Reactive (The Elite Trials #1)

by Becky Moynihan

this prison they called a city. At its heart, the city was black because of the people in power. But, to the naked eye, it was a beautiful jail cell—miles and miles of thick pine and oak, rolling emerald hills, and lush grass. The great outer wall wasn’t even visible, its eastern gate a good three-mile walk from here, the city’s center. Despite the surrounding nature, a faint static hummed through the air and never stopped. Perhaps the sound was just a figment of my imagination, but the buzzing undercurrent taunted me. A reminder that I was nothing more than a trapped creature who was subject to the whims of her master.

And others morphed into monsters. The new normal.

“So, what’s with this city’s cages and walls?” Bren asked. He didn’t know? “To protect the people from mutated beasts and any other outside threats.” I slid a glance his way, wondering what his reaction would be to Renold’s explanation. He chuckled. “Or maybe they’re to keep the citizens in?”

To survive out there, you must adapt. Learn new skills. In a chaotic world, the calm live long.”