"Congratulations," the man said. "You have been registered as an Awakened under the Government Institute."
Hope frowned slightly as he picked up the badge.
It was sleek, black, and had a glowing serial number on it.
C-57.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Before he could ask, the man continued.
"Your serial number is C-57. This will serve as your identification within the institute."
Hope stared at the badge.
C-57.
It felt like they were branding him.
Like he had just become another asset, another tool for the government to use and control.
He didn't like that.
Not one bit.
Before he could say anything, Clara—who had been silent the entire time—finally spoke.
Her voice was calm and professional, but there was an underlying edge to it.
"Let me explain," she said.
And just like that—
Hope's confusion was about to be answered.
Hope sat there, his fingers tightening around the badge as Cara spoke.
"The government takes responsibility for contestants who have survived the first trial of The Veil," she said, her voice even and measured.
He listened carefully, absorbing her words.
"This place will teach people like you how to survive the second trial in your journey to becoming an Ascended. It will teach you how to fight, how to endure, and how to do whatever it takes to stay alive."
Her tone was firm, carrying the weight of someone who had been through it all before.
"I, too, have gone through this institute," she admitted, her gaze unreadable.
Hope's mind turned at that.
So Cara had once been in his position—a survivor of the first trial, thrown into this system, trained for the second.
That explained a lot.
She wasn't just some military officer assigned to handle him.
She was one of them.
She had been through the same nightmare.
Hope exhaled through his nose, nodding slightly.
But Cara wasn't finished.
"For now," she continued, "everybody here is almost government property."
Hope's fingers twitched at that.
Property.
The word left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"And a future treasure," she added, "if one is able to survive the second trial of The Veil."
Treasure?
Hope frowned.
That meant the government had a vested interest in the people who survived.
They weren't just taking in survivors out of the kindness of their hearts.
There was something they wanted.
Something they needed from Awakened.
Cara didn't give him time to think too hard about it.
"In two to three weeks' time," she said, "you will be challenging The Veil for the second trial."
The Truth About the Institute – Part 2
Hope felt something cold settle in his stomach.
Two to three weeks.
That was all the time he had before The Veil dragged him in again.
Before he had to fight for his life all over again.
It was too soon.
He barely had time to process the first trial, and now they were already talking about the second?
His mind flickered back to Kelvin's words, back when they had barely made it out alive—
"You'll be taught how to survive."
So this was what he had meant.
Hope clenched his jaw.
He had so many questions, but before he could ask, the man behind the desk spoke again.
The Instructor's Doubt
The man who had been recording Hope's information finally turned his sharp gaze to Cara.
"Ascended Cara," he said, his tone dry. "This boy is just a scavenger. I'm surprised he survived the first trial."
Hope's breath stilled for a moment.
The words hit him like a cold slap to the face.
Just a scavenger?
Surprised I survived?
The way he said it—like it was impossible for someone like Hope to have made it out alive—lit a spark of irritation in his chest.
But before he could say anything, Cara chuckled softly.
Hope blinked.
He had never heard her laugh before.
It wasn't loud or dramatic.
Just a low, amused sound, like she had expected this conversation to happen.
Then she turned to him.
"Hopeless," she said, and there was a hint of humor in her voice.
The Reality of Survival
"What he means," Cara explained, "is that most kids from the outskirts aren't well-trained or informed about The Veil before being taken."
Hope's irritation settled slightly.
That made sense.
He had seen it himself—how children from the richer parts of the city always seemed to have an advantage.
They had access to information, training, and preparation long before The Veil ever touched them.
"For children born into rich families or clans," Cara continued, "they are taught how to survive. Powerful memories are transferred to them, increasing their chances of making it through the first trial."
Hope's fingers twitched.
Memories… transferred?
That was new information.
Before he could ask, she added—
"Don't worry. We won't ask you how you survived. It's personal."
That made Hope pause.
He had expected them to dig into his experience, to question every detail about how he had made it out.
But they weren't going to ask?
He glanced at the man behind the desk.
He still looked doubtful, but he wasn't pushing for answers.
And Cara…
She was watching him with that same calm, knowing expression.
Like she already knew he wouldn't tell them.
Hope sat back slightly in his chair, exhaling.
They didn't need to know.
What mattered now was the future.
The second trial was coming.
And whether he liked it or not—
He had to be ready.