Liora's POV
I woke up because the sun was being too loud...
Yeah I know that sounds stupid. But that is exactly how it felt.
A single, sharp beam of light was hitting me right in the eye...
I tried to roll over, but the bed was too soft. I felt like I was being swallowed by a giant marshmallow.
I forgot where I was for a second. I thought I smelled the grease of the diner.
Then I felt the silk.
Oh Right. I'm a prisoner.
I sat up too fast. My head spun. The room was exactly as it was last night.
Perfect....Cold.
The little red light on the camera was gone. Now it was just a dull black eye watching me.
"Asshole," I muttered.
I looked at the nightstand. There was a piece of heavy paper sitting next to the black phone.
The handwriting was sharp and It looked like the person who wrote it didn't have time.
Rules for the Estate:
1. 07:00: Breakfast is served in the West Dining Nook.
2. 08:00: Medical vitals and nutritional intake.
3. 09:00 – 12:00: Personal time (West Wing Gardens).
4. 12:00: Lunch.
5. No contact with the Main Wing.
6. No contact with staff beyond basic requirements.
I looked at the clock. 7:15. I was already late for his stupid list.
I scrambled out of bed. I didn't even have my own clothes, so I went to the closet...
Everything was cream, beige, or green.
I grabbed grey leggings and a sweater that felt like it was made of foam...I felt like a fraud wearing it.
I walked out of the room and followed the smell of coffee.
The Dining Nook was all glass. It looked out over a garden that was so green it looked fake.
A girl was there. She looked about my age. She was setting a silver pot down.
"You're late," she said. She didn't look at me.
"I'm Liora."
"I know. I'm Anya." She scowled at a spoon. "I'm the one who gets in trouble when you sleep in."
"Sorry. The bed is... a lot."
"Is he here?" I asked. "Darian?"
Anya snorted. A real, human sound. "Mr. Volkov left at five. He doesn't eat with people like you."
"People like me?"
She stiffened. She realized she'd said too much. "Drink the green stuff. It's a requirement."
I took a sip of a glass filled with swamp-colored liquid. It tasted like grass and dirt.
"This is disgusting. I want a donut."
Anya let out a tiny laugh. Then she killed it.
"No donuts. Your body is a temple now. Or a greenhouse. Whatever he calls it."
"A greenhouse," I said. My chest felt tight. "Grow the plant, take the flower, throw away the dirt."
Anya gripped her silver tray. Her face softened for a split second.
"Just eat the fruit, Liora. Save your energy for the big things."
"What big things?"
"The Obsidian Circle," she whispered.
She turned and marched out before I could ask what that was.
I sat alone. The silence was so heavy it made my ears ring. "What the fuck the Obsidian Circle"I whispered
I reached for my father's journal. It was the only thing I had left that wasn't "V" branded.
I opened a random page. The ink was faded.
"The air in the city is getting thin, Lio. But as long as you can breathe on your own, you're free."
I touched the words. My eyes stung.
I can't breathe on my own here, Dad. He bought the air.
I tried to read more, but my mind was messy. I kept thinking about the camera.
Was he watching me read this? Was he looking at my father's secrets?
I slammed the book shut.
I walked out to the garden. It was beautiful, but there was a ten-foot wall beyond the trees.
I saw the silver wire at the top.
I wasn't a guest. I wasn't even a vessel.
I was a prisoner in a very expensive cage.
I walked back inside just as the doctor arrived. He didn't say hello.
"Sit. Vitals."
I let him take my blood. I felt like a ghost watching a movie of my own life.
When he left, I went back to my room.
The silence started to feel like a weight on my chest. I needed to move.
I walked to the door. I wanted to find a library. Or Anya. Or anyone.
I turned the handle.
It didn't move.
I turned it harder. I pulled. I pushed.
Locked.
"Hey!" I shouted. I banged my fist against the wood. "Open the door!"
No one answered.
I slumped against the door and slid down to the floor.
He hadn't just bought my time. He had bought my air.
"I'm still here," I whispered.
I reached for the black phone in my pocket. My hand was shaking.
I looked at the only name in the contacts.
Darian.
I pressed the button. I didn't care if he was busy. I didn't even care about the rules.
The phone rang. Once. Twice.
I held my breath, waiting for the monster to answer.
