Just as the claustrophobia began to set in, a glimmer of light appeared ahead—a cold, bioluminescent glow that signalled the end of the tunnel. Thomas stepped out into a cavernous, rocky hall that felt less like a building and more like a natural cathedral.
"Oh, that makes eight of us!"
The voice belonged to the arrogant youth who had been harassing Lucy earlier. He was standing with a small cluster of recruits, his arms crossed over his chest.
"That means two are still missing," another boy noted.
"No, just one," the first youth harrumphed, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "That bitch won't make it. She's probably being 're-educated' as we speak."
Thomas felt a cold prickle of apprehension. He didn't know Lucy well, but he knew the look of a rigged game when he saw one. Before he could process the youth's comment, Linda, the dragon-tattooed instructor, emerged from the shadows. Her white-glowing eyes were even more intense in the cavern's dimness.
