DEAR DIARY,

If this situation wasn't perplexing enough, I already found myself in trouble. Being here, without Mama knowing, means I'm in danger. But, maybe I'm not. Maybe this is safe—as safe as one could get in a place that wasn't the West. But right now, I won't talk about that. I'll tell you how I got here. Don't mind my handwriting, it's sloppy and all over the place because I'm writing in the dark. I don't know how I managed to grab it out of my bag but I did. Before I tell you how I ended up here, you need to know what happened before. Before, as in, what happened when I left the house.

I woke up earlier than usual, before the sun even rose, the excitement fueling me. Mama was still fast asleep in her room, and I knew she'd be gone by the time I made my move. She had mentioned that she would have to spend longer at the Council, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

I only wish now that I had realized that it was almost too perfect.

Adrenaline rush made my fingers tremble slightly as I got dressed. It was another thing I had to live with. Mama would be able to tell that I was lying or up to something just by looking at my shaky fingers. But, I steeled myself and forced my mind to calm down. I decided to wear my darkest outfit to blend in—black jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hooded jacket that made me feel unlike myself. It's funny, really. I've been locked inside the house for so long, yet today, the thought of stepping outside didn't terrify me—it thrilled me. Even the sensory triggers that usually overwhelmed me seemed duller, less important compared to the freedom that was just a few hours away.

I wish away that freedom.

I was ready in my room, but I pretended as though I was asleep in case Mama walked in. When she finally left, the shaking in my fingers stopped. I wish she walked in and stopped me from leaving. Maybe, I wouldn't have made this decision.

I checked my bag one last time after Mama left: the brown envelope, the directions from Josh Hawthorne, the protective mask and eye coverings. They were all there. I couldn't help but feel a strange connection to this Josh person. He knew I'd need help—I didn't know how—but he did. He went out of his way to make it easier for me, which should've tipped off alarm bells in my head, but alas, they didn't. I didn't know why he was doing this, but at that point, I was too desperate to question it. Besides, anyone willing to help me get out of this place looked like an ally in my book.

Alissa was still asleep when I passed her room. I stood there for a moment, staring at her little face as it lay nestled against her favorite blue pillow from years ago, her curls wild and free. Part of me felt guilty for leaving her behind. She didn't deserve to be trapped here either, but she was too young to feel the same way I was. And I couldn't risk her telling Mama. At all.

The house was eerily quiet, as it always is in the early hours. The faint hum of the ventilation system filled the silence, and the filtered sunlight that usually poured through the windows was still not too bright. For once, I didn't mind the darkness.

I reached the door and stood there, staring at it. It's funny how something so ordinary—a door—could be so limiting. But, I was going to leave now. I took a deep breath, the words of that brown letter echoing in my mind: allowed to leave the house, gain citizenship benefits, as well as employment in the city.

For seven years, I've lived within the walls of this house. Seven years of isolation, of watching the world from my window, of feeling trapped while the rest of Veridonia moved on without me. But today? Today was going to be different.

With one last glance over my shoulder, I stepped out.

The first thing I did was take a deep breath, taking in the air that was lost over the years. It hit me like a refreshing splash of water. A smile found its way to my face and I didn't know what I wanted more—to search for the ocean that was making the air cool, or smell the flowers that adorned the land around me.

It was invigorating, dear Diary. I wanted nothing more than to never go back inside, but I knew I had something to do. I had to go.

The van was waiting for me just outside the door, the Verids in the same uniform I see them in every time they patrol, stood next to the car, their uncovered faces smiling at me. One of them, a tall red-headed guy, who had unruly hair much like Alissa, walked closer to me, his gaze lowering to the brown envelope in my hands.

"Miss Axelle Henderson?" one of them asked.

I nodded, my throat suddenly dry. I hadn't expected them to know my name, but they did work under Mama. They probably knew all about me, anyway. A small flutter of anxiety twisted in my stomach, but I told myself it was just nerves. They were here to help, just like Josh promised. I just had to trust the letter.

The Verid gestured toward the van. "Come with us. You've been cleared for transport to the Town Centre."

Everything seemed so smooth, so perfectly timed. Not that I thought of it then. A part of me—maybe the fearful part that Mama had instilled in me—wanted to hesitate, to ask why they were here and how they knew exactly when I'd be leaving. But instead, I stepped forward, willing myself to believe this was all part of the plan.

I climbed in the van, my heart easing at the sight of their badges adorning their uniforms. The doors closed behind me with a small click, and we started moving almost immediately. The hum of the engine was oddly soothing and my eyes feasted on the colors of the gardens covering the streets I used to pass when I was younger. Memories flooded my mind again, the images of my family walking the roads making me warm inside.

Everything was so...quiet. Too quiet. Where were the people? The busyness? The shops that I knew lined these streets? It was like the entire city had been wiped clean, but decorated and visually beautiful.

