Here is the official place to fight to the death to decide who gets to kill the Principal. ———>

The only rules are that you can't just kill everyone or be too over powered, and only you can say when you're dead (but don't just say you can survive being obviously killed)

May the odds be ever in your favour. 

Tw: suicide

I need to get out of here. 

I need to get out of here.

I need to get out of here.

It's been about a week. I think. I can't see outside at all, walls ever close and evoking a claustrophobia I didn't even know I had. I haven't eaten, only drunk what I need to survive, and spent most of it trying not to fall asleep. Trying not to have the nightmare.

Think of them.

The next time the guard enters - always the same guard, I note - their routine is different. Everyone's given food, yes, but then they take someone away. 

Cleo. 

'Get OFF me!' She snaps with full Cleo energy, yanking their arm free as she's dragged from her cage. Feet skid on the stone ground, and they stay resolute, her eyes furious.

'Come on, love. It's better than being trapped here!' The guard snaps back. Cleo swears back at them.

'If you dare touch me again, I will break your legs.'

'You will do what I say, Cleo, or face the consequences.'

'Sure. Go on then. What are the consequences?' 

'Cleo, just do what she says.' Etho pleads. The zombie glares back at him. 

'What?'

'Just... I have a plan.' Cleo submits, and the guard grabs her arm again, pulling her from the room.

The door closes behind them. 

'Etho, why would you do that?!' Complains Grian a few cells down. 'You don't know what they're going to do to her!'

'I wanted to test my theory.' Etho mumbles back. 

'By sacrificing Cleo?! Yeah, great.' Retorts Jevin. 'That's so going to help.'

'Etho... they're going to kill her, you know? Or even worse. Force her to have whatever drugs they put in the food... or find a way to force her back to being human forever... or use her as research for some experiment.'

Or force her into giving information on where anyone else with magic is by threatening to enact some failed method tearing out magic with even darker power that removes all your consciousness, thoughts and soul along with it while knowing they've done the same to a friend. 

I don't realise I've spoken aloud until everyone's looking at me. 

'That's... that's what they did to you.' Scar eventually speaks. It isn't a question. 

'They killed him in front of me.' I reply. 'And he was screaming, and I was forced to listen and...'

'Cub...' 

'Oh my goodness.' Grian murmurs. 'That's... bad.' 

'They caught you before?' And then I realise that I only told Scar I got taken. 

'Y...yeah. I don't even know how I escaped. I think someone broke in but it was all a blur.' 

I look over to see Scar, staring at me, as I blink away tears. 

'It was a long time ago, I've got over it.' 

'You haven't...' 

'I didn't even know what their name was.' 

'The school is the safe option...' Doc mutters, and I suddenly remember Scar saying the same thing. My eyes burn with tears, the face stuck in my mind. 

The door opens again and the guard returns, carrying with them Cleo's unconscious - but hopefully not dead - body. Unlock the cage, place her inside, close the door.

'What did we tell you?!' Snaps Grian. 'She's dead.'

'They're not dead. She's just... recovering.'

'What's THAT supposed to mean?'

'I don't know. I'm just the guard.' And then quietly, as though scared we'd hear: '...and I don't remember when they did it to me.'

It's Etho I'm left staring at. His eyes are wide, calculating, realising what she meant before any of us. 

'Stress.'

'I don't know. I'm just a guard.' 

She opens the door of Etho's cage, next to Cleo's. He's tense, waiting, as she undoes the chains around his hands and...

He shoves her away, on his feet, holding a broken object to his wrist, the serrated edge threatening. A moment later I realise it's one of the spoons we're given to eat with, but snapped in half.

'I'm not becoming like you!' Etho cries. 'I know what you do! What they do!' 

I can't see Stress's face as she steps away. 

'They'll remove my magic, make me unrecognisable, and then they'll mindwipe me and make me work for the Principal. Like you.' 

'Stop it.'

'Am I wrong?' Etho's voice wavers as he speaks. 

Stress shakes her head.

'Don't do it.'

'I'm not doing what they want.'

He slashes across his wrist and blood flows as he just stands there. Doc yells from next to him. I can't look away. 

'I'M NOT LETTING YOU WIN!' Etho screams. 'I'M GETTING OUT OF THIS MESS!' 

They're his last words before he collapses, dead. 

Ehhhhhhh it's short and not the best

But I need to move on before I just get stuck on this chapter forever