Rain tapped against the dormitory windows, steady and quiet. Most of the trainees were asleep, their breathing a soft chorus in the dark. But Leo lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
He couldn't stop thinking about the file in the library. The word purchase burned in his mind. The knowledge didn't just change how he saw the academy — it changed how he saw himself.
And now Jack knew too.
That was its own kind of danger.
---
Just after midnight, Leo got up. Jack's bunk was empty. Probably off somewhere sharpening a knife just to be dramatic.
Leo pulled on his boots and headed for the west wing. The security patrols rotated every thirty minutes, and he'd memorized the gaps. He moved through the shadows like Eleanor had taught him — silent steps, shallow breathing.
He wasn't looking for trouble. But trouble found him anyway.
---
Ava was in the supply room.
The lock was half-picked when Leo opened the door, startling her. She spun, hand on the pistol at her hip, but relaxed slightly when she saw him.
"You shouldn't be here," she whispered.
"Neither should you," he replied.
She glanced over her shoulder at the open duffel bag on the counter. Inside were ration packs, ammo, and a small encrypted comms device. Definitely not standard issue.
Leo frowned. "What are you doing?"
Ava zipped the bag halfway. "Getting ready."
"For what?"
She hesitated, then said, "Leaving."
---
The word hit him like a blade to the ribs.
"You're just going to walk out? You know they'll hunt you."
"They're already hunting me," she said, her voice low but firm. "The academy isn't what you think it is, Leo. It's not about protecting the world — it's about controlling it. Every mission we've done, every target we've taken out… it's been for their power, not for any greater good."
Leo's grip tightened on the strap of his pack. "And how do you know that?"
"Because I've been working with people on the outside. A resistance network. They've been watching the academy for years. They know about Project Orphan. They know about you."
---
Leo stared at her, the pieces of the last few weeks falling into place. The ambush in Sector 9. The black envelope. Eleanor's silence.
"You should've told me."
Ava's jaw tightened. "And would you have believed me?"
Before he could answer, a shadow filled the doorway.
---
Eleanor stood there, her expression unreadable.
"You two are very bad at keeping secrets," she said calmly.
Ava's hand moved toward her pistol, but Eleanor held up one hand. "Don't. If I wanted to stop you, you'd already be in restraints."
Leo looked between them. "You knew?"
Eleanor stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "I've known for years. I've been protecting you both from the higher-ups. But I can't keep doing it forever. They're starting to suspect."
Ava's eyes narrowed. "Then help us get out."
Eleanor shook her head. "Not yet. If you leave now, they'll find you in days. But… if you wait, there's a chance to bring them down from the inside. All of them."
---
For a moment, no one spoke. Outside, thunder rolled in the distance.
Finally, Eleanor said, "There's a mission coming. You'll be sent in as a team again. But this time… you won't be coming back to report."
Leo felt the weight of her words settle in his chest. This wasn't just survival anymore. This was war.