Bree glanced my way and I offered her a small smile to calm her nerves. She returned the small gesture, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. I could feel myself growing a bit shaky too as everything was playing out just like it had before. I can still remember all the long, gruesome hours of combat training, along with the painful and gory missions that followed. There was so much death and killing in my past, which made me question the kind of person I am and who I will become at the end of this.

When I escaped this compound the first time, I felt so lost in my own identity. I desperately wanted to find trustworthy people and the minute I did I told them my whole backstory. I wondered if I was too trusting and open with others. I worried about what this place would do to me, especially being here for a second time. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to endure all the pain and suffering again, but I had to push through it. I didn't really have much of a choice because I was stuck here, whether I liked it or not.

The skull moved its jaw as if it were actually talking to us, "We will begin our tour of the compound shortly, but for now please enjoy this video." The glitchy skull faded into the video, and a number ten appeared counting down slowly. It was strange how prepared these people were when it came to planning ahead. The Horror Order must have done their research long before we arrived here because every bit of information felt precise and careful. Even after the year I spent here last time, I never found out their inspiration for the kidnapping and experiments. I wanted to know more about Silas and his motives, but I wasn't sure if it was worth putting myself and the future at risk.

Once the countdown reached zero, Silas appeared on the screen standing in the middle of a long hallway. He was dressed in an expensive, black suit with a simple small plastered on his face. The man looked a bit younger than he did now, which meant that this video must have been taken years ago. "Hello. My name is Silas Malum and I am the founder of the Order."

The screen flashed from the image of Silas standing in the hallway to a laboratory with working scientists. The men and women in white lab coats spoke amongst themselves as they glanced through microphones and took notes. A voiceover of Silas began to play as we watched the scientists, "Here at the Order, we have a variety of specialists that major in biochemistry, biology, physiology, and cytology."

The old video now showed the training room. "My compound offers many opportunities for you to learn new things and expand your knowledge on many topics." The room was huge with a tall ceiling that lights hung from and shined brightly down on all of the equipment. There were numerous black mats for sparring, human-like martial arts dummies, beams that hovered above the ground, long ropes, rigid rock walls, and a wide selection of training objects from different styles of fighting.

The Horror Order wanted their subjects to learn as much as possible to become the best assassins. All of the experiments and training seemed to pay off though because we were one of the most dangerous group of killers alive. No one expected teenagers with special abilities to be highly trained in combat and have advanced knowledge of medical terms, which made the Horror Order so successful in their assassinations and keeping everything a secret. As much as I hated to say it, I was almost impressed with Silas and his team of specialists.

Silas appeared on the screen again but instead of standing in the hallway like he was in before, he was stood in the main room where the branding was going to take place. A group of guards and scientists stood behind him with smiley faces. "The Order is offering each and every one of you a new beginning, but it's only up to you to take the opportunity." Silas held out a helping hand and flashed the camera a smile before it went black. In small, white print at the bottom of the screen, the year '1990' appeared. Then, the projector turned off and the lights slowly began to shine again.

The room was uncomfortably quiet as we all turned to look between each other. Once again, Leo was the first to speak, "What in the actual fuck was that shit?"

"Language please," Eleanor spoke quietly. Leo was too busy in his own thoughts to hear her though. Her voice was too small for others most of the time, but I always heard her, even when everyone else wasn't listening.

"Anyone else notice how he didn't call it the Horror Order?" Henry asked randomly. He glanced at each of us but we all just shrugged. I didn't even notice that detail the first time I had watched this video.

"The video was made in 1990. Something had to have changed between now and then." It was strange that Silas welcomed us by calling his organization the Horror Order, but left it out of the prerecorded video. It made me think that maybe he had different intentions with this compound before. Something bad had to have happened that caused him to become the way he is now. After all, no one was born evil.

"You're right," Henry agreed. "I noticed that too." He nodded slowly with a far away look in his eyes. "Silas mentioned a lot of different kinds of scientists."

