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  Sage remembered the pact they made when they were five that they would always be on each other’s side and the memory of their youth made her smile.

  “What if I choose teacher? I know how much you both hate school,” Sage said with a twitch of her eyebrow. River smiled and laughed.

  “Well, that would be cruel of you, but we did make a pact, so I guess I would choose teacher.” He rolled his eyes and grinned as he stepped forward in line.

  “Well, I’m not. There’s no way I could ever be a teacher.” Emery scoffed from behind Sage. Her jet-black curls bouncing as she shook her head in disagreement.

  Emery flinched as the stage director yelled for the three-minute warning.

  “Do you think we’re going to do okay out there?” Emery eyed the stage door as she asked the question Sage was already thinking.

  “We’ve made it this far, haven’t we?” Sage smiled as the three minutes passed faster than she was prepared, and the door opened for the eighteens to walk onto stage.

  The scanner at the top of the door read the implant chips rooted under the skin between their shoulders as they walked through. This would make a list of all those from the Frame present at the assembly.

  As Sage got closer to the door, she glared up at the chip reader before she passed under it and went out onto the stage. The ceremony began as the chancellor of the Frame, Lucille Kelly, introduced the group of eighteens and thanked everyone for being there as well as those watching on the live broadcast.

  One by one, they went down the line of kids and introduced them. Sage was in a daze as she slowly walked towards the center of the stage, not realizing it was nearly her turn.

  “Sage Blackwell, daughter of Adalynn Blackwell, a teacher in the primary school, and Finn Blackwell, Head Security Programmer of the Wall,” Chancellor Kelly introduced Sage as she walked towards the podium.

  The chancellor stood off to the right with her hands neatly held behind her back. She was tall and thin with piercing gray eyes that seemed to glow behind her heavy dark eyelashes. She had sleek black hair that stopped just above her shoulders in a sharp blunt line. She was a beautiful woman, but there was something in her smile that sent a shiver down Sage’s spine.

  Sage felt frozen as she thought about her family in the front row, her best friends standing behind her, River ensuring her that whatever she decided was potentially for all three of them, and Emery who had already lost so much but remained strong through it all.

  She had reached the podium and went cold as she looked out at the audience.

  “What do you choose as your life career?” The chancellor’s voice was distant, as if Sage were underwater.

  She looked down at the selection tablet and it lit up green, signaling to her to make her decision, a decision that nobody would expect. She even surprised herself as the tablet turned black and her choice flashed on the massive screen behind her.

  Sage’s ears were ringing so loud she nearly missed chancellor announce her decision, “Sage Blackwell, records keeper!”

  The audience clapped as Sage stepped down from the podium and, smiled as she placed her hands behind her back and joined the rest of the 18’s who had already decided.

  They sat on tall white stools at the back of the stage. There where bright lights pointed towards them that made it hard to see the audience, but Sage could feel her family’s eyes on her as she took her seat. Next was River who appeared calm, but Sage knew what she had just done, and she knew what she was asking of him.

  He locked eyes with Sage as Chancellor Kelly announced him, “River Masson, son of Harlow Mason, Chemist, and the deceased Henry Mason, a great records keeper.” There was an edge to her voice as she mentioned Henry, like the cool edge of a sharp knife. With a slight flinch at the mention of his father’s name, River stepped to the podium and relaxed his shoulders.

  “What do you choose as your life career?” The chancellor encouraged, and without hesitation, River made his selection.

  “River Mason, records keeper!” the chancellor’s voice rang out.

  River, following suit smiled at his mom and sister and placed his hands behind his back and made his way to sit next to Sage. She couldn’t risk looking at River, but she could feel the pressure of what just happened weighing on her shoulders. Next was Emery, who was clearly aware of what had just occurred.

  “Emery Richards, daughter of the deceased Juliana Richards, a teacher at the primary school, and, the deceased Joseph Richards, a miner for the Wall Mines. What do you choose as your life career?”

  Emery looked down at the tablet and selected, behind her the screen changed to show her choice.

  “Emery Richards, chemist!” She smiled at her sister, and Harlow and slid her hands behind her back as she walked to join Sage and River. Sage knew that Emery had gotten chemist for her aptitude so she wasn’t shocked by her selection.

  Suddenly, Sage realized she was the only one who had chosen something other than her aptitude test. She feared she had made the wrong decision as the Choosing Ceremony continued.

  The last hour was a blur for Sage, she was thinking about her family’s reaction to her decision and about what she would tell them since she couldn’t understand why she had chosen records keeper, either.

  At the end, Sage, along with the rest of the eighteens, made their way down the center staircase to a group of people with injector guns, known as downloaders, each programed with a coded frequency emitter that gave them access to their new jobs.

  The emitters were small enough that they could be injected into the wrist with only a small prick. Sage flinched as the icy metal injection gun was pressed into her arm. There was a small pinch and the sound of pressurized air escaping, then she was escorted forward to meet with her family.

  They smiled to disguise their confusion and anger that Sage had made her own decision and not selected the job from her aptitude results.

  River and Emery followed closely behind, and once they were all together, the three families left the council hall. On their way out, Chancellor Kelly stepped out from behind the door, cutting them off.

