The wind tousled my hair as I aimlessly turned on my feet, with no particular destination in mind. I needed a minute to think, but the sound of snapping fingers sliced through the air, stopping me in my tracks. I slowly peered over my shoulder where the fairies floated in front of their assigned human and, in a heartbeat, they materialized into nothing but dust.
Once again, the world dissolved, and only my thoughts remained, caught in a maelstrom of utter blackness, separate from my body—it was a brief sensation, gone in a flash like a whisper in the air.
When I blinked again, I was no longer in the arena, but where I believed our chambers were.
I brushed my tongue over my bottom lip, analyzing my surroundings and once again ignoring the dull ache in my head.
A vast circular hall unfolded, its floor paved with pale, aged marble. The white columns rose around the perimeter, theirpolished surfaces reflecting the light, broken only by the dark, closed doors set within the walls. Everything seemed to fit in the context except for the small dining room that stood out with its plain wooden tables and benches.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve doors.
Twelve names.
Zachary Jenkins.
Nicolas Jenkins.
The twins.
Hunter Kingston.
Riley Bennett.
Yvonne Torres.
Verena Sloane.
Adam Wells.
Theo Rivera.
Arianna Finley.
Draven Moore.
Georgie Green.
Charisma Sinclair.
My breath tethered as I stared at the familiar name on my door, the letters gleaming in the dim light.Sinclair. My father’s name. My tongue pushed forward against my teeth as a bitter taste lingered in my mouth.
I shook off the feeling, urging myself to devote my attention to something else rather than to my loathing of him.
Soft footsteps echoed through the place as people, guided by the gentle glow of their fairies, made their way to their chambers. Turning, I scoped the area for a potential exit, though I didn’t have to search for very long—the imposing door loomed behind me, its presence casting a long shadow. My room was right next to it.
Good. That was good. In case I needed a quick way out, that was it. Though it wasn’t ideal to rely on only one option, it would have to do until I could find more.
The fairy, with a puff of air, trailed behind me as I approached the door engraved with my name, the metal of the door handle cold under my palm. Dust mites danced in the faint light as the door creaked inward, my feet carrying me inside where the cold air struck me like a physical blow.
I shivered, folding my arms around myself, feeling the coldness of my fingertips against my skin. My lungs drew in a deep breath, my ribcage expanding as I took in the sight. The single bed was in the left corner, and a faint light filtered through the thin window with a small, musty closet near the door to the tiny bathroom.
If this was their way of making it known that this place was only for sleeping, they couldn’t have expressed it more plainly. Message received. Loud and clear.
My boots sank into the old wood as I walked toward the window. There was no handle.
The words tumbled from his lips just before my fingers brushed against the edges. “It’s sealed with magic. You can’t open it.”
I looked at the glass, then back at the fairy. “And if I try to break it? What then?”
