It's a bright, perfect day as Eliana walks from her dorm to campus. Today is her last exam, and after that, she'll finally be free for the next few months. She can't wait for all the free time, even if she'll probably just rot in bed, binge-watch Netflix, and devour books.
Taking the longer route through the small forest, she debates whether to celebrate with pasta or maybe something a little fancier—she deserves it, after all.
Then, out of nowhere, from behind her someone presses a cloth to her mouth.
What is happening?? What kind of totally unfunny prank is this?
She thrashes, clawing at the stranger's grip, but it's useless. A sharp, chemical scent fills her nose. Wait. Why does she feel dizzy? She's not in real danger, right? Right?? But then her vision fades to black, and she falls unconscious.
---
When Eliana opens her eyes, she's lying in a massive... ballroom? What the fuck? Why is she in an overly extravagant ballroom?
Her head is pounding as she looks around. Over two dozen people stand around her, all too serious, almost like soldiers. Suddenly, a voice booms from the front.
"Welcome to the Assassins' Academy, new recruits! Today—"
Eliana is too shocked to process the rest of what the man says.
At the front of the room stand five men, all imposing and terrifying. But she doesn't care about them right now.
"Uh, sorry, but what kind of joke is this? This is really not funny and way too far for a prank," she says, annoyed. She steps out of the line of people and walks toward the exit, only for one of the men to punch her straight in the gut.
Pain explodes through her stomach as the air is knocked from her lungs. She doubles over, falling to her knees, gasping for breath.
"Cobra, don't be so rough this early on," another man scolds, pulling the attacker back by his shoulder.
The man who had first spoken kneels beside her. "You are at the Assassins' Academy. It is an honor to be here, outsiders are rarely allowed. I'm Isaak something like a principal here. Now, step back in line and wait for your inspection."
Eliana stares at him, utterly baffled.
Is this man serious? Assassins' Academy? Inspection??
She doesn't understand anything anymore, but one thing is becoming painfully clear—this is no joke.
"This has to be a mistake! Someone kidnapped me on my way to college. I'm not supposed to be here, so I'll be leaving now," she says, panic creeping into her voice. She forces herself to stand and moves toward the exit.
But before she can take more than a step, Isaak grabs her by the hair and shoves her back into line.
"Stay in line. That is my last warning," he barks, his commanding tone brooking no argument. He then returns to the front, standing beside the other men.
Eliana is in shock. How is everyone else standing here so calmly?
This feels like a twisted nightmare. She tunes out the voices of the men, lost in her own panic and fear. One by one, the recruits are called forward, until she is the only one left.
When her turn finally comes, someone leads her into a large office, where the five men from earlier are waiting. Isaak sits behind an over-the-top, extravagant wooden desk. Cobra, the one who had punched her, leans against the window, flipping a dagger between his fingers. The other three men are scattered around the room.
"Eliana Demi, 19 years old, computer science major in college. Is that correct?" Isaak reads from a document.
"Y-yes, that's right, but like I said earlier, this must be a mistake. I'm not supposed to be here—"
Isaak cuts her off. "Shut up. You speak only when spoken to. Now, strip."
Eliana stares at him, wide-eyed.
"W-what…?" This has to be a joke. He can't be serious.
One of the men—she still doesn't know his name—laughs at her reaction. "Come on, stupid little girl. Take off your clothes. Strip."
She looks up at him. He's covered in tattoos, a menacing grin stretched across his face.
"I... I will not do such a thing. Have you lost your minds?! Why the hell should I strip? If you don't let me go immediately, I'll call the cops!"
Her hands dart to her pockets, only to find them empty. Her phone is gone. Whoever kidnapped her—she's starting to suspect it was these men—must have taken it.
Shit.
"I said shut up," Isaak repeats, his voice cold and unbothered. "We need to inspect you to determine your value and what we need to improve. After the physical exam, you'll take a test to estimate your intelligence. I'll ask one last time, take off your clothes, or we will rip them off you."
Eliana's pulse pounds in her ears. As if she would ever strip for them!
"Fuck all of you!" she spits, turning toward the door.
A strong arm wraps around her waist, yanking her back. The tattooed man tears her top clean off.
She screams, kicking wildly, but they grab her again, and in the next second, her pants are gone too.
Tears well in her eyes. Fear takes hold of her.
"Stop! You have no right to do this!"
Cobra strolls over to stand beside the tattooed man and, with a flick of his knife, slices through her underwear.
Eliana shrieks, humiliation burning through her as she stands completely bare before five strangers.