Chapter 2: The promise

Aanya leaped away from the training room with her thoroughly bruised face. The migraine she felt in her head was too agonizing and she couldn't dismiss it no matter how hard she tried. She made her way to her room and the thought made her stomach churn. She knew she would have to face Aida's constant troubles. What she needed was rest, but she knew that was the least she wasn't going to get.

Aanya exhaled sharply as she pushed the door of the room open. It was dark and she inwardly concluded Aida wasn't in. Her heart leaped for joy, thanking the heavens. She could finally have some time to rest. She flicked on the light switch and her soul almost jumped right out of her body when she saw a figure on the bed. She mellowed out a bit when she realized that it was just Aida. What the hell was she doing, inside the room in thick darkness? The last time she recollected, Aida hated the light switched off. It always triggered her.

"Why did you turn off the light? You aren't even asleep or you just wanted to scare me" Aanya let out with a scowl on her face as she dropped her training bag on her side of the bed.

"And what happened to your face?" she asked ignoring Aanya's statement. Aanya knew that she wasn't asking because she cared. Her inquiry was just based on curiosity.

"I don't want to talk about it. Don't act like you care anyway" Anaya said with an exhausted tone as she sat on her bed and ran her hand across the sheets.

"Yeah, I don't. You know I have always wondered why master chose you. You are weak and no match for the outside world"

"Who are you to decide that?" Aanya snapped angrily but didn't let the words get to her because she knew well enough how Aida could be when spite kicked in. In all, Aanya was not ready to bicker over anything. She just needed rest to stop her pounding head which was already affecting her perception at that moment.

"You are the weakest and we all know it"

"You think you would have been a better option?"

"Even Lydia would survive better than you. The outside world is tough and you are no match for it"

"no one has been to the outside world, so you can't speak of something you don't know about"

"Why do you think we learn to do all this? Train, learn new rules every day, and get punished when we forget one? Well, it's because they are preparing us for the outside world. All of us" she voiced out, emphasizing the last sentence to prove a point.

"I don't think the outside world is as bad as it might sound" Aanya shrugged.

"You don't know anything"

"Master goes there every day and comes back without a scar on his body"

"Because he is tough and you are a weakling" the look in her eyes held disdain and it always made Aanya wonder what wrong she ever did to her. 

Ignoring always worked for her when it came to Aida. She didn't want to get into trouble for fighting with a sister. The punishment was too hazardous. They took Mabel for punishment after she fought with Aida. Of course, Aida lied that she was attacked first and Mabel wasn't the type to defend herself. They took her to the dark room and no one heard of her since then. It was almost 3 months and she wasn't still back. They all wondered what happened to her, except for Lydia though, who showed complete nonchalance and it pissed the other girls off, most especially Aanya.

Anaya lay on the bed, with her heart in her throat. She was going into the outside world for the first time and she didn't know how to feel. In all, she just felt numb. Enrolling her in college all felt crazy to her. All the girls were schooled right there in Ghista, so she was quite confused why there was even a need for her to further in a strange land that she knew nothing about. The question she kept asking herself, was why she was chosen when numerous girls appeared more fit and strong enough to be in the outside world. Aida was right, she was indeed a weakling.  Even her Master knew she couldn't be classified as strong, neither was she as calculative as some of the other girls. She just proved that to him during the training session, but she was still chosen. Why?

She tilted to the other side of her bed, slowly with her head still aching profusely. She didn't even want to pay attention to the pain in her ribs as that would only compound her suffering. Ghita's hospital was like a torture zone. They always handled the girls too roughly, causing more pain than what they already felt.

The door opened, causing a little light to shine across the dark room. Aanya knew it was Lydia. It just had to be Lydia because the rule clearly stated that 'no girl is allowed to visit another room that was not assigned to her. No one dared to violate that rule as they all knew the consequences of defilement.

Lydia walked over to her bedside and hopped on it and the first thing that Aanya heard was a whimper. It was sure coming from Lydia's bedside. Aanya ignored it at first. It wasn't her business anyway, she had a big day tomorrow. She thought inwardly. 

When the sob continued, Aanya knew that she couldn't ignore Lydia's cry anymore. She brought her feet down from her bed and the moment she stood up, the pain in her head hit her so hard that she almost fell back to her bed. Her wobbly legs ambled their way to Lydia's bedside and sat beside Lydia who sobbed silently. She knew how painful it was when someone cried in silence. She had suffered it once. Aanya touched Lydia slightly on the shoulder which caused Lydia to flinch in response to the sudden movement. She resumed her sob when she realized it was Aanya, totally ignoring her.

"It's okay, it's fine" Aanya coed at her softly. "If you keep crying like this, you are going to get sick"

"And I pray death follows," Lydia cried out with a shaky voice. The words stunned Aanya, taking her aback.

"Don't say that" she reprimanded. "Have you lost your mind?"

"We are all going to die Aanya can't you see? This place isn't what you think it is" she stated, staring at Aanya with puffy red eyes. Aanya knew that Lydia had always been the clever one, but this time she spoke very strangely.

"What are you saying, Lydia? Don't say that, go to bed. We will talk when you are thinking properly" Aanya shunned in a whisper. The topic Lydia tried to bring up was very triggering and Aanya had watched many girls die for even speaking about it. It was too sensitive and she wasn't going to indulge in it

Lydia didn't let Aanya go as she clutched her hand"We can't continue to hide from the truth"

"Why are you suddenly talking about this? You have always been the loyal one Lydia"

"That... That" Lydia's voice trailed off as she stammered. Her eyes held pain and hurt. "That guard had his way with me" she blurted with tears rolling down her cheek with reckless abandon.

"Oh my God," Aanya exclaimed in disbelief. She instantly embraced Lydia while Lydia continued sobbing on her shoulder. Aanya patted her back slightly, trying to calm her down. "Do you know the guard?"

"My eyes were tied up. I didn't..." She trailed off and her sobbing continued

"It's okay. Everything will be fine"

"No it won't Aanya, can't you see? This place is second to hell. The outside world is better"

"Don't say that" Aanya whispered, looking at the door continuously. She feared that a guard might burst into their rooms and take the two of them in for punishment

"It's true"

"The outside world isn't how you think it is. It's evil"

"It's better than here, trust me Aanya" 

"Please don't say that. You might get punished"

"I have already had enough. I don't care anymore"

"Lydia" Anaya cautioned

"You are so lucky that you get to go out there. It's a free world."

"Can we drop this?" Aanya feared the worse.

"Aanya you are 21 for goodness sake, stop acting like a child. You all are just being fooled and you are too blind to see it"

"And you are the smart one?"

"Aanya you have to trust me on this" the tears on her face had already dried as she stared at Aanya firmly. " Promise me what thing" 

"What?"

"Promise me that once you leave this place, you would be leaving for good"

"You know I can't and it's almost impossible. Master has eyes everywhere and I can't get the chips out of my body"

"This is an opportunity not to be missed and if I was given the opportunity as they did to you, I would never come back"