Blood&Secrets

Vibes (Songs)

First part: Tag, You’re It – Melanie Martinez

Second part: Silence – Marshmello ft. Khalid

“You’re just like your mother.”

The man smirked, curling the corner of his lip as if he were thinking of something obscene. The strong stench of rum and cigars on his breath made me nauseous. It reminded me of my mother’s partner—an unbearable man who did nothing but buy real estate, complain about social media, and throw money around.

After my mother passed away, he took it upon himself—without even asking me—to sell our home, the one I had lived in since childhood, and move us to the city to close some big business deal.

I’m not usually the vengeful type, but the moment I heard the news, I made sure that a notarial deed “accidentally” fell into the fireplace. Apparently, it was important to him—and to the man standing in front of me now—for God knows what annoying reason.

I remained expressionless, though my instincts screamed at me to turn around and leave. Instead, I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe of the apartment building—a smelly, abandoned place with crumbling plaster. My mother’s partner had asked me to come here that morning. Only later did I realize it was the same building from the deed. And now, I was stuck facing this man and his oversized beer belly.

I studied him, wondering how the buttons on his tailored black pants managed to keep that stomach from bursting out. The thought made me smile, but as soon as I realized, I wiped the expression from my face.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked, feigning patience, though I was itching to get out of there. I had planned to rush to the university, hide away in the library, and rehearse my thesis speech—scheduled for just three days later.

In three days, I’d be almost officially a nurse, graduating only a few months late. But that didn’t matter. My mother had enrolled me in elementary school a year early, so I would still graduate before turning twenty-two. I had plans—big ones. I wasn’t stopping there.

Yet my mother’s partner still thought I was a failure, convinced I should’ve studied economics and helped him with his business. But that life was never for me.

“Actually, yes. Gregor told me you’d come to our offices to… make up for the damage you caused.”

His gaze became intrusive, his eyes scanning me from head to toe, lingering far too long in places that made my skin crawl.

I tensed, crossing my arms even tighter over my chest. Gregor. That ball and chain. That pathetic excuse for a man who did nothing but waste my time—just like his disgusting friend.

“Gregor didn’t tell me anything. And I’m afraid I won’t be able to come to your offices. I’m presenting my thesis in three days. I’m busy.”

I forced a smile, deciding now was the perfect moment to grab my backpack from the ground and leave. But before I could, he placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.

“I think you didn’t understand, sweetheart…”

His voice took on a sickeningly sweet tone. His fingers brushed over my arm, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. I stepped back, feeling a wave of disgust.

His eyes practically devoured me. He wasn’t even trying to hide what he wanted.

“I think you don’t understand. Whatever business you and Gregor have, it has nothing to do with me.”

I turned toward the door, but he grabbed my wrist, squeezing a little too hard.

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before tossing the deed into the fireplace,” he whispered in my ear.

“I didn’t… wait, what?”

My eyes widened before narrowing into a glare. How did he know about that?

Slowly, I turned to face him, just as he started unbuckling his belt. And in that moment, everything clicked.

A shiver ran down my spine. My stomach twisted with nausea.

Gregor—that piece of shit—had sold me to fix his problems. Like I was an object. A doll at his disposal. Not his stepdaughter.

I knew he didn’t care about me, but this? This?

“That bastard…” I muttered under my breath.

The man stepped closer, his fingers still working at his belt. Not that it was difficult—it looked like his pants had been waiting for relief.

“Don’t play hard to get. I bet you’ll like it.”

I spat in his face.

He recoiled, stunned and disgusted. I seized the opportunity to grab my backpack and run.

The door wasn’t an option—he was blocking it. He would catch me before I even reached it.

I needed to hide. If I waited long enough, he’d give up and leave.

I could already picture Gregor’s face when he realized his disgusting plan had failed.

But where would I go after this? I couldn’t go home. Not after this. Not while I still had to share a roof with that sick, perverted bastard.

