Mara was just as shocked as the crowd and the other players when she found out how they were being forced to pair up for the start of the games. It was not something she expected. Who would she get paired with? There was another human there, perhaps…
The Game Master called out the pairings.
“The Beast, a fine example of the Bestial species is paired with Quadro, an aquatic species. We have paired Felon an Arian, with the Bestial female, Gora. Rattan, a Rasilian, and Klosh, a Slurchan have been paired. Our only all-female team, Famia, a Sorian, and Arisa, an Arian, are paired. Next is Dugan, a Cyborg and he is paired with Blaine, a human male. Vor a Sorian and Esto a Lythos are paired. Lastly, we have our newest species to take part in the games, Vaelor the Crytharian and Mara, a human female.”
What the fuck? She was paired with the newest unknown species. Why? It must be because the other species was weak and they were setting her up to fail. Well, fuck them! She wasn’t going to let this guy get in her way. Her father’s life depended on her winning.
“It’s time our players got to meet their partners and see where they will be playing,” the Game Master announced.
The visor over her face shrunk and pulled over and behind her, connecting to her biosuit. Suddenly bright lights surrounded her and blinded her temporarily. Others gasped, experiencing the same. When she was able to focus, she noted that she was in some kind of indoor arena. The walls were curved and hologram images of crowds from different areas around thegalaxy were projected on the walls. No in person crowd but the feed was live.
She turned to her left. The human man was next to her. He blinked a few times, then winked at her. Next to him must be his partner, the Cyborg. Next to them were the two Bestials. They were easy to spot. Both were huge. But they were nowhere near as big as the Cyclops, who had to be close to eight feet tall with one eye in the center of his forehead. The last pair on that side were the only all-female team.
She turned to her right to look at the remaining players, but her attention snagged on the tall, blue being right next to her—the Crytharian. Holy smokes! The male was beautiful. He had chiseled features, pointed ears that reminded her of tales of faeries. His hair was short but not too short, framing his handsome features. His eyes were dark, like the galaxy itself. She could drown in those eyes. It made her shiver with expectation.
Mara tried to recall everything that she could find on his species. Not much was known except that he came from a cold planet. They were considered a lower class species, crude and not as intelligent. That’s okay. If she had to use her smarts and his brawn, then that was what she would do.
He glared at her like she was a smudge on his shoes. If looks could kill, she would be dead. She focused on her father. Imagining him in the hospital bed back on Earth. He was fighting for his life. She would fight for him. She didn’t give a damn if this guy liked her or not. As long as he got her to the end, that was all that mattered.
She was taken back by a camera drone suddenly appearing right in front of her face. The drones floated around the players, capturing every micro-expression for the viewers across the galaxy.
The Game Master continued despite the immediate tension. “The contest will last twelvedays, a challenge will be presentedevery two days for a total of six challenges. They will travel from here, the Southern post, to the Northern outpost on the other side of the planet. They will be required to stop and set up camp at night. Then start again each morning. There are surveillance cameras everywhere to catch every moment. Are we ready?”
The crowd starts to chant the motto for the games.“Fight. Survive. Win!”
The chant hit her like a physical force, vibrating through Mara’s chest and into her bones. Fight. Survive. Win. Each word landed heavier than the last, stripping the Games down to their raw truth. It wasn’t excitement she felt—it was pressure. A reminder that the crowd wasn’t here for survival. They were here for the spectacle.
Her pulse quickened, not from fear alone, but from the sudden clarity of it. Out there, every mistake would be celebrated. Every loss would be cheered. The danger wasn’t distant anymore, it was loud, alive, and waiting for her to step into it.
“Now the tether!”the Game Master announces.
Mara gasped as she felt the cold metallic snap of the biometric tether as it locked onto Mara's wrist. There was a faint, rhythmic hum of the device as it synced her heartbeat with Vaelor’s. It felt invasive—her life was now literally measured by the pulse of a stranger she just met.
When she looked at the Crytharian again, he was frowning, one hand pressed to his chest—as if he felt the connection as keenly as she did. Maybe he hated it. Good. She wasn’t here to like him, and she wasn’t here to trust him.
Mara straightened her shoulders and locked the feeling down.
This wasn’t about him. It wasn’t even about the Games.
It was about her father—his quiet smile, his failing strength, the way his hands had trembled the last time he tried to hold a book. She would make it to the end. She would win. Whatever it took.
Nothing was going to stop her from bringing him home healthy and strong once more.
Chapter 6
Vaelor
The ceiling of the dome-shaped room opened from the top down, revealing a strange purple and blue sky. There were three moons and a single sun. The sunlight shone and glistened over the ice and snow surrounding them.
Vaelor smiled. This was similar to his home world. The cold air blew against his face and he inhaled deeply. This he could handle. There was a real chance now of winning.
The Game Master gave the count down.“Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go!”
Players pushed past. Someone shoved the human female forward. He reached out and caught her before she fell.
“Thanks,” she said breathlessly.
He just growled. “Grab your pack!”
