The Purge
Chapter 33: Conleth

“Things are changing, but this time I’m not afraid. This time I know who I am. This time I’ve made the right choice and I’m fighting for the right team.”

Shatter Me; Tahereh Mafi

I look good in Garuda Blue.

My Wyvern Red disappeared just as I stepped into Imogen Morgenstern’s territory. I didn’t even see the bomber guy who replaced me so I’ll just assume he’s very happy to be in my army with such a beautiful girl for a commander to deal with. What the hell am I talking about? I shouldn’t think of my gnawing jealous feelings right now most especially when I just arrived at someone else’s home court. I doubt my chances of survival here. All girls army and all deadly fighters. I’m a disgrace to the forces of “man”-kind. I’d be the callant in distress.

This is my home now. I should feel better. This is a lenient punishment for me rather than death. But the walls around here only remind me of Bri. The hallways aren’t the best hiding place to a lovesick fool like me. Even though Bri treats me like a stranger now, my feelings for her haven’t changed a bit.

“Well, well, well.” I looked up to find Imogen Morgenstern in a tight black outfit. She’s all curves and sex appeal. She smirked at me. “You’re a fascinating sight, Argent.”

I shrugged as I approached her. “I guess I’m one of your subjects now. Just don’t expect me to be faithful though.”

She laughed. “Oh, Con… five seconds of being here and you manage to flatter me. Try not to sneak into my heart that fast.” She pouted her lips at me and smirked. “Let’s not fool ourselves, handsome. We both know who you are loyal to.”

“So… we have an understanding then?”

She raised an eyebrow at me.

“Conleth, I value my soldiers just as Bri does. You’ll never leave where you are ’til you decide where you’d rather be. But the thing about winning when you’re in a game is that you lose friends and gain more enemies. You’re in my ship now. When it sinks, I’d expect you to save your comrades.”

I shrugged again. “That wouldn’t be a problem.”

She leered at me. “If it will, it’s my predicament.” She pinched my cheeks with one hand like she couldn’t help herself but touch me. “You know, I look at you and think: why has no one hit you with a shovel yet?”

“They tried.” I hopped into her ship. “But they all burned.”

She let go of me and smiled. One that made me go over if she’s still flirting with me or if she’s threatening me. “I hope you know which team you save, which team you belong now, and which team you fight alongside with. Let not your feelings confuse you.”

I opened my mouth to protest that my friends back at the Wyvern Army are still my friends no matter what. That even though I’m in her army now, that doesn’t change things. Not even when Bri’s no longer talking to me. But she waved me off.

“Drama’s over, handsome. Now, come with me and add these people to your list of friends.”

She started walking ahead. Somehow, I felt my gut tighten. The Battle Camp sure isn’t a house but it felt like a home to me because of my friends. But as change came, I could barely cope up with the flow. It’s like every day you have to endure loosing people here but you have to get used to it. Saying goodbye is just as equivalent to saying hello.

I regarded Imogen from behind. Sure, I wouldn’t deprive myself of her lusty figure. She’s pretty with cream-like skin, raven colored hair, enchanting Addonexus eyes, and red pouty lips. But she’s not Bri. While her beauty was made for man’s eyes, Bri was regal meant for a classic portrait. I couldn’t keep myself from thinking of her. But it’s definitely hard to tell a mad man what to do when he himself doesn’t know what to do. My heart’s in bits and pieces right now.

My thoughts of Bri hid in the fog of my head as Imogen led me to the training room. It’s a one floor room with high ceiling. The place was designed with combat stations and rows upon rows of weaponry. Not to mention the walls made of mirrors. But the one that caught my attention was the glass corner where simulations run. Inside was a girl with olive skin and pixie cut hair.

BEHATI NTHANDA

ADDONEXUS 3

REPUBLIC OF ARGOS-SECTOR 4

LEVEL 32

TOTAL SCORE: 19, 308

GARUDA ARMY

She’s a Temblor. Metal started to bend in her command as metal after metal came surging into her like a heat wave.

