by Dylan Steel
As the headmaster finished noting the assignments, Sage felt the fog in her head begin to clear. This wasn’t the end. This might not even be a punishment. Working at the Peace could even have some benefits over working at the Cabinet.
Her breathing began slowly returning to normal, but she couldn’t help but notice that the atmosphere surrounding the graduates was thick with tension. She knew that not everyone had heard their names called, and for them, that didn’t bode well. If nothing else, she should be grateful that getting a job assignment—any job assignment—meant she wasn’t going to be paired with a benefactor. All things considered, this could be going much worse.
Headmaster Alexander’s voice droned on, halting the applause that punctuated the end of the career assignments. “You will be proud to work with these bright, talented young men and women. I have no doubt they will contribute in many positive ways to our beloved Eprah…”
Sage’s fingers curled around the edge of her seat as she leaned forward slightly. The headmaster was announcing the pairings next.
“…Penelope Avon and Drue Shirro…”
A small smile flitted over Sage’s lips. Penelope was paired with Drue, just like she’d hoped and planned every moment for the last three years. Four, if she was being honest. It was probably an understatement to say Penelope would be ecstatic about it.
“…Carnabel Mapait and Nic Hayes…”
Sage’s heart leapt into her throat. Tears stung her eyes faster than she would’ve thought possible as she struggled to breathe, pain streaking across her chest. Her ear started throbbing right where Nic’s cuff was fastened.
This couldn’t be happening.
A dizzying sensation took ahold of her as she struggled not to sway in her seat. Her thoughts tumbled maddeningly as she tried to convince herself she’d imagined it. It was probably someone else with a similar name, and she’d just heard him wrong.
The sound of her own name jerked her attention back to the front of the stage.
“…Sage Indarra and Everett Edington…”
No!
Beads of sweat formed along her brow as her breathing became even shallower. She was positive she was no longer able to stop herself from visibly swaying in her chair.
This had to be a mistake. It was impossible—he’d never even been one of her options. They were a terrible match. And he’d just started openly questioning Eprah’s laws—he could get her killed with his stupidity.
She’d done everything she could—worked harder and prepared more than most everyone else—and they’d taken everything from her before her graduation ceremony was even finished.
All her dreams, shattered with a few simple words. A few cursory pronouncements from someone who didn’t know her at all, didn’t care at all about her fate, and the course of her life had been drastically changed. She was their puppet, and they could pull all of her strings any time they liked.
Sage’s hands clenched at her side, fingernails digging deep into the palms of her hands, piercing her skin. Her ears grew hot with anger. Nothing she’d done had mattered at all. Carnabel won. She was going to be working at a place straight out of her nightmares, paired with someone she couldn’t stand.
Maybe it was all some sort of crazy mistake. If she could talk to someone, maybe Mr. Gaztok or Kai, maybe they could correct it.
Even as she tried to convince herself that it was true, she knew she was only lying to herself. And those lies would only hurt her more later. The headmaster, the Quorum—they didn’t make mistakes like this at graduation. Assignments were always correct, and they were permanent.
Her skin started to tingle, a strange numbness stretching over her. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. All she had to do now was survive.
“…Pippa Langer to Benefactor Edward Grayson…”
Sage’s eyes widened. No, Pippa!
A few seats over, Pippa was smiling broadly. She’d gotten exactly what she’d hoped for, and it turned Sage’s stomach, making her even sicker than before. Sage had seen what happened to Rosalind. She knew what Pippa’s future held.
And Pippa didn’t deserve it.
The benefactor assignments wrapped up as abruptly as they’d begun, not that Sage had heard their beginning. The headmaster’s voice was still droning on, pausing occasionally for laughter or applause, but she was having trouble listening to anything he was saying unless it involved the grim future of someone she knew.
“On behalf of all of Eprah and our esteemed guests,” Headmaster Alexander said, “I would like to say congratulations and welcome to your new life as full-fledged citizens of Eprah.”
A shiver ran down Sage’s spine as she watched the Venerable Nicholas Pruitt stand, cradling a small box in his hands. It was the key to activating their bracelets.
It was crazy, she thought, that something so small could have such a big impact on all their lives.
The headmaster continued, “As always, our graduates will be taken directly from here to their new housing. Tomorrow, they will report to their respective places of work and receive further instruction from their new supervisors, and they will finally be able to contribute their worth to Eprah.”
More applause. Sage was feeling sicker with each passing moment. It was a miracle she hadn’t lost her breakfast all over the stage already. Although, quite frankly, it probably helped that she’d barely been able to eat anything that morning due to nerves.
“Please pay respect to the Venerable Nicholas Pruitt as he does the honor of activating your bracelets, officially making you adult citizens of Eprah.”
The stooped Quorum member held out his hand, setting it on top of the small box. He pressed down, and Sage saw the bracelet on her wrist light up briefly, along with the bracelets of every single one of her fellow graduates. Dark splotches danced in front of her eyes as a strange humming sensation coursed through her body, as if the zeptobes were awakening inside her.
