Inside, the main gym was dazzling. Bright lights, drones flying overhead, robots talking, displays that looked like they belonged in tech expos. Parents in designer clothes laughed and chatted. Ethan searched for his assigned space.
It wasn’t there.
At the front desk, a woman with a cold expression checked a separate list.
“Oh, yes. Blake,” she said flatly. “You’re part of the inclusion group. You’ll be in Gym B.”
Gym B wasn’t really a gym. It was a dim storage space near the restrooms, cleared out in a hurry. That’s where the “others” were placed—Ethan, a girl named Maya with a collection of medicinal plants, and a boy named Lucas proudly displaying his rock collection.
They were hidden away.
Ethan swallowed the lump in his throat and quietly set up his pipes. At the doorway, Daniel—already in his janitor uniform—watched him.
“I’ll see you later,” he said softly. “Just do what you know.”
An hour passed. No one came. From the main hall, they could hear applause, music, excitement. Then suddenly, a group of boys walked in.