MasukFive's POV He closed the last of the distance without hurry, as if he were giving me every chance to change my mind. I didn't. When his mouth finally met mine it was careful at first—warm, deliberate, testing—then deeper the moment I answered him. His hand stayed at my waist, steady, while the other slid up my spine and into my hair, tipping my head so he could take the kiss the way he wanted.The gold light on the pond blurred. Everything narrowed to the press of his body against mine, the low sound he made when I opened for him, the way his thumb traced the edge of my jaw like he was still trying to be gentle even as the kiss turned hungry.He eased me back against the flat stone. The cool surface bit through the thin fabric of my dress, but his heat chased it away. One of his knees settled between mine, opening me just enough that I felt the hard line of him against my thigh. My hands found the front of his shirt, then the buttons, then the bare skin underneath. He was warm
Five's POVThe news reached me the way most things reached me in the citadel—through Seven."They're calling you a hero," she announced, something close to pride glimmering in her eyes..I set down the comb I was holding. I had been struggling to do something with my hair—and failing."Who is?" I asked, a small frown on my face."Everyone," she answered simply. "The kitchen girls, the facility girls, the older staff who have been here long enough to remember the last time someone spoke back during a disciplinary proceeding." She paused. "Which apparently no one has."I looked at the wall, my lips parted slightly."I'm not a hero," I denied. "I just said what was true.""That's what makes it heroic," Seven countered, shrugging lightly. "Most people know what's true. Very few people say it out loud in a courtyard full of guards."I was quiet for a moment.The word sat strangely on me—hero. I thought of it, the words moving somewhere.Twelve had believed in something.Had died believi
Five’s POV "Because the answer is very simple," I defended. "Your voice went flat," he observed. "It didn't." "It did," he insisted. "It does that when you're trying to control something you don't want to show." I turned to look at him with my most neutral expression. "I am not jealous," I said clearly and calmly. "I don't have any reason to be jealous. I don't have any feelings that would produce jealousy. I am simply—" "You're jealous," he cut in. "I am not—" He moved through the water toward me, unhurried, the air changing slightly before he arrived. My heart skipped a beat, but I held my ground. He stopped close enough that the water moving with him pressed gently against my skin. "Her name was Mira," he whispered quietly. Something in his voice had changed. It wasn't the amusement—that was still there, faintly. But underneath it something else had surfaced, older and heavier than the warm water between us. "She was my sister," he confessed. The bot
Five's POV I didn't know how long we stayed there together, just enjoying the warmth from the pond, the sounds of birds chirping in the distance. It was peaceful — a break from all the chaos the citadel had to offer. I sighed, feeling my muscles relax even more. And along with it was the bond between us, humming low and annoying. I glanced at him. His eyes were shut, his head tilted back toward the sky. He looked majestic, his long lashes brushing his cheeks gently, his dark hair damp and sticking to his skin. I sucked in a deep breath. "What was your childhood like?" I whispered, asking the question that had been bugging me. I had realized earlier that I didn't know anything about him — other than the fact that he was King of the citadel. And if I needed leverage over him, then I needed information. At least that was what I told myself. It wasn't genuine curiosity. It definitely wasn't. His eyes fluttered open lazily and locked on me. His grey eyes see
Five’s POV"It's warmer than it looks," he murmured.I kept my eyes on the reeds."I'll take your word for it," I voiced, refusing to dwell on what he was insinuating."Five,” he warned sharply. "My king,” I responded. There was a long pause."Get in," he ordered again, and this time his voice was firmer. I turned to look at him despite my better judgment.He was in the water to his chest, his arms resting on the surface, his expression carrying that almost-mocking quality again alongside something else—something more genuine underneath it, more relaxed than I had ever seen him in the citadel's corridors and rooms.It caught me off guard. "I'm fine here," I reassured, keeping my voice neutral."I didn't ask if you were fine," he began. "I told you to get in.""The water is—""Warm," he finished for me. "I told you.""I don't have anything to—""I'm aware," he said.I stared at him.He looked back, a patient expression on his face as though he had nowhere to be and no intention of
Five's POV A dark shadow covered me, the silhouette of a tall person. I turned slowly, already expecting another form of danger — because that seemed to be all I attracted. But it wasn't danger — or at least, not the kind I had expected. "My king," I whispered, caught off guard. "The king's slave," he hummed, something almost mocking in his voice. "Come with me." I looked at him. He was already turning, his hands clasped behind his back, moving with that unhurried certainty—as though had never once considered that the instruction might not be followed. I followed. Partly because I didn't have a choice. Mostly because something in the way he had said it—the almost-mocking tone, the particular expression on his face when he had looked down from the walkway and found me already looking up—made me want to know where this was going. I nodded at Seven, reassuring her that it was okay. Lucien led me through the east wing, past the gardens, through a gate I had noted
549’s POV"You’ll never return to us." Twelve’s words echoed in my head. The dread tinged with melancholy made it sound more like a sentencing than a prediction. I stood on the far end of the line, my gaze on the floor, my shoulders squared, chest pushed out—just the way we were taught. My body
549’s POV “What did they say?” Twelve asked as she twisted the cap of her water bottle. I shrugged, trying to act casual. “I passed.” She froze, then her eyes snapped to mine. I looked away, unable to bear the pity that swirled in those grey orbs. “Oh five forty nine,” she sighed, droppin
549’s POVIt was time. For the first time, I wasn’t clad in a white dress. I wore a black trouser and a black turtleneck top. It felt… thrilling, like my first real act of rebellion. I was getting out of here with my friends. We’ll find other humans, find that paradise I’d dreamed of. We’ll be
549’s POVI curled up in my bed, my head heavy, my throat sore from crying. The higher ups would punish me for not looking after myself. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. Not when everything was crumbling around me, not when my fate had been sealed. I hated it, hated the breeding facility, th







