I’ve been introduced to bathtubs, and I will never be the same. Knowing only showers, Orion briefly showed me how to use the tub before giving me privacy and pulling out pajamas for me to wear. The only reason I left the tub was that I was afraid of falling asleep in it. I mindlessly slipped into the pajamas and crawled into the softest, most plush bed I could ever have dreamed of. I didn’t take in my surroundings until the morning, which I’m now reviewing as I sit in yet another bath that has cooled.
The apartment is luxurious, to say the least. The pajamas I slept in? A navy silk camisole and short set. My body hasnevertouched silk, only used to sturdy cotton. The bed feels like a throne, with four posters and a canopy outlining the frame. Deep sapphire sheets, likely also silk, are tucked into an embroidered silver quilt, completing the bedding. The suite is also decorated with touches of silver and gold. The bathroom is pristine as well. Immaculate marble, a white crescent moon-shaped tub, and gold hardware surround me. Every detail of this apartment, this city, is a far cry from the bare-bones functionality of my unit.
Allowing myself one more minute to reflect, I realize that sitting with my thoughts for too long is unsettling. There are too many unknowns regarding what's to come. Fear is a curious thing; it holds the power to instill doubt, tearing down every belief you once had to be true. That's the beauty of hope, though. Hope will always shine brighter than the doubts. I’ll hold on to hope with a vise grip, if I have to.
“Zizi, my sunshine, I’m home!” Orion’s voice echoes throughout the room with boisterous charm.Let yourself in, why don’t you?
I grab a fluffy towel and wrap myself quickly. “Zizi?” Poking my head out of the bathroom, I spy Orion balanced on the edge of my mattress.
“Are we bonding? This feels like bonding.” Orion gestures between the two of us, earning him a twisted expression and my tongue sticking out. “Get dressed; we have a busy day ahead of us.”
“I’m not wearing that.” Orion and I stand before the open wardrobe.
“What other choice do you have? Just pick one!” He runs his hand over his jaw in frustration.
“Riri, these arealldresses. I’ve never worn a dress in my life! Isn’t there something more functional? Like what I was wearing before you all magically transported me here?”
Orion scowls, offended by my lack of taste. He is dressed impeccably, wearing tight-fitting cloth pants and a loose, collared shirt rolled at the sleeves. “Maybe to appease you, I can find something like that for training and the Games. But for each day in between? This is the City of Wonder, baby, not a military field.” He slides hanger after hanger, shifting the garments to find something that will satisfy both of our requirements.
“It’s this or a dress, Princess.” He holds out a gauzy two-piece set in a soft shade of lavender. The top features a cropped silhouette with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves that appear to be designed for off-the-shoulder wear. The pants may win me over. They’re loose and flowy with plenty of room to move but tapered at the ankle so that I’m not tripping over myself. “Oh my stars, is that an actual smile?” Orion pretends to gasp and clutches his chest, pushing the outfit towards me.
I laugh, a real sound that flows freely out of me. The feeling revitalizes me. Invigorated by his humor and the happiness found in a comfortable pair of pants, I snatch the outfit and shoo Orion away. “Excuse me for appreciating a sliver of functionality.” The garments slip on with ease and are incredibly comfortable. “Where am I being dragged off to today?” I search a toiletry binfor anything to secure my hair with, finding a silver claw clip to clasp the top half of my hair with.
“Well, now we will need to add a trip to the tailor to get you some custom fits. Besides that, a basic assessment of your physicality on the training fields, some fun—if you’re good—and then dinner with the others tonight.” Orion gets the side-eye after that comment.
I walk out of the bathroom once more, ready for the day. “Did you find where Lenny’s staying? I’d like to check on him first.”
“Yes, I let his sponsor, Inia, know we would stop by. My stars, look at you! A vision. You’ll fit right in.”
“Is fitting in such a good idea?” I self-consciously glance down at the outfit, so unusual from my typical choice.
A sly grin forms on Orion’s face, an affirmation and a promise rolling off his tongue. “A viper in a lion’s den, Zizi.”
Thirteen
After checking on Lenny, who was in much better spirits than yesterday, Orion led me to a boutique where a kind Celestial took my measurements to design my wardrobe for training and the trials personally. We had lunch at a cafe, where servers wait on you. There aren’t any meal tickets; rather, you order whatever you want and pay with silver coins that are earned as a reward for hard work. My reaction to the new experience amused Orion. Then, after some light begging, he agreed to a stroll across the bridge I had been admiring from my apartment. He informed me he only agreed because the bridge was along the way to the training grounds, but I like to think that I’m growing on him. Orb lights reflect across the crystal structure. Combined with the sweet fragrance wafting from the flowers, the entire scene feels like a dream.
“Tell me about your magic?”
Orion strolls by my side with his hands in his pockets, lost in thought. “Hmm?” He casts a glance in my direction, maintaining his walk. “Oh, our powers? All Astrals can summon a star and star-shoot. I’m able to heal quickly and help others. We can also sense and influence emotions.” I stop walking, giving him a dead stare. Has he been reading my emotions? Worse, has he been manipulating how I feel?
“Don’t look at me like that; I haven’t influenced you at all. You’re sassy all on your own. We also receive the power of our star sign. I’m an Aries, meaning I can use fire.”
Woah.
I bite my cheek as I process his words. “And the Celestials?”
“They’re at a lower level, so they have fewer powers. They can’t star-shoot, but they can heal, physically and emotionally.” That explains the calming energy from my healer when I first arrived. “They receive their star power, too. When you win, this is what you’d receive as well. And before you ask, the Kosmos can do everything I just mentioned, but they also hold the power of every astrological sign.”
“Sounds like an absurd amount of power.”
Tone clipped, he responds, “Not out here.” Noted.
“Will you show me your fire?”
“If you ask nicely.” His grin is wicked—such an ass. “That will have to wait.” He tilts his chin towards the field beyond. “Now I get to see what you can do.”
“I’ve completed nothing like this in all my existence.” My hands are poised on my hips as I take in the utterly obnoxious obstacle course sprawled before me on the training field. The grounds are expansive. A running track is further back on the right side with a sparring ring directly across. There are weight racks, benches, and open areas for bodyweight workouts. The looming obstacle course overshadows the training grounds. A shorter version of the running track is set in front of varying levels of ramps, hanging rings and bars, and more beyond that I cannot make out from my viewpoint on the ground. I’ve considered myself physically fit, but this? This is an entirely new level of fitness. And in this outfit? “Seriously, Orion. How am I supposed to complete this?”
