APOTHEOSIS

1.02 epigoni

"Easy..." he repeated soothingly.

"What was that sound?" she whispered.

She was sure that she'd heard it. The scream penetrated through the thick haze of her sleep like a shrill alarm from hell. It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice-cold water down her back, chilling her to the bone.

"You'll find out later," he said dismissively. "For now, you need to get something to eat. You've been unconscious for two days. Clint's been feeding ya soup and all that rubbish, but you need a proper meal."

At the thought of food, she could feel her stomach rumble in response. She had zero arguments against his suggestion and nodded her head slowly. Newt smirked in amusement at her reaction, then stood up and waited for her to get out of bed. Her movements were sluggish as she gingerly pushed herself to a stand. They exited the room and went down a narrow corridor of the building. It was strangely empty with only shadows to occupy it.

She followed him down a flight of creaky stairs and Newt held the front door open for her. It was probably sometime in the mid-afternoon but it was hard to tell because the sun was nowhere to be seen. There weren't any clouds in the sky for it to hide behind either; it was just absent.

Newt opened another door to a joint shack nearby. The smell of grease and food greeted her and she instantly knew that she was in the right place. The cook, called Frypan, gave her a huge serving of steak, mashed potatoes and vegetables. They sat on a bench outside and she dug in as if her life depended on it. Tasty savoury juice seeped out of tender flesh as she chewed slowly while letting out a satisfied sigh. After a moment, she gazed up at the blonde boy who was staring intently at her.

She cleared her throat and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "So... um..." she uttered, grasping for a mundane topic. "This steak is really good."

"Good to see you have an appetite," he said with a low chuckle. "First Greenbean in a long time to act so normal."

"I just feel like I haven't eaten in months," she replied through another mouthful.

"I can tell." He gave her a moment to relish her food before breaking the uncomfortable silence. "So what is it with you and Minho?"

Her heart stuttered in her chest. She swallowed and paused in thought. "I don't know what you mean," she responded honestly.

"Uhuh..." he stuck his tongue in his cheek. "Cause it looked like you knew him pretty... intimately."

Her cheeks suddenly grew warm and she choked, launching into another coughing fit. "T-That's not—I don't even—!"

He raised a brow playfully. "Oh?"

"—know him!" she wheezed as she grabbed the glass of water and downed it.

Newt laughed at her, a pleasing sound that made him look even more boyish. "Steady on, I was just jokin'. Let's go on a tour after you're done."

Cassandra sighed in relief before her face scrunched in a disgruntled expression. "I'm going to remember that!" she remarked indignantly, eliciting another amused chuckle from the boy. Once she had scarfed down the remainder of her lunch, they started to walk out of the main building area.

Newt then led the way across the Glade, as he called the place. "You need to know one thing," he told her, pointing out towards the distance. "Never go beyond those Walls, you hear me?"

Her eyes drifted towards the near horizon and another jolt of fear struck her heart as she laid eyes on the towering stone walls surrounding them. It continued to unsettle her with its colossal structure. Newt went on ahead and she hurried to catch up with him. "W-Why?" she sputtered. "What's out there?"