Not everyone around you is what they seem.
Dawn came too fast.
I'd barely slept, mind churning through possibilities. That warning message kept replaying. "Trust no one. Not even your friends."
Someone in my actual alliance was compromised. Or the message was designed to make me paranoid and isolated.
Either way, I needed to figure it out before the simulation started.
Darius walked me to the western training grounds where the simulation would take place. His hand found mine, squeezed gently.
"Remember what we planned," he said quietly. "Trust your instincts. Watch for things that seem wrong."
"I know."
"And if anything goes truly bad, if you're in real danger, reach through the bond. I'll come. Consequences be damned."
Through our connection, I felt his absolute certainty. He meant every word.
"It won't come to that."
"You don't know that."
"No. But I have to believe I can handle this."
