Bang. Bang. Bang.

My eyes flew open and towards the door. It was still dark outside. The white numbers projected on the wall told me it was too early for anyone to be up. I didn't dare move.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

"Telvi, let me in," Ezra's voice rang out.

My heart only beat faster. Why was he here at this time? Maybe he was here to share news that I didn't want to hear. My eyes welled with tears as I thought about it.

"I don't have much time, Telvi," he said as he pounded on the door again.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

With a sniffle, I got up and opened the door to see Ezra who looked wide awake but with bags under his eyes. I wondered if he actually slept.

"Good. You're here," he said as he walked in, shutting the door behind him.

In the night shadows, I saw a hint of a bruise across his cheek. "Where is she?" I asked.

He rubbed his hands together in silence for a second. "She's safe. I know they are traveling by foot out of the Motherwealth, but they are looking for her. My father has a eye on me. He says I'm too close to you."

I nodded. Before a few days ago, I would believe him. But now, I didn't want to be close to him at all. I wanted him gone.

"That is why I'm here, at this time. My father is not an early bird so coming at this hour is safe for me. I just wanted to warn you to watch your back. I think the Motherwealth suspects you know something and they will want to contain that."

"I think people ransacked my room yesterday."

He frowned. "Did they take anything?" he asked in a hushed voice as he looked around the room for something. He got on his hands in knees and looked under Eydis' bed.

I shook my head.

He reached for something and pulled out a small cylinder looking thin. It was no larger than a thumb nail and it shined in the light. Ezra put it under and cup and continued to look around the room.

"They are spying on you," he said softly as he pulled out another cylinder thing.

My heart raced as I watched him. I did nothing wrong. How could they spy on me? Fear froze me in place. I couldn't stay here any longer. It wasn't safe. I had to go back to the Hell. How could I continue to send Kol money if I was no longer around? No amount of training or money would make any of this worth it.

"Can you get me out of here?" I whispered.

Ezra stopped and turned to me. He shook his head. "Too soon. We need to wait."

My heart stopped. I couldn't wait much longer. This place wasn't safe for me anymore. I had to get out. Tears welled in my eyes as I knew I would share the same fate as Eydis. I would be cut too, just like all Commonwealth kids here. That was our supposed fate.

"Telvi, I promise you will be safe. But there are too many eyes on you right now. I will get you out. I never wanted you to be cut. Getting you out to safety was always my plan. But for now, you need to stay."

"I can't," I choked out.

He eyed my hand but did not touch it. "You don't have a choice." He pointed to cup that contained three cylinders. "Do not touch that." He opened the door. "I'll be back." He looked down the hall then slipped out, closing the door behind him.

_______________

I stared at the cylinders until the sun rose, fear held me captive.

It wasn't until the door bang again that I pried my eyes away from the items on the desk.

This time, I didn't let the banging continue. I knew Ezra was on the other side. But when I opened the door, Ezra wasn't who I saw.

Irena faced me with a scowl. "What did I tell you about being late to practice?" She asked as she walked into the room.

"I'm sorry. I lost track of time," I replied.

She shook her head. "You don't need to lie. Just pull yourself together. I need you at practice," she said as she handed me a pair of black tight pants.

She didn't say anything more as she stormed out of the room, expecting me to follow when ready. I didn't want to follow, but I knew I should. If Ezra wasn't here, then I needed to continue.

Ezra probably won't show up anyhow. Why would he? Why would he risk his safety for me?

I shook my head as tears filled my eyes. I was stupid for thinking he would come. How could I rely on someone from the Motherwealth? 

Air filled my lungs, but it didn't give me any strength to move forward. Why was I trying if I knew my fate would be the same as Eydis? 

__________________

"Telvi, you need to pull it together. This is not acceptable," Irena yelled at me as I got up from the ice.

Somehow I made it onto the ice for morning practice. Somehow I was forcing myself forward, but my mind wasn't with it. I felt like a spectator, watching my skate, cringing at the falls and booing at the poor performance. 

"Do it again." 

I nodded as I wiped a tear from my cheek. She wanted me to be put together, but I wasn't sure if I could pull myself together. I didn't want to be here anymore. I was practicing to my end. If I knew this would be my fate, I would have never left the Commonwealth. None of this was worth it when I knew what was happening here.

I watched Ari land a jump flawlessly and smile. "Look at that Telvi. Someone is moving up in the world," Ari said with a chuckle as he went to land that same jump again. 

His fate would be the same as Eydis. 

Everyone here would have the same fate. 

A lump formed in my throat as I tried choked it down.

"Telvi, Walter. Get over here," Irena shouted.

I sucked in a deep breath, but it felt like I was breathing through a straw.

"Telvi, they are watching..." Irena muttered under her breath.

I didn't care. 

I shrugged my shoulders. 

"Your fate does not need to be like Eydis. You can still have a future here. You just need to prove yourself." 

My eyes widened. A part of me didn't want to listen. A part of me just wanted to run away back to Hell and never look back. But maybe they would expect that. 

"You said some Commonwealths remain safe."

Irena nodded. "I'm not the only one that has stayed. They need some people to train or work here in the Motherwealth. Some skills don't always transfer well. Figure skating is one of them. You just need to prove yourself."

I swallowed the pit in my stomach. None of this seemed right. It couldn't be right. "I don't want to stay here." 

"Honey, you don't have much of a choice. Now head up and carry on. You have to." She patted me on the shoulder, but it made me shutter. "Now go and do that jump again. Make it flawless."

I pushed from the boards as I wiped a tear away. 

I had to get out.

__________________

That thought echoed in my mind the whole practice. But as I opened the door to my dorm room, my eyes locked onto Ezra's, my thoughts shifted. 

He sat on an empty neatly made bed that used to be Eydis'. Everything on her side of the room was gone. No posters or notes hung on the wall. Her desk was shining as if no drink was ever split on it. Her side was a blank slate, as if she never existed.

I immediately knew Ezra was to blame. He took her things. He probably tossed them out. For a second, I didn't care about leaving. In this moment, I just cared about her things. How dare he remove them. They weren't his to move.

"Where is her stuff?" I demanded.

"They took it. Making room for the new trainee."

My eyes widened. The idea of someone else in this room, sharing my space... I couldn't. "She just left, and they are already replacing her?"

He shrugged. "That's how it goes when you're a trainee." He stood up from the bed and placed a small bracelet on my desk. "Got this though. Thought you should have at least something of hers."

I looked at the small, shelled bracelet. It wasn't perfect with it's chipped shells, but it was hers and for that it was perfect. She wore it a few times, once she told me that it was one of the few things she brought from home. "Is she safe?"

He nodded. "On her way to a safer place."

"Thank you."

"I'll get you to safety too. I just can't today. I need to set up a few things before you go."

"Will I be safe until then?"

He gave a humorless chuckle. "You are the star skater, of course you will be safe. You are everyone's favorite. You haven't capped out of your abilities."

My eyes welled with tears as I sank to my bed. "I'm scared."

He bit his lip. He opened his mouth then closed it. He moved towards the door but before opening it, he turned to me. "You will be safe. I promise." With that, he left me to stare at the empty wall in front of me. 

I wasn't sure if he wanted to leave or if he thought it was the best thing to do. I wasn't sure there was a right answer, but right now, I didn't want to be alone. So I stood up and left the room, hoping for a distraction.