The Black Candle [EDITING]

Chapter Seventeen [Part One]

The recruits woke up half an hour before their alarms, their energy and motivation restored as they got ready for the day. They were relieved that they could wear their clothes from home, their homesickness slowly subsiding for the day.

Dorian was the first to get dressed, reminiscing over the outfit he wore during The Black Candle Remembrance Day. His heart was filled with grief, remembering his twin sister in their matching outfits. He held the photo of her from her file, smiling gently.

"I wish you were here," he whispered to himself, pocketing the picture before sitting on his bed to wait for the others.

Akilina and Titus were dressed very similarly, both wearing deep-maroon colored apparel. Akilina was wearing another dress, fluffing out her skirt as she exited the bathroom. Titus had a buttoned shirt, the collar neatly folded down as she came to his side. He wrapped his arm around her waist, whispering in her ear.

"Stay by my side and we can avoid Gabriel together, alright?" She nodded quietly, resting her cheek on his chest as they waited for the others.

Lev and Rae were unintentionally matching as well, wearing plain-blue t-shirts. They laughed at each other, opening the door as the other recruits filed out behind them.

"Remember," Lev murmured, "we have to talk to everyone as soon as we possibly can."

"Catch them all at breakfast," Rae added, turning to make sure that none of the Veterans were near them. "The sooner, the better. Today is the perfect opportunity. We don't have any morning classes, so we've got all morning to ourselves."

"We have to try and get them convinced before the commencement ceremony." Dorian shook his head, biting his lip. "If no one believes us after he killed my twin sister, then they're just as bad as this organization," he spat.

"And remember to stay on the down-low." Titus held Akilina closer to him, staring ahead of him. "We can't get caught now. Not when we know the information we do." Akilina nodded, looking to her left to see that they were passing her instructor's room.

"Please, do not get caught. Whatever you do, you cannot be caught." They all nodded in agreement, splitting up as they reached the dining hall.

A large feast had been prepared that morning, meaning that many of the recruits were already seated at their tables. The team wasted no time at all, looking towards their targeted areas before rushing into action.

Lev rushed towards the right side, sitting beside the recruits before the instructors arrived. Rae did the same with the left side, seeing that the Veterans were slowly approaching their own table.

"I don't have much time, so I need you to listen," Rae begged, his eyes wide as he sat in an empty seat. The entire left side turned to look at him, their eyes glazed over. "The Veterans are on their way over, so I need to work fast."

The recruits from the left side gathered around the table he was seated at.

"I know it's going to be hard to believe, but please hear us out. We need your help." He cleared his throat, seeing that the Veterans were speaking to the Commander. "This organization is not to be trusted. Our entire time here, our team has had suspicions that they have not had the best intentions. Last night, we decided to investigate further."

"A few of our team members infiltrated the Archive Storage last night," Lev spoke, his group gathered around him in a similar fashion to Rae. "We have learned that The Black Candle Organization has had intentions of playing mind games with us." A few of the recruits gasped, but he continued without flinching.