“With only three games left, five fragments remain to be found. The stakes are high; place your silver on whom you hold your confidence in.” Fuck, I need to get at least one piece today. “And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for…”
The ground rumbles, causing the competitors and sponsors to lose their balance. Orion and I keep each other upright. As the dust settles, a gaping circular hole in the center of the arena awaits. Thanks to Orion’s prepping, I know exactly what lurks below: water.
“As always, contestants will have five minutes with their sponsors. When the horn sounds, the timer will begin. The participants have two hours to emerge. A warning horn will be issued when fifteen minutes remain. May the stars guide you; the constellations are the only constant. Your time starts now.”
“Strip down to your swimsuit; you will not want the added layers.” I remove my clothing piece by piece. “Did you wear the suit I sent last night? With the pocket for your dagger?”
“Yes.” I watch as several, but not all, of the others also remove their clothing. The swimsuit has ample coverage. The top features long sleeves and zips in the front, with shorts on the bottom. A slim pocket on my hip holds my dagger. I pray I don’t need to use it.
“You know your limits.Do not push them. Come up for air as often as you need to.”
“Any tips on what to expect down there?”
He shakes his head, collecting my discarded clothing. “I do not know; I’m sorry.” He did the best he could, preparing me to swim and hold my breath. “Hey, look at me.”
I look up, and he clasps our hands together. “Today, you will win.”
I smile, appreciating the continuity of his words each game. “Today, I will.”
Once the horn blasts, Solene, Miles, Celeste, and Atlas make a run for it. They jump in, disappearing down the chute, one after another. I give Lenny a reassuring nod as he and Aria enter. Leo stops by my side when we’re several feet away from the entrance. Tug, tug. A pull on each of my braids. I’m not sure who enjoys the ritual more, but I’m grateful for it. “Ladies first,” he motions to me.
I steady my breathing, contemplating my options. Do I peer in? Will that psych me out? Most likely, I decide. “Here we go,” I say to myself before lightly jogging, springing off the balls of my feet, and sailing through the center of the entrance. The hole is deeper than I thought, and I free-fall for what feels like minutes. As the water rushes up to greet me, I straighten my arms to my sides and slam my legs together, hitting the water in one straight line.
The water is colder than the river, but at a tolerable temperature. I push up to the surface and take in my surroundings. I’ve fallen into an alcove. Orb lights hang off cavernous rock walls, but nothing else is found above the waterline. I look up, the gaping entrance now resembling a minuscule hole. As I wade, I consider waiting for Leo. But the longer I wait, the more energy I’ll waste, I realize. Energy will be as precious as time in this challenge, especially for humans who have lived in worlds made of dry gravity chambers. I take one deep breath, bracing myself, before diving into the world below.
Forty-seven
Once my eyes adjust, I’m in awe of the world the Kosmos has built underwater. I can only imagine what Lunara or other planets humans live on would look like if the higher order put as much effort into them as they did into the Games. Oh… that’s right, it would look like Astralis. Wondrous and magnificent.
The glowing orb lights cast enough light to make the entire floor visible, illuminating the seabed in hues of silver, soft periwinkle, and blush pink. Bright coral reefs line a rolling bottom made of glittering golden grains of sand. The floor is extensive and seemingly never-ending. Dark crevices separate vibrant coral reefs and beds of seaweed that sway hypnotically. Stone rubble lies crumbled around rising pillars, all covered in iridescent algae. The humming of magic vibrates against me, evidence of every otherworldly element present, although I can’t locate the source.
I kick my legs, letting my arms pull me through the water as I set off exploring. No exit is visible, except for the surface line above. None of the other eight competitors can be found within my line of vision, reminding me of how expansive this underworld is. I enter a shallow cave that, unfortunately, sits empty. If I were a moonstone shard, where would I be? I leave the cavern, kicking up to the surface to replenish my oxygen. A dark crevice would be the perfect place to hide the moonstone.
I plunge beneath the surface once more, hastily aiming for the crevice closest to me. Gripping the edges, I push myself down deeper into the narrow fissure. At the narrowest point,somethinglies beneath the sand. I twist my body, shoving my arm into the crack, my shoulder scraping against the rock.My hand grasps the edge of cool, rough stone. As I try to pull my treasure up and out, it gets stuck in a crack.Come on, come on. Contorting my hand, the stone thankfully slides through. I hold tight and start towards the surface for air. A shimmer of light captures my attention off to the left in a swarm of seaweed. Could it be?
I propel myself toward the light. I separate seaweed with my hands, digging my fingers into the sandy surface. My chest tightens as my body sets off alarms. I need oxygen—soon. A few more seconds, I tell myself. I wave my hands through the sand frantically until the side of my hand jams against a smooth edge.
A bout of lightheadedness rocks me—time to go. I wrap my hand around what I know is a shard, fluttering my legs faster, faster. Breaking through, I wheeze and splutter. Stars above, that was too close for comfort. My eyes land on a small ledge protruding out of the rock. I gently place the moonstone and the trinket on the surface before hoisting my upper body up to rest on the ledge. Glancing up, the entrance is no longer available. Instead, a low ceiling with stalactites drooping in my direction greets me. I’ve drifted farther than I expected.
I tilt the stone slab up to examine it further. The sides are irregular, some angled or longer than the others. On the front of the stone, a waning crescent moon is etched deeply into the surface.Huh, interesting. I unzip the top of my suit, sliding the slab in, resting the stone against the left side of my chest. Next, I slide the moonstone piece into the pocket next to my dagger to keep it safe. Zipping up, I take an additional minute to rest before diving back in.
I wander beneath the surface, keeping an eye out for moonstone fragments or anything that might be related to the slab I found. Eventually, I find Atlas, who also holds a slab. He points at the symbol—comprising a sun with two stars—before pointing to the sand. Confused, I shake my head at him. He keeps jabbing his finger at the ground like I can read hismind. Slapping his hand to his forehead, he tugs on my arm, beckoning me to follow. Using one hand to brush sand off rubble, Atlas reveals a large-scale square made of stone. In the center, raised, is a slot in the shape of an eight-pointed star. Holy shit… these are puzzle pieces. Atlas and I kick to the surface. He spits out water. “I think we need to find a stone that matches our slabs.”
“I think we do, too. I have a slab already; it has a waning crescent moon on it.”
“I saw that before I found this piece. If you head west, you’ll run into it. I’m going to keep tracking north.”
“Thank you! I’ll keep an eye out for yours, too.”
“Thanks, Zellie. Good luck.”
“You too.”
We both submerge, heading in opposite directions. The hopeful feeling in my chest makes my heart beat excitedly. After all, I know my way out.
Forty-eight
Set in motion, I swim, my limbs gliding through water as if it were air. I maintain a position low to the ground, my eyes continuously scanning the ground for the door in the floor that matches my slab. That’s when I hear it—a muffled “thud”. Disrupted sand lingers above the ground next to a disintegrating ruin. Lenny has his arms around someone’s back, pulling and punching. What in all the galaxies is he doing? His body moves slightly, allowing me a look at who he is attacking.Solene.
