After dinner in the dining hall, the boys broke off from our group and made their way back to their own room. Bree, Eleanor, and I walked through the dimly lit halls towards the elevator that waited at the end. We walked in a comfortable silence, each of us too tired to start up a serious conversation, especially after the drama that had just gone down between Zara and Leo.

Once the three of us stepped inside the elevator, the doors closed and the soft music began to play. I could tell that the tunes were going to became really irritating after a few more rides.

The metal doors slid open again as a bell rung, signaling that we were on desired our floor. A few kids were still wandering the halls with friends, but almost everyone was already in their bedrooms. I was looking forward for the end of the day since I woke up. My legs were tired of all the walking around from the door, and my mind was exhausted from all of the thoughts racing through my head. I couldn't stop myself from wondering where—or when—Five and the other Hargreeves were right now. I was curious to know if they were teleported into their own pasts like I had been. Even though I had my old friends here with me, I still felt alone. I knew things that they didn't. All of their fates were etched into my memory.

Although I made a promise that I would protect the timeline and ensure that every event plays out as it did before, I couldn't help but feel guilty knowing that I could save some of my friends. I was given a second chance to either go along with everything to make sure I make it out of here alive or make a difference and try change what's to come. It was a difficult ultimatum that I hadn't come to terms with yet.

When I escaped the Horror Order the first time, I said that I would come back to the compound and save my friends, but everything changed when I ran into Five. Now that I'm back here, maybe I should try to help everyone escape.

"Alexa?" Bree's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I turned towards the blonde walking beside me. Her brown eyes were filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

I noticed that we were standing outside of our shared bedroom. Eleanor must have already gone inside because we were the only ones in the hallway.

"I'm fine," I replied simply.

Bree didn't seem satisfied with my answer. She knew that there wasn't much truth to my answer. "You know you can always talk to me, right?"

"I know," I said with a grateful smile. "Thanks." Bree hummed in response as I walked into our room.

The lights were already turned off, but small candles were lit on each beside table. Bree and I both shuffled over to our own beds and changed into the uniform-like pajamas that were tucked away in the drawers of our tables.

I slipped under the red blanket that was draped across my bed. The silk covers made it easy for me to become comfortable. My eyes began to close until a soft voice whispered in the room, "Hello?" It was Eleanor. "Is anyone awake?"

"I am," I spoke quietly.

"Me too," Bree added shortly after. "Is everything okay?"

"No," Eleanor replied. "I can't sleep.. I can't stop thinking about what Henry was saying... You know, about the human experiments." I sighed softly. "Do you think it's true?"

"I hope not," Bree replied. "It's not looking too good though." Her negativity upset me. She was always trying to look at the bright side of everything in life, but I could tell that this place was starting to frighten her.

"Everything is going to be alright," I spoke up. The only truth to my statement was in regards to me. Eleanor's demise would come quickly. She was the weakest out of all of us, which is why she is the first to be tested on.

"How can you be so sure?" Eleanor asked. Her voice was so small and delicate.

My eyes stared up at the ceiling above, but the room was too dark to even see anything. "I'm not," I responded honestly. "But I do know that everything happens for a reason."

"You're right," Eleanor agreed in content. "Thanks, Alexa. You always know what to say."

"Are you princesses going to keep reciting inspirational Hallmark cards, or can I get some damn sleep?" Zara interrupted suddenly.

"Language," Eleanor mumbled.

"Didn't realize you had a curfew, Cinderella," I remarked with a soft laugh.

Bree's quiet giggles echoed in the large room. "Sorry, Aurora, go get your beauty sleep now!" She added playfully.

I chuckled, "Good one, Bree."

"Oh, I wanna try!" Eleanor laughed along. "Didn't mean to disturb you, you're highness!"

Zara scoffed, "That one didn't even make sense."

"Yeah, I know," Eleanor sighed. "It was all I could think of though."

"Well, now that the comedians are finished with their show, I think we should all shut up and go back to sleep," Zara stated. I could tell she was probably rolling her eyes.

"We'll be here every night at nine," I exclaimed. Bree and Eleanor laughed at my joke, and hopefully I earned a smile out of Zara.

Now, that the room was silent once again, I was able to close my eyes and drift into a deep sleep.

★・・・★・・・★

The previous darkness that filled the room was slowly replaced with a bright light that shined from the ceiling above. My closed eyes drifted open as a speaker turned on and played a woman's voice, "Good morning everyone and welcome to your first day of training. Please be sure to wear your uniforms and report to the dining hall for breakfast immediately. Have a great day."

I tossed the silky blankets off to the side and stood up from my bed. I definitely wasn't a morning person, but after a year of early rises for training I was more than prepared for another year of the same thing.