“Conleth,” Imogen called and my attention drifted back to her.

She was standing with two Asian twins. Ai and Mei Fang from Sector 3. Both are Rogues who mastered the art of light and shadow. These two were in my batch when I got here. They both got the highest score in physical and mental skills. They’re deadly as a falcon and a viper. Both good in martial arts and weaponry.

A smirk curled up their faces as they noticed my unease. I was pretty sure they love tormenting people in quiet attacks. Two heads versus one was kind of an unfair game.

Imogen raised a flirty eyebrow at me. “Hello there. You look like a bad decision. Come on over here.”

Just as I came over, Behati Nthanda went out of the simulation glass to join us. Normally, I’d love Girl Company. That is… if this is a party. But then, being in a group of amazons is a dreading place to be in right now.

Behati simpered at the sight of me. “I see you finally snatched the fire guy.” She grinned at Imogen. “You’re such a bad girl, Ginny.”

“I am not, Bee.” She crooned. “I just…” she strolled towards me like a prowling tiger. “…always get what I want.”

I cleared my throat to release tension. “So, I am guessing I’ll no longer need introductions.”

Behati cackled. “Obviously.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Your display made your life easier for you.”

“Well, hi to you as well.” I countered and she gave me a graceful bow.

I looked at the twins but they were as passive and stoic as they have always been.

“I believe I have the most effective team now.” Imogen said as her eyes passed on each of us.

My eyebrows furrowed. “You girls don’t seem to have this ingrained aversion towards me.”

“Is it a good thing?” Ai asked. “Or a bad thing?” Mei continued.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. Honestly, I don’t know.

“We don’t hate you, Con.” Imogen said as she crossed her arms. “You did what you have to do. It is selfish, yes, but you don’t always need people who will only judge you for what you did. You need people who will accept you after that.”

“Everybody hates me.” I found the truth slipping out of my lips.

“That’s an understatement, handsome.” She prompted. “You can’t control how much people hate you. But you can control how much hotter you are compared to them.”

“Thanks. That’s very helpful.” I shook my head at her.

“I meant that in the literal sense by the way. People will try and tell you who you are. Don’t believe that shit. Do you believe you are a murderer?”

I opened my mouth and I hesitated. She smirked at me.

“People are only as good as their word. I’ll ask you again, Conleth: do you believe you are a murderer?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “No.”

She tilted her chin. “Good. Then there’s nothing to discuss further.”

“Right.” I nodded as I followed her to get some weapons although I don’t really know what’s gonna happen next.

She clapped her hands and the girls retrieved their respective weapons from the shelves. I scurried along with them and I was lucky enough to find a glaive. I looked back to find them standing in a row facing me.

“Let me see what you’ve got.”

Before I could breathe, something sharp sailed towards my head. I dodged it with my glaive. I turned to find Mei Fujiwara as the source. She twirled her fingers innocently on her scythe dangling in chains. A perfect smirk crossed her delicate lips.

I was about to show the Japanese girl the most guttural time of her life when the alarm bludgeoned like a bloody Banshee scream. My vision burned orange for the Inception Trials.

Imogen straightened her back with a flirty smile towards me.

“I guess it’s time for you to be tested.”

Great. Another replay of the show “Are you one of us”. I could only sigh inside my head.

I felt my shoulders sag. “Don’t worry. I’ll try to survive.”

She scoffed. “You’re not in her army anymore, Con. You’re mine now.” She strolled towards me with a grace of a lioness. I don’t know why I’m comparing her to cats. Maybe it’s just her peculiar way of getting into people’s skin. “And in my army, people fight to win. I’m not the kind of commander who plays damsel in distress. I won’t even force you to like me.” she tapped my shoulder. “So you can relax. You shouldn’t worry of falling in love with me.”

That made me laugh. Okay. She’s ironically funny in a not so funny way.

