Not yet.
But gods, I could feel the cracks forming.
And I wasn’t sure how long I had left before something inside me shattered.
Chapter11
Elira
The next morning, I woke to find my fate already decided for me.
A folded uniform had been left neatly on the end of my bed—black stretchy pants, a crisp white shirt, plain sneakers—and a single slip of paper with terse instructions on where I was expected.
Training with the general populace.
No discussion. No choice.
I sat there for a long while, just staring at the clothes. The silence pressed in. I knew if I refused to go—if I stayed here out of spite—someone would come. They always did.
But I wasn’t interested in becoming a Shade. And I wanted them to feel that in every step Ididn’ttake.
Of course, Leo didn’t give me that luxury.
There was a knock—sharp, but somehow casual—before the door swung open like it was his room, not mine.
Leo leaned against the frame, arms crossed, a crooked grin already in place. He looked effortlessly put-together in the elite Shade uniform—black shirt rolled at the sleeves, matching combat pants, and that ever-present glint of mischief in his eyes.
“Well, well,” he drawled. “Thought I’d find you brooding. You didn’t disappoint.”
I didn’t rise to the bait. Just kept staring at the uniform folded neatly on the bed beside me like it might bite.
Leo stepped inside, not waiting for an invitation. “You planning to stage a silent protest? Sit here until you mould into the furniture?”
“I’m not putting that on,” I said flatly.
“Suit yourself,” he replied with a shrug, walking over to pick up the shirt. “But someone will be by to dress you. And I promise, they’re not nearly as pretty or patient as me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “This isn’t a joke.”
“Nothing about this place is a joke,” he agreed, voice softening just a fraction. “But if you’re stuck here, you might as well survive it. And survival’s easier when you don’t stick out.”
He held the shirt out to me. Didn’t force it. Just waited.
I hesitated, then snatched it from his hand.
“Atta girl,” he said, grin returning. He turned to face the door, giving me privacy. “I’ll be outside. Don’t take too long. I hate being kept waiting.”
As the door clicked shut behind him, I stared at the uniform in my lap again.
I still wasn’t one of them.
But maybe I could pretend—just long enough to figure out how to get out.
Once dressed, I followed Leo down the hall, the sharp click of our footsteps echoing against the polished floor. The clocks we passed told me it was still early, too early—and my stomach made its discontent known with a low, rumbling growl.
Leo didn’t comment, but I caught the twitch of a smirk on his lips.
He guided me through a maze of corridors and stairs, slipping in and out of doors with the ease of someone who'd walked these halls a hundred times. Eventually, we stepped into a massive, open space that buzzed with quiet conversation and the clatter of trays.