I turned down a hallway that seemed promising. Apartment buildings had staircases. And I bet that fat pig wouldn’t be able to make it to the top.

“Miss Michelle, I suggest you don’t make things harder than they already are. There’s no way out of this building!”

His voice was mocking—but dangerously close.

I never liked my full name. My mother had chosen it because it belonged to her childhood best friend, but it never felt right to me. I preferred my nickname—Elle. The way my mother had always said it, so sweetly.

She would never have let this happen.

Clenching my fists, I kept running. But when I turned the corner, expecting a staircase, I found nothing.

Just an empty hallway.

A dead end.

My heart pounded in my chest.

Where the hell was I supposed to go now? I couldn’t turn back. I couldn’t fight him—he was stronger.

I frantically scanned my surroundings, searching for something—anything.

I looked around and spotted a door. I could barricade myself inside and call the police in the meantime. I ran towards it, kicking it open, only to discover that it was an extremely narrow elevator. I shut myself inside, cursing my decision—it was obvious this wouldn’t work. And yet, the moment I heard the man’s footsteps in the lobby, I started pressing every button in front of me, driven by a frantic hope that something, anything, would happen.

With a jolt, the elevator moved.

In disbelief, I clutched my head and burst into laughter—a deep, uncontrollable laugh, so overwhelming and cathartic that it brought tears to my eyes. Then I cried. I cried out of fear, disappointment, disgust, relief, and the anxiety about my degree. I let everything out.

But then, just as the elevator reached the top, it shuddered and came to a sudden stop, all the buttons going dark as I frantically pressed them to no avail.

“No, no, no…” I checked my phone, but there was no signal at all. Given my luck, those two men—Gregor and the maniac—would probably leave me here to die.

Then, without warning, the elevator started moving again, violently throwing me against the left wall as it shot to the right at full speed, then shifted direction again, dropping, rising, veering left…

My stomach churned. I was terrified. I had no idea what was happening. Maybe I had lost consciousness and this was just some bizarre nightmare. Maybe I was in shock and hallucinating. I had never liked tight spaces—truthfully, I had never liked elevators in general. The feeling of being trapped always made me uneasy.

My mind was in chaos, and one thought kept hammering away, refusing to let me rest: What would I do once the elevator reached its destination? Where was it even taking me? Would I ever get out of here?

I pressed my hands against the metal walls, desperately trying not to throw up—the stench in such a confined space would have been unbearable.

After what felt like an eternity—at least ten agonizing minutes—the elevator finally stopped. To my great surprise, the doors swung open, and the first thing I did was vomit straight outside.

My eyes were shut, burning with tears. I was exhausted. I was still trembling, not fully recovered, but grateful that the infernal ride had finally ended.

“Your state is truly appalling.”

I jolted, startled by the voice, and fell backward in fear. I hadn’t expected to find anyone here. When I managed to focus, I realized I was in a gray-walled hallway. A massive number “5” was displayed on the right wall, and I was surrounded by dozens of boys and girls staring at me—some with disgust, others with curiosity.

How was this possible? The building where I had entered the elevator wasn’t this modern. The walls were pristine, despite the gray tones, freshly painted. There was even that distinct “new car” smell stinging my nose.

Then my attention fell on the person who had spoken—a tall girl with a short brown bob and sharp, observant eyes. They were all wearing the same gray athletic uniform, each marked with the number “5.” The girl studied me intently, narrowing her eyes as if processing a flood of questions in her mind.

I felt incredibly self-conscious with all their eyes on me.

“I think I… got off on the wrong floor?” I said as I stood up, though my words sounded more like a question than a statement.

“Do you even know where you are?” the girl asked.

“In theory… in an abandoned building,” I replied. Then I glanced around, growing increasingly uncomfortable with all the attention. “Sorry for—There was a man chasing me and—never mind. Where’s the exit?” I asked, embarrassed.

“Exit?” The girl burst into laughter, and so did a few others around us. A quiet murmur spread through the crowd.

