Chapter 106
Vanya
The world shifted around me in a blur of silver light, and before I could take a full breath, I was no longer in the resting chamber. My feet landed on soft earth, the chill of open air biting against my skin. Fireflies—thousands of them—hovered like tiny glowing eyes above the arena, catching every flicker, every tremor, every heartbeat. They weren’t just pretty; they were watchers. Reporters of our every move.
This wasn’t just another trial—it was a spectacle. A game for the King’s amusement. A game that held the cruelest truth: most of us wouldn’t leave here as candidates. We’d leave as failures.
Around me, the others were already stretching, tugging at their gear, psyching themselves up for whatever twisted sport awaited us. The screens above hadn’t revealed the
