Morningstar

Icarus could almost scream when he saw the yellow flare. He failed. He didn’t rescue everyone from his team. He looks around. Slier, Rin, Killam, Hakea, Ilya, Moneo, Shin, Xeon, and Fey are here. They didn’t escape. He only wishes for the rest to be alive and safe with Kemba.

“Congratulations,” Morning says. “You’ve all graduated Morningstar.” No one feels like cheering.

Icarus looks around. They started the first trial with five hundred students. Now, only sixty remains. Icarus’s eyes stop moving when he finds that Quin, Demetrio, and Signe are alive. There were only supposed to survive three mentors.

“Icarus, come to my tent,” Morning says as he appears with his hooded followers. Icarus follows him to his tent which is way bigger than any other tent. There is a table inside in the middle and a chair. “Sit down.” Icarus obliges.

“You must be wondering why there are four mentors alive, instead of three,” Morning says. Icarus doesn’t answer. He won’t answer until he knows what he is asking. “You see, I believe that there is a traitor in our team. Kemba is not dead; she escaped.” It is of no surprise for Icarus that Morning knows. “You must be wondering how I know. Well, it must not be news to you that we add tracking chips to each student when they arrive to any academy, and we remove them once they graduate. Part of Kemba’s team suddenly died at a place outside the city, near the coast. Not only that but part of your team, Quin’s, Demetrio’s, and Signe’s died there too. What do you think that could’ve happened?”

Icarus knows that there’s a way that Morning can detect lies. That’s something that he learnt the hard way with Night. He cannot lie to him, but he has to hide most of the truth.

“The chips must have been deactivated,” Icarus says. “If they are not dead, then they must have escaped.”

Morning nods. “You are mastermind, Icarus. You know how people think. So, tell me, how could Kemba take so many students out of the city and into the sea without being noticed?”

“Someone must have been working with her,” Icarus answers. “Someone must have been leading them there.”

“Correct,” Morning says. “Who knows about the outside world? The mentors only. If someone was working with Kemba, it must have been a mentor. Who do you think that it was?”

“Someone who doesn’t like Morningstar.”

Morning’s lips curve into a smile. “And that could be any one of the mentors since they are all from different academies. That’s why I am taking the liberty of interrogating each mentor, starting with you. But no, I am not like my brother Night. I don’t rely mostly on physical pain. My interrogations are all based on psychological damage.

“If you are the traitor, you have covered all of your bases. You disliked every mentor. You didn’t speak to anyone apart from your students. Even Demetrio once said that you didn’t care what anyone said, even when he and Kemba were trying once to get into your nerves. You only spoke several times with Demetrio and Quin, and they weren’t plausible talks.

“The question is, Icarus, if you weren’t the traitor, you wouldn’t mind answering my questions? You wouldn’t mind if I sent people to search your house in Avmu, and question anyone in that town?”

“I wouldn’t,” Icarus says. “Unless the questioning to the townspeople aren’t civil.”

“Very well,” Morning says. “Then, are you ready to begin the interrogation?”

“No one ever is,” Icarus answers.

Morning smiles again. “You are right. You may leave.” Icarus stares for a second at Morning. “You didn’t expect for my interrogation to begin today, did you? No. My interrogation will begin back at Morningstar. In order to break you down, I need to play it slow and plan your type of torture. Unfortunately for you, I already have your torture.”

Icarus wants to ask what it is, but he doesn’t. Morning seems to read it from his eyes.

“You are a team player. You fell in love with your team, and that’s your weakness.” Morning places his hands behind him. “Your interrogation will begin with you interrogating each and every remaining member of your team. You will torture them. You will make them cry. You will hear their screams until you or someone of your team confesses.”

Icarus realizes that the real trials have begun.

* * *