Chapter 103: Get Close To The Princes
"This Mission Was Impossible"
~Rebel Beast
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Karen subtly tightened her grip on the small table knife concealed in her palm. The plan had been simple. The moment Aria attacked her, she would strike back. There was no doubt that little street rat would overpower her in a straight fight. Just like Charlotte, she probably fought like a feral dog.
But all Karen needed was a single opening.
Then she would rake the blade across Aria’s face and leave behind a scar so grotesque that no one would ever look at her the same way again.
Not even her precious Maverick.
Of course, people would blame her. But it would have happened during a fight, and there was only so much anyone could prove. Fights were messy, and people got hurt. She would simply claim she had been defending herself.
Now, that opportunity was gone.
Karen couldn’t attack Aria outright. Aria would see it coming, and there would be no disguising it as self-defense. No excuse would be convincing enough. Not that excuses mattered much in the Concordia Program.
The beasts had made it painfully clear that their lives meant nothing, and no one seemed capable of stopping it. Compared to that, one human slashing another hardly seemed enough to shake the academy.
Karen had been glaring at Aria for so long that Valerie finally lost her patience.
"You should get going, bitch," she said flatly. "I don’t have the same patience Aria does." She lazily flexed her short claws, their sharpened tips catching the light.
Karen understood she had lost this round.
But the war wasn’t over.
"You’d better watch your back," she snarled before turning on her heel and walking away.
"I should just—"
Brittney shot to her feet, but Aria caught her wrist and pulled her back into her seat.
"Let her go," Aria said calmly. "Karen isn’t worth the drama."
The beasts were already doing enough to destroy them. She refused to help by giving humans another reason to tear each other apart.
"You do know you can take her, right?" Brittney muttered. "Karen’s all talk. The only thing she’s good at is getting other people to do her dirty work."
"There’s already enough violence in this academy," Aria replied. "Let’s try going one day without adding to it."
"No wonder she ended up with the snakes," Trisha snorted. "She really found her people."
Alek tried to hold it in but failed, the laughter escaping before she could stop it. A small smile tugged at Aria’s lips, only to disappear the moment her eyes met Charlotte’s from across the dining hall.
Charlotte was still staring intensely at her and the hatred in her gaze was impossible to miss.
Aria looked away first.
"You guys should finish eating," she said. "I just want to get the hell out of here. I’m not comfortable anymore."
If she had known breakfast would turn into this, she would have skipped the dining hall altogether and had breakfast delivered to her room.
Variant frowned as she watched Karen disappear into the crowd.
"I don’t like that girl," she muttered. "I’ll report this to Maverick."
Aria shook her head almost immediately.
"Don’t bother him with something this petty. He’s already dealing with enough, don’t add to his problems."
"Actually..." Valerie spoke up, her expression turning serious. "I think Variant’s right."
Everyone looked at her.
"When we first heard humans would be living among us, this was one of the things we worried about. Now that the humans have been divided across the different houses..." She paused before finishing, "...what if each house decides to eliminate the humans assigned to the others?"
A heavy silence settled over the table.
"Oh, shit," Brittney breathed. "That is one dark thought."
She frowned, thinking it over. "But I see your point."
Almost instinctively, her gaze drifted toward Charlotte’s table. Zainab, Indigo, and Meredith were already looking in their direction. The moment they realized Brittney had caught them staring, all three quickly looked away.
"...And now that you’ve mentioned it," Brittney continued, "I can actually see that happening."
Alek agreed. "Variant’s right. There isn’t a single rule here protecting any of you. As far as the outside world knows, there’s a good chance we’re already considered dead. If one human kills another inside this academy..." She let the thought hang before adding, "Who’s going to punish them?"
Nobody answered. Because nobody had one.
"We’ll just have to be more careful," Aria said at last.
Variant rested an elbow on the table.
"Or..." she began, "we sign you four up for training."
"Training?" Aria, Brittney, Alek and Trisha echoed in unison.
"Combat training," Valerie clarified. "Most students here know how to throw a punch. Some have trained since they were children, and with Caelis running an underground fighting arena, fighting is practically a sport around here."
Variant said. "We’ll start with the basics, and little by little, turn you girls into warriors." She kept the rest to herself.
If you survive long enough.
Although this year’s Concordia Program appeared different from the last, none of them were naïve enough to believe the danger had disappeared. The rules might have changed but the beasts hadn’t.