“So, are you a Garuda?” she raised her eyebrows expectantly at me.

“Ah…Yah. I am?”

She rolled her eyes skyward. “You are. No second thoughts now, handsome. Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature to be reckoned with. Be better than anyone here.” She turned a sinister eye at my comrades and she headed towards the open door. “Now, come on team. Chop chop. We have a game to win and monsters to slay.”

My heart felt like a sponge being crumpled into nothingness.

Bri was meters away from me but I could not even talk to her. I could only stare and hope that she would at least look my way. This is not how a Garuda should act but what can I do when my head and heart doesn’t have a compass to follow. It has its own map.

The bomber guy; Rafa Saladine was talking nuts, complete with animation but Bri paid no attention towards him. Her eyes were lost in the crowd, her mind drifting into some place I could never follow. When she finally turned my way, my heart somersaulted into ashes. I held her gaze just as finding the key to a lock. But just as I have anticipated, she looked away.

Imogen groaned beside me. “Can we change this scene into something watchable?”

I ignored her. I watched Bri as she turned her eyes to anything-to anyone but me.

“I didn’t know hopeless romantics are in such a trend.” Imogen jutted again. I sighed and I turned to her.

“You have better things to say?”

She crossed her arms and turned her full body towards me. I suppress the urge to look down at her dirty puffy pillows. She noticed this though and smirked at me.

“As a matter of fact, I have.”

“Oh do pray tell, my lady.”

“She’s not worth it, you know. I don’t think you should waste your precious attention on her.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“I don’t know why you’re making things so complicated when I’m just standing right beside you. All you have to do is look at my direction.”

I chuckled and she narrowed her eyes at me.

“I meant that in the literal sense, Conleth. I mean, why do you still love her despite everything?”

“Do I have to answer that question?”

She raised an eyebrow at me as she bit the inside of her cheek.

“I don’t know. I just do. It’s hard to un-love someone. It’s like stripping a part of your heart and you can never be whole again.”

“Wow.” She feigned amazement and clapped slowly. “You are such a martyr. You should win a medal for that. Such dedication for a girl who tries to hide her real feelings for you.”

I snorted. “Wanna bet? She doesn’t even like me.”

She huffed. “Sure.” She nodded at Bri’s direction. “You don’t always have to hear I love you to know that someone does.” She tilted her head to the side and she started to regard Bri like a fascinating science project. “Look at her. She loves you, you know.”

I stared at Bri as her eyes roam around the Dome like a bird not knowing where to land. It’s like she’s finding her place but she was lost.

“How would you know? I thought you’re the anti-hero here.”

She snickered. “Oh please. I think I’m the only one who makes sense here. Girls are far more sensitive than boys. Pay attention. People sometimes act from the heart more often than you think.” She winked at me and she started to disperse in the crowd. I took one last glance back at Bri just as her eyes went back to find me.

It took every ounce of me to look away from her and follow Imogen. I guess one of the hardest decisions a person could make is to know when to stay and try harder and when to stop the pain and decide to just walk away.

“Why do you like me?” I asked her.

Imogen simpered at me. “Maybe just as the same reason why she does.”

“So you also think I’m hot.”

She responded with a giggle. “I think I’m attracted to your rawness. Your unguarded way of living. Nobody might have noticed it yet but there’s life in that.” She sighed as she moved with the crowd and I followed beside her like a sailor channeling the sea. “You are such a waste, Con. Bri doesn’t realize what she’s losing. You poor handsome guy.” She cooed and pouted her lips at me. “You need someone who sees the fire in your eyes and wants to play with it.”

People easily gave us the freeway as we passed. Eyes followed me like mocking vultures.

“Trust me, no one would.” I said as I met the eyes with such revulsion and hate. They look at me like they haven’t sinned at all.

“That’s why I’m applying.”

