Tears streamed down Eliana's cheeks as she desperately tried to cover her body with her arms, but Cobra and the tattooed man seized them, holding her still.
"Dane, inspect her," Isaak commanded, his voice cold and emotionless.
A man with light brown hair, presumably Dane, stepped forward. His hands prodded, poked, and groped her body in a clinical, detached manner. There was no hesitation, no regard for her dignity.
"I demand that you stop right now… please…" Eliana's voice trembled as she fought back sobs, but the men ignored her.
"She is very hairy, we will have to take care of that, it's disgusting. Height is average, approximately 165 cm. Breasts: B-cup, could be bigger. No excess fat, but it's clear she never exercised. Almost no muscle tone—soft and weak." Dane pinched the skin on her stomach, analyzing her like a lab experiment.
Humiliation burned through her. How dare they speak about her body like this?
"Then we'll start her on cardio and slow muscle building. This girl has no ass, she couldn't seduce a man even if she tried," the tattooed man scoffed, scribbling something down in his notes.
"What the hell are you talking about?? How dare you??!" Eliana sobbed, her voice cracking as the tears fell freely now.
"You should've gone to the gym more. Then I wouldn't be talking like this," he sneered. "Your body is pathetic, but don't worry, we'll fix that. You need to be in top shape to become a ruthless killer." His face was inches from hers, his voice dripping with menace.
A killer…? Did they seriously expect her to murder people?
Dane yanked the man back by his shoulder. "Damon, stop scaring her. You're making my job harder."
Damon reluctantly stepped away, but not before punching Eliana in the face. Pain exploded across her cheek as she stumbled back, only staying upright because Cobra held her in place.
"The fuck…?!" she gasped, stunned by the sudden hit.
Dane ignored her outburst and stepped closer. "Hold still. I need to check one last thing."
Cobra's grip tightened as Dane's hand moved between her legs.
Eliana shrieked, thrashing against their hold, expecting something far worse. But he only held his hand there for a second before pulling away.
"She's a virgin," he announced, then looked her straight in the eye. "Right, princess?"
Rage flared inside her. She bared her teeth and spat in his face. "You're all disgusting monsters!" she cried.
Dane simply backhanded her, knocking her head to the side. No one reacted. No one cared.
A robe hit her chest, and she clutched it, hastily covering herself as she wiped away her tears. From behind his desk, Isaak finally spoke again. "You'll take the intelligence test tomorrow. Clearly, you're too hysterical to provide accurate results today. Theodore will escort you to your room. You're dismissed."
The one man who had remained silent until now stepped forward. He took her arm gently, unlike the others.
"Come on, love. Let me show you your new home," Theodore said with a bright smile.
His expression, so casual in the face of her suffering, made her stomach twist. She wanted to punch him, or better yet, knee him where it hurt, but she had a feeling he'd dodge easily and she'd just get hit again.
Before today, no one had ever hit her. She wasn't used to pain.
"I… I'm not supposed to be here," she whispered as he led her away. "Your friends didn't listen to me earlier. I was kidnapped and brought here. This is all a huge mistake." She hoped that maybe he would at least listen to her and not be as cruel as the other men. He seemed kind.
Theo laughed, a rich, amused sound that echoed through the hallways. "Oh, sweetheart. You're never leaving. Now that you know about this place, your only way out is in a body bag."
She recoiled at his words, trying to yank her arm free, but his grip held firm. Was he serious??
"Don't be so scared," he chuckled. "As long as you stay here, you'll live. Just be happy you have the chance to survive."
They stopped in front of a door. He opened it and pushed her inside.
"Y-you won't actually kill me, right?" she stammered, tears welling up again. "This is a joke, right?"
"No jokes. This is your reality now. Be a good girl and follow orders. Wake-up time is 5 AM. Goodnight, love."
The door slammed shut behind her. A click echoed as it locked.
Eliana stared at the door, frozen.
Then she ran to it, yanking at the handle, slamming her fists against the wood. "Let me out! You can't do this to me!" she screamed, but there was no response.
She turned and took in the tiny room where only a small bed and a wardrobe where. The walls were an ugly, faded yellow. Then her gaze landed on a window.
She rushed to it, trying to pry it open, but it wouldn't budge, just like the door. Her hands trembled as she searched for something—anything—to break it, but there was nothing.
She ripped open the wardrobe. Inside, she found a gray hoodie, sweatpants, leggings, and underwear. She threw on the hoodie and sweatpants, wanting to cover as much of herself as possible after today's humiliation.
Before she could do anything else, the lights cut out, plunging the room into darkness.
What the fuck?
Her breath came fast and uneven as her eyes struggled to adjust. Carefully, she made her way to the bed, only to slam her shin against it. Pain flared up her leg.
"Shit... fuck. Fuck this hellhole," she muttered under her breath, collapsing onto the mattress.
She curled into the corner of the bed, pressing her back against the wall, wide-eyed and trembling. Despite everything, she didn't cry.
Instead, she repeated over and over in her mind:
This is just a dream. I'll wake up soon. I'll wake up in my dorm and go to class.
But deep down, she already knew the truth.
She wasn't waking up from this nightmare.