REED'S POV

8 hours remaining

The assembly hall smelled like sweat and anticipation mixed together like an atomic bomb. Hundreds of bodies packed into a space that suddenly feels too small to breathe in.

I stood near the back wall because I didn't trust myself to sit still. I didn't trust my legs to stay steady or be patient if I stopped moving.

My reflection that I spotted in the dark windows showed a completely different person—hollow eyes ringed with shadows so deep they look like ...