My eyes opened to find that same bright light beating down on me relentlessly. There was no telling what time it was. But I had been able to get some sleep, which was good. A part of me wanted to roll over and go right back to sleep. It was a way to escape into my own dreams and forget that I was still a prisoner. But I had to do something. My friends and parents needed help. The last thing that I should do was give in. No, I wasn't going to give Alexander the satisfaction of breaking me. Sitting up and shaking my sleepiness off took some effort. What was it about this place? It really seemed to suck away all of my energy. My mind seemed to be filled by a dense fog. Argh! I pressed my fingers to my temples. I needed to think clearly. What I needed was a plan. But there was no way for me to form a plan when I was constantly doing tests and surgeries. At that, my heart began to sink.

  More work, more knives, more lights. I had that to look forward to. What plans did Alexander have for me today? There was no way for me to know. What did he even want? What was the point of these tests? Why wouldn't he tell me? What was he hiding? There were probably several things he was hiding from me. Perhaps knowing the truth would make it easier for me to form a plan. Now there were footsteps coming down the hallway. No! Already! Could he not give me five minutes to get my thoughts together? I buried my face in my hands. I should have just gone back to sleep. The door opened. My eyes remained fixed on the dusty ground. A shadow loomed over me. But it wasn't Alexander's shadow. I looked up to find the same guard from before holding out a bowl to me.

  "Hm?" I asked.

  "He told me to give you this," said the guard. I leaned over to find more of that awful white powder waiting for me.

  "I-I'm not hungry," I said firmly.

  "You have to eat this," said the guard.

  "No, later!" I said more firmly.

  "Do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?" asked the guard. I shrank back. There was nowhere for me to run. He grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. He lifted the bowl to my face.

  "Stop! Just leave me alone!" I screamed. I lashed out at him with my eyes closed. "Get away!" There was a loud crash, followed by the sound of glass shattering. My eyes opened as the guard stumbled back. Glass was scattered across the floor, dotted with drops of blood, his blood. My anger faded. What was I doing? This wasn't Alexander. This wasn't someone who could heal himself. He was a prisoner who had been turned into a servant. He had probably had his memory wiped. A shiver ran through me at that thought.

  "I-I'm sorry! Are you alright? I'll eat it. Are you hurt?" I grabbed a handful of the powder off the floor and lifted it to my mouth.

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  "Wait, the glass-"

  "It's fine," I cut him off. "It won't hurt me, remember?" I said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

  "It's just a small cut," he said. His voice had softened.

  "But that's a lot of blood!" I burst out. His eyes glanced at the gash on his arm. I saw him wince with pain. Why had I done that? He probably couldn't understand what he was being told to do

  "Don't worry about it. I'm not very important for the system. If I'm injured, he'll find someone else to watch you," he said. There was no emotion in his voice. He was simply stating a fact. Knowing that he was just a tool didn't faze him.

  "I'm sorry," I said again. But I was sorry on his behalf. It must be awful! To be treated like a tool and not even understand why that was wrong.

  "I'll be fine."

  "You should see the nurse. You are allowed to, right?"

  "I guess I could." There was still no hint of feeling in his voice.

  "Alexander wants to see you once you're done." I froze. I had already almost finished the powder. Again. I got breaks to sleep, eat, and that was it.

  "Why?"

  "He wants to run some tests on you." A lump rose up in my throat. Was it going to be like this forever? Every day, lights, work, tests with no end. What if I never died and it was just this forever? I'd just grow older and older and be studied and studied. Was I ever going to see the sun again? What about Tyla? Tears filled my eyes as I finished the last little bits of powder. The look on Alexander's face was enough to make my blood boil. I didn't need to read his mind to know that he was happy to see that my eyes were red. He knew I was losing it.

  "How are you feeling today?" he asked. My scattered thoughts pushed at my brain fog. My eyes drifted around the room as if that would help me. They found a little crack in the floor to focus on. I just didn't want to meet Alexander's gaze. "Tiffany, how are you feeling?" he asked again.

  "What do you want from me?" I whispered.

  "Well, I don't have too many plans for today. I just want to run a few tests; come along now." He took my arm.

  "How many more? When will it be enough? Once you're able to create an Adamantine, will it stop then? Just tell me what you want!" I said. His grip on my arm grew tighter as his thoughts became an angry blaze. Never! How dare she? I have given her more than she can even understand! The least she can do is let me study her gift, he thought.

  "I'm not sure. Come on. Pick up the pace," was all he said. So, this would never end. I was right. I was just a toy to be played with for all eternity. No freedom, no breaks, nothing but play. Why?

  "What are you doing with me? What is your work on me being used for?"

  "I thought that you wanted answers as much as I did, Tiffany," he said.

  "Answer the question I'm asking you now!" He did not. But he didn't need to. His thoughts gave him away. An image appeared in his mind. It was the image of a small book. The cover was old and worn out. But I had seen it before? Where? This book might be my key. I had to remember. A spark of hope flared up in my heart. Maybe I still had a chance.