Chapter 19

From the very beginning, Sara had suspected that her roommate wasn't quite normal, and now she was sure of it.

After hearing the shocking news from her—which Laura had blurted out because she had caught them at the worst possible moment—Laura had looked stunned for the first five minutes. Then, suddenly, she had burst out laughing loudly when she remembered that the math teacher had tried to rape Natalia.

The 17-year-old couldn't understand her train of thought at all. To her, it was anything but funny. What was happening at the center gave her goosebumps nonstop. She worried not only about herself but also about her friends.

Sara shook her head as Laura laughed again, repeating that Alan was a murderer.

She felt like punching her in the face just to make her finally come to her senses, but she feared her roommate might hit back twice as hard. Laura simply didn't understand the situation they were in. Most of the young people were supposed to leave the center first thing in the morning—and Laura scoffed at that.

They had only a few hours left before all hell broke loose. The General was mentally ill, and he had chosen his victims carefully. They all knew the youths had discovered secrets connected to their pasts, so the General had decided to keep them longer. They were in danger... and in great danger.

"Laura, come to your senses!" Sara finally snapped when her roommate started giggling quietly again. Maybe she had been drinking, because since she'd been staying here, Laura had been hoarding alcohol, hiding it under the bed and claiming she needed it for a "rainy day." "Don't you understand the gravity of the situation? There is nothing funny about this. Do you know how Alan feels right now? To save his friend, he killed a man. Put yourself in his shoes. Imagine it was you. Are you still laughing?" She raised her voice and stared at Laura with piercing eyes.

She thought that would bring the brunette back to reality, but it seemed like nothing got through to her.

"If I were Alan, I wouldn't have saved her," Laura said coldly. "That maggot accosted my Simon. I don't like her, so I would have just let her die." Sara opened her mouth in disbelief. Was she serious? She would let an innocent girl die just because she didn't like her?

"You've changed, Sara," Laura continued, eyeing her carefully. "You're stronger now, I like that. You don't act as hopeless as you did when we first met. I think it's my influence," she said proudly, smirking. "You even got involved in a love triangle—and I failed."

"What are you talking about? There is no love triangle."

"Because you only see Alan. You don't notice Oliver, who's had his eye on you for a while. You're wonderful, since you managed to make that moron fall for you," she said, forcing a smile. "I didn't manage to win Matthew's heart—I only got him to bed. There's quite a difference. You're innocent, so boys like you. I'm a slut, so they don't respect me. Do you understand why I push Simon away? Because he's the most precious person to me, and I don't want him to give affection to someone as repulsive as me. I don't deserve him," she explained, sadness shining in her eyes. For a moment, Sara felt sorry for her. She finally understood—Laura was just bottling everything up inside, which explained her strange behavior. "Besides, it kills me to think that cruel things are happening here. I still can't believe Alan killed a man. Pretty soon, we who stay here will all have blood on our hands—or never leave at all. It terrifies me, so I pretend I don't care. But I can't anymore," she admitted, letting her emotions out.

She started crying, so Sara patted her on the back, trying to offer some comfort.

"We will destroy them. We won't give up that easily. We have guys who will protect us and won't let anyone hurt us. We will escape this place and go home. I'm sure of it," Sara said, even though she didn't fully believe her own words. She worried whether they would really be able to break free from this prison. But she didn't want Laura to give up so easily. She tried to lend her strength so they could face everything together.

"What has happened to you? I get the feeling you've become bolder than me lately."

"Because I realized I can't give up. To survive here, I have to act confident—even though inside I'm shaking all over," Sara said with a slight smile. She put her arm around Laura, who raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It has nothing to do with Alan, right? You didn't just do this to get his attention?" Laura asked suspiciously, not taking her eyes off her.

"You see guys in everything," Sara said, offended, then stood up from the bed. Laura laughed quietly, so Sara turned to her and gave a small smile. "We won't give up so easily."

*

At exactly seven o'clock in the morning, Sara left her room to see how many people were leaving the center. Standing in the corridor, she watched the girls walk down to the first floor, pulling their suitcases behind them with wide smiles on their faces.

She felt a chill at the number of empty rooms.

Most of those leaving were already of age and had served the required time here.

After a while, Laura joined her, mirroring the anger in the eyes of all the girls. At one point, she squinted as if thinking something through. Then she looked at her roommate and announced:

"Something's wrong. The two girls leaving—they arrived here the same time as me. So why haven't I been allowed to leave the center?"

"Laura, you know perfectly well why," Sara whispered. "They realize we know what they're up to. Plus, we uncovered their sordid pasts, so they're not going to let us leave."

"That's why we need to escape. We just have to blend in with the crowd and pretend we're students who got permission," Laura claimed.

Sara felt like grabbing her head. Was she thinking clearly? They knew their faces, and teachers watched the exit, checking students' names.

This was impossible.

"Your plan sucks," Sara muttered under her breath.

Laura shot her a furious look, then walked to the railing to see what was happening on the first floor.

After a moment, she returned, her face agitated. "You're right," she admitted. "I'm scared of what's about to start in a few hours. Everyone is scared."

