Chapter 10
Tori’s POV
The moment I opened my eyes that morning, I felt it.
That heavy feeling sitting right on my chest, the kind that made it hard to breathe properly no matter how many times I tried to calm myself down. My head still hurt slightly from everything that happened the previous night, but it was nothing compared to the tension twisting inside me.
Today was the competition.
Not just another round.
The main one.
And judging from the way everyone had acted since dawn, it was obvious this was far more serious than the others.
I sat up slowly on the bed, my fingers tightening around the edge of the sheets as I stared at the floor for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. The kiss from last night kept forcing its way back into my mind no matter how much I tried to ignore it, and honestly, that only made things worse.
Because I still didn’t understand it.
I didn’t understand him.
And I hated the fact that my body reacted whenever I thought about it.
A knock sounded against the door before it slowly opened, revealing one of the maids standing there with neatly folded clothes in her hands.
"It is time," she said softly.
Of course it was.
I stood up quietly while she placed the outfit on the bed before leaving without another word. The material looked lighter than the gowns we usually wore, almost like something made specifically for movement rather than appearance.
That alone made me uneasy.
I changed quickly, my thoughts running endlessly as I tied the straps around my waist before staring at myself briefly.
I looked fine.
At least on the outside.
But deep down, I felt like my body already knew something terrible was waiting ahead.
The arena looked different this time.
Much bigger.
Much louder.
And far more intimidating than before.
The moment I stepped outside with the others, the noise hit me instantly, the voices of the crowd blending together into something overwhelming. The entire place was packed, people seated high above us while guards surrounded almost every corner.
This wasn’t just entertainment anymore.
It felt ceremonial.
Important.
Like whatever happened here today would decide something bigger than us.
The contestants stood together in rows, all of us dressed similarly, though the expressions around me varied. Some looked terrified. Some looked determined. Some looked completely numb.
And honestly, I couldn’t blame any of them.
Because the arena itself looked terrifying.
Large metal structures had been built across the field, towering high enough to make my stomach tighten just from looking at them. Thick ropes stretched from one end to another, connected to platforms that shifted slowly above a pit of black water.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
There were blades.
Not large enough to cut someone in half immediately, but sharp enough to do damage if anyone lost focus. They rotated slowly between sections of the course, glinting beneath the sunlight in a way that made my chest tighten.
What the hell was this?
"This round," a deep voice echoed through the arena, immediately silencing the crowd, "will test more than strength."
I looked up toward the elevated platform where Kael stood with his brothers beside him.
His eyes moved across everyone calmly before settling briefly on me.
Only for a second.
But I noticed it.
"This course was designed for survival," he continued, his voice carrying easily through the silence. "Balance, endurance, intelligence, and instinct will determine who advances."
A guard stepped forward and pointed toward the massive structure.
"You will cross the first section individually. Anyone who falls into the water below will have thirty seconds to climb back up before elimination."
Murmurs spread immediately.
Thirty seconds?
I looked toward the dark water again and noticed movement beneath the surface.
Something was inside there.
My stomach dropped slightly.
"You will then proceed to the second section where pairs will be assigned randomly."
Great.
Just great.
"The final part of today’s trial," Kael continued, "will only include those who successfully complete both stages."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Everyone understood what that meant.
Most of us weren’t making it through this.
A horn suddenly sounded across the arena, loud enough to make several people flinch.
And just like that—
The competition began.
The first few contestants struggled almost immediately.
The structure looked manageable from a distance, but the moment someone stepped onto it, the difficulty became obvious. The platforms moved unpredictably, some tilting violently beneath weight while others collapsed entirely after a few seconds.
One girl slipped barely halfway through the first section, her scream echoing through the arena before she disappeared into the water below.
The crowd erupted instantly.
She resurfaced quickly, panic written all over her face as she tried climbing the slippery wall beneath the platform, but something grabbed her leg from beneath the water.
My breath caught immediately.
