Thinking about him floods me with guilt, but luckily we’re just getting to the building, so at least I have something else to focus on.
Pairs are coming at us from all directions. Some are holding hands, others are wrapped up way closer than that. Damn, romance is definitely thriving here.
We step into the cafeteria. It’s massive, clearly built for a hundred couples, not just forty. That’s a relief because it means we don’t have to jam in at the long communal tables.
People can spread out more, and some take advantage of that. I assume those are the residents who arrived later, like us.
We all line up for food. Behind the glass cases, there’s a wide selection. Everyone piles as much as they want onto their trays and plates, then swipes their card at the register.
After that, we head back to our seats. I notice plenty of curious glances, but no one comes over.
We sit with Evan and Roman. Evan seems pretty talkative and keeps the conversation flowing.
Eliano starts asking him about the fights. Evan laughs and says they’re more like scuffles since none of the alphas here actually know any real combat techniques, except for one guy named Bashir. Still, he explains that one event is especially popular. They call it "Last Man Standing." The alpha consideredthe best at the moment, which is Bashir, has fifteen minutes to take down as many challengers as possible as they rush him. Or… the challengers can take him down. Eventually, if he gets knocked out by a disabling blow, the one who landed it takes his place. It’s supposed to be fun.
I immediately notice Eliano’s face darken. Yeah, this isn’t sitting right with him. From what Storm said earlier, he’s been trying to step away from his old life.
Groups start forming around the cafeteria. Some people obviously know each other, others just seem to click, which makes sense in a place like this.
The food’s actually pretty good, and Eliano and I finish up fast.
When we’re done, I spot Mr. Miller coming out of a side door, heading straight for us.
"I see you’ve finished eating. Please come with me," he says with a broad smile.
We follow along silently, not bothering Miller with any more questions and just trying to get a sense of how everything works.
The walk takes a minute. The path winds past the rec building and deeper into the main administrative complex, which explains all the endless corridors we keep passing.
Finally, we step into the warden’s office. The nameplate on the door says: Oleg Sidorov.
The man is on the phone. When he notices us, he just keeps going like we’re not even there, dragging it out for several long minutes. I can’t even tell what the call is about; he has a thick accent. It sounds like some supply problem for the island or something.
Finally, he hangs up and gives us a look from under those heavy eyebrows.
"I assume you’ve already familiarized yourselves with the regulations?" he asks in an official, slightly bored tone, sliding copies of the document toward us, the same one we already reviewed in our unit.
"Yes," Eliano says. "We’ve read through them."
"And you raise no objections, I take it?" Another lift of the eyebrows, more a statement than a question.
"No objections, although some of the points are phrased rather vaguely."
"Everything is phrased exactly as it should be," the warden replies, a bit insolently.
There’s clearly no room for discussion, so Eliano and I sign the documents.
For a moment, his narrowed eyes lock on me, and his mouth twists into something like a sneer. Then he mutters,
"Don’t cause trouble here, or you’re out."
I freeze, mouth hanging open, ready to snap back, but just then Mr. Miller walks in.
"Come on, the doctor is waiting for you," he says, hurrying us along so I don’t have time to react.
Just as we open the door, someone approaches from the other side.
We both nearly freeze in place, blinking in disbelief.
