I staggered back to the twins, clutching my bleeding shoulder. Eve had already injected me full of nanomachines to seal the wound, but she warned me to keep pressure on it to slow down the blood loss.

The twins sprang from their bunkbed and wrapped their arms around me as soon as they saw me. Ha-Eun looked up at me with her big eyes and said: “We were terrified you wouldn’t make it. Please don’t ever scare us like that again. You’re the only one we have left in this world. You’re our family.”

Hana interrupted her sister and said:” However, Xeno I never imagined a person like you would have a sadistic streak like that. That look on your face gave me the chills.”

I patted Ha-Eun on the head while I bumped Hana as I usually do. That girl has no sense for the right timing. She always says the most random stuff in the most inappropriate of times.

However, I can’t seem to hate that about her. She always makes me feel at ease after an intense situation and I’m thankful for her.

I looked at the twins with a smile and said:” Don’t worry I won’t be going anywhere. However, today was a wakeup call for me. Who would have thought that the chief would have given Zane an emergency nanomachine shot. Also, who would have thought that when I was feeling in control of the situation, I had everything but control. If I had been a split second slower, he would have stabbed me in the heart and killed me. I was lucky this time. If Zane had waited until he fully recovered and ambushed me, I don’t think I could have defended myself or stopped him from hurting you.”

Ha-Eun interrupted me and asked:” Why didn’t you kill him then Xeno? Wouldn’t finishing him off solve all the problems your facing?”

I replied with a stern look on my face:” Let me ask you this question then. If I had killed him, what do you think would happen?”

Hana answered: “The chief would bring someone else to replace him, right?”

I nodded my head to Hana’s conjecture, however, I furtherly elaborated:” If it was only that then it would have been easy. However, if my thought process is accurate then it will not end with just that. Not only will the chief bring in a new cellmate, but that cellmate will also be more vicious, crueler, and stronger than Zane. Additionally, I have you girls to protect so as the saying goes, better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”

I then continued:” Don’t forget that the chief views Zane as his precious lap dog or tool. If I took out that tool, I’m sure he will be enraged and that he will inflict immeasurable pain and suffering on me which will hinder our survival and escape.”

I paused for a minute to collect my thoughts then I said to the twins:” So in conclusion killing him is not an option. Not yet that is.”

The twins agreed with me and we headed back to our beds. They helped me wrap my shoulder in bandages and we drifted off to sleep.

I woke up to Eve’s voice in my ear, telling me it was morning.

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I felt a weight on my chest and saw the twins snuggled up to me, holding my arms.

What the hell? How did they get here? Weren’t they sleeping in their own beds? Why didn’t Eve warn me about them? Wasn’t she supposed to detect any movement?

Eve sensed my confusion and said: “They are not a threat to you, young master, so I didn’t think it was necessary to inform you. I apologize if I displeased you.”

I smiled at Eve’s innocent reply and said: “You don’t have to apologize; you did nothing wrong. You are a lifesaver, Eve. I’m glad and grateful that you are my partner and friend.”

Eve responded with a happy and contented tone: “Thank you, young master, for your kind words.”

I ended my conversation with Eve and looked at the twins. I felt like giving them a wake-up bump on their heads, but I decided against it.

They had been through enough yesterday and they deserved some peace. I gently stroked their hair and told them it was time to get up. They rubbed their faces against my hand like kittens, which was adorable, but when I raised my voice, they were jolted awake.

I told them to go wash up and get ready for training and studying, as that was our daily routine. They nodded and scampered off to freshen up, ignoring Zane’s screams of agony.

You might wonder why I left the shard of the broken plate in his thigh when I tossed him aside.

My answer is simple science and biology.

Imagine the skin healing itself from a cut. The cells would multiply and close the gap from the inside out. Now imagine there was something stuck in that cut and the nanomachines were speeding up the healing process. What would happen? The wound would seal around the shard, trapping it inside his flesh and causing him pain. And when he tried to pull it out, he would rip open his skin and muscle again, causing him more pain. That’s why I left it there. It was just a way to get my revenge for what he tried to do before without killing him.

The twins returned while I was thinking what I was thinking and we wanted to proceeded in our daily routine.

However, one thing bothered me and that was Zane’s constant screaming and cursing.

I approached Zane's bed, determined to shut him up. I knew that his noise would only serve as a distraction and hinder our progress.

As I reached his bed, I could see the fury in his eyes and the pain etched on his face. Without a word, I delivered a swift blow to his jaw, knocking him unconscious.

After knocking Zane unconscious, I returned to the twins’ side and we continued with our routine, pushing ourselves to the limit in our studies and physical training.

The twins showed remarkable progress, their determination shining through in every task they undertook. I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in how far they had come since we first met.

We were almost done with our training when a loud bang at the door startled us. I quickly pushed the twins behind me and tensed up.

Rick barged in, his eyes scanning the scene. He saw my fear and panic, the twins hiding behind me, my bleeding shoulder, and Zane snoring on his bed. He grinned wickedly.

He thought he had me right where he wanted me. He thought Zane had broken me down, physically and mentally. He didn’t know it was all an act. He didn’t know I had knocked out Zane earlier and tucked him in. He didn’t know I was ready for him.

Rick approached me and caught my hand. His grip tightened around my hand, his vice-like grasp sending a shiver down my spine. I understood the grim reality of the situation. It meant that I was about to be forcibly taken to either the torture room or the drug production facility.

As I prepared to be led away, my gaze locked with the twins. With a mixture of concern and determination, I implored them to stay vigilant and remember the instructions I had given them for when I was absent.

"Take care of yourselves," I whispered.

"Remember everything I've taught you. Stay strong and trust in your abilities. I’ll be okay so don’t worry about me."

They gave me a nod, showing they understood, and I was then dragged outside the cell and led to the horror which was my destination.