What the hell—
She screamed again, this time louder, her nails scraping desperately against the wall before guards finally dragged her out. Blood covered part of her leg, and judging from the way she cried, whatever was down there had done serious damage.
"She’s eliminated."
The announcement came coldly.
Like it meant nothing.
I swallowed hard.
This wasn’t a game.
This place never truly was.
More contestants followed after that, some making it further, others failing almost instantly. The crowd reacted to every mistake loudly, almost excitedly, and it only made everything feel worse.
By the time my name was called, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it.
"Tori."
I stepped forward slowly, ignoring the eyes following me as I approached the structure.
The closer I got, the taller it seemed.
And the more dangerous.
A guard unlocked the entrance gate while I flexed my fingers slightly, trying to steady myself.
You survive this.
That was the only thing in my head now.
Nothing else mattered.
The horn sounded again.
And I ran.
The first platform shook violently beneath my weight, forcing me to steady myself immediately before jumping toward the next one. My breathing turned uneven almost instantly as the structure swayed harder than I expected.
The ropes above me moved constantly, making balance difficult, while the rotating blades forced careful timing between movements. One wrong step and it was over.
I jumped again, barely landing properly before another platform tilted sharply to the side.
"Shit—"
My hand grabbed one of the ropes quickly before I could fall completely, my body swinging dangerously above the water beneath me.
The crowd reacted loudly.
I ignored them.
My muscles strained painfully as I pulled myself back up, my breathing growing heavier the further I moved. Sweat rolled slowly down my neck while my palms burned from gripping the rough rope too hard.
Halfway through, the structure changed completely.
The platforms became narrower, forcing contestants to move faster while avoiding the swinging blades positioned lower than before.
One of them nearly clipped my shoulder as I ducked quickly, the sharp wind from it enough to make my stomach tighten.
Too close.
Way too close.
I pushed forward again, my legs beginning to ache from the constant jumping.
And then it happened.
I landed wrong.
Pain shot sharply through my ankle the moment my foot hit the edge of a platform awkwardly. My entire body stumbled forward immediately, and for a terrifying second, I almost lost balance completely.
A gasp escaped my lips while I dropped to one knee instinctively.
Fuck.
The pain wasn’t unbearable, but it was enough to know something was wrong.
And unfortunately...
Someone noticed.
From the platform above, Kael’s eyes narrowed almost immediately.
Even from that distance, I could tell.
He saw it.
I forced myself back up before anyone could say anything, ignoring the sharp pain running through my ankle as I continued moving.
There was no time to stop.
No time to think about injuries.
Because the moment you slowed down here...
You lost.
The next section was worse.
Much worse.
Thin wooden beams stretched across open gaps, moving slightly with every step while chains hung above them for support. Some of the beams were already stained with blood from previous contestants.
I didn’t want to imagine how.
Carefully, I stepped forward, gripping the chain tightly while balancing myself. The beam shifted beneath me immediately, forcing my body to tense.
The crowd had gone quieter now.
Watching.
Waiting.
One step.
Then another.
My injured ankle screamed painfully every time pressure hit it, but I forced myself to keep moving, refusing to let it slow me down.
I was almost at the end when another contestant from a nearby section lost balance completely.
The sudden scream startled me enough to make my foot slip.
My body lurched sideways instantly.
A sharp blade sliced across my upper arm as I grabbed the chain desperately to stop myself from falling.
Pain exploded through me immediately.
I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself from crying out while blood ran slowly down my arm.
The arena erupted into noise again.
But all I focused on was climbing back up properly.
Because if I looked down—
I knew I’d panic.
"Tori..."
I couldn’t hear who said it exactly, but I knew that voice.
Kael.
I forced myself upright again, breathing heavily now as blood continued dripping down my arm.
The injury wasn’t deep enough to stop movement, but it burned badly.
Still...
I kept going.
And for the first time since the competition started, I noticed something strange.
Kael wasn’t watching everyone else anymore.
He was watching me.
Only me.