Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

I n the dead of night, the air is dragged from my lungs as something hard slams into my right side and then stomach. Pain explodes up and across my chest as a crack sounds out, and I know instantly that my rib is broken.

Deep chuckles sound out as a hard boot hits my thigh, making me grit my teeth against the shooting pain. I yank myself away from the hands attempting to hold me down, and scramble backward to put my back against the cell wall as I glare at the two guards smirking at me.

Using the wall to steady myself, I clutch my side and get to my feet with a wince.

"This beating will not be your last," says the guard with the scar on his neck.

The new guard beside him, one I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, throws a tray of slop on the floor in front of my feet, most of it hitting my boots, before chuckling.

I guess neither of us are going to be friends. How unfortunate.

"Eat up," he says with a smirk. "The first trial begins soon. You wouldn't want to miss it now, would you?"

With their warning, the two guards back out of my cell with savage smirks, locking the bar door before making their way out, chuckling to themselves.

I wait a couple of minutes after they have gone before testing my injuries. The burning pain slicing across my side and into my chest is painful but manageable. My thigh probably has a bruise the size of