"Five?
"Lexa?" We both shared a smile as we pulled each other in for a long, overdue hug. "Where have you been?" He asked me in disbelief.
"It's kind of a long story," I said with a shrug. "Basically, I was sent back to my past, which is technicall...
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Bree glanced my way and I offered her a small smile to calm her nerves. She returned the small gesture, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. I could feel myself growing a bit shaky too as everything was playing out just like it had before. I can still remember all the long, gruesome hours of combat training, along with the painful and gory missions that followed. There was so much death and killing in my past, which made me question the kind of person I am and who I will become at the end of this.
When I escaped this compound the first time, I felt so lost in my own identity. I desperately wanted to find trustworthy people and the minute I did I told them my whole backstory. I wondered if I was too trusting and open with others. I worried about what this place would do to me, especially being here for a second time. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to endure all the pain and suffering again, but I had to push through it. I didn't really have much of a choice because I was stuck here, whether I liked it or not.
The skull moved its jaw as if it were actually talking to us, "We will begin our tour of the compound shortly, but for now please enjoy this video." The glitchy skull faded into the video, and a number ten appeared counting down slowly. It was strange how prepared these people were when it came to planning ahead. The Horror Order must have done their research long before we arrived here because every bit of information felt precise and careful. Even after the year I spent here last time, I never found out their inspiration for the kidnapping and experiments. I wanted to know more about Silas and his motives, but I wasn't sure if it was worth putting myself and the future at risk.
Once the countdown reached zero, Silas appeared on the screen standing in the middle of a long hallway. He was dressed in an expensive, black suit with a simple small plastered on his face. The man looked a bit younger than he did now, which meant that this video must have been taken years ago. "Hello. My name is Silas Malum and I am the founder of the Order."
The screen flashed from the image of Silas standing in the hallway to a laboratory with working scientists. The men and women in white lab coats spoke amongst themselves as they glanced through microphones and took notes. A voiceover of Silas began to play as we watched the scientists, "Here at the Order, we have a variety of specialists that major in biochemistry, biology, physiology, and cytology."
The old video now showed the training room. "My compound offers many opportunities for you to learn new things and expand your knowledge on many topics." The room was huge with a tall ceiling that lights hung from and shined brightly down on all of the equipment. There were numerous black mats for sparring, human-like martial arts dummies, beams that hovered above the ground, long ropes, rigid rock walls, and a wide selection of training objects from different styles of fighting.
The Horror Order wanted their subjects to learn as much as possible to become the best assassins. All of the experiments and training seemed to pay off though because we were one of the most dangerous group of killers alive. No one expected teenagers with special abilities to be highly trained in combat and have advanced knowledge of medical terms, which made the Horror Order so successful in their assassinations and keeping everything a secret. As much as I hated to say it, I was almost impressed with Silas and his team of specialists.
