âHeâs doing well,â Sarah reassured Sonia.
âHeâs been visiting you daily.
â
Sonia felt a bit more relieved at the news and eased back into her bed.
Meanwhile, in a training camp in Conata.
Ariana aggressively punched a sandbag, channeling her frustration and fury.
She woke up one day to find herself in this training camp to practice fighting.
The people here seemed to all be beast slaves.
Ariana had asked the men in black why they had brought her here, but they wouldnât tell her the answer.
She believed she was here apparently to satisfy Bennettâs twisted tastes.
She finally realized Bennettâs true natureâa sadistic pleasure in watching others struggle desperately.
This place was a stark contrast to Arianaâs core beliefs and values.
While she had faced challenges before, nothing had rattled her fundamental beliefs like this.
Survival here required fighting with every ounce of strength.
One moment, people might be sharing a meal; the next, they could be rivals in the ring.
Despite despising the brutality and relentless battles, Ariana knew she couldnât give up.
Many people were waiting for her to return.
Daily, she battled physical fatigue and emotional turmoil, adapting to survive.
She trained herself continuously.
The lunch bell rang; it was time for lunch.
Ariana stopped punching.
She watched the crowd go to the cafeteria.
She followed them slowly
in the back.
Observing her surroundings, she stealthily slipped away, heading in the opposite direction.
With no one around, Ariana hurried down the corridor.
She had dedicated the past few days to familiarizing herself with the castleâs layout and the staffâs schedules.
She had found out that during lunch, thereâs a short ten-minute window when the surveillance room at the corridorâs end is accessible due to a shift change.
In that room sat a landline phone that had caught Arianaâs attention days ago.
She had once overheard someone using it for a personal call, indicating its probable access to the outside world.
Communication was strictly regulated here; no one had personal devices, and the enigmatic men in black werenât providing means to contact the outside world.
The landline was Arianaâs sole chance to reach the outside world.
She had made up her mind to take the risk to make a call.
It was a gamble, but she was determined to do it.
Despite her jittery nerves, Ariana maintained steady steps as she hurried toward the surveillance room, staying vigilant and cautious and avoiding camera coverage by sticking to blind spots.
Thankfully, since her arrival at this training camp, Bennett hadnât given her much notice.
He likely saw her as a captive creature, awaiting the opportune moment for his predatory intentions.