Magnus had always acted with a clear conscience. He treated everyone in the team with sincerity, never once scheming or putting himself above others just because he’d saved them. Every risky job, he took the lead. Yet what ca back to him? A storm over a small misunderstanding, isolation from the ones he’d trusted, and doubt thrown at his motives.
That last thing he’d said - it wasn’t anger, it was the plain truth. He was exhausted, beaten down. He’d been cautious of betrayal from n, but forgot how suspicion ca easier to won.
Truth be told, not all of them deserved his bla. Emily, for example, wasn’t entirely playing gas. Deep down, she was upset - jealous, even. She believed she looked no worse than the others, maybe even better. But she couldn’t ignore what ti had taken from her: youth.
Back at Dorm 3, when she doubted Magnus and got the authorities involved, she thought he was losing it. Yet afterwards, he saved her without complaint. That kind of grace wasn’t sothing easy to ignore.
Since then, Emily never really saw him as a student again. Sothing inside her had shifted. So when Magnus said he wanted out and ant it, regret crept up on her. Sweet words didn’t work, ti to get tough.
"Alright then!" Emily’s voice turned cold. "You want to walk? No one’s stopping you. I’m not going to twist your arm - if you don’t want to be here, don’t be. But we won’t be unlocking the door for you. You want out? Open it yourself. Don’t expect help."
"Emily!" Grace grabbed her arm, trying to stop her. "What are you doing? You really letting him go?"
Charlotte stepped up, also trying to pull Emily back. But Magnus, breathing deeply, ignored them all and turned to approach the door.
Just as he started forward, Emily threw the others a covert glance, nodding toward Sarah. The girls blinked, then Charlotte caught on first. She moved quickly to the front passenger seat, yanked open the door, and pulled Sarah out.
Magnus froze when he heard Sarah’s startled cry. He turned sharply, just in ti to see her being dragged toward the shelter by a few of them.
"What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted, panic flashing in his eyes. He sprinted toward her - but Grace was faster, sliding into his path with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
"You can leave," she said sweetly, "no one here’s stopping you. But your sweet Sarah? She stays."
"Yeah!" Victoria chid in, stepping forward with the sa sly grin. "Without you, there’s no more man here. Maybe we’ll just turn Sarah into one... Keep us company, huh?"
Magnus’s blood boiled. He hadn’t expected them to stoop to this. He dodged left, then right, trying to break through - but Grace matched him every ti. They were both Awakened with quadruple speed. No matter how he moved, she always blocked the path.
Just as Magnus spaced out for a second, sothing slamd hard into the back of his neck. His vision went dark. He didn’t pass out right away like in a drama, but before he could react, more hits followed, hamring into the sa spot. He finally blacked out.
*****
Who knew how much ti passed. When Magnus groggily opened his eyes, he was still on his own bed. He tried moving his left hand - there were cuffs?
It didn’t take long to realize all four limbs were chained. The cuffs were the sa gear those paramilitary officers left behind in the shelter earlier.
Funny. First to use them ended up being him.
"What the hell - why am I cuffed?"
The won in the transport cabin weren’t asleep. They chattered on as usual. Sarah peeked over from the top bunk, "You’re awake, Magnus."
"Sarah, quick, unlock these for !" Magnus tried to sound calm.
"She won’t. Don’t bla her," Sophia said coolly from the bunk across the aisle, holding a book like nothing was wrong.
"She’s right. Magnus, you’re being too dramatic. As your teacher, I can’t let you throw tantrums like this," Emily’s voice ca from the other side.
Magnus frowned, frustration boiling. "What, you think chaining like this is going to keep here? You’re out of your minds."
"You want to test us?" Emily chuckled smugly and straightened up. "Careful, or we’ll really stash Sarah away sowhere."
Humiliation burned in his chest. Chained down by these won - this was insane. "I’m cuffed and stuck here! What if I need to piss?"
Emily smiled, half-joking but deadly serious. "No worries. Victoria, Abigail, Emma, and even sweet little Sarah upstairs - they all offered to help."
"Yep!" Victoria chid in from above. "I was just thinking of cutting a bottle for you, wanted to check the right size. But the others stopped . Hey Abby, Emma, co over - remind of his size so I don’t cut it too small..."
Cold sweat drenched Magnus. If this talk ca from Victoria on a normal day, he might’ve brushed it off. But now? With him tied up and them seriously discussing the size of a bottle for him - it was humiliating beyond words.
Worse still, they weren’t joking. None of them looked the slightest bit apologetic.
His worst fear was fast becoming real - he actually needed to pee. Panic crept in. "Emily, I’m done. I won’t leave. Just... please let go."
"No can do," Emily shut him down instantly. "Letting you go now’s a big deal. I don’t get to decide alone. It’s got to be voted on."
"Vote’s done!" Sophia said flatly from the other side. "I veto that."
"Fine..." Magnus deflated. "Then I want a cigarette. Soone light one for ."
"I got it!" Victoria pulled a pack from under her pillow, popped one in her mouth, lit it skillfully, took a deep drag, then leaned over to place it between Magnus’ lips. He took it, inhaling with a mix of defeat and desperation.
Sophia scoffed, sharp and cold. "Should’ve taken the easy way. But no, you had to be stubborn. And now look at you."
Lying there, helpless, Magnus felt more defeated than ever. Chained by a bunch of won, mocked like so pitiful fool - and he couldn’t break free no matter how hard he tried.
Ti dragged on, and the only thing he could feel now, stronger than frustration or sha, was...the urgent need to relieve himself.
User Comments
0 comments from readers