Lana sat on the bench, her body tense, as she watched the couple with a mix of envy and bitterness. She took a sip of her smoothie, but instead of the sweet taste she craved, the liquid tasted like mud. A surge of anger rose within her-this should be her with someone, not alone on a bench.
"This isn't fair," Lana muttered through gritted teeth, her hands clenched into fists. But then she felt a chilling sensation-the feeling of being watched. Without looking around, she quickly got up from the bench and began to retreat back to her room.
But before she could even make it to the hallway, Lana was shoved hard against the brick wall, pain shooting through her body as rough edges dug into her skin. She whirled around in a defensive stance, only to come face-to-face with Miraya, her cold eyes boring into Lana's.
"So, you're going to fight now?" Miraya taunted with a cruel smirk.
"Just leave me alone," Lana pleaded, trying to push past Miraya. But Miraya only laughed at her feeble attempts.
"You're so pathetic. This is why you were rejected. You're just a coward," Miraya seethed at Lana.
"What do you want?" Lana asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins.
"I'm going to ask you one more time," Miraya growled in a low and menacing tone. "What do you know about the new girl, Kasia?"
Lana's mind raced, trying to come up with something that would appease Miraya's wrath. But before she could respond, Miraya shoved her chest with a finger.
"See the way your heart is pounding in your chest? I know you're lying," Miraya accused.
"No, it's just..." Lana stammered, her heart beating so loudly that she was sure Miraya could hear it. But before she could finish her sentence, Miraya's fist connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Lana doubled over in pain as another blow struck her jaw, sending stars dancing across her vision.
"See, I was going to let you go, but since you want to keep lying, I guess we have to do this the hard way," Miraya sneered, a cruel glint in her eye. Lana's whole body trembled with fear as Miraya's menacing words echoed in her mind. She knew she was in deep trouble. Lana's mind raced as she tried to figure out a way out of this situation. But no matter how hard Miraya hit her, Lana refused to reveal what she knew. She would protect Kasia at all costs, even if it meant taking more beatings from Miraya.
Miraya's friends closed in, leering down at her. Lana knew she should fight back, but she felt paralyzed. A kick to her ribs made her cry out.
"This is so pathetic! She smells just like prey," one of her friends commented.
"We should just tear off a finger; maybe that'll get her to respond," another one added.
"That's enough!" A voice rang out. Janet strode towards them, her eyes blazing. Miraya hesitated, not wanting to look weak in front of her friends.
"You heard me," Janet said. "Or do I need to give you a taste of what happened last time you didn't follow a direct order?" She stood protectively over Lana.
With a scoff, Miraya turned and left, her lackeys trailing behind. Lana sagged to the ground in relief, despite the throbbing pain. "Get up," Janet said, gripping Lana's shoulder and pulling her to her feet. "This has got to stop. You can't let them walk all over you like this."
Lana winced as she took a breath. "I'm only human. What am I supposed to do against them?"
"You fight back. I remember when you first got here, you were like an unhinged cat that had been dunked in cold water. What happened to her?" Janet said.
"That was different. That was before..."
"Before Trevor...I know. You have to move on from that. It has been years, Lana. You can't wallow in self-misery and allow them to bully you. They won't stop until you make them," Janet continued.
"It is not really a big deal. They'll get bored of me soon enough, like always," Lana countered.
"If Kasia finds out about this, there's no telling how she'll react. You know she'll go after Miraya and her friends, and she's not going to stop until she gets even," Janet warned.
Lana's eyes widened. She shook her head emphatically. "No, we can't let Kasia find out. She relies too much on those pills, and she has taken too many."
"Exactly. So you need to handle this yourself," Janet said. She studied Lana for a moment. "I can teach you some more advanced self-defense techniques. You won't deal damage, but it can buy you some time to get away."
Lana bit her lip, considering. As much as the thought of confronting Miraya terrified her, she couldn't risk Kasia losing control again. She took a deep, steady breath and met Janet's gaze.
"Yes, teach me," Lana finally said.
Janet nodded, satisfied. "Good. We'll start tomorrow."
There was a slight noise, like a gasp. Lana whipped around, peering into the dark hallway. For a brief moment, she thought she glimpsed a shadow moving. But in the next blink, it was gone.
"Did you see that?" Lana asked. "I think someone was eavesdropping."
Janet looked up, frowning. "See what?" She scented the air, but could smell nothing. "I don't smell anyone."
"Never mind," she said. "I'm just being paranoid."
Janet gave her a sympathetic look. "It's been a long day. You should get some rest. I'll send food to your room today. I'll see you tomorrow for your first self-defense lesson. Try to sleep in; you'll need your energy."
After Janet left, Lana couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that she was being watched. She told herself she was just spooked from the attack earlier.
With a sigh, she headed to her room, glancing over her shoulder the whole way.