REVOLUTION: A Rebel Among Monsters ✔

Twenty-Four••Real, Or Fake?

After a quick bite at a restaurant—where the owners refused to let her pay—Melaynia set off to the Big Wall Guard Tower. After the introduction speech, the Sheriff told her two guards rotated there every day, alternating every few hours. And a third, part-time guard stood by for last-minute replacements due to emergencies or special occasions.

"These are highly trained individuals," he had said, out of earshot from the suspicious City Watcher, "and they receive injections of an energy supplement that heightens their vision and hearing. And it boosts their mental status, keeping them awake and alert."

He also mentioned he handpicked them. Meaning the Sheriff was also a suspect in the case the Monsters sent her to investigate... or in alliance with them to work against her.

Making her way to her destination, ignoring the curious onlookers, she recalled from her lessons that guards endured rigorous training, comparable to that of the recruits. But these men and women lived above ground and were there to protect, not fight.

And they'll be wary of me.

At the edge of the city, away from busy roads, she detected the beaten trail that would bring her to the Guard Tower in the northeast part of town. Surrounded by tall trees and sprinkled with a fresh coat of snow—a sparkly haven of isolation.

She groaned as she trudged through the substance and sighted the Tower. Made of sleek metals and glass, it was attached to the Big Wall and had a three-hundred-and-sixty degree view, with special lights blaring over the Forbidden Side. A steep set of stairs led to the top floor, and a bell dangled at the bottom to announce one's arrival.

She tugged on the string and proceeded up the steps. The winding staircase made her dizzy, but once she attained the end, frozen and exhausted, she knocked on the giant steel door.

It opened to reveal a young female who smiled as she eyed Melaynia from head to toe. "A recruit!" She ushered Melaynia inside. "I heard rumors of a visitor from Monster Island, but I didn't realize you'd arrive so soon."

The woman was warm, enthusiastic—quite the opposite of the stern, stiff soldier Melaynia had expected to find.

She gestured at Melaynia to sit on a wooden bench near the door. Each wall was a thick window, allowing the guards to see everything. A large fire pit roared in the middle, and a few pots and pans filled with remains of fish and vegetables sat on a grill on a table to the left.

"So what brings you up here?" The woman took a spot on the other side. "I didn't think I'd ever meet a recruit with my busy job."

Melaynia couldn't remove her gaze from the darkened Forbidden Side. "Uh... orders, I guess. Here to observe."

"Observe?" The guard stepped towards where Melaynia had been fixating.

"The Eldians are curious about your training and... have dispatched several recruits around the world to observe." When the woman's gaze rested on her again, Melaynia gulped, worrying she wouldn't remember her own lies as she spewed them out. "We're to check out the Walls and the cities next to them... as there might be a lot to learn from you."

For all she knew, this guard had no idea what was going on. She might have been another victim in the Eldian's game; and Melaynia was spying on her, invading her habits, her privacy.

But if she felt invaded, the guard didn't show it. "Well, I think that's smart of them. Our training is rigorous, though I imagine yours isn't much easier." She stared out at the large patch of snow Melaynia had waded through to get there. "Observe, then!"