“The only exit is that elevator?” I asked, confused. I didn’t understand why my question was so funny. I felt disoriented, craving a glass of water, a couch to sink into. This place felt like a world apart, like some post-apocalyptic project straight out of a novel I would have found fascinating—if not for the eerie atmosphere that made my skin crawl.

“Oh, shit. You really have no idea, do you?” she said between chuckles. But as she noticed my confusion, her laughter faded, and she frowned. Turning to the others, she asked, “Kai, is this even possible?”

Kai was a boy around my age, with Indian features and warm amber skin. His messy black hair reached his shoulders, and he adjusted a pair of round glasses before responding.

“Apparently, it is.”

“So what do we do now?” she asked.

“We could take her to the Director,” suggested a petite girl with long, wavy blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She seemed shy, lowering her gaze as soon as she finished speaking.

“Or we could just send her back through the elevator,” the first girl proposed with a mischievous smirk, as if suggesting something wicked.

“Oh, please, no.” I let out a nervous laugh—the idea of getting back into that death trap made me nauseous. But when I saw the way they were all looking at me, I quickly shut up.

“Juno, are you insane? If the Director finds out, she’ll kill us,” another boy interjected.

“Then what do we do? Kill her? She can’t be here,” Juno said, clearly annoyed.

Silence fell over the group as they all stared at me. Juno’s expression was exasperated, as if she were seriously considering it.

“In a figurative sense… right?” I asked, my voice slightly shaky.

Where the hell had I ended up? Why were they talking like that? Why couldn’t I just leave?

The murmuring grew louder, but Juno silenced them with a look before turning her attention back to me.

“She’ll take you to the director, and she’ll decide what to do with you,” she concluded.

“What do you mean?” I asked as she grabbed my arm, dragging me down various hallways. Meanwhile, the other students returned to their business, two of them even cleaning up my vomit, which made me feel a little guilty.

“I need to go home, I don’t have time to talk to your director,” I added.

She stopped abruptly, placed her hands on my shoulders, and looked me straight in the eye. “You really don’t understand, do you?” Her gaze was serious, almost like she felt guilty, like there was something she wanted to tell me but hated the idea of carrying that burden.

“Did I… do something illegal? I’m sorry, I was running from a man, I got locked in the elevator and—”

Her expression darkened. I could see it in her eyes, which flickered and grew even darker. “This place shouldn’t be found by accident. You shouldn’t be here, but now that you know who we are, what we do, and where we are, you’re a problem.”

“I have no idea who you are or what you do. What do you mean I’m a problem? What does that mean?” I began to get nervous, but she sighed, opened her mouth to speak, and then the door to a room at the end of the hallway swung open. Juno immediately silenced herself, snapping to attention and saluting.

I felt like a ragdoll, unsure of what to do with my limbs. I just said, “Hello,” though it probably sounded more like a question than a greeting.

“Who is this girl, Juno?” The director asked as Juno led me into the room, and there I found myself face to face with her. She was a woman in her forties, with long black hair, a sweet face, and wearing a light white sports uniform. She had a stern look but didn’t seem intimidating at all.

“I’m so sorry. I think the elevator’s broken. I shouldn’t be here… I don’t really know where I am, but I definitely don’t think it’s where I should be, based on what I understand. I was just looking for the exit.”

The director looked at me in silence for a long time, and I started to sweat. “Is this a military school?” I asked. Juno raised an eyebrow. “Right, no more questions,” I corrected myself quickly. “Could I have a glass of water?” I asked after a few more moments of silence. The director nodded to Juno, and she immediately brought me a glass.

“Sweetheart, the elevator works perfectly. So you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, apparently,” the director said gently, though her voice was clear and firm.

“That makes me feel less guilty, but like I was about to say to Juno, I have other commitments, I’m really late. Could you tell me where the exit is?” I insisted, hoping I didn’t sound too rude. I could somehow sense that Juno was nervous about the situation, but I didn’t understand why.