She stopped. She might have noticed the crowd showing the whole world there aversion towards me. “I think you all heard the story of the Gorgons. Mythical creatures that can turn people into stone in one glance. Well, as a matter of fact, I think Conleth can do way better. He can set anyone into flames if you stare at him for too long. Am I right, Con?” she turned to look back at me. I just looked at her, not knowing what else to say.

“Stare for too long and you’ll be fried like a human barbeque.” Imogen yelled and everyone started to mind their own business.

“You’re welcome.” She told me before I could even open my mouth and say anything.

“Are you a seer too?”

“Nope. You’re just predictable.”

I frowned at her.

“I’m kind of worried that if I stop bitching around with people, I’ll replace it with murdering.” She bit her lower lip.

I snickered. “You’re a pretty bad ass.”

She raised an amused eyebrow at me. “Are you flirting with me, handsome?”

“Ah… I don’t think so.”

She rolled her eyes at me and she shook her head. “I’m nice you know.”

“Sure. I won’t argue with that. Thanks for letting me on your wing.”

“I’m not running a charity though. But you’re most welcome.” She smiled at me. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t let people get under you skin next time. Burn them if you have to.”

I smirked at her. “You are being nice.”

She flinched at me. “Duh. Always am.” I chuckled as we started walking towards our comrades. “Act like an emperor. Build a strong empire out of the stones thrown at you.”

I felt nauseous when I woke up in the Inception.

We were in what looked like or what used to be a Roman temple. We were surrounded with rubble and fire like hellions arrived and the end of the world just occurred. The heat radiated to me like a calling. I delved into the warmth and somehow it had eased the sick feeling in my gut.

I was in a suit along with my comrades. Blue lined up our clothes with the Garuda insignia on our chests. My display started to give me instructions and precautions. It was a hell of green distracting letters. But I managed to clear it all up to focus on the matters at hand.

“Fudge.” Imogen grunted beside me. “Of all places to be in.”

“You’ve been here before?”

“Nope.” Her shoulders sagged. “Maybe in my nightmares.”

I smirked at her but I doubt she’d see from the thick translucent material of our helmet.

The twins moved to sit on one of the fallen columns as Behati surveyed the place of Predators.

“Are you scared?” I asked Imogen when I noticed her hand was shaking.

She let out a loud anxious breath. “More like nervous if you ask me. It’s the silence I’m more worried about. Have you found anything disturbing yet, Bee?”

“No!” Behati leaped from one column to another and then she landed next to us. “The place is deserted. We’re too late for the party.”

“Don’t be smug. I am not satisfied. Something is very wrong here. I can feel it.” Imogen retorted. She turned to one of the twins and she spoke in their mother tongue. One of them disappeared into the darkness right on Imogen’s command.

She was right. Something is not right. I can feel it too. In the crackles of flames around us, I could almost pin point rattling footsteps. But my display remained blank entirely. It gave me precautions about the fire surrounding the place but other than that, it remained silent.

A piercing scream broke us out of our reverie.

“MEI!!!” Ai ran towards the direction of her sister’s screams.

“Wait-” I tried to hold her back but she was already running away.

“Conleth, stay with me. Behati will see to it.” Imogen nodded at her. Behati nodded back like a silent conversation had been exchanged. She followed Ai into the fire.

“They need our help!”

“It’s a trap.” She deadpanned and it irritated me to just stand here and wait until another cry comes out from one of our comrades.

“If it is, then we need to help them!”

Imogen sighed out loud. “The problem with you Wyverns is that you like to pinch your way into other people’s business. But newsflash, boyfriend: this is my army. And when I say you stay put. You. Stay. Put. Comprendè?”

I gritted my teeth hard. I could not believe she would let her comrades die than help them in their time of need. What a selfish commander. What happened to teamwork? Addonexus are slowly being slaughtered and she’s wasting the lives of her soldiers. I stand my ground with burning fists.

The screams dispersed back into silence just as something flew towards our direction. I pushed Imogen aside before we get trampled.