"Specifically the ones that study humans and their cells," I added. I was careful to only talk about what was already revealed to us, so I wouldn't risk exposing myself and the future.

"Why would a bunch of scientists want a group of orphans?" Bree spoke up. I feigned my frown and stared at the ground, waiting for someone else to come up with a response.

"1990," Henry repeated softly. I could see that his brain was turning with thoughts and ideas. From what I remember, Henry was very studious. He read the papers everyday and had each date and event memorized in his head. Henry would put the pieces together just like he did last time.

Before Henry could come up with an answer, Zara interrupted his train of thought, "Would you guys shut up already." I sighed and glanced her way with an annoyed look on my face. "I think a stupid video is the least of our worries right now," she grumbled.

"I'm with the Chinese chic on this," Leo added with a smirk as he draped an arm around her.

Zara rolled her dark eyes and pushed the boy away forcefully. "I'm Vietnamese, you ignorant asshole," she spat at him.

Leo put his hands up in surrender. "Cool off, woman. There's no need for violence," he cooed mockingly.

"Don't call me woman," Zara hissed. Like most of us, she didn't like Leo. Zara's bad temper and quick judgment of people made her not like anyone else either though. I might not be her biggest fan, but I still held a bit of respect for the girl. She was in this mess just like the rest of us, which made her part of our group. We all had to look out for each other, whether we liked it or not.

"I don't take orders from girls," Leo chuckled. His eyes darkened as they narrowed at Zara.

Leo took a step towards her, but I quickly moved between them, trying to defuse the impending fight. "Back off," I warned him.

"Get out of my way, Blondie. This doesn't involve you," Leo scolded. When I didn't move or respond, he took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. "I don't wanna hurt you, but I will if you don't move."

My lips twitched upward into a smirk. "Believe me, I won't be the one in pain at the end of this," I threatened. The only fighting Leo knew right now was how to throw a sloppy punch, so I wasn't too worried about him, since I had way more experience.

The tension between us was thick. Leo and I used to fight all the time, but my patience had completely diminished now. I felt my blood boil in anger. I noticed Leo's fists clench and unclench as he tried to scare me off with just his eyes. Powerless or not, I was stronger than Leo would ever be.

Suddenly, the large, metal doors that stood on the wall swung open, making everyone look away from Leo and I and towards the man and woman who appeared. Leo and I dropped out glares and turned towards the new people. Both of them wore kind smiles and matching black outfits with the skull patch on the right side of their shirts. The woman was the first to speak, "Hello everyone. I am Michelle and this is Adam. We will be your guides for the day."

"If you would all split up into two separate groups—boys with me and girls with Michelle—then we can begin with the tour of the compound," Adam added politely. Everyone went along with the directions given and formed two different clusters. "Now, don't worry about this brief separation. Since you are all apart of Section A, you will be seeing each other shortly."

Adam led the boys group out of the room and walked off down the hall, while Michelle led the girls group in the opposite direction. Eleanor, Bree, Zara, and I all walked behind our guide in a comfortable silence down the long hall. The walls and floors were completely made out of grey metal that shined a bit under the lighting.

Michelle remained facing forward as we all walked behind her as she spoke, "This is the basement. It is the lowest level of the compound and is only used for safety reasons and other.. precautions." I didn't miss how she paused before saying the word with emphasis.

Our footsteps echoed down the quiet hallway as we continued to walk along the metal. Michelle led our group to a large elevator. Each of the girls stepped inside and watched Michelle as she pressed the button labeled '4.' The older woman turned around to face us. "As you can see, there are five levels to this compound. Each floor is used for something different. Level one is the basement, level two is where our scientists work in the laboratory, level three is the training room, level four holds your new bedrooms, and level five is the roof."

Cliche elevator music began to play as the doors slid shut. The small box glided upwards quickly. The floor levels lit as we moved further up the compound, until the elevator came to a stop on the fourth floor. A soft bell rung and the doors opened once again. Instead of the creepy, metal hallway from downstairs, the halls were vintage and wooden like an expensive mansion. The hallway was a lot wider now as each dark wall was lined with doors. As Michelle led our group down the hall, I could see other kids from Miracle Home, along the boys' group. I watched as Henry, Asher, and Leo followed their guide, Adam, into their new room.

