Chapter 121: no mercy

Chapter 121: Chapter 121: no mercy

The next morning arrived without mercy.

A shrieking siren tore through the air, high and relentless, jolting Amelia upright in the hard bed.

She clapped both hands over her ears, her face twisting as the awful sound continued. "What kind of hellish sound is that?" she muttered. "It’s terrifying."

She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress and stood.

Then reality hit her.

She had come here with nothing. No change of clothes. No toothbrush. No basic necessities at all.

She had been so focused on recovering her past-life memories that she had completely forgotten to mention any of it.

Amelia pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead.

Idiot.

She stepped into the hallway and immediately stopped. Some women filled the corridor.

Some were still wrapped in towels, their wet hair dripping down their backs. Others were already dressed in uniform, brushing their teeth, tying their boots, or rushing through their morning routines with the kind of efficiency that came from doing the same thing every day.

Everyone seemed to know exactly where they needed to be.

Everyone except her. Amelia approached the nearest woman and offered a small, polite smile.

"Excuse me. I’m new here. I didn’t bring a single thing with me. Is there anyone I can ask about—"

The woman’s face twisted with immediate disgust.

"Don’t you dare touch me," she snapped. "Pathetic."

Amelia blinked. The sheer venom in those two words caught her completely off guard.

Still, she tried again.

She approached another woman farther down the hallway.

The woman didn’t even slow down. She simply walked past Amelia as though she weren’t there.

Amelia looked around.

It didn’t take long to notice the pattern. Every woman in the hallway was ignoring her.

Before she could decide what to do next, a sharp, authoritative voice rang through the corridor.

"Attention!"

Every woman, and others got out from their rooms, immediately snapped upright.

Amelia turned toward the sound.

A tall, strikingly beautiful woman in full military attire strode down the hallway, her eyes moving from one recruit to another with cold stare.

Then her gaze landed on Amelia.

Whatever little warmth had been in her expression disappeared.

"You failed to complete the basic morning routine."

Amelia straightened.

"Your punishment is fifty laps around the field."

"Fifty?"

Amelia stared at her. "I only woke up a few minutes ago. I didn’t come with any of the necessary items—"

"That is a stupid excuse."

Amelia’s brows drew together. "How is it an excuse?"

The woman tilted her head slightly.

"What time are you required to be out of these rooms?"

One of the women standing nearby answered immediately.

"Seven a.m. sharp."

The woman looked back at Amelia.

"It is currently five minutes to seven. Why are you waking up this late?"

"If you had listened," Amelia replied, her patience beginning to thin, "you would know I told you I’m new. I have no idea how your routines work here."

The woman’s eyes narrowed. "Bold of you to speak to me in that tone."

She stepped closer. "Being new does not mean we will tolerate any kind of shit from you. You are here as punishment, and you will receive it."

Amelia’s gaze moved past her.

The women were still standing at attention along the walls, but more than a few were staring at Amelia with undisguised hatred.

She understood.

Right.

I’m the reason people died.

Of course they hate me.

There was no explanation she could give that would change what had happened. And perhaps that was the hardest part.

Is this how it’s going to be from now on?

The instructor raised her voice. "Everyone else is dismissed. Move!"

The women immediately marched away in disciplined silence.

Within seconds, the hallway was empty. Only Amelia and the instructor remained.

The woman stepped closer.

"You are not going to get a single day of peace in this place."

Her voice dropped. "If you want to escape it..."

She stared directly into Amelia’s eyes. "Take your own life."

For a moment, the words hung between them.

Amelia didn’t look away. "I accept the punishment."

Something had changed inside her. The woman who had once allowed other people’s words to hollow her out was gone.

She wasn’t going to stand quietly and let it happen anymore.

The instructor’s expression didn’t soften. Instead, the corner of her mouth curled into a sly smile.

"You asked for it."

She turned and walked away.

Amelia had no choice but to follow. They took the stairs instead of the elevator, descending floor after floor before moving through a series of plain, utilitarian hallways.

Eventually, the woman pushed open a heavy door leading outside.

Amelia stepped through and looked around. They were at the back of the building.

The training field stretched out before her, far wider than any field she had ever seen. Different sections were clearly marked for various drills, and some of the obstacle courses looked brutal enough to make her stomach tighten.

She stared at the track surrounding the field.

Fifty laps.

At this distance, that sounded less like punishment and more like a death sentence.

The instructor stopped at the edge of the track and gestured sharply. "Start."

Amelia drew in a deep breath.

She set her jaw and began to jog.

Around the field, other recruits—men and women—were already deep into their routines.

The moment they noticed Amelia, heads began turning. Then came the whispers.

"Isn’t that the Moonfist killer? Why is she still breathing?"

"The bitch must have bribed her way out of a proper sentence."

"We’re not going to make her life peaceful here. Not after what she did."

Amelia kept her eyes forward. She maintained her pace and refused to react.

More voices didn’t even try to not be loud.

"She must have done something to trick those devilish brothers into taking her as their partner. They deserve better than that."

"Did you see the way she flaunted how those men were treating her yesterday? Disgusting."

Amelia’s jaw tightened.

Keep moving.

One foot after another. Don’t listen.

Then something struck the side of her head with sudden force.

Pain exploded through her skull.

Amelia staggered to a stop, one hand flying to the side of her head.

For a second, she simply stood there, stunned.

Then she slowly lowered her hand.

Blood streaked across her fingers. A second stone came almost immediately.

It struck her shoulder and bounced away.

Amelia turned toward the source. A cluster of recruits stood near the edge of the track.

Several of them were holding heavy stones in their hands, casually tossing them from palm to palm.

Their eyes held open, murderous intent.

One of them stepped forward slightly.

"Who told you to stop?" Her voice was sharp with contempt. "Keep jogging."