Red doors.

My life aboard the prison ship revolved around those damn red doors.

Yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember what lay beyond them.

I forced myself to swallow the last bites of breakfast — a gloopy, cold gruel — just as the door to the cell block creaked open.

"Maderoth," Holden jeered from the end of the cell block. His heavy footsteps stomped towards my cell, making my stomach lurch. "Time for your next session."

Swallowing back the fear, I quickly scratched a new line on the cold iron floor with my spoon.

105.

105 days.

105 "volunteers" … whose faces would never be seen again.

Which unlucky soul would they choose today — choose to send with me to stand before those red doors?

"Hurry up!" the large asshole snapped, shaking the bars on my cell door.

I glared at him, forcing myself to stand. He'd been a prick at the Shifter stronghold, but now that he'd been made one of Frexin's prison guards, he took being an asshole to a whole new level.

Especially with me.

If I aimed for that spot on his jaw, I bet I could knock him out in a single punch, though.That'd teach him to keep his distance.

But Frexin had made the consequences of my resistance very clear the first day I'd arrived.

… A hand falling to the floor, its owner screaming and flailing as Frexin cleaned her blade and walked off …

No, I wouldnotbe punching the asshole today.

"Get on your fucking feet," Holden snarled, keys jangling in the lock. "Or do you want a reminder of how hard I can beat you without killing you?"

The door swung open with a loud creak as he glared down at me.

My stomach cramped at the reminder, and I lifted my hand to my cheek, wincing at the pain. Frexin wouldn't let him kill me, but beatings were more than acceptable.

At least it kept his attention mostly on me.

I shuffled forward to meethim, legs weak. Whatever happened behind those red doors was weakening me, day by day. And that fucking mage collar certainly wasn't helping.

Frexin had once told me it just dulled and blocked magic, but the strange metal did far more than that. Every second I wore it, it felt like my korra was being eroded away, bit by bit. And that horrible, suffocating numbness wasalwaysthere.

I staggered into the hall, and Holden grinned. He turned and slammed his club into the cell bars around us, the sound reverberating loudly enough to send a shiver down my spine.

My stomach sank.

"Wakey, wakey, everyone," he yelled. "It's that time again. Time for yourSaviortosaveanother one of you sorry shits. Why don't you come out and show her your appreciation?"

Fuck! Today was going to be bad.

I could avoid the other prisoners most of the time, but not when he roused them and pointed me out like that …

Gods. He was an asshole!

"Traitor!" a man called from the cell across from mine, his sunken eyes burning with cold hate.

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