I heard a tired groan from across the room as Zara sat up in her bed. Her short, black hair was a mess. "Jesus, what time is it?" She complained. I ignored her as I began to change into the Order's training clothes, which consisted of the same uniform aesthetic but with a more athletic look.

"What training do you think we'll be doing today?" Eleanor asked timidly. She had already gotten up and changed into an identical outfit as my own and the other girls. I copied her in making my bed and sat at the edge of it when I was finished.

"I'm sure it has something to do with all that equipment on the third level," Bree suggested with a nonchalant shrug. "Michelle told us that our group would be divided for the day, so everyone would be learning something different."

"This place is so weird," Zara commented. "One minute, they treat us like royalty and the next, they have us 'training'."

"I wonder what we're even training for," Eleanor spoke to herself. Little did she know, that she would be finding out soon enough. I felt bad for keeping everything a secret. I was starting to have doubts about myself. Maybe I was wrong for not telling everyone what will happen. I have the power to change the entire timeline and there was nothing stopping me from doing that, except for myself, and maybe Five's rants.

I walked over to the bedroom door and pushed it open. "Whatever it is, we'll find out later. Let's just get to the dining hall for now." The other girls nodded along and followed me out into the hallway. We walked towards the elevator and took it to the third level, where the training rooms were. Everyone's head turned as we walked past all of the equipment, which we would be learning how to use later.

Bree and I walked side by side into the food line for breakfast. We each grabbed a tray and began grabbing plates full of various foods. I watched as Bree picked up a plate of waffles, her favorite breakfast food. She's always hated pancakes because they're 'too spongy.'

I picked up two oranges and placed one on Bree's tray. She gave me a confused expression and I just sighed. "You're gonna need it later, trust me."

Bree gave in and sent me a nod. "I'm surprised Zara's still with us," she spoke quietly. I glanced over her shoulder and saw the Asian girl picking up food as Eleanor followed behind her like a lost puppy.

"It's not like she has anyone else here," I said with an uncaring shrug. "Leo was right about no one liking her."

"Harsh," Bree spoke in disappointment at my bluntness.

"But true," I reasoned with her. Bree gave me a look that said otherwise, which I replied with an eye roll, "Personally, she doesn't bother me, but she can be rude to others. You of all people should know that."

Bree frowned. "I still never got my favorite stuffed animal back," she spoke with a sad look in her eyes. I feigned my laughter at the dramatics as both of us walked towards the table we all sat at last night for dinner.

Asher was the first one at the table. He alone sat at the end with a stoic look on his face. His tray only held a single bowl of oatmeal, but the food appeared to be untouched.

I offered the quiet boy a kind smile as I said, "Good morning." Asher met my eyes and his lips twitched up and then back down into his usual resting face. Bree sent me a look that basically said, 'it was worth a shot.'

Although I wasn't expecting much of a reaction out of Asher, it still would've been nice if he at least tried to respond. I didn't hold anything against him because I knew that he had some sort of unspoken trauma that he went through when he was a child, but since he didn't talk I never found out what happened. Surprisingly, the only person that ever heard him speak was Zara. In the past, they went on a mission together and opened up to each other about their resentment towards the world. The only time I saw both of them happy was when they were together. Asher was the first person to actually like Zara.

A tray full of plates crashed onto the table suddenly, causing Bree to flinch at the sudden surprise. I looked up from my food to see Leo making his grand entrance, along with Henry who watched unimpressed by his friend's obnoxious notions.

Leo plopped down on an open seat and crossed his arms over his chest. Bree and I glanced towards Henry as he sat down as well. "He's in a bad mood," Henry explained.

"I'm in a bad mood," Leo repeated. By now, Eleanor and Zara were taking their own seats at the table and began eating their breakfast. "Someone took the last waffle and now I have to wait for those idiotic chefs to make more."

I rolled my eyes while Bree pulled her tray closer to her in an attempt to hide her waffle. Henry also seemed to have the same reaction as me. "Onto more important matters," he changed the topic. "I was informed that training doesn't begin for another hour and a half, so right after breakfast Leo, Alexa, and I will go to the library and see if we can find anything on why we're here."

"You're too serious in the mornings," Leo remarked. He must've gotten passed his waffle complaints since he was stuffing his face with other food.

"This isn't a joke, Leo," Henry scolded his friend. "If my theory's right and we're here for human experiments, there's no telling what these scientists will do to us."

"You guys should listen to Henry," I advised. "This place may seem luxurious but don't forget that it's called the Horror Order."

"Whatever, Blondie," Leo spoke, completely unbothered. "All I know is that this place is a step up from Miracle Home, and I have a feeling that we'll be staying here for awhile, whether we like it or not."

The frightening reality of Leo's words echoed in my head and sent shivers down my spine. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. My journey to the past was just beginning and there was a long way to go before I'd be able to escape from the Order.