“I tried to explain to her…” The director silenced her with a wave of her hand.

“Sweetheart, would you sit for a moment?” She asked me, and I decided to stop mentioning how much I needed to leave. I sat down without protesting.

“This academy has existed for centuries. It’s a prestigious place where every student is carefully observed and chosen before being assigned to their floor and allowed to proceed with their studies.” She paused briefly, like she was thinking about what to say next.

“It sounds… interesting.” I wasn’t sure what to say, but I couldn’t stand the long pauses. I was in a hurry, and something felt off, a bad feeling gnawing at me.

“Honestly, it’s never happened before that a new potential student had free access to the elevator and ended up directly on a floor.”

“Oh, no, no. There’s been some kind of misunderstanding. I’m not a potential student, I’m not cut out for… military stuff. I ended up here by mistake. I’m a nurse… almost.”

The director tapped her desk with her fingers. “This prestigious academy has never made such a mistake. I believe this is a sign, let’s call it destiny.”

“I’d call it bad luck, no offense.”

The air grew heavy, thick with suspense. I felt like this woman was about to decide the fate of my entire life.

“What’s your name, dear?” She asked.

“Michelle Valmont.” I replied. I took my mother’s surname at birth because my father left her during her pregnancy. For a moment, I noticed the director’s eyes flicker at the mention of my name, but I didn’t dwell on it. I just wanted to leave. “I don’t mean to seem rude, but I really need to go.”

“Sweetheart, no one can leave the academy once they’re here unless they’re noticed by someone important during the final trials or… well…”

“Unless they die,” Juno finished for her.

“What does that mean?” I asked. Were they threatening me for no reason?

“It means this is not just any military academy. Here, we teach the art of combat, manipulation, mass psychology. Governments all over the world, powerful men and women, constantly ask us to identify the best students to later integrate into their specialized teams. So as you can imagine, it’s a top-secret project in contact with elite and wealthy classes. Betrayal here is punishable by death.”

I stayed silent for a few seconds, waiting for them to start laughing, but when neither of them did, I laughed myself.

“Are you serious?” I stood up in fear, but Juno placed a firm hand on my shoulder, making me sit down again.

“I’m graduating in three days, I can’t stay here! When are these final trials?” I protested, panicked.

“In nine months, at the end of the academic year,” the director replied.

“No, no, no… I need to make a phone call.” I gasped for air, feeling like the air in the room wasn’t enough, but they completely ignored me.

“Juno, take her to your room and let her drop off her things.”

“I can’t stay here for that long!” I exclaimed, trying to pull away from Juno’s grip as she dragged me away, closing the door behind us. As soon as I opened my mouth to say, “Please help me,” she covered it with her hand.

“You have no idea how lucky you are,” she said harshly, her eyes burning with anger, and mine began to tear up. “I’ve never seen her speak like that to anyone, let alone in a situation like this. Hundreds of kids break their bones, make sacrifices, and falsify papers just to get here. This place is no joke, you should be thanking your lucky stars she didn’t ask for you to be killed and instead gave you the chance to stay. Though I’m convinced you won’t survive here, the decision’s been made, and there’s no turning back. Don’t screw this up.”

I thought about all the sacrifices I had made to graduate on time, all the nights spent at internships and studying, everything I had given up—it was all ruined because of Gregor, because of that goddamn elite academy.

Juno removed her hand from my mouth, and I looked her straight in the eyes. “You have no idea what it’s like to have dreams, to have something beautiful in your grasp that can be ripped away in an instant,” I said coldly, sharply. Her expression hardened, her jaw clenched, but she didn’t respond. I didn’t say another word. I didn’t resist and followed her to her room.

This situation was more than unfair, but maybe Juno was right. Maybe I was lucky to still be alive in this mysterious, cold, and gray place. I wasn’t a strong person. I wasn’t particularly resilient or athletic. I had no idea how I would survive here.