The bound man trembled on the ground, his eyes darting between the guards, the superior, and finally Lexi. Tears streaked his dirt-stained face. "Please… I only wanted to save my son. Please don't kill me. I'm not a thief—I swear—"
The superior leaned back in his chair, studying Lexi. His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "End him. Show me you belong here."
For a moment, the room was silent. The guards leaned in, eager for blood. The prisoner sobbed, his voice raw.
Lexi, however, was utterly still. No emotion crossed her face. Inside, her mind moved like a sharpened blade.
He thinks he's testing me. Obey, and I become his pawn. Refuse, and I become weak. Neither will serve me. No… I'll show him I don't play his game. I play mine.
Her dagger flashed—not toward the man's throat, but the rope at his wrists. In a clean slice, the binds fell away.
"Get up," she said flatly.
The prisoner blinked, stunned. Then, realizing he was free, he stumbled upright, shaking. "Th-thank you… thank you—"
She tossed him the dagger.
The metallic clatter echoed in the room. The man caught it, staring at the weapon, then back at Lexi in disbelief.
The guards stiffened, confused. The superior's brows twitched, though his face quickly smoothed into cold calculation.
Lexi tilted her head, voice soft and measured. "If you can kill me… you're free. If you can't…" Her eyes hardened. "Then I take action."
Gasps rippled. One of the guards muttered, "She's insane…"
The man's expression twisted in an instant—from gratitude to feral desperation. His eyes bulged with wild intent. He lunged at her with the dagger, a hoarse scream tearing from his throat.
Lexi had predicted it the moment she saw him. Desperation breeds betrayal.
Her body moved like water, sidestepping with calculated precision. She caught his wrist mid-strike, twisted, and drove her elbow into his ribs. The dagger slipped from his hand. In one fluid motion, she caught it and buried it into his chest. His scream choked into silence as he crumpled at her feet.
The room froze.
Lexi exhaled softly, wiping the blade on the man's tattered clothes. Then she looked up, her expression unreadable, her tone calm and almost innocent.
"I acted purely out of self-defense."
The superior's eyes narrowed just slightly, a flicker of something dark passing through them. Interest. Irritation. Recognition. He masked it quickly with a slow smile.
"Efficient," he said at last. "And unpredictable."
But Lexi caught the shift in his gaze. Beneath that smile, he knew: she was uncontrollable. Not one of his puppets. And in that moment, Lexi knew too—she had just made him her enemy.
He gestured to a waiting officer. "Assign her to a team. And see to her accommodations."
The soldier nodded, motioning for Lexi to follow.
The New Room
The building's corridors gleamed with polished tiles and humming fluorescent lights. Survivors in blue jumpsuits shuffled past, eyes hollow, while soldiers in clean combat suits strode confidently, rifles slung across their backs.
Lexi's guide stopped before a steel door and opened it. Inside was a private room—luxurious compared to the camps. A proper bed, clean sheets, her own bathroom, even shelves stocked with daily necessities. On the bed lay a folded combat suit, identical to what the officers wore, sleek and practical.
The soldier recited the rules flatly: "Cafeteria is open three times a day. You'll be summoned when your team is scheduled for missions. Disobey orders, and you won't last. Understood?"
Lexi nodded quietly, her innocent façade intact.
When he left, she explored the room with patient eyes. Her gaze lingered on every corner, every shadow. And then she saw it—hidden inside the vase on the shelf, a small blinking red light. A camera.
Her lips curved into a smirk. Of course. Even their generosity is a leash.
She didn't let it show. Instead, she lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, feigning exhaustion.
But inside, her resolve sharpened. They're not saving survivors. They're using them. The weak aren't taken to safety—they're taken somewhere else. Tomorrow night, I'll find out where.
Her smirk deepened as she closed her eyes, scoffing silently at their hypocrisy. They thought they could watch her, measure her, control her.
They had no idea the game had already slipped from their hands.
New pawns were appearing on her board.