  “Excellent choices today,” she said as her eyes slipped over Sage, River, and Emery.

  “However, it was a bit surprising Sage, given that your aptitude results stated you would be an excellent candidate for being a teacher at the primary school, like your mother.” Sage felt all the blood drain from her face. She had been unaware that the chancellor had access to those results, but she remained calm in the face of the chancellor, whose gray eyes were locked with hers.

  “I simply wish to broaden my spectrum of learning and knowledge. I believe that my analysis skills could be useful in that field,” she replied coolly. The chancellor smiled blankly as if she could see right through Sage.

  “Well, we are certainly accepting of anyone looking to further their education. As for you, Miss Eliza, might I have a word with you? It will only take a moment as I am sure your family is eager to celebrate.”

  Eliza, looking slightly nervous, smiled and in her soft, quiet voice accepted the offer as she followed the chancellor into the conference room down the hall.

  As soon as the door shut, Sage turned to face her parents. Her mom looked worried but kept her composure. Her dad was tense all over, and the lines in his forehead were clearly visible. After about five minutes they both emerged with the same placid smiles that everyone in the Frame wore.

  With a quick handshake and a brief wave goodbye to Sage and her family, the chancellor turned and went back into the conference room.

  As Eliza got closer Sage, knew she had something to share but couldn’t until they were no longer in the public. They quickly left the council hall, waving cordially to the guards at the gates. The drive home was riddled with questions for both Sage and Eliza.

  “Why didn’t you choose to be a teacher?” their mom asked, her eyes nervously checking the mirrors to ensure they weren’t being followed.

  “Honestly, I felt like I couldn
’t make any difference in anyone’s life if I was just supporting the Frame,” Sage replied, knowing what her family would say.

  “Well, no matter your reason, now you have to learn as much about that job as you can within the next few weeks before you turn eighteen and have to start working,” Sage’s dad said, striking a bit of fear in Sage’s heart.

  “Do you even think you can do this job, or is this just you trying to change the Frame again?” Eliza asked, making Sage feel even less confident than she had before.

  “I don’t know, El, but I have to try. This isn’t living! Every day, we fear that someone knows the truth, and I just wanted to know what it felt like to make my own decision for once.” She looked at her sister with pleading eyes to try and convince her she was making the right decision.

  “Well, if that’s what you want to do, then I guess we have some studying to do.” To Sages surprise, her sister, the rule follower who never questioned anything, took her side.

  “Well, what about you? What was all that about with the chancellor?” Sage asked trying not to pry too far.

  “She actually offered me a job on the council,” Eliza said with a bit of apprehension.

  “It’s just as a council records keeper, but I would be working with the council members, and it could eventually open a position up on the actual council.”

  Sage broke the confused silence. “Do you think this is a legitimate thing or a way for her to watch our family even closer?”

  “Why do you have to do that? It’s a real job, Sage, Can’t you just be happy for me and stop trying to see the bad in everything?” Eliza rolled her eyes and sighed.

  “Well, this is a great opportunity, but don’t let your guard down, El. Try your best to stay under the radar.” Their dad made eye contact with both Sage and Eliza in the rearview mirror as Eliza rolled her eyes.

  “I know, Dad. I’ve made it this far undetected, and I know what I’m doing.”

  As they got closer to their house, the sun was slowly beginning to set behind the mountains outside the Frame. Sage felt a small pang of fear in her stomach and couldn’t help but question the day’s events as she stared out at the emptiness beyond the Frame walls.

  By the time they pulled into their driveway, the sun had completely sunken down behind the mountains, and all that was left of the day was the warm orange glow of the sunset. Sage looked over to see River and Emery siting down on their front porch step as River’s mom was going inside.

  “I’ll be inside in a minute,” Sage said to her mom with a nod towards her friends.

  “I’ll call you when dinner is ready,” her mom replied with the gentle smile she always had when she was proud of her daughters. As Sage made her way towards the Mason’s house, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat to blame for River’s anguish.

  “Was your family upset about your choice?” Emery asked, her golden green eyes wide with concern.

  “No, they understand why I do the things I do. Sometimes, I think they know me better than I even know myself,” Sage responded with a smile as she sat down on the step below the two of them. Emery rested her chin on Sage’s shoulder, her black curls falling over Sage’s arm in tight coils.

  “Do you think it’s always going to be this difficult? Or is it going to get easier someday?” she asked with the hope in her eyes that the answer had changed from the last time she asked.

  Before Sage could answer Andrea called from next door, where she and Emery lived, for Emery to come home.

  “Okay. Goodnight. See you guys tomorrow,” Emery replied as she gave Sage a hug and walked towards her house.

  “I’m sorry,” Sage said after a minute of sitting in silence.

  “Why? We all knew you were going to make whatever choice you wanted to. I trust that you know what you’re doing so I don’t question it,” River replied with a laugh.

  “Well, let’s hope so, because if I’m wrong, then I could have just started a fire that I don’t know how to put out,” Sage replied as she stood up to go back to her house.

