Valentina's pace falters.
It's slight, but I catch it.
"What's wrong?" I murmur.
She swallows hard and lifts her chin. "Nothing." She grabs my hand and leads me to the edge of the crowd.
What the fuck is this?
The center judge lifts a hand, silencing the room so thoroughly that the air feels like it cracks.
A yellow-masked man steps onto the stage, wearing nothing.
One of the judges speaks first. "Candidate One. You are assigned the Rite of the Whispered Path."
A murmur rolls through the crowd behind me, thick with unease and curiosity.
The man bows his head. A woman wearing nothing but chains and a black-skull mask leads him through a doorway on the left side of the stage.
A dark-haired naked man wearing a blue-skull steps forward.
Another judge states, "Candidate Two. You will undergo the Rite of Demonic Gods."
The crowd cheers.
Another chain-wearing woman leads him away.
A third candidate approaches.
"Candidate Three. You are to complete the Rite of the Shrouded Mirror."
The crowd gasps, then chatter arises.
A judge bangs a gavel. He shouts, "Silence!"
The crowd obeys, and a woman leads the man out of the room.
The crowd shifts with nervous energy. The center judge gestures again. "Next."
My gut tightens.
Valentina grips my forearm. She doesn't look at me and steps forward, her posture perfect, chin lifted, an icy expression on her face. She reaches the stage and says, "Take your clothes off."
"What?"
She locks her gaze on mine. "Do it. Then get on stage. You're up."
I don't move.
Her voice turns panicky. "Please."
I grind my molars.
"Brax," she quietly begs with fear in her eyes.
It tugs at my heart. So I drop my pants, unbutton my shirt, and take my place on stage.
The judge points directly to her. "Stand beside him."
