Chapter 1 Betrayed

Lightning split the sky, casting eerie shadows across Olivia's pale face as she pressed herself against the hallway wall, eavesdropping on her parents' hushed conversation.

" We cannot let Freya go," her mother´s voice cracked, heavy with desperation. " she can´t fight those monsters, i can´t lose her."

" Then what do we do, Sophia?" her father sighed, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Freya sat by the window, her face void of emotion. Her eyes, red and swollen from hours of crying, stared blankly at the storm outside.

She had drawn the losing number.

She was supposed to fight. To die.

" Olivia can take my place" her cold voice made both parents turned towards her " We are twins, although we are not that identical, it might work."

" Yes! That's it! Olivia will go instead!" Sophia's eyes widened.

Donovan hesitated. Freya was their favorite. Their golden daughter.They couldn't let her die.

"You are right." He nodded in agreement " Olivia will go in place of you" his fist curled into a ball.

"I am sorry, Olivia," he apologised inwardly.

This decision suddenly brought a smile to Freya's lips, she stood and gave them both a hug.

" I love you guys, you are the best."

 From the hallway, Olivia's heart sank in her chest, her throat tightened. Tears burned her cheek as she clenched her fists, willing herself not to break.

Olivia locked eyes with her twin sister, whose lips curled into a slow satisfied smirk, her eyes gleaming with something dark..victory.

Without another thought, Olivia bolted to her room, her shaking hand slammed the door shut. She leaned against it, hands trembling, bile rising in her throat.

" I can't believe this."

To maintain control, a Selection System was created. Every year, numbers were drawn, determining who would fight the creatures.

Freya had drawn the losing number. But now, Olivia would take her place.

She stared blankly at the wall, her mind racing.

Monsters were ranked by difficulty:

Level 1 -3 : manageable.

 Level 4-8 : Dangerous.

Level 9-13 : Deadly.

Level 14-18 : Almost impossible.

Level 19- 20: Impossible.

Panic surged through her, her hand trembling.

She was being sent to die.

The dawn light came too quickly for Olivia, dark circles shadowed her eyes. " It's dawn," she muttered.

" I guess my demise is coming faster than expected."

She stared at herself through the mirror. Her raven black hair was braided into a ponytail. Her green eyes held hidden pain.

A knock startled her.

" Olivia" her mother's voice was soft, coaxing.

She hesitated before opening the door, facing her parents. Their faces were unreadable.

" Mother…..Father" she greeted as she opened the door.

" Can we come in?" her mother requested.

" sure you can."

She already knew the reason why they were here.

Sophia inhaled deeply.

" your sister was chosen for the monster battles… " she reached for Olivia´s hands, squeezing them gently "...but you can go instead, right?".

A dark, suffocating silence settled between them.

" ….No."

Sophia´s expression darkened. Before Olivia could react, a cold blade pressed against her mother´s throat.

"If you don´t go, i´ll kill myself"

Olivia´s breath hitched. Her eyes darted to her father for help… but he looked away.

" Do you want to watch me die, Olivia?" Sophia whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

" Why should I go? I didn't draw the number, don't I have the right to live? Why should I give my life away? Am I not your daughter too?"

" I don't care Olivia, I gave you both life, so I decide which one I want to keep, it is up to me" Sophia wailed.

Olivia's knuckles turn white. How could her parents be this shameless " My life is mine," her green eyes burned with defiance.

Sophia pressed the blade harder, a single drop of blood trickling down her neck.

" Then watch me die!!"

Olivia's eyes burned, her hands trembling, she knew she was the least important to them, but she never expected it to hurts this much.

She felt anger rising like bile in her throat, she knew she couldn't escape, running away is like throwing yourself to the system to make you a bait to the monsters.

She has no way out. Her parents, whom she had loved and looked up to, has discarded her like trash, with no remorse, or sympathy.

She was nothing more than a substitute to her twin.

She hated to be threatened by her own parents.

Tears pricked her eyes. The betrayal burned through her veins, but in the end…

".. Fine. I will go".

Her voice cracked and her heart felt heavy.

Sophia let out a sigh of relief, lowering the knife.

 " Good girl. You leave in an hour." Donovan sadly patted her shoulder.

They walked away as if nothing had happened. As if they hadn't just sold her life away.

Olivia stood frozen.

She had never felt so alone

" If this is what we make you guys happy, I will do it"

she resigned to her fate, letting the tears fall freely down her face. For the first time in her life, she wished she was Freya.

They were both twins, how could her parents love Freya more than her?

The world isn't fair.

The time finally came for her to depart to the headquarter, her parents clung to her, shedding crocodile tears.

Freya hugged her too, " Come back alive" she whispered in her ears, before pulling away from her.

Olivia didn't bother replying.

As the jeep rumbled to life, she turned away, never looking back.

Olivia stared out the window as they passed through the higher sections. Everything was different. Their buildings gleamed, their people looked trained, armed. Prepared.

The world outside isn't what it used to be. Thirty years ago, Earth fell to ruin. The monster's uprising left the world in shambles, forcing survivors into divided sections, ruled by the strongest. Cities had turned to weaponized fortresses, reinforced to withstand the creatures lurking in the ruins.

Survivors lived in sections, the powerful ones in 1,2 and 3, the weak ones like her in 27.

A division at the bottom of the food chain, powerless, disregarded, expendable. Her eyes curiously stared at the other sections of buildings as they drove past it.

Finally they got the headquarters. The people who live here are from section 1, 2 and 3. They are the boss, and every other section must listen to them.

Their descendants had trained since childhood to fight monsters, they have both the resources and the power. 

Meanwhile people from Sections 15 to 27 have to rely on luck, if they are ever chosen to battle with monsters.

The jeep came to a halt before a massive underground bunker

" Are you going to stay there forever?" the driver's gruff voice broke her from her trance.

" Sorry," she muttered before getting out of the jeep.

Her mouth went dry.

This is it.

" Come with me" the driver instructed, his tone firm.

Her feet followed behind his track, they entered a steel-reinforced elevator.

Chim.

The door slid open, revealing a bustling underground base. Soldiers, scientists, and combat trainees moved with purpose.

She had heard whispers that only the talented were allowed in the headquarters bunker.

Her heart pounded. She didn't belong here.

" Your squad is waiting for you in Room 105" the driver said.

She hesitated.

His gaze softened slightly, sensing her fear. " Goodluck"

The doors closed behind her.

And just like that….

There was no turning back.