"Starvation reveals more truth than silence ever will."
The next morning felt hollow.
No screams. No alarms. Just… silence.
I sat up slowly. My body felt like it had been rolled down a mountain. Bruises, cuts, salt-sore skin. Everyone around me looked the same…battered, sunken-eyed, half-alive.
Zaara was curled on her side, still asleep, her lips were dry and cracked. Carter leaned against the wall.
Even Nomi, usually the first to pace or complain, sat hunched over with her knees to her chest.
We were still grieving for jojo.
The breakfast cart rolled.
One of the masked guards dropped trays of food on the floor and whispered, "Eat. You'll need it. The tenth trial begins in one hour."
Nobody moved for a few seconds. Then, slowly, people started crawling toward the food like insects chasing crumbs.
I forced myself up and walked over. Eggs. Bread. Water. It was the most we'd gotten in a while, but it didn't feel like a gift. It felt like bait.
