3. Hanna

The water douses my blazing skin, cold and rejuvenating. I pour the liquid from the faucet into my palm and toss that water back into my face. The cold bites at my skin, but my sore muscles need the chill.

There are only a few days left until the grand ceremony where a few select trainees, like me, are finally given their wings. It's a momentous event. Humans and xaphans attend to congratulate the finalists. And each is given enough nodals to bring their families out of poverty.

My dad won't have to work long, grueling hours to provide for us anymore. He'll be able to garden as a hobby, as a passion project instead of a job to survive on.

I let out a deep exhale as the water rests against my skin. Another training day draws to a close. Thankfully, it was pretty uneventful. That's the way it should be. I can't afford to be distracted during such an important time.

But the deep laugh that comes from behind me seems to have different plans.

"You were incredible back there in the sparring session," Zathex says, approaching me with a smug smile. I stiffen up considerably with his presence. "How do you do it? I have never seen another human quite like you."

Averting my gaze, I hitch my bag farther up my shoulder and start for the nearest training camp exit. My legs ache from sparring, but Zathex's presence makes me forget about that altogether. With my heart in my ears, I know that I have to get out of here.

"It comes naturally to me," I say simply. I can hear him behind me, following my steps. "I hear they're serving a fabulous dinner at the mentor facilities. Humans don't get that sort of treatment. Why don't you head there?"

"Because I wanted to catch you before you left, of course. Did you really think I would let you go that easily?"

I swallow down the knot that forms at the back of my throat. Something about that comment seems sinister, but maybe I'm overthinking things. Regardless, Zathex just intensified my desire to leave tenfold. I'm close to the exit. I just have to—

"Why are you ignoring me, Hanna? I don't like to be ignored."

I shake my head, disliking his brusque tone. "I have nothing left to say. I'm going home. Goodnight."

"Don't walk away from me."

Zathex reaches out and grabs my wrist, caressing my cheek unprompted. I gasp and shove him inadvertently, skin burning from the shame.

"Stop it!" I tell him, clenching my fists. "How many times have I told you this? I don't want to be with you. You're just a mentor. Nothing more."

For a moment, he stays quiet. At that, I breathe a silent sigh of relief. My pace quickens as I head for the exit. Maybe he's finally taken the hint. There are so many other xaphans he could pursue. Why is he so fixated on me?

I'm not interested in romance. My ambitions don't leave room for that.

To my surprise, Zathex hasn't left. Instead, my rejection has only made him more persistent. He grabs me by the waist and turns me around forcefully. As I try to shove him away, his grip tightens on my arms.

"Why are you so stubborn?" he asks, shaking me by the shoulders. "You could have everything if you dropped this act and decided to be with me. I'd give you all the nodals in the world. All the jewels, gems, food, whatever you wanted!"

"No!"

He'll hurt me if he backs me into a corner. He'll strike me down if he gets me alone.

The fear coursing through my body makes me act irrationally. There's a small dagger in my right pocket, a remainder from a training session where we practiced disarming an attacker. Reaching for it, I unsheathe it and drag the blade across the length of his forearm quickly.

Zathex shoves me away as he howls out in pain. In a frenzied panic, I dart away as fast as I can. My feet slam against the ground loudly as I desperately make my escape, clutching onto my bag as I sprint away from the training camp.

The ache in my muscles disappears completely as pure adrenaline takes over. I can't think straight, I can hardly see clearly, and my heart beats erratically against my chest. Every time I glance over my shoulder, I anticipate Zathex's looming presence to come and tackle me to the ground. He's one of the fastest xaphans around.

Once I'm far enough away from the training camp, I finally come to a sudden halt. The muscle ache across my body soon returns and I'm struck with the gravity of the situation.

"That piece of…" I hardly have the breath to finish the sentence. Sweat trails down my forehead and cheeks, soaking the hem of my shirt. "Fuck."

If I were to report what happened, no one would believe me. The last time I brought up a complaint with the xaphan superiors who oversee the training camp's services, I was nearly laughed out of the room.

"Why would a xaphan even think to look at a human romantically?"

The xaphan, on the outside, appeared like such a beautiful creature. It almost makes me forget how cruel the words were as they fell from his mouth.

"Go on and keep to yourself unless you want to start some trouble. You don't want to start trouble, do you? You won't be able to earn your wings, if so."

Grimacing at the memory, I rub circles into my tired eyes until I start seeing colors. Then, I start the journey home. The sprint has at least shortened my usual walk back to the settlement, but I'm consumed with an uneasiness that I can't shake off.

There's something watching me.

But as I look around, scrutinizing every shadow and noticing every movement, I don't see anyone. I certainly don't see Zathex pursuing me, but that does nothing to calm the storm forming within my chest.

What if he follows me straight to the settlement? What if he harms my father? What if he hurts one of my friends, or worse, our innocent neighbors?

"No," I whisper, shaking my head. But as I reach into my pocket, I find that my dagger isn't there. I must've dropped it during my frenzy to get away from Zathex. "Shit."

My fingers start trembling. Instead of wasting any more time, I quickly start walking. I keep my arms wrapped around my body, fighting the chill, but the goosebumps course down my body anyway.

How could this be happening to me? I've been focused on my wings this entire time. I don't bother anyone at the training camp, and I certainly don't want the attention of the xaphans. I keep my head down and do what I'm supposed to do. I arrive, I do my training, and I leave.

My father warned me of times like this. From one hour to the next, life can change suddenly and without warning. He said he felt this way when my mother passed. One moment she was here, the next she was gone. And life wasn't the same from then on.

"Who decides these things?" I wonder aloud. "There's nothing fair about that."

To rid my thoughts of Zathex, I think about my home. About my parents. About the life that awaits my dad and me once I'm able to get my wings. We'll go far away from this place, far away from Zathex and all the rest of the xaphans who wish to keep us underneath their feet.

Some of them can't stand the idea of humans earning an equal footing in their society. It boggles their minds. They're so consumed with their own superiority that they forget the world isn't theirs to own. Humans are here, too, and we have just as much ambition and drive to succeed. Perhaps even more.

Once I get my wings, I'm going to make Zathex regret everything he's done to me. All the uncomfortable stares, the inappropriate comments, the disgusting advances he's made on me. The number of times I've daydreamed about grabbing a sparring blade and driving it through one of his eyes can't be healthy.

But how could anyone blame me if they knew the things I've gone through under his supervision?

Suddenly, a noise catches me off guard. I whip around, searching for the nonexistent weapon that was once in my pockets. Fear clutches my heart once again.

"Who's there?" I yell out into the open air. My voice echoes across the clearing, bouncing between the solemn trees.

The paranoia is starting to get to me, I'm sure. I'm hearing things that aren't actually there. With nightfall coming, my eyes are playing more tricks on me than usual.

I need to get home.

As I turn around and start walking again, the fear doesn't dissipate. It amplifies. My body knows something's wrong, but I can't figure out what.

A lightning bolt of pain explodes across my body, originating from the back of my head. I cry out, but my body goes slack and I still don't understand what's happening. My knees buckle, sending me to the ground in a heap.

No, no, get up! You can't go down like this!

All the screaming in my mind does nothing. My body's gone numb. My vision goes black. There's nothing I can do but pray that I'll get to see my father's face again.

So this is it? This is the end?

Death has me in its clutches, I'm sure of it. But I always figured I'd have a different sort of death. Not like this. Not alone, scared, and vulnerable in the middle of an empty road on my way home.

But life isn't fair. Another reminder of the cruel lesson.