  “Don’t worry. Tomorrow is going to be another day, just like today and the one before that,” River said, using his calming big brother voice on Sage, clearly aware of her distress.

  “Yeah that’s what worries me the most sometimes,” Sage said as she walked down the last three steps and towards her house.

  River yawned as he walked back to his door, shutting it behind him. As Sage made her way back to her house, she took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that had escaped from her eyes without her permission and prepared herself for another day of secrets and lies.

  Maybe tomorrow will be different, she thought as she walked in to her warm home that smelled of onions and garlic cooking in butter. She smiled at the inviting smell, and her stomach growled as she locked the door behind her.

  Chapter 2

  Sage took the last bite of the pancakes her dad had made.

  “You girls want any more?” their dad asked as he sat the last pancake on top of the stack.

  “I’m already full,” Eliza replied as she sat back in her chair and took a few sips of her orange juice.

  “Same here. I think I ate six,” Sage replied as she rested her chin on her hand and tried not to think about how many pancakes she had just inhaled.

  “Well, I’ll put them in the freezer for tomorrow before both of your first days,” their dad said with a chuckle and a smile.

  At the mention of the next day, Sage’s overly full stomach flipped thinking about her first day of training inside the Core. She carried her plate to the kitchen and headed upstairs to get dressed.

  As she stepped onto the third stair, there was a heavy knock on the door. At first, she thought it might be River or Emery, but the knock sounded different from either of theirs.

  “Sage, Eliza, go upstairs and get cleaned up,” their dad said as he and their mom made their way to the door. The tone of his voice made Sage nervous as she made her way around the corner, out of view but still able to hear what was going on.

  “What are you doing?” Eliza said as Sage sat down at the top of the stairs.

  “Shhh, I’m trying to hear what’s going on,” Sage said in a whisper.

  “Okay, well, I’m going to get ready, so you have fun.” Eliza laughed as she made her way into her room.

  “Good Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell. It is at the request of Chancellor Kelly that you both be brought in for questioning,” a deep man’s voice echoed through the house.

  “Questioning, about what?” Sage’s mom asked in the voice she used when trying to sound unalarmed.

  “I was only told to deliver the message. The chancellor gave no further information. You have twenty-four hours to report to the council hall, suite eleven, at which time your questioning will begin,” the man said robotically, then he turned and left. Sage ran into her sister’s room with a bit of panic.

  “Eliza, something’s wrong! That man just told mom and dad that they are to report to the council hall for questioning from the chancellor.” They both ran to the window and saw the man, dressed in a burgundy suit, now at the doorstep of the Mason family, and another dressed the same at Andrea and Emery’s house.

  “What is going on? Why are they at all of our houses?” Sage said as she panicked even more.

  “I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem good. Look.” Eliza pointed at the car parked at the end of the driveway. It was council agency vehicle, known as a CAV, used only for very important events.

  “I’m going to find mom and dad!” Sage turned away from the window and bound down the stairs.

  “Mom, Dad, what’s going on? Why do they want you to come in for questioning? And why are they at the Masons’ and Richards’ houses?” Sage said as she ran into the kitchen where her parents were standing looking completely terrified.

  “Sage, you have to stop eavesdropping,” her dad said before answering her question.

  “Wait, did you say they went next door, too?” her mom said as
she lifted the blinds on the window.

  “Oh God, Finn. They are going to all our homes. What if they know?” she said in a whisper as if the men outside could hear her.

  “We have kept it a secret this long we can keep it through the questioning. Plus, we don’t even know what this is about. It’s probably nothing, just an annual census,” her dad said, trying to calm the fear in his wife’s’ heart.

  “Then why did they only go to our three homes and leave?” Eliza said as she made her way into the kitchen.

  “Don’t worry. Tomorrow, it will all be behind us. Maybe it has something to do with work?” Sage knew her dad was trying to remain calm for his family, but she also knew something was wrong. She could almost sense it in the air around her, like static.

  “Go finish getting cleaned up so you can go get some clothes for tomorrow. You both need your assigned uniforms before you start working,” their mom said as she sat down at the table.

  Sage glanced at Eliza worriedly as they turned and went upstairs. Sage couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong as she changed her clothes and met her sister by the front door.

  “Do you want to see if Emery and River want to go?” Eliza asked as she grabbed the keys off the table.

  “Sure,” Sage replied and turned to go next door. She opened the front door to find the two of them already walking up her driveway, their faces deep with concern.

  “I was just coming to see if you guys wanted to come with us to get our uniforms for tomorrow?” Sage said, trying to figure out why they looked more worried than she was.

  “Did they come to your house, too?” River asked, looking around to ensure they weren’t being watched.

  “Yeah, but my dad thinks it has to do with work. Do you think it’s something else?” Sage said, looking behind her to make sure her parents weren’t there.

  “They took Andrea,” Emery said through tears.

  “What? Why? Did they say anything?” Sage asked as she reached out to hug Emery. River’s head was down, but he too was obviously alarmed by this event.

  “All they said was that the chancellor needed to speak to her. Then they took her before I could even ask any questions.” They stood together in silence, trying to understand what took place that morning. Eliza opened the door, breaking the silence.