The Verid sitting across from me must've noticed my discomfort because he gave me a reassuring smile. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I know your mother is strict about these things, but signing is required since you're now an adult. It's really good to meet you. Josh spoke highly of you. He said you were special, like your mother."

Special? My heart skipped a few beats. What had Josh told them about me? What did he know about Mama? Why were we special? I wanted to ask, but something about the way the Verid said it made me feel like I didn't want to know. Instead, I just nodded and stared out the window, watching the empty streets blur by.

As we drove further, the buildings became less familiar, the pristine roads of the West became less and less clean. It was still the West, of course, the colors were just as vibrant but it was more eerie. Some people were eyeing the vehicle, glaring at the windows and presumably at the Verids. I wondered why they looked at the Verids like that, like they resented them.

"This is where the new entrants to the West live," the red-headed Verid said beside me. "They're a little dangerous. We have to take extra measures around them."

I just nodded and stared out the window, watching the empty streets blur by.

Soon, we stopped at the fence that I had never seen before. My eyes glued themselves to the window as another group of Verids opened five elaborate entrances that protected the West. The five storey tall wall would keep everything away, including the birds but it made me wonder, what was out there that they wanted to hide so much? Were they keeping the people in, or keeping the others out?

I couldn't tell.

The world I knew was suddenly gone. The warmth was gone. The color was gone. The sky was gone. I had heard of the Disease's impact on the other parts of Veridonia, of course. But, it was more painful seeing it. In person. Mama's hierarchy wound its way into my head again.

"Us, and others like us, are the most trustworthy, Axelle. And then, those new entrants to the West. But those living outside the West? Barbarians, they are. They will do anything to get a few units, and that makes them infinitely more dangerous than anyone in the West."

These people weren't like us, and that made them unsafe.

But now, I was watching the crowds of people stare in awe and fear as the vehicle passed by, and it didn't look like anything like what I'd imagined. Something in me felt sorry for them. They looked...abandoned, hungry and scared of the Verids, unlike the people from earlier who looked at them in disgust.

The van came to a stop in front of a large, unmarked building. My stomach churned with unease. This wasn't the Town Centre, at least not the one I'd seen on TV. It was industrial, dark—nothing like the sleek, glassy government buildings around the Dominion Council.

The Verid opened the door and motioned for me to step out. "We're here."

I took a deep breath and started to step out of the van before a hand clasped my shoulder.

"Mask, please. The air here is dangerous..." he said, "Especially for someone who has been living in the West for so long."

I put it on and exited the van.

The air outside was cold, so cold that I shivered. Although I had a mask covering my nose and mouth almost completely, with filtered air rushing through my nostrils, I still felt it. The contamination. The Disease, probably. Knowing that my hands were now covered in Disease molecules didn't make me too keen on staying here longer than I needed to.

My pulse quickened. The dullness of the South made it easier for my eyes and mind. But, my fingers on the other hand, were shaking with my grip on the brown envelope. The Verids looked at one another and this time, I couldn't tell who was who anymore. They were all covered head to toe.

"Are you alright, Ms. Henderson? Are you cold?" one of them asked hoarsely.

"No," I muttered. I wouldn't be able to explain this to them.

Without another word, the Verids got back inside the van before the engine thrummed and they were off before I could say anything. I waited there like a headless chicken as they left me in the middle of the streets in the South with no means of getting information.

The alarm bells should've been flaring by then.

I found myself following some noise coming from a few streets over. If I knew one thing, it was that staying too long in a place where no one was around would be a perfect recipe for disaster.

The noise grew louder as I walked, an odd mixture of voices and machinery humming in the distance. The further I went, the more dilapidated the streets became, littered with shattered pieces of buildings. The people here—those Mama called "barbarians"— were huddled together in small groups, their eyes sunken, their clothes torn. They didn't look like the monsters she made them out to be, but they didn't look quite friendly either. My heart thudded in my chest as I kept my head down and followed the noise.

I was still able to feel the coldness biting through the thin layers of my clothes, but the mask was doing its job. The Disease. It was everywhere, invisible and silent, creeping through the very air these people breathed every single day. How did they survive out here? Did their bodies get used to it? Or was it already too late for them?

Ahead, the source of the noise became clear. A large, unorganized marketplace stretched out before me, stalls lined up in disarray, selling food of all sorts. Some of it looked rotten too, the stench of the decay making its way through my mask. I knew I stuck out from the others, wearing layers and coverings on my face. And, I was surprised at how people moved about as if the smell were normal. In fact, I saw them getting so close to the rot that I wondered if the Disease did something to their senses.

I wouldn't be surprised if it had.

Josh Hawthorne had sent me here, but abandoned me. But why? Something wasn't right. I looked around to find a friendly face to talk to. There had to be someone around here who would be kind enough to give me directions.

But as I scanned the crowd, my eyes caught hollow stares and shifty glances. Everyone here looked weary. No one seemed inclined to help, and a small pit of dread settled in me and I clutched the brown envelope tighter, suddenly feeling like I'd made a terrible mistake.

