Chapter Fourteen

Tori’s POV

My eyes stayed on Kieran as I watched him interact with the brothers, my chest tightening the longer I looked at him.

That smile on his face, it was the same one he had when I last saw him.

The woman’s words from the first day we had met echoed in my head, repeating over and over again like they refused to leave me alone.

People who I knew might appear here. So this was what she meant?

My fingers curled slowly at my sides as I focused harder on him, trying to read his expression, trying to find something familiar in his face. Anything that would tell me he remembered me.

Kieran lifted his head slightly, his gaze moving toward the arena. Our eyes met.

My breath caught immediately, my body going still as I waited for something, anything. Probably a shock from him or any slight hint that he could recognize me, but there was nothing.

His expression stayed the same, calm and uninterested, like I was just another person standing in the crowd. Like I meant absolutely nothing to him.

My chest tightened painfully.

What the hell was going on? Why was he here? Why didn’t he recognize me? Was this a good thing or not?

My thoughts started to spiral, one question blending into another until it became too much to handle at once. I could feel it building inside me, that familiar feeling of losing control, and I hated it.

This wasn’t what I wanted.

"Hey, young lady! You should step into the mud."

The guard’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I flinched slightly when his hand brushed against me. I turned toward him quickly, my brows pulling together as I realized he had been calling me for a while.

I didn’t even hear him.

My gaze shifted forward, and I noticed that the other ladies were already in the mud.

Elora was there too. Her face was really pale and I could tell that something was wrong with her.

My jaw tightened as I stepped forward slowly, my feet sinking into the thick mud the moment I entered. The cold, wet feeling climbed up my legs until it reached my thighs, and I had to fight the urge to react.

It was disgusting.

A few giggles came from above, the sound of the old men watching us like this was some kind of show for them. My fingers twitched slightly at my side, but I kept my face straight.

"This is about you all fighting, and the top ten standing at the end will be the winners. The rest will be eliminated."

The man’s voice echoed through the space, firm and familiar. He had always been the one giving instructions, and for a second, I found myself wondering who he really was.

It didn’t matter..Not right now.

My eyes moved across the arena, taking in the way the mud shifted with every movement, the way some girls were already struggling to stay balanced. The goal was simple.

Do not fall.

I bent my back slightly, my arms stretching out as I adjusted my stance, trying to steady myself on the unstable ground. My breathing slowed just a little as I focused.

Riven probably thought I was going to fall first. He had no idea about what I had done.

"Start!"

The moment the word left the guard’s mouth, everything exploded into motion.

Girls lunged at each other without hesitation, hands grabbing, bodies colliding as the mud made every movement messy and unpredictable. Someone slipped to my left, dragging another girl down with her, and the sound of struggle filled the air almost instantly.

I stayed where I was for a second, watching, waiting. Then someone came at me and I didn’t hesitate.

My hands shot forward, grabbing her by the waist before she could reach me properly. I twisted my body slightly, using her momentum against her, and threw her off balance.

She went down hard. I was doing all of these for them. How could I explain to them that I needed to survive so they’d live? This must be fun for Kael and the rest.

The mud swallowed her halfway, and I stepped back quickly, steadying myself before anyone else could take advantage of the moment.

Another one came.

Then another.

I moved as carefully as I could, pushing, dodging, using whatever strength I had left without letting myself slip. My legs strained with every step, my muscles tightening as I forced myself to stay upright.

Someone grabbed my arm.

I yanked it back immediately, my shoulder twisting as I shoved her away with more force than I intended. She stumbled, her feet sliding under her before she dropped.

My breathing started getting heavier

.

The mud clung to my legs, slowing me down, making every movement harder than the last. My hands were covered, my clothes soaked, but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t..Time passed, but I couldn’t tell how much.

One by one, girls fell and some didn’t get back up..The number kept dropping and different hails came from the crowd.

Some of the old men were disappointed and I could tell that most of them already placed a bet..

I lifted my head slightly, my chest rising and falling as I looked around.

Eleven. There were only eleven of us left standing. My eyes found Elora immediately.

She was breathing hard too, her chest rising quickly as mud clung to her arms and legs. Her gaze met mine for a second, and something in my chest tightened.

One more. Only one more person had to fall. I swallowed, my fingers curling slightly as I took a step toward her.

"Elora," I called, my voice lower than I expected.

She frowned slightly, her body tensing as she looked at me.

"You should lose," I said quietly, my brows pulling together as I tried to keep my voice steady. "Just... fall. You don’t have to keep going."

Confusion flashed across her face.

"What? You want me to die?"

"I’m serious," I continued, my voice dropping further as I glanced around quickly. "Just fall. It’s safer that way."

I couldn’t tell her everything..I couldn’t tell her about the deal, but I could explain to her that I was trying to help her.

Her expression changed slowly, the confusion fading into something else.

My chest tightened slightly.

"You think I can’t survive this?" she asked, her voice sharper now.

"That’s not what I meant," I replied quickly, my head shaking. "I’m just saying—"

Her body moved before I could finish.

My eyes widened slightly as she stepped closer, her hand moving too fast for me to process properly. I didn’t even see what she was holding at first.

I just felt it.

A sharp pain tore through me.

My breath caught violently, my body freezing as everything went still for a split second. My eyes dropped slowly, landing on her hand, and then on the blade pressed into my side.

My fingers trembled slightly.

Blood.

My lips parted, but no sound came out at first. The pain spread quickly, sharp and deep, dragging something out of me that I couldn’t hold back. My hand moved to her wrist instinctively, gripping it weakly as my knees threatened to give in.

Why?

The question didn’t even leave my mouth. I already knew the answer. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Survival.

My grip loosened as she pulled back, and the moment the blade left my body, the pain hit harder. My back arched slightly, a broken breath leaving me as my hand pressed against the wound.

My legs shook under me, my balance slipping as the world around me tilted slightly. The mud shifted beneath my feet, and I couldn’t hold it anymore.

I dropped to my knees. No! I wasn’t meant to fall. I shouldn’t be the one falling.

The impact sent a jolt through my body, my fingers digging into the mud as I struggled to stay upright. My breathing came out uneven, my chest rising too fast as the pain settled deep into my side.

Is this the end for me again?