INTRUDER
Eleonor Celeste dreamed again.
She stood in a desolate, frozen place. The weight of betrayal crushed her chest, a gnawing pressure that refused to lift. Her body wouldn't move, no matter how hard she willed it. Around her, a void stretched endlessly—silent, cold, suffocating. Somewhere deep inside, something was missing. Not a limb or a wound, but something worse: a piece of her soul, carved clean.
And yet… warmth. A strange bubble of comfort lingered near her, fragile but familiar. For one fleeting moment, it felt like home.
Then, she woke.
Her vision swam. The bed beneath her was soft, the sheets cold against her aching limbs. Pain bloomed through her body like wildfire. Nothing made sense. The room around her was dim, lit only by the low flicker of an oil lamp. Shadows danced on the old wooden walls.
Her last clear memory was of sitting in her treehouse, watching Athenians farm in the distance. Then... someone had approached. After that, everything turned to fog.
She sat up slowly. Her muscles screamed in protest. Something inside her felt carved out and missing.
A voice cut through the silence.
"Eleonor Celeste."
She flinched. A man stood near the edge of the room—tall, sharp, composed. He wore a white shirt and black military trousers. His presence filled the space like iron smoke.
Eleonor pressed herself back against the headboard. "Huh?" she croaked, her throat dry.
The man didn't look at her. His gaze was fixed on some distant corner. "You are Eleonor Celeste. An intruder."
The word hit like a slap. Intruder?
"I—I don't know how I got here," she stammered.
He held a notebook in one hand—her notebook. Panic surged through her as she lunged for it. He easily stepped aside, not even looking at her.
"It says here you're not from Athena," he said flatly.
Her blood ran cold. The walled city. She had crossed the border—somehow.
"Look, I was just watching the fields. I live in a treehouse outside the wall. That's it," she said, voice rising.
"You are within Athena's borders. That makes you a threat," he replied, finally turning toward her.
"Who are you to decide that?" she demanded.
"I am a captain of this nation," he said simply.
She was shaking now—whether from fear or anger, she couldn't tell. "Then help me leave. I didn't come here to cause trouble."
"You can't leave," he said. "You'll remain under military supervision until further notice. Cooperate, and your stay might be… less unpleasant."
"Unpleasant?" she snapped. "I don't even remember how I got here!"
The captain watched her for a moment. Then he stepped into the light.
His face was hard, angular, marked by a scar that ran from his brow to his cheek. His storm-grey eyes held no warmth.
"I haven't hurt anyone," she whispered.
"That's not how Athena sees it."
He dropped the notebook on a table and turned toward the door.
"Wait!" she called out.
He paused, back still turned.
"You'll serve in the military," he said. "Or rot in the underground prison."
Her mouth went dry. Her limbs felt too weak to stand, too heavy to move. Only one thing remained certain: she was Eleonor Celeste. And she did not belong inside this wall.
Later, in the Capitol…
"I have the list of new recruits," Captain Levi said, handing over a folder to Commander Chaim.
Chaim raised a brow. "You were outside Athena just days ago. How did you get this?"
Levi shrugged. "I found it."
He turned to leave.
Chaim's voice followed him. "Did you find anything else out there, Levi?"
Levi froze. His fists clenched at his sides. The question cut deeper than it should have. After a moment, he said, "Nothing interesting."
Back in the holding room…
Eleonor stood by the barred window, staring out into the bleak courtyard. When Levi returned, she turned sharply.
"Why are you keeping me here? Is this your house?"
He sighed. "You're under my watch. I'm the one who found you."
"Then let me go. I don't belong here. You can't force me to join your military."
"You're being accused of espionage."
Her heart dropped. "What?! That's insane—I don't even know how I got in!"
"The government doesn't know you're here," Levi said carefully. "And if they did… your life would be in real danger."
"Then why accuse me at all?"
"It's a cover," he replied. "A misunderstanding. But one that keeps you alive—for now."
Eleonor glared at him. "Then take me back to my treehouse. We'll forget this ever happened."
"No." His voice was firm. "You'll remain here."
"You can't make me stay."
"You don't have a choice," he said coldly. "Try to escape, and you will die."
She stepped toward him. "Do the people here know what you're doing? That you're holding an outsider prisoner?"
He smiled faintly. "No one will find out."
"They will. And when they do—when I tell them what you've done—you'll lose everything."
"That won't happen," he said. "I'm more powerful than you think."
"Then why cage your people behind these walls?" she shot back.
He didn't answer right away. "That's not my decision. But it changes nothing about yours."
He stepped forward and placed a steaming cup on the table.
She stared at it. "I need water. Not coffee."
"I know," he said. "But water would be too obvious. Drink."
She didn't move. The silence stretched long between them—thick with unspoken threats and unspoken truths.