Just as I was about to turn back, I noticed a figure moving toward me. At first, it looked like another vendor, but as he drew closer, his sharp gaze locked onto me. He was a boy, not a man, and in his hands was a massive sweeping brush. He was taller than most, his frame lean but imposing, dressed in ragged clothes that were, surprisingly, clean. His face wasn't covered with a mask at all but there seemed to be some invisible sheen on the bottom part of his face. A makeshift mask? Perhaps.

"You look lost," he said, his voice low and rough.

"I—yes," I stammered, unsure of whether to admit it or to keep moving. "I was supposed to meet someone...but I think I'm in the wrong place."

The guy tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. "You're from the West, aren't you?" His voice had a knowing edge to it, as if it wasn't really a question. He glanced at my mask, my clothes, and the brown envelope in my hands. "Oh, for Malakar's sake!"

I gasped at the profanity. No one took Lord Malakar's name in vain, and it was in fact, forbidden. But here he was, just cursing with our ruler's name in his mouth like it was the most casual thing in the world.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to move away from him. But, the guy didn't leave. He walked beside me.

"What's your name, Lost Girl?" he asked, dragging his sweeping brush with him while it crackled against the concrete.

"Axelle. What's yours?"

"Why—I mean...Will."

I hesitated, unsure whether to trust him. Something about this place made my skin crawl, but what choice did I have? I was stranded in the South with no direction and no clear way back. Besides, Will didn't seem hostile, just... different.

"Axelle, huh?" He smirked, his eyes briefly flicking to the brown envelope in my hands again. "You're not supposed to be here, are you?"

I shook my head. "I was supposed to be taken to the Town Centre. I don't know how I ended up—"

He interrupted with a sharp laugh. "The Town Centre? Oh, you've been led astray, alright. Whoever sent you here wasn't your friend." His eyes hardened as he glanced around. "Come with me. Standing here any longer is going to attract the wrong kind of attention."

I wasn't sure what made me follow him. Maybe it was the casual confidence in his voice, or maybe it was sheer desperation. Either way, I trailed behind him, gripping the envelope so tightly my fingers hurt. He led me away from the marketplace, down a narrow alley lined with grimy walls and broken windows.

Suddenly, a shadow darted across my vision, and a loud clang echoed from behind. I whipped around to see a floating bot of some sort. It was flying in mid air, steam coming out of its sides. It had two slits, probably for eyes that were blinking a bright golden yellow. The bot kept flying toward me and my heart slammed against my chest.

"Will..." I whispered, backing up toward him.

But before I could say anything else, I felt an iron grip seize my body. I tried to yank free, panic surging through me, but the restraints were too strong—too strong. I opened my mouth to scream, but a metal shield was clamped over my mouth, muffling any sound I could make.

I struggled, kicking, trying to break free, but it was useless. I felt my feet leave the ground as the bot, or whatever it was, dragged me deeper into the alley, away from the marketplace.

"Quiet down," Will's voice hissed in my ear. His voice was rough and cold, not like the Will from earlier. He forced me into a narrow passage between two crumbling buildings. "Don't make this too hard, okay? Thank you."

Terror twisted in my gut. What did he want with me? Where was he taking me?

He and his stupid bot thingy brought me to an empty building. The air inside was somehow colder than the outside, and the lights were dim, making it so much harder to see where I was. There were no other people, just a long hallway that seemed to stretch on forever as I floated across it.

My pulse quickened.

His footsteps echoed in the silence, and for the first time since I left the house, real fear began to creep in. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones. But it was too late to turn back now. I was already too far from home, too stuck to do anything.

Finally, we reached a door at the end of the hall. Will opened it, and inside was a small, dimly lit room with two chairs in the middle. There were no windows, no decorations—just bare walls and those two chairs.

And there was someone already strapped to the other chair.

"Strap her in, Jessie," Will said, his voice no longer friendly, but flat and cold."

Panic flared in my chest, but before I could say anything else, the bot grabbed me by my arms and shoved me into the chair. I struggled, but it was so much stronger for such a small metal machine. It strapped my arms to the sides of the chair, and for the first time, I realized how foolish I had been.

"Why are you doing this?" I demanded, my voice trembling.

Will shrugged. "Sorry, Axelle," he whispered. "Just doing my job."

The door slammed shut behind them, and I was left alone in the dark room, my heart racing, my thoughts spiraling. Josh had set me up, clearly. Everything—the letter, the directions, the mask—had all been a trap. I just stupidly fell for it And now I was caught, far from home, with no way out.

I can hear footsteps outside the door now. I don't know what they want with me, but I know I'm not safe. I don't know if I'll ever be safe again.

I stole a glance at the girl beside me and she looked rough. I don't know what he did to her but when she wakes up, I'll find out and write it all down for you.

Dear Diary, if this is the last time I write, please remember one thing: I should have listened to Mama.

Yours always,

Axelle.