daggers, Harry was screwed.

Opposite of Niall, Georgia was throwing axes at a wood bored. The axe found its mark every time. She threw them with such ease. They flew, slamming into the wood, one after the other. Niall and Georgia were physical fighters, I was glad I was paired with either of them. I was never a physical person, nor intellectual, I was better at thinking on my feet. I was a survivor.

The new girl Katie sat at a table, staring out the window. I was curious what she was daydreaming about. I walked over, sitting on the windowsill next to her. She looked at me and looked right back to the open field. Her voice cracked, "It's funny how you live such a normal life, and in five seconds, it goes to shit."

"What are you doing here?" I asked more curious than ever. She had no relationship with any of us, I had never seen her before in my life.

Her eyes met mine again, "I did something to someone in this room, that could easily ruin their life." I tried to keep my jaw from dropping. Was she the one who took the picture, and somehow changed my account?

"What did you do?" I could feel my voice trembling.

"I was told not to tell anyone, let alone a complete stranger." Her voice was cold. "If you don't mind, I would like to get back to my training."

I nodded and began to walk back to Zayn who was now setting up a chess board. At a table near him, Harry sat there reading. It was a book on finding inner peace. I had no idea how that would help him tomorrow facing Niall. Niall looked like a gladiator compared to Harry.

I sat in front of Zayn, looking at the chess pieces as he placed the last pawn on his side. "Do you know how to play?" I nodded, "Good, do you know what the point of chess is?"

Shaking my head no I answered "No, I just know it's for really smart people."

"You aren't wrong, but you're also not right. Chess is a game of strategy, always thinking ahead trying to anticipate your opponents every move." He slid his first white pawn sitting in front of his king forward one space. I grabbed the pawn in front of my rook two spaces, closing in the gap, trying to get to his pieces faster. "Although you may at times think you're winning, you're losing. Try to remember this when someone else is already trying to corner you, thinking they have the last laugh, you were always two steps ahead." He slides the queen to his far-right side. "Check mate."

"That was like 2 moves, what the fuck."

"Always two steps ahead." He laughed. "Let's play again." As he reset the board.

Game, after game I lost, slowly picking up tips from each one we played. I never did win, but listening to all the advice Zayn had kept my nerves calm. There was something about the way he moved

The day slowly passed; Zayn took me to different areas to show me the basics of different skills. I scanned everyone in the room, they all stayed at their stations when we first had walked in. Harry was still reading, now moving onto another book about survival wilderness tips. Maybe his activity would be a who could last longer in the woods. Niall had moved to battle axes. Dummies laid stacked next to the mat where he had been training. Each one laid there, more gruesomely mauled than the next. Georgia changed to the boxing ring, bouncing around the arena with such grace, like she was floating. Jabbing at the air, bobbing and weaving like she was in a real match.

Then there was Katie, who still sat silently at the window. Was she not worried about what was going to happen tomorrow? Maybe she could care less of what would happen to her. Maybe she just wanted to end it all and be done.

Oswald had brought us a giant tray of different types of food consisting of chips, fruits, vegetables and of course chicken salad sandwiches, my favorite. Trying to forget that this was our last day together. This was the man that had protected me yesterday, he had killed just to keep me safe, and now he was showing me how to kill him tomorrow.

The grandfather clock in the room chimed six bells. How had time flown by this fast. Oswald entered the room. He took a look around and said, "Dinner will now be served in the dining room. Please follow me, and do not say a word." He turned walking through the halls.

No one questioned, and we followed.

Entering the dining room, a giant rectangular shaped table now replaced the small one we once sat at. Oswald halted at the door, turning and facing us. "You will find your names at your respective seats." He motioned for us to sit. I slowly walked to the table, there were only six name cards, the rest of the table had none, but the plates were set.

I found my name at the far end of the table, on the corner next to the head. I sat down looking in front of me. My name had been hand written with such grace, there were no imperfections to the black card, my name written in gold lettering. I looked around. We were all evenly spaced out. Niall was three seats down from me, making him in the middle. Katie was three down from him, sitting her next to the opposite head of the table. Across from Katie sat Harry, then Zayn, finally sitting Georgia in front of me.

The grandfather clock chimed seven bells, and the doors opened. People walked in wearing such fine attire. Suits and tuxedos varying in color and styles. Dresses that touched the floor flowed as the beautiful women walked in. All of them laughing and joking holding their drinks. All of them had such flawless skin, like they had never known any sort of trouble in their life.

Each took their seats like they had been guests numerous times. A man walked up sitting next to me, in such perfect posture. Unbuttoning his moss green blazer and exhaling like he had finally made it to his far away destination. His hair was fixed perfectly, pushing it out of his face and to the sides. His hazel eyes met mine, "You must be who I'm betting a lot of money on tomorrow." Scanning me up and down, like he was looking at all my imperfections. Grinning, "I guess we will see how much I lose tomorrow."