Alyssa's POV:
When I woke up, my whole body ached like I'd been run over by a truck. It took me a moment to realize where I was:
Back in the trainee dormitory, that was lined with stiff, creaky beds and threadbare blankets. The same musty smell of too many unwashed bodies crammed together.
Some girls were already awake, whispering and casting glances at me.
Their eyes slid over me like knives — judgmental, accusing, and resentful.
But none of them dared to touch me, not after what happened yesterday.
I shifted carefully, biting back a grimace as I sat up. My ribs protested, and the inside of my cheek was raw where I'd bitten it during the beating.
I suddenly remembered that I was saved by someone else because I wasn't strong enough to do it myself.
Hissing loudly, I pushed the cov