Her hand instinctively went to her bracelet. For the first time, it felt at once distinctly foreign to her body and completely inseparable from her person. It was a strange sensation, one she very much wanted to go away.
“Congratulations!” The headmaster’s voice rang out into the auditorium as the room was enveloped in thunderous applause.
The red velvet curtain slid back into place, isolating them once more. Sage wasn’t sure how it was possible, but the velvet seemed several shades darker now than it had at the beginning of the ceremony. Either way, she was grateful for it.
The instructor was in front of them again, barking orders with even less patience than before. Sage couldn’t really hear what she was saying, but she took a cue from the rest of the herd and disembarked from the risers, making her way into the wings with the others.
She needed to find Nic. He would know what to do. Her heart hammered in her chest. He’d promised to protect her. He’d find a way. He had to—because she was completely out of ideas. She’d done everything she could, and it hadn’t been nearly enough.
Sage stumbled along after her fellow graduates—or rather, citizens. She wasn’t exactly sure what to call herself. Devastated, probably, but that wasn’t very helpful.
As she headed toward the line streaming out the door, she noticed the headmaster step out from behind the curtain. He met her gaze and smiled his sickly, repulsive smile—the smile that betrayed the coldness inside his soul.
She stopped. Her mind swirled with accusations and anger. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to scream at him, to blame him for everything that had gone wrong today. He had to be behind it all, and she hated him for it. Maybe his were the first Chances she should strip.
Instead, she refocused her attention on the people in front of her, biting back her fury. She didn’t need to be a genius to realize that picking a fight with the headmaster now was a bad idea. Eprah considered him far more valuable than she was, and she knew she had no chance against him. If she tried anything, she’d wind up dead before she found out her j
ob description.
Steeling herself, she angled away from him and rushed forward, eager to leave the Grand Hall and its mess behind.
But Headmaster Alexander caught her arm as she tried to hurry past. She bit back a cry as he wrenched her closer. He was surprisingly strong, and she didn’t dare fight him. He knew the power he held over her—somehow even more than he’d had that morning—and she could tell how much he loved it. Her stomach twisted.
“Why?” One word. It slipped out faintly.
The headmaster leaned over her, a sneer on his face as he whispered, “You didn’t honestly think that we’d forget all you’d done, did you? You may have positioned yourself as a skilled asset, but that didn’t mean you earned a place where you trained.” He snorted a bitter laugh. “And your pairing is a fitting reward for your early years of service to Eprah—” his eyes narrowed, “—as well as your more recent foibles.”
Her eyes widened. Any hope that this had all been some sort of mistake or grand misunderstanding went up in a puff of smoke in that moment.
“Just because there’s no proof of what you’ve done doesn’t mean we don’t know,” the headmaster growled. “And you’re going to spend the rest of your preferably very short life paying for it.” He released her arm, leaning back and flashing his trademark smile. “Congratulations on graduating, Ms. Indarra.”
21. ADULTS
“Are you ok?” Penelope caught up with Sage as soon as she walked out of the Grand Hall. She’d been hanging back from the rest of the crowd.
“I’m fine,” Sage said shakily. She looked over the crowd, hoping to spot Nic, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Penelope’s eyes were filled with concern. “I’m sure it was a mistake. They probably—”
“It wasn’t.”
“Are you sure? We could talk to—”
“I’m sure.” Sage gritted her teeth. “The headmaster made it pretty clear.”
“I’m not saying he misspoke, I’m just saying there are a lot of names, and it’d be easy to put someone under the wrong assignment on accident.”
“No, Pen, just now… After the ceremony, he…” She swallowed. “It wasn’t an accident.”
“Oh. Well…” Penelope trailed off, not sure what else to say. She gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze.
Neither of them spoke again for a few minutes as they fell into step behind the other graduates, slowly making their way into an unfamiliar part of the city.
“Sage!” A familiar voice called from behind the two girls.
Sage turned just as the owner of the voice knocked into her.
“Aura, hi—oh!” Sage stumbled back as Aura swung her arms around her, locking her in a tight embrace. She squeezed her back and then peeled her off of her neck. “It’s been awhile.”
“I know, right? I’ve missed you! The Fifteens have been great though,” she said, grinning broadly. “But now that Penelope and I will be working together at the hospitality suite, maybe we’ll see lots more of each other.”
“Oh.” Sage shot a confused look at Penelope. At least now she knew what her position was, even if she was unsure of exactly what that job entailed. “Sure,” she said, forcing herself to return the smile.
“Ooooh, gotta go!” Aura’s golden curls bounced behind her as she ran deeper into the crowd. “Marnie, wait up!”
Sage’s smile faded fast. She turned back to Penelope. “What’s the hospitality suite?”
For the briefest moment, Penelope’s expression clouded, then cleared. She shrugged. “It’s mostly for benefactors. When they stay in the city.”
Sage had the feeling she wasn’t telling her everything, but she didn’t get a chance to ask anything more about it. The crowd in front of them had stopped moving, and for the first time since she’d left the Grand Hall, she took in her surroundings.