Standing beside them were Natalia and her roommate—who had drunk herself into unconsciousness the night before.

"She knows," Laura said, and Sara's eyes widened in fear. The girl had seen what happened last night. Even drunk, she was fully aware of it.

"I tried to tell her it was just a nightmare, but I couldn't. She's sure it really happened."

"I can tell the difference between dream and reality. Being drunk doesn't change that. I know your boyfriend killed the teacher," Natalia said, turning to Sara.

Wait—my boyfriend? Sara thought. Even she wasn't sure what they really had between them.

Natalia looked at the seventeen-year-old apologetically but didn't accuse her. After all, it wasn't her fault Sylvia woke at the wrong moment. Natalia was only worried Alan might get upset. He wanted as few people as possible to know, and had asked Natalia to take care of Sylvia. But she'd failed, and things might get unpleasant.

Seeing the concern in her friend's eyes, Laura wordlessly grabbed Sylvia by the shoulders and pressed her against the wall.

"Listen, ugly," Laura sneered. "I know you drooled over my friend, too." She broke off and shot Natalia a sinister glance. "But I'll turn a blind eye, because he wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole. Now it's about something more important. If you breathe one word about what you saw last night, I'll disfigure that ugly face of yours even more, got it? Alan is important to my friend—and I like him, too. Consider that he saved your friend's life. Otherwise, you'd be the one dealing with the corpse, not her." Laura pointed a finger at Natalia, who swallowed hard, probably recalling the night before.

"I'll see if I can keep my mouth shut," Natalia said with a wry smile, clearly not caring about the threat. "I'm not the type to bury dark secrets."

Sara hadn't felt such anger since Victoria mocked her mother. Now she couldn't stand the derision in Sylvia's voice. Rage bubbled inside her. She clenched her fists, trying to stay calm, but the thought of protecting someone she cared about was too strong. Finally, she couldn't hold back and punched Sylvia in the face.

Laura's eyes widened at the sight.

"A lioness defending her male," she said proudly as Sylvia rubbed her burning cheek.

"Try telling anyone about it…" Sara warned through gritted teeth. "You don't know what's going on here. Why do you think only a handful of us are left? Because we're the ones who know. If I were you, I wouldn't report this to the director. You'd only get yourself in trouble. But if you're stubborn, go ahead. Have fun." Laura clapped her hands, pleased that her roommate was changing. "And don't get too excited, because I have a feeling they already know what happened in the room. Natalia and Sylvia were left here for a reason," she whispered in Laura's ear.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Sara's hand and pulled her aside.

"What happened last night?" Oliver asked, watching her carefully. Surprised, Sara met his gaze. When he didn't get an answer, he shook her shoulders. "Come on, speak! I heard them talking about Alan killing the math teacher."

Sara covered her mouth, realizing he was right. They already knew everything—but how? How did they figure it out when it had happened just hours before?

"Do they know?"

"You can't hide anything from them, Sara. How do you think they found out? Obviously, Alan told them." Oliver accused him baselessly, so Sara shot him a warning look. She knew Oliver hated Alan and was looking for any chance to make him look bad. Lately, though, he'd been overdoing it. Just because he was the General's grandson didn't make him a traitor.

How could Oliver say that when he himself had a lot to hide? He worked with these people, yet she trusted him.

"Stop accusing him. I'm tired of this, Oliver. After all, he killed the teacher. He killed a man who cooperated with them. Do you think he went and calmly confessed? What nonsense," she whispered, as two girls passed by happily talking about freedom and how Christmas was just two weeks away. They were excited to spend it at home, away from this prison.

"You're the one who should stop defending him, Sara! You're wrapped up in him like a picture! Do you think he's some kind of god? Perfect and flawless? I'm begging you, you're defending him because you're head over heels in love, and he's pulling your strings. Wake up!" Oliver raised his voice, drawing attention to them. Then, glaring at her, he ran down the stairs.

Sara watched him leave, clearly agitated. A smile spread across Laura's face.

"He's jealous. I told you—it's a love triangle. You can see it with the naked eye—Oliver's in love," she muttered quietly, but Sylvia and Natalia overheard.

"What are you two staring at? At least Sara is successful and doesn't have to chase after busy boys. Simon is my cherry on top—so keep your distance. He likes only me anyway," Laura added haughtily, brushing her hair from her shoulder.

*

They stood at the exit, watching the last people leave the center. Biting her lip, Sara nervously bounced her leg, her mind racing about what awaited them in the near future. She couldn't guess what the Nazis were preparing against them. All she knew was that their intentions were far from friendly — but what exactly was their plan? That, she couldn't predict.

She glanced back when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Alan. She sent him a gentle smile, unsure how he was feeling after the events of last night.

"Are you all right?" she asked, studying his face carefully. He looked terrible — exhausted beyond belief. One could guess he hadn't slept a wink all night.

"I should be the one asking. Are you okay?" he replied quietly.

"I feel fine," she said, meeting his eyes. The blond man looked at her with clear concern, then slipped his arm around her.