Aria gave a small shrug.
"I’m in."
"Oh, absolutely," Brittney agreed without hesitation. "Although, can I ask who’s doing the training? More importantly..." She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Do we get to choose our instructor? Because I’d personally relish one who fights with his shirt off. Preferably with an unfair amount of muscles."
"Brittney!" Alek exclaimed, turning crimson as she stared at her in disbelief.
"What?" Brittney asked, looking genuinely confused. "If I’m about to get punched every day, I deserve something nice to look at while it happens."
Aria burst into laughter, the warm and genuine sound escaping before she could stop it. Somehow, she had grown used to Brittney’s shameless comments. At this point, she had begun expecting them. Even Variant and Valerie struggled to keep straight faces.
Then her phone vibrated inside her pocket and she slipped the phone out and glanced at the screen. The instant she saw the sender, every trace of amusement disappeared from her face.
It was Eniola.
Without another word, she unlocked the screen and opened the email. Except before Aria had the chance to open the email, Brittney leaned in, trying to peek at her screen.
"What is it?"
Aria jerked the phone back against her chest so quickly that even Brittney blinked in surprise.
"Whoa." Brittney frowned. "What’s wrong?"
Aria forced her shoulders to relax, but the sudden movement had already drawn everyone’s attention. Before she could think of an answer, a grin spread across Brittney’s face.
"Wait..." she said, drawing out the word. "Is that a secret message from Professor Maverick?"
"Shut up," Aria snapped, her eyes widening.
Brittney gasped dramatically before breaking into a fit of giggles.
"Oh, it absolutely is."
Aria rolled her eyes and refused to dignify that with a response. Instead, she turned toward Variant.
"Where’s the restroom?"
Variant pointed toward the far end of the dining hall.
"Go through that corridor, take the first left, and keep walking until you reach the end. The ladies’ restroom is the last door on your right. You can’t miss it."
"Thanks." Aria rose to her feet, slipping her phone into her hand.
"I’ll be back." She offered the group a small smile, but it never reached her eyes. None of them noticed.
Aria walked out of the dining hall at an unhurried pace, only allowing herself to breathe once she had turned the corner and disappeared from everyone’s sight.
A few moments later, she pushed open the restroom door. The room was empty.
She walked past the row of sinks and mirrors before stepping into the last stall. After sliding the bolt into place, she lowered herself onto the closed toilet seat and finally unlocked her phone.
For several seconds, Aria simply stared at the unopened email. Then, with a slow breath, she tapped it open.
Dr. Eniola Moore
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Moore Biotech Industries.
Her eyes immediately dropped to the message.
Subject: Operational Update & Revised Assignment
Dear Aria,
First of all, thank you for your recent reports.
The level of detail you’ve provided regarding the Concordia Program, the academy’s internal structure, and the behavior of both the students and the beast factions has proven exceptionally valuable to our research. Your observations continue to confirm several of our working theories while shedding light on matters we previously had no means of verifying.
I also want to acknowledge the emotional weight of what you have been forced to witness.
Reading your reports about the young women who lost their lives at the hands of the beasts was deeply distressing. My heart goes out to every family that will never receive the answers they deserve. I understand how difficult it must be for you to watch it unfold from within but do remember that your work matters.
Now, regarding your family.
As promised, our contacts have completed the relocation process.
Your mother and sister have safely arrived in Nova City and are currently being accommodated under one of our facilities. They will remain under our supervision while preparations for the next phase are finalized. You no longer need to concern yourself with their well-being.
Our team will continue handling every logistical requirement on your behalf.
Now to the reason for this message.
Your performance over the past days has demonstrated resourcefulness, discretion, and an ability to adapt under extraordinary circumstances. You have proven yourself to be a valuable asset.
Because of that, we are assigning you a new objective. We need you to establish close contact with two individuals.
Rhydian Drakhar and Caelis Cobryn.
At this stage, we are not requesting direct intelligence gathering alone. We need access. So observe and gain their trust.
Learn their routines, habits, personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and, most importantly, the dynamics between the ruling beast factions.
Employ every resource at your disposal.
Every conversation, opportunity and advantage. Whether through friendship, cooperation, manipulation, or any other means available to you, your objective remains the same.
Get close to them.
Do not underestimate the difficulty of this assignment. Both men occupy positions of considerable influence within their respective houses, and each presents unique risks. So Proceed with caution.
Good luck, Aria.