The low hum of chatter greeted Kiah as she walked down the hall. Shoes clicked against polished marble, uniforms brushed past, and the familiar sight of rebels filling the underground base washed over her. It wasn't a scenery she had missed.
After weeks in Fallowmere Hold, being back beneath the earth felt stifling. Even worse were the stares that followed her everywhere. It wasn't hard to guess why.
All the new initiates had finally returned from their first missions, and word of their performance was spreading like wildfire. Some had completed their tasks without issue, others had stumbled into a problem, and a few hadn't come back at all.
Among those stories, one stood out above the rest, especially the Initiates. At first, it was because of their prolonged absence while everyone else had returned, then it was the rumours from the scouts, until finally, the truth spilled and everything made sense.
Fallowmere Hold.