Chapter 2

I shrank back, too weak to fight. My fear was far greater than my sickness.

I hadn't drawn today’s slips yet. If I went to the clinic and then drew a punishment that required me to go outside, I wouldn't have the strength to do it.

I dragged myself out of bed and fell to my knees in front of the box. My hands shook so badly I could barely hold the paper slips.

I took a deep breath and drew three.

The first was pink: [Medicine when sick]. That was the cold medicine my roommate had given me this morning.

The second was yellow: [No doctors when sick].

The third was yellow: [Kneel in the snow].

Outside the window, light snow was already beginning to fall.

My heart sank to my stomach.

Eleanor's rule was absolute: the daily "debt" had to be paid before midnight.

I pulled on my thickest puffer jacket and stumbled out of the warm dorm building.

The icy wind cut through my face like tiny blades. The snowflakes melted on my burning skin, sending violent shudders down my spine.

I walked to the deserted woods behind the dorms, found a snowy corner, and painfully sank to my knees.

The biting cold instantly traveled from my knees through my entire body. The fever made my head spin, and I nearly blacked out right then and there.

I bit my lip hard, using every ounce of willpower to stay upright.

Time crawled. Every second felt like an eternity.

I don’t know how long passed, but just as my vision started to blur, a warm coat was suddenly draped over my shoulders.

I snapped my head up. Through my blurry eyes, I saw Chloe, my roommate. Her face was pale with worry and anger.

"Clara! Are you insane?! You have a massive fever and you're kneeling in the snow! You're going to kill yourself!" She tried to pull me up.

"Leave me alone... please..."

I struggled weakly, my tears mixing with the melting snow. "I owe this... I have to pay it back..."

"Who do you owe? What the hell are you doing?!"

Chloe was furious and crying at the same time. "What kind of mother does this to her daughter? I'm taking you back, and then I am calling your mother!"

Calling Eleanor?

My entire body went rigid. A chill colder than the snow shot straight down my spine.

According to the rules, accepting Chloe's help counted as [Being cared for while sick]—a new comfort. But the punishment slip [Kneel in the snow] had been interrupted. I hadn't finished it.

According to Eleanor's twisted logic, enjoying a comfort without paying the debt was a mortal sin.

I could already see Eleanor's cold, mocking face, hearing her announce an even worse punishment.

What if there was something far worse than kneeling in the snow waiting for me in that box?

Chloe forced me to my feet. I couldn't feel my legs at all.

The moment she dialed the phone, I closed my eyes in utter despair.

Eleanor’s ringtone seemed to echo right in my ears, pounding against my frayed nerves.

In the end, Eleanor didn't pick up. She declined the call.

But I knew this was just the suffocating quiet before the storm.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, my phone vibrated like a death warrant.

The word "Mom" flashing on the screen looked absolutely terrifying.

I instinctively pushed Chloe away, stumbled into the empty stairwell, and pressed answer.

"Wow, Clara. Look at you, getting so brave. You're hiring outside help now?"

Eleanor’s voice was terrifyingly calm, like a frozen lake hiding a deadly current underneath.

"You didn't finish [Kneel in the snow], and you got a freebie with [Being cared for while sick]? You really think you can cheat the system?"

I leaned against the cold concrete wall, shivering so hard my teeth clicked. "Mom... I..."

"Don't call me Mom!"

She screamed, her voice piercing and sharp. "You think you can enjoy life without paying? Rules are rules! Since you didn't pay yesterday’s debt and still took the comfort, the interest has doubled!"