The creature was human-like with rotten glowing skin, aligning its bones with neon lights from the inside. There’s a gush along its stomach where its half part should have been.

“I put my trust on my soldiers, Conleth.” Imogen said. “I wouldn’t send them off like that if I know they couldn’t handle it by themselves.”

Behati came leaping again from column to column holding the beasts head like a soccer ball. She tossed it to the sky like a paper airplane. The twins appeared after; running towards us in a speed like something was chasing after them.

“Judgment comes so fast like a breath of air.” Imogen sighed and I felt humiliated despite myself. “What’s chasing you girls?”

One of the twins answered in their mother tongue and Imogen cursed under her breath.

“Behati! You think you can slow these bloodsuckers down?”

“I can do it.”

“Good. Then put those powers of yours into good use.”

“I’m on it, bitch.”

Behati moved out of sight and into the range of… whatever the hell we’re about to encounter.

“What are we in for?” I asked Imogen like a demure child.

She looked at me as if remembering I don’t have classes for Nihongo.

“Oh nothing. Just a bunch of Sanguinarians with gigantic statures.” She shrugged casually while I cursed inside.

The twins accelerated their speed as they struggled to get away from their pursuer. A column exploded from the force behind them. It was all claws and teeth. Its jaw was widely set to gnaw at Addonexus flesh. It ripped through its own tarnished skin like stretched bubble gum in a hagridden way.

The overgrown Sanguinarian let out a shriek that almost broke my eardrums. The bloody thing just got übermental.

Behati got into action ahead of us. Iron burst out of the ground and out of the few remaining standing columns. Her irons wrapped around the berserker. Mei positioned herself into a fighting stance. She caught the middle of her chained sickle and waved it out above her head. She looked like a Japanese cowgirl who’s ready to capture her bull. She lashed out at the beast and it hit home at its cheek. She pulled her sickle out and blood oozed out of the creature into a waterfall of spoiled black liquid. The beast howled in agony. It has closed stitched eyes but it bared its sharp metal-like teeth at Mei.

Imogen shouted something back at Mei who finished the job by whamming her chained sickle at the whimpering creature’s neck, silencing its howls.

“That should do it.” Imogen sighed out of relief.

But then the earth shook beneath me. Without intending to, I turned to Imogen. From the fires of the ruins came the Sanguinarians with their foreboding will of Addonexus blood and flesh. Behati urged to leap towards our aid but a Sanguinarian lunged behind her and trampled her to the ground. The twins moved in synchronization with their weapons. Two masters of tessenjutsu and kusarigamatjutsu. Ai was bursting with blinding light as she strikes with her war fan. Her movements were swift and sharp with precision that she sliced through the Sanguinarian’s skin like breaking through a window’s curtain. Bloody hell I wanna bet how a simple looking fan could match my own glaive. I don’t wanna get sliced into half with it. I wanted a different death. A bit gruesome but not in the hands of a girl with a war fan. It was a wonder how it could be as sharp as a katana.

If it wasn’t for the advance technology of the Zenith (through my display) I might not have told the twins apart. Mei; the twin who fights with a kusarigama could bend darkness and shadow. And Ai; the twin who handles the war fan very well could wield any forms of light.

Every time the girls exchange attacks with their weapons, their scores rise in my display. It looks like watching a video game between two players. My display shows me two holograms of each player doing battle with multi-scoring. It would have been fun if I wasn’t running on my life too.

I rushed in to help Behati when a Sanguinarian blocked my way. She was struggling with two bloodsuckers on her wake. My opponent gritted its teeth like an unleashed rotten amazon. A portion of its head has still remnants of its hair but rotten skin cannot be mistaken. I whipped my arm in an arc and the beast pulled back. It has a mind of its own. I strike again and this time, I tried to aim at its neck. But it avoided me the same way around.

