Together with her roommate, who had gradually become a friend, Hadizah stepped into the wide hall where everyone else was already waiting. The hall was large enough to hold about three thousand people, but that morning it still felt tight with silence and tension.
Teenagers like Hadizah and her group were among those present. Most of them knew each other well. Since they had grown up on the island, it was normal that they were familiar, even if trust was another matter.
Fourteen boys stood on the left side of the hallway and fourteen girls stood on the right. They were arranged in a straight line, all facing forward.
They wore the same outfit, round-neck shirts, carton-coloured tops, and brown shorts. Around their necks were hand towels, and in each of their hands was a jar filled with water.
They arrived almost at the same time and settled into position quickly. No one spoke. No one even looked at each other properly.
On this island, talking carelessly could get you punished. And punishment was not something anyone wanted to experience.
You could even end up in jail… or worse.
The rules here were strict. Extremely strict. And everyone knew disobedience came with consequences no one survived for long.
They were waiting for their tutor, Sir Sam.
Every teenager in that hall was on alert. Nobody wanted his attention for the wrong reason. Nobody wanted his anger at all.
The door opened. A man stepped in.
He had a scar cutting across his face, from his left eye, across his nose, down to his right cheek. It made him look even more dangerous than he already was. He had a small beard and a moustache, and his chest was broad under a black sleeveless top. He wore black trousers, black sunglasses, and a face cap pulled low.
He walked slowly through the line, inspecting them one after the other, as if counting mistakes before they happened. When he was satisfied, he gave a small nod.
In his rough, husky voice, he said, "Good morning, everyone."
They answered together, "Good morning, sir."
"This morning, before your courses begin, you will jog around the field ten times," he said. "As you know, we are preparing for your first task. I expect discipline. No mistakes. No laziness. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," they replied in unison.
Their faces remained unreadable. No fear showed. No excitement either. That was how they were trained to hide everything.
Sir Sam nodded again. "Good. During breakfast, the lady will brief you on your objective."
He stepped forward slightly and raised his voice.
"At the count of three, you will leave this hall and begin your workout."
He paused.
"One… two… three!"
Immediately, they moved.
The teenagers filed out of the hall in silence, heading toward the field.
This island was surrounded by water. Nothing but ocean in every direction.
And on this island, children were trained to become a killer.
They didn't know exactly how or when they arrived. It was as if the island had always been their life. There had never been another place. There had once been fifty of them. Now they were fewer. People died during training, every single day.
And no one talked about it for long.
The island was ruled by a ruthless woman. The moment her name was spoken, silence followed like a reflex, sharp, immediate, unnatural. Even the air seemed to hesitate.
No one ever raised their voice when she was mentioned. No one smiled. Some people even forgot how to breathe properly for a few seconds, as if her name alone could reach out and punish them.
She didn't need to appear to be feared. Her presence lived in consequences. In disappearances. In rules that broke people before they could break them.
They called her Sonia.
But never to her face.
On this island, she wasn't just a ruler. She was the reason everyone obeyed.
Everyone called her "the Lady."
Or "Her Highness."
To them, she was not just a ruler. She was a warning.
No one had ever escaped the island successfully. Those who tried either disappeared or came back dead.
Hadizah was already on her sixth round of jogging when irritation began to build in her chest.
"What is all this nonsense? Ten rounds every morning? For what exactly?"
She kept running anyway, breathing steadily.
"If they even cared about us, we wouldn't be suffering like this before we even eat." Her thoughts didn't slow her legs.
"And we still have classes after this. Such a life."
A voice broke into her thoughts.
"Hey."
A boy had matched her pace. Joel, curly hair, round face, a slightly flat nose, a dimple that showed when he spoke properly. He was a little taller than her. She was very close with him when they are younger. But things between them were not the same anymore.
"Good morning," Hadizah said, without looking at him.
He smirked. "Oh, so now you do greetings? That's your sarcasm this morning?"
She didn't respond.
He kept jogging beside her. "I heard you made it through the last few weeks. Not bad. You're still alive."
"I'm very lucky," she said flatly.
Her voice dropped a little. "I thought I was going to die during that Open Fire." Joel didn't speak immediately.
Open Fire, a brutal event where students were forced into battles tied to academic performance. The worst performers fought each other until only a few were left alive.
It was not something anyone joked about.
Hadizah exhaled slowly. "I just want to forget it."
"Same," Joel said quietly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Only the sound of footsteps on the ground filled the space.
Then Joel said, "I heard Tina is majoring in hacking."
"Go and ask her yourself," Hadizah replied, nodding slightly toward Tina, who was jogging with Isabelle ahead of them.
Joel gave her a side glare. "You really don't know how to be nice."
"You can repeat it," she said, a small grin forming despite everything.
He sighed. "You're a joy killer."
She laughed under her breath. "what we are train to be become."
After a few seconds, Joel looked ahead. "This is my last round. I'm done."
He turned slightly. "And you?"
"Eighth," she said.
"Almost there then."
"Thank God."
He gave her a quick wink. "See you later."
And he sped up to join the others.
Hadizah continued her final rounds alone.
When she finally finished, Tina shouted, "The great Hadizah is done!"
Without warning, Hadizah grabbed Tina's water bottle and drank from it, finishing it completely.
Tina blinked. "Hey! Are you serious?"
Belle laughed loudly. "Let her go! She's suffering!"
Tina shook her head. "Let's go wash up. I'm starving."
Everyone slowly headed back toward their rooms, preparing for whatever came next in the day.
On this island, nothing ever felt like rest.