Rowan hesitates, then shakes his head once. Ezzy’s already tilting his chin back, voice cracking.
“Come on. Don’t—” She slams a hand against his chest. Once. Twice.
Nothing.
“Stars, Finn, don’t you fucking dare?—”
Suddenly, he jolts. A rough, wet gasp tears through him as his body arches back. Ezzy collapses forward, forearm pressed to her eyes.
“Shit,” Finn mutters, voice hoarse, as he tries to sit up. “What the hell, where are we?—?”
Ezzy chokes on air and grabs him, hands framing his face, holding him like she might break if she lets go. “We thought you were dead.” She half-laughs, half-sobs.
He blinks up at her, chest still heaving. Then he sees her face—the mess of it, the fear she’s trying to shove down—and his lips twitch.
“…Wait. That’s all it took? All I had to do wasnearly dieand you’d talk to me again?”
Ezzy stares at him for a beat. Then: “You’re such an asshole.” But her hands are still on his face, and she doesn’t let go.
Beside me, Rowan exhales, shoulders sagging. I sit back in the dirt, pulse still a mess, but a small smile tugs at my mouth. They’re fine. He’s breathing.
“Well, would you look at that.” The voice comes from behind us.Familiar.
I turn as Ryven rises from the dirt, brushing himself off like this is a casual training match and not the start of a Citadel-sanctioned execution puzzle. Elijah stands to his left, and his sister just behind them, braid hanging over one shoulder. But that's not all, there’s more. Three other cadets I don’t recognise are also in their group.
Usually, I wouldn’t be nervous. My magic’s solid now. I know that. And Ezzy, Finn, and Rowan can all hold their own. But six against four…
We need to move. Figure out what this trial is, and fast, before they do.
“Merrin said no engagement till we’ve read the instructions,” Elijah’s sister calls out, stopping Ryven mid-stride as he paces straight toward us—eyes locked, fists loose at his sides.
“Fine.” Ryven bites out, lips thin. “Where are they? Once we read them, then we kill.”
Fuck, we need to find them before they do. I turn to Rowan, he’s already looking, then one of the cadets on Ryven’s side calls out.
“Here! I have something, it was in my pocket.”
Ryven’s on her in two strides, snatches it from her hand without a word, and starts reading.
Beside me, Rowan’s already patting himself down, checking every pocket. Finn mirrors him. Ezzy too. I search mine, and feel it. Folded paper, tucked deep.
“I got it,” I say, pulling it free. They all shift closer as I nod them in and I unfold the page.
“Rules of the Second Year Trial.” I read aloud, voice steady but hand shaking. “One, find the golden Relic before the other team.”
“Okay, seems simple,” Finn tilts his head.
“Two, the losing team will be eliminated and executed.”
“Shit. Okay… spoke too soon,” he mutters.
I collect myself with a slow inhale, then keep going. “Three, you must not kill, injure, or harm any member of the opposite team?—”
“What the fuck?” Ryven’s voice cuts from across the space. Guess he just hit rule three as well.
My brows pull tight. “That rule doesn’t make any sense. Why would they—” As I read the next line, my mouth dries, heart slams once, then drops. No, no, no.
Ezzy steps closer. “What? What is it?”