It made a feral snarl at me before whipping its claws at me. I blocked its claws with my glaive and it hit its wrist and it sliced through rotten flesh. Its hand fell on the ground, writhing like a worm. In its rage, it smashed its other arm at me but I wasn’t able to feel the impact. That’s when I looked up to find a wall of ice protecting me.

“Handsome in distress.” Imogen giggled as she went back to focus on her bestiary. She pulled out her katana from its scabbard on her back and she plunged it through its throat. It made a choking sound before it dispersed into ashes.

My Sanguinarian wailed in distress behind the ice wall. It clawed like it would actually break. Maybe I was wrong that it even had the balls to outsmart me. But then again, Sanguinarians were probably once humans.

I set my arm on fire as I aimed it towards the wall and I sliced through it with the hope of slicing my enemy from the other side. But it only shrieked in pain. My glaive had only caught a portion of its skin. I moved ahead of it before it could regenerate. I arched my arm to strike and I brought my glaive down to its skull. It screamed like a Banshee as my weapon made contact. Fire raged through the metal which added more torture to the creature. I set it into flames but what disturbed me was that it wasn’t dying at all.

It was consuming my fire.

It let out a shriek and as my own flames enveloped its massive body, the skin covering its lungs burst open for a set of humongous bat-like wings. It flew high above me like a nightmare. I ran out of its claws’ way. I dove into the ground just in time it managed to scrape my head.

I fell on cold ground realizing I just got into Imogen’s station. Everything she touches turn into ice. Smoke started to fill in the rubble. She grabbed the collar of my suit and brought me up to my feet in a harsh way. I was beginning to think I just made things worse when the others followed their Alpha. Double the bullocks in this. I just hate aliens.

Behati who was half buttered or butchered on the ground was in the hands of the Sanguinarian who flew right up in the sky. She was struggling with all the life and strength she had. She was grasping the air below like she was trying to hold on to something. Metal started to bend into her will as it pierced through the air, knocking the life out of the Sanguinarian holding her. The metal’s sharp point snaked out of the creature’s skin like a spear piercing through its neck. Behati fell on to the ground on her feet. Metal flew back down with her, surrounding her like walls of shield.

Mei got caught in her own chains and was dragged intro harsher grounds by the beasts. Ai managed to block her enemy’s attack with her fans but one was able to strike through and got a hold of her neck for good measure.

The ground beneath me was penetrated with ice. I felt my toes get numb by the second. I threw a ball of flame towards Ai’s attacker and got a bull’s eye at the creature’s head. It burned like the old Ghost Rider. She nodded at me as she catches her breath on the ground just as another Sanguinarian leaped at her. I threw my glaive at the same second but another blade pierced through its head, slicing it into half. That’s when I noticed Imogen moving into ice.

She has blades on her shoes and two katanas in her hands. She moved with the grace of a perfect figure skater ready to kill. Her agility was distracting me to the point I thought I was watching a live version of an action movie. It took me the time to realize that her katanas were double blade and it helped her slaughter within a millisecond. Body parts fall into pieces right at my feet. She took turns between martial arts and weapon execution which I find very stunning and entertaining. At times she would turn her attackers into ice and break them in one smash. But most of the time she would slice them into pieces.

“So are you just gonna stand there and watch or are you gonna do something and help?” Imogen barked at me and I went out of my reverie.

I ran towards Mei’s attackers and I threw my glaive at it before she could wake with a chunk out of her neck. My glaive wrapped itself into flames as it sailed through the air and into the neck of the Sanguinarian.

The Alpha might have realized its losses that it decided to merged its kindred into its skin. The Sanguinarians melted in front of my eyes like flesh colored paint. It molded into the Alpha’s skin making it a whole lot bigger than the remaining columns that stand.

I cursed under my breath.

From her wall of metal, Behati created shards out of it and she bludgeoned it towards the Alpha who warded it off like it was annoying flies. It roared back at us and went into fours. Imogen skated her way towards the beast in a speed of lightning. She was able to slice through its skin but not enough to pull it down.