We stopped in front of a single door in the middle of the hall. Michelle turned the handle and pushed the door open before walking in. "This will be your new bedroom," she said with a small smile. Bree, Eleanor, Zara, and I slowly shuffled into the room. It was much bigger than the one we shared back at the orphanage with all of the other kids.

Eleanor's pale eyes widened as she stared at each and every detail within the room. "Our new bedroom?" She repeated. I could see a new spark of hope and excitement begin to bubble inside her. Eleanor's parents passed away when she was very young. None of her other family members could afford to adopt a child, so they gave her away to an orphanage. She never really had anything of her own in life, which was why the little things always brought her happiness.

Michelle nodded happily. "I know it's not much, but I hope you all find it enjoyable in time."

"Are you kidding?" Bree exclaimed. She flopped down on a twin bed with elegant red blankets and pillows. Her body sunk into the soft mattress. "This room is amazing!"

"It's more than enough," Eleanor said with a shy smile. She moved over to the bed across from Bree. Her pale fingers grazed the beside table as she pulled open the top drawer.

"If you all look inside your bedside tables, you will find uniforms," Michelle announced. I wandered over to my the bed next to Bree, while Zara walked over to the one beside Eleanor. I pulled the drawer open and found a few different variations of the same black and white uniform. My brown eyes rolled at the originality of the clothing choices. It seemed that every band of heroes and villains wore matching uniforms during their training years. "Please change into your new clothes," Michelle instructed. "We will continue the tour in a few minutes."

Michelle stepped out of the room, leaving the four of us alone. We all turned around faced opposite directions as we began to change into our uniforms. I pulled out a dark sweater and plaid skirt from the bedside table.

"This place is way nicer than Miracle Home," Bree said in excitement.

"Don't let the luxury blind you," I remarked with a subtle sigh. I pulled the black sweater over my white undershirt, and then pulled out the collar.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bree asked.

I frowned slightly and shook my head as I replied, "Nothing." I spotted a new pair of black, low-top sneakers with white socks under my bed.

"I think these are the fanciest clothes I've ever worn in my whole life," Eleanor stated. I could hear a smile behind her voice.

"These uniforms are stupid and pointless," Zara commented negatively.

Bree huffed, "Oh come on. They're not too bad." The blonde laughed softly to herself. "It's better than those ripped, ratty clothes you always wear."

I feigned my laughter as I scrunched my socks down on top of my shoes. "For the first time, I think I agree with Zara."

"That's surprising," Bree chuckled.

"I know," I agreed humorously.

"Everyone decent?" Eleanor spoke up. Bree, Zara, and I hummed in response, and the four of us spun around, getting a glimpse at everyone in our new clothing. Bree chose to wear the white collared shirt with a black plaid skirt, while Eleanor had on the full uniform with a blazer. Zara sported black pants and the simple, white collared shirt.

We all walked back over to the door and found Michelle still standing on the other side. She sent each of us an approving nod and began to make her way down the hall before pausing abruptly between the intersection of three halls. "Oh, I almost forgot," Michelle spoke suddenly. She turned around and found my eyes. "Mr. Malum would like to have a word with you in his office."

I felt my stomach drop. This random meeting didn't happen before, so what caused it so occur now? I quickly regained my composure and nodded curtly. I sent a fleeting glance towards Bree and turned down the hall, while the rest of the group continued walking away. My shoes tapped along the wooden floor below. The other groups from the different Sections would already be touring the compound by now, leaving me completely alone.

My walk halted in front of a tall door at the end of the hall. Above the door was a shiny, red plaque the read, 'Silas Malum.' I sighed and closed my eyes for a brief moment as my hands reached for the door, "There's no place like home."

Knock. Knock. Knock.