A heavy stillness pressed down, gluing my feet to the ground, while the Shadow inside hung heavy and silent.
This supernatural being, a ghost, was the one following me around? Breathing down the back of my neck like a savage hunter, waiting to take its shot? But what for?
A lump formed in my throat, a tight knot that slowly dissolved into a sickening disease spreading through my stomach. The Shadow inched closer, just enough to remind me of its presence.
I should be scared. I should run.
I felt it look at my bodice, as if it were trying to memorize each part of me. Although it lacked human features, the sensation of being observed was intense; a prickling sensation of someone’s lingering gaze.
My fingers, clammy with sweat, tightened their grip on the dagger.
Was this Zeus’s revenge after his magic didn’t work on me? A warning, or an ending, that had my blood splattered on the already dirty walls in this room?
“I come before you regarding an important matter, human. I am not the threat you perceive me to be.” It started, its voice thick and grave. “Act as though you’re hopelessly in love with Eros. Convince him, deceivethem—make it seem so real until even you believe it is so. Refusing to do so will ultimately lead to your death. Donotdie, mortal.”
The echo of each word, sharp and clear like a ringing bell, remained vivid in my memory as the Shadow disappeared.
I finally released a breath, going once more over the Shadow’s words. It said its appearance was meant to help me, but why? Why would it want to help me when it was part of this world? Oftheirworld?
My thoughts dawdled on its last words.Do not die, mortal. Why, though? Why did it care about my insignificant life? Was it getting something if I won or stayed alive? Was it planning something else for me once I passed through the gods’ tests? Or was this a trick? A joke they would laugh about?
When I got here, I established that no one in their world could be trusted. And I would not change my mind now.
“Don’t make the mistake of questioning his intentions,” the fairy advised me.
“Who was that?” I questioned.
“A great and broken soul. A lost part of this world some grieve over, and others cherish its absence.”
His eyebrows lowered over his darting eyes, his chin wobbling slightly.
“I’ll assume you’re among those who mourn its loss,” I said, not waiting for a reply. “Why was it lost?”
The fairy took a second before answering. “To save the world.”
“Why would something thatsavedcountless people waste its time by bothering to help a simple girl survive? Why is it interested in me?”
“I don’t know, but if you’re wise, you’ll listen.”
I was wise enoughnotto listen.
Chapter 8
Charisma
After the encounter with the mysterious Shadow, I blinked myself to sleep and now found myself in an unknown place, the air biting at my skin like tiny needles.
I blinked one more time, as if waiting for confirmation that the forest stretching in front of me was real. The view didn’t disappear under my eyelids. The same muddy, rain-slicked roads were there, with towering trees scraping the cloudy sky above.
The chilly rain plastered my clothes to my skin, leaves swirling down in a slow, graceful dance. I shivered as I hugged myself tighter, the cold seeping into my bones. I couldn’t help but wonder if the games had already started or if this wasn’t another dream.
The mud clung to my boots like greedy hands as I swept a rapid glance at the ground before looking back into the deep forest. The trees seemed alive, whispering with a low ancient crack, eyes forming like lurking beasts where they shouldn’t be. The branches clawed at the sky, their shadows stretching toward me as an icy hand squeezed my chest, the silence amplifying the frantic thumping in my ears. With each deep breath I took as Itried to understand what was happening, the forest seemed to lean in, as though anticipating the questions I had yet to ask.
I whirled around, the earthy smell of damp soil filling my nostrils. It was like a punch in the gut as I tried to unravel the truth that felt like an open wound. My eyes fell on the other players, equally perplexed. In between the bodies, Theo’s gaze widened when he noticed me.
The games had begun.
A shiver ran across my spine, straightening from its core—a warning for what was about to come.