They’d just stepped into a wide open square surrounded by tall, sad-looking buildings. She’d say they were in disrepair, but that was too nice a term for it. The ruins outside of the city were a little worse, but not by much.
But the buildings weren’t the most disgusting thing she saw. Half the square away, she caught a glimpse of Nic—and Carnabel, hanging from his arm. Her stomach turned in revulsion. She looked away quickly, tugging the cuff off her ear and pocketing it, fighting back tears.
“Welcome, new citizens!”
A man’s voice boomed over the enormous courtyard, echoing in her ears. She didn’t recognize whose it was, and it took a few seconds of searching before her gaze settled on a raised platform on one side of the square, atop which stood the mystery speaker. The platform appeared to be a temporary structure and not a very elaborate one at that, but that didn’t seem to bother the young man in the slightest.
“I’m sure you’re all excited to enjoy your first taste of freedom outside the walls of the Institution.” A handful of whoops of affirmation could be heard throughout the crowd. “And you’ll probably also be excited to know that where you’re standing right now will be your home for at least the next several months, longer for some of you. The buildings bordering this square are specifically reserved for recent graduates.” This announcement was met with a little less excitement, though there were still a few overly enthusiastic members of the crowd willing to show their support.
“There’s so much we have to share with you about your new lives and assignments, but you won’t just be hearing about it from me. In just a moment, I’ll be joined by someone who many of you are probably familiar with. He graduated a few years ago and was actually the Bokja Tournament champion in his final year at the Institution. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before I introduce him, we have a little show prepared for you…”
“Ouch!” Penelope jerked suddenly beside her. “Sage, do you feel th—ouch!”
“What is it?” Sage’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t—oww-ouch!” Penelope scratched at her skin. “Make it stop,” she moaned, twisting in on herself in obvious pain.
“Ok, it’s ok,” Sage stammered, not sure exactly what to do. It was quickly becoming clear that everything was not ok. She glanced around. Maybe there was a med student—er, graduate—nearby that could help.
“It-it hurts,” Penelope whimpered loudly, desperate for relief. She was starting to draw attention.
“I know, Pen, I’m trying to find—” She stopped. Her heart pounded in her ears as she scanned the crowd. It wasn’t just filled with graduates. Standing near the edge of the square, hands clasped around their bracelet-clad wrists, were dozens of established citizens, most no more than a few years older than the graduates. And one of them was Kai.
His gaze met Sage’s for an instant, but he quickly went back to staring at something beside her. Penelope.
Her eyes widened. A sick fever twisted inside her soul as she realized what was happening to her best friend.
She whirled back around, grabbing Penelope by the shoulders, forcing her to straighten despite the pain. “You have to run!”
Penelope’s face twisted in a mix of confusion and pain.
Half-turning, half-pushing, Sage propelled Penelope in the opposite direction with as much strength as she could muster. “Run!” she screamed.
She hadn’t realized how quiet the crowd had grown while Penelope’s body was writhing in agony. The only noise that could be heard now was the sound of Penelope’s labored footsteps falling along the ground in the direction Sage had shoved her. But it had been too much to ask her to run. She was in too much pain. She cried out, crumpling to the ground.
Then came the silence.
All across the square, not a word, not a breath, not a murmur could be heard.
Bile threatened in the back of Sage’s throat. This couldn’t be happening. She was having a nightmare. That had to be it. She’d wake up, and this horrible day would be over.
Without even thinking, she took a step forward. Penelope still needed help. She should check on her.
Out of nowhere, Everet
t appeared beside Sage. He grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her from going after Penelope.
“Don’t,” he whispered, shaking his head so subtly she almost didn’t see it.
His discretion didn’t matter. No one was looking at them—they were all looking at the body on the ground.
A commotion came from the opposite side of the square. Someone was fighting their way through the sea of graduates.
Drue burst through the edge of the circle that had already formed around Penelope. He let out a strangled cry and dropped to his knees, cradling her body in his hands.
As he cried and rocked back and forth, the red ribbon still pinned to her robe fluttered gently in the breeze. As if nothing had happened.
A sort of numbness began to set in. Sage felt herself look away from Drue and his fallen pair. Her gaze drifted over everyone around her. She almost didn’t realize it when she found herself looking directly at Kai again.
Unspeakable hardness flashed behind his eyes as they locked on hers. She stifled a gasp. No one else noticed him as he turned, making his way to the platform, but Sage watched his every step.
“Let this demonstration serve as a reminder to you,” Kai said, his voice echoing over the courtyard as he took his place above them. “One of you has already maximized your worth to Eprah, and it is a noble sacrifice. You may even have known or recognized the one who fell here today, and if so, you know that she was a high achiever and leader among her peers.”
Sage stared at him in disbelief. Before, she’d thought he’d just changed because he had to in order to survive. But now she knew that he truly was a monster.
“Remember this,” Kai continued. “It doesn’t matter how well you did in the Institution. The rules are different outside its gates. In Eprah, Chances can be stripped for almost any reason, and your life is always forfeit to Eprah’s greater purpose. But loyalty to Eprah is valued above all else, and Eprah rewards what it values.”
