"Why would you bring her to base?"
"Look at her. What harm can she do? She was clueless. She would've died out there."
"She could be one of them."
"She's not."
"Oh really? And how do you know that?"
A groan broke through their argument.
Kiah stirred, vision swimming. Her body ached like she'd been tossed in a lightning storm. She could feel her bones quiver.
As the blur in her eyes cleared, she spotted Eden standing off with the blue-haired jerk, her attacker, who clearly didn't care she was conscious on the floor.
"What's going on here?"
The voices died when a third figure appeared.
She felt the air shift, and everyone went rigid. She could also feel a very imposing presence approaching.
A tall man with ink-black hair stepped out from the corridor, calm but commanding. A terrifying scar ran from his right brow down to his cheeks. One of his eyes was deep brown, and the other, with the scar, was ice blue.
The others straightened as if summoned by gravity.
The man's gaze swept through her figure on the floor, and his brows furrowed slightly.
Kiah found it hard to gaze at the man's face.
"Eden, who did you bring in?" He asked coolly.
"She's a survivor of the raid, sir," Eden replied, head slightly bowed.
A beat of silence passed before the man spoke.
"Interesting. Bring her in for questioning."
He said before turning his back on them and leaving the scene.
Eden helped Kiah up.
She winced, glaring at the one who'd zapped her.
'Was there not a single gentleman on this planet? Why is everyone out to get me?'
This planet could use a lesson in manners.
"We have to go," Eden said as she pulled her down the white corridor.
"Who is that man?"
"That is General Denvil," Eden whispered in response. "He runs this organization. He's just going to ask you a few questions to make sure you're not a threat."
Soon, Kiah found herself alone with the imposing man in his dark, pristine office.
General Denvil sat at a desk, posture relaxed but eyes sharp. His eyes studied her closely, but Kiah couldn't bring hers to meet his.
It was as if an unseen force forced her to keep her head down. The more she tried to resist, the worse her headache got.
'Is this his doing?'
Kiah struggled to get a glimpse of the General. This force was definitely coming from him.
Finally, he said, "What's your name?"
"Kiah." She answered, her voice strained.
A pause. "Last name?"
She had a last name. Solvane. But considering her distant noble origin and the hate the citizens of Duskworn had for these fallen nobles, she thought it best to keep that information to herself.
She couldn't trust this man not to slit her throat if he was even the least bit suspicious of her.
"Just Kiah."
"Convenient," he murmured, his tone almost mocking. "Where are you from?"
Kiah hesitated, but she tried not to let her fear slip through.
"I… don't remember. I had an accident while I was held captive. Everything's blank."
"How unfortunate." His voice was calm, almost amused, but his eyes sharpened.
Kiah didn't need to look at his face to know he hadn't believed a word she said. It was the truth, though. Still, she couldn't shake her feeling of unease.
"They hit me pretty hard—"
"Maybe…. Or maybe you were planted."
The room seemed colder. Kiah fought the instinct to shift in her seat.
"Eden said you would help me, but I don't think you have any intention to. If you don't trust me, why not just throw me back out?"
"Because I'd rather know what you are first. This base is a top-secret location assessed by members of our organization only. I can't cast you out with such heavy knowledge about us. That would put us all in danger."
"So what do you plan to do with me?"
"Tell me," he went on, "do you believe in second chances, Kiah?"
"...Yes."
"I don't. Not without proof." He sat back again, tone casual, but his tone never softened. "I'm going to give you a chance to prove you're not a threat. We have a test. Pass it, and maybe we'll talk again. Fail it—" he gestured vaguely, "—and well, we won't. Do you understand?"
Kiah blinked. Was that an invitation? Did she even have a choice to refuse the test?
She hadn't planned that far ahead. But it wasn't like she had other options. And if this place could give her food, shelter, and time before she figured out how the hell to leave this reality, she would take it.
"Yes."
"Good." He leaned back in his chair, finally looking away. "You may leave."
Kiah didn't want to seem too hasty, so she carefully stood up and made her way to the door, her heart pounding.
"Wait."
She stopped in her tracks as her hands grazed the doorknob. She turned back slowly.
"Yes?"
"Your hair. It's not every day you see someone with green luscious locks like yours."
Kiah frowned. She had seen plenty of green hair in the short time she had been here. His words didn't make sense.
"Green is quite common, is it not?"
"Perhaps. But your shade is… unique. It doesn't belong in these parts."
Kiah's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Had he discovered her secret?
"I don't know what you mean, sir." She kept up her facade.
General Denvil paused, studying her for a few more seconds before shaking his head slightly.
"I guess I'm overthinking. You should leave."
Kiah blinked, perplexed, but didn't waste a second more and stepped out of the office. Only then did she release a sigh of relief as the mysterious pressure on her disappeared.
That man terrified her.
"How did it go?"
Her eyes locked with Eden's, who leaned against the wall opposite her.
She sighed.
"He mentioned a test."
Eden blinked. "Oh, I totally forgot about that."
"He said it's in three days."
Kiah watched as Eden's face hardened.
"What's the test about?" She pressed.
A sigh escaped Eden's lips.
"We'll discuss that later. First, let's get you cleaned up."
Kiah looked down at the faded blue dress she was wearing. It had splashes of mud on it, and her skin was dyed brown in some parts from grime. She could even smell her armpit after not taking a bath for almost two days.
Eden led her down the corridor to a secluded part of the building. The more they walked, the fewer people she saw.
Finally, Eden stopped in front of a door and nodded for her to get in. When she did, Eden said:
"You're not allowed to wander around without me until your test is complete. Go in and freshen up, we have a lot to discuss. I'll be back in thirty minutes."
And with that, Eden shut the door.