Mei’s chain sickle once again whipped through the air and wrapped itself around the creature’s body. But the beast was so hard to contain that it broke out of her chains as easy as it had dodged Behati’s metals. It lunged itself towards her like a raging bull. Her twin sister; Ai, made herself a human shield to protect her sister. She burst with blinding light but that didn’t stop the Alpha from coming at them. Behati engaged her metal shards and molded them into a wall of shield just as the Alpha’s claw came crushing towards the twins.

“It’s too big to handle!” Imogen shouted at me from the noise.

I scoffed at her. “Giving up already?”

“You have better ideas?”

“Not quite.”

She turned to me like she’s learning to read my mind. I hope she does at the moment.

I waved my arm up and along with it a line of flame. Imogen moved away from the heat. I ran across the columns and dashed towards the raging beast. I wielded my fire to wrap itself around the beast to claim itself a bit of the warning. But just as it was about to hit its skin, my flames disappeared. Then came Imogen’s glaciers. Thorns made of ice pierced through the ground as the creature rushed to avoid it. Behati remolded her metal and redirected it towards the Alpha. It snaked around its ankles until it pulled it down to its knees. Mei and Ai whipped the chain sickle around the Alpha’s body bringing the sickles down, nailing them to the ground. It caused the Alpha to be trapped in its place.

Imogen skated around the Alpha slowly building a snow blizzard. I wielded fire out of my hands and it surfed with the wind towards the writhing creature. Fire and ice in one storm. My flames seethed in Imogen’s blizzard. She made one final round against the Alpha before her own storm overpowered mine. The Alpha was now an ice statue of destruction.

“Is it dead?” I asked her.

“Check the pulse. Be my guest.” she snorted.

I shook my head and I gave my last blow. The Alpha burst into several ice pieces on the ground and slowly they melted away like it never came.

YOU WIN!

GAME OVER.

CONGRATULATIONS! APOCALYPSE CANCELED.

My display had said along with the scores I’ve earned in this life and death pageant.

In that moment, I allowed myself to relax, close my eyes, and breathe.

I woke up with Imogen Morgenstern’s face on top of me.

She grinned at me like she’s never been so happy in her life. She made room for me as I sat up in my rest chair.

“If I’ve known you were trouble when you walked through the door, I would’ve introduced myself sooner.”

I smirked at her.

“Are you well enough to get up?”

I sighed and nodded. For the first time since the Inception Trials I was able to breathe. It’s like I’ve never felt so alive in my entire life that I couldn’t even feel the pain of being thrown for how many times. This must be the taste of bliss.

“How about you?” I asked.

She smirked back at me. “Filthy. Kinky. Pervy. And proud.”

I snickered. “Okay. How’re the others?”

“Alive and kicking. Thanks to you.” Behati answered for Imogen. The twins stood beside her and bowed their thanks. I suddenly felt so shy to be given such…attention. I just wanted the game to be over and get through the day.

As soon as we got our body back and moving, we went to the Dome for the announcement of the day’s Trial Ranking. I searched for my friends. I found them safe and alive surrounded by people and a shot of relief washed through me. Halley saw me looking and waved a hand at me. I waved back and winked at her.

Phoenix came in fifth place. Not so bad being an army with soldiers recruited from the others who loss a bad number of soldiers. Chimaera came in fourth. Manticore followed in third place and then Wyvern at second. There were five armies left to defend the Gate during the Dark Hour. Which left me to deal with the fact that my army; Garuda Army- had won first place for the first time.

“Best All Time Recorded since the beginning of the Inception Trials!” Behati squealed in delight as she leaped and hugged me. “38 minutes! Oh you are such a good luck to the team, you silent hero!”

I laughed with her although the victory wasn’t sinking in my consciousness yet. I turned to look back at my old army. Athren and Sigourney were clapping along with the other soldiers. Halley was grinning back at me. I turned to Bri and my heart stopped.

Then someone pulled my face away and I felt someone else’s lips on me.

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