"It was the worst night of my life. But with you here, I'll try not to think about it," he whispered as he finally pulled her into his embrace. With a soft smile, she pressed her face into his chest while he rested his chin on her head.

"I'm afraid of what's about to begin once they close the gates. They left us out because we uncovered their intentions. Just thinking about it gives me chills," she said, shivering slightly. Alan held her even tighter.

"I won't let anyone hurt you. Let them just try to touch you..." he vowed, fingers threading into her hair as he stroked her back, making her feel safe.

She trusted him completely and knew he would protect her.

"You two are sweet, but talk to us too," Laura's voice interrupted from behind. Sara pulled away from Alan, fixing the strands of hair that had fallen over her face. A flush crept up her cheeks as Laura shot her a practiced smile.

Simon stood nearby, his expression still brooding. Things between them were tense; his face darkened further as Matthew and Oliver joined the group. Oliver didn't even glance at Sara.

Was he offended? Sara could see the anger simmering beneath his gaze, but why? She had defended Alan because he deserved it. Why was Oliver sulking?

"Is this some kind of convict gathering?" Matthew asked, surveying the group one by one. He tried to joke, but no one was in a mood to laugh. Fear hung over them all.

"The biggest convict's missing. Where's your girlfriend?" Laura snapped at him with a sharp grin.

"She's still getting dressed," Matthew replied with a mischievous glint, watching Laura's expression change.

Sara wrinkled her nose and muttered something inaudible back at him. Simon didn't even look at Laura, but Sara noticed his fists clenched tightly. He was still jealous — and that was a good sign, proof his feelings for Laura hadn't changed.

"She's certainly getting dressed, considering how badly she was beaten. Not easy to pull a blouse over swollen skin," Laura added spitefully, though Matthew didn't pursue the topic further.

Sara's gaze drifted down the corridor, and an unpleasant shiver ran through her when her eyes landed on the General. He stood not far from them, watching all six of them carefully. When he caught Sara looking at him, he smiled mockingly, as if to say: It's finally time.

Panicked, she turned away, but the others noticed. Alan glanced over his shoulder with clear hostility, eyes locking with his grandfather's, who responded with a raised hand.

"I see you're on good terms with your grandfather — he even greeted you," Oliver sneered.

"I know perfectly well this isn't about me — it's about Sara. You're just spiteful because you can't stand that she chose me over you. Jealous?" Alan shot back with derision.

Sara blinked, unsure what to do. This was the first time two boys were arguing over her — in public no less. She felt embarrassed.

The others watched, curious.

"Yes. I can't stand the thought that she trusts you implicitly while you're messing with her. Do you even care about her? I don't think so. Admit it — you're using her for your own ends," Oliver accused bluntly.

Sara looked at Alan, silently pleading for his answer, afraid Oliver's words might be true.

"Sara is the most important thing to me. So be careful what you say. I will do everything to protect her," Alan said firmly. His words comforted her.

"That won't change anything. I don't believe you," Oliver shot back.

"Want proof? Do you really need proof to finally understand she's safe with me? That I'll do anything to protect her?" Alan challenged, confident.

Sara didn't understand how he planned to prove it but noticed Laura's satisfied smile, as if she was enjoying the spectacle. She seemed thrilled about the love triangle.

"How are you going to prove it?" Sara asked.

"I'll show you I'm ready to protect her, even at the cost of my life. She's the first girl I ever loved. I'll do everything for her. Everything, do you understand?" he said, emphasizing the last words.

Sara's mouth opened in surprise.

He said he loved her.

Time seemed to freeze as she repeated his words in her mind.

Alan had just publicly confessed his love for her. He really did.

Oliver froze, unable to speak. His gaze flicked to Sara, but she saw only Alan. Disbelief filled her eyes as her heart pounded harder.

Alan extended his hand to her. She took it, and he gave her a small smile.

Sara dropped her head and hid her face behind her hair, embarrassed as everyone looked at them.

Oliver pressed his lips together in anger, then stormed off, slamming his fist against the wall to vent his frustration. Sara suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for him. She didn't know why, but she wanted to follow him — until Alan's steady presence reminded her to stay.

"I'll go talk to him. I don't know what's wrong," Matthew said, running after his friend. Laura continued smiling quietly, clearly pleased with her choice of roommate.

Sara lifted her head and froze, staring deep down the hallway. Her knees buckled, and if Alan hadn't caught her around the waist, she would have fallen.

"Sara, what's wrong?" he asked, concern etched across his face.

She couldn't answer. Nothing seemed to reach her. Fear gripped her as she saw dozens of ghosts lined up, whispering shrill words. They repeated that she had disobeyed them, that she had failed to obey.

They whispered of punishment.

Laura and Alan spoke urgently nearby, but she couldn't hear them. Simon's face paled as Sara covered her ears and yelled for the voices to leave her alone. Yet they grew louder, more insistent.

One ghost stepped forward. It was a woman who had appeared in Sara's room many times before.

"There is something you need to see," the apparition said vaguely, touching Sara's face.

Suddenly everything changed.

She found herself in a corridor that felt eerily different — the same center, but decades earlier.

"This will be the longest memory you will see. The longest, and also the last," the woman said.