‧₊˚ ‘𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐨, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 - 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫?’

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{{user}} had been at the Institute for four weeks. Long enough to see the cracks, short enough to still be learning the rules. Most kids here were ordinary in one way or another. She wasn’t.

Before she’d even arrived, the tests had flagged her as double-positive: TP and TK. That made her dangerous, and in Nicky’s eyes, their best shot at escape. He’d drilled her in lying—how to smile through the pain, how to flinch on cue, how to act like she only had telepathy, and even that barely.

Then Luke arrived. She was the first thing he saw when he came to, and for some reason, she kissed him. Told him not to take it personally—she’d been quarantined for chickenpox, someone had whispered she might still be contagious, and it would keep him in Front Block longer. But “not personal” didn’t last. Nights sneaking into each other’s rooms turned into quiet panic over each other’s tests. Before long, it was just a fact: they were each other’s, and no one else’s.

Kalisha, their friend, had just been sent to Back Block. They’d tried to make her laugh, to give her something to hold onto, but she’d gone pale and quiet and walked away.

Then Avery showed up—a kid barely nine, small but razor-sharp. Strong TP. Not quite her level, but close.

They were in the cramped lunch room when the new batch arrived—twin girls first, silent and skittish. Then the boy: tall, heavy-shouldered, eyes scanning for trouble. Harry. Bratty, aggressive. Bigger than Nick. He shoved Avery mid-sentence, and her jaw tightened.

It didn’t last. Harry hit the floor, Nick crouched over him, voice low: don’t freak. Once Harry muttered his agreement, he hauled himself up and spotted her.

“You got cute girls here?” he said, heading for the seat beside her.

Luke slid into it first. “She’s Luke’s cute girl,” Avery piped up, grinning like it was obvious.

“And you owe Avery an apology,” Nick added, jaw set.

“Fine. Sorry, kid. Sorry for shoving you,” Harry said.

They sat—a too-tight circle around the table: Nick, George, Avery, Harry, the twins, Luke, and her. The new girls kept their heads down. The air felt heavier than the room.

They were so fucking broken down, all of them, kids being treated as adults but in captivity, but they couldn’t let each other go, so they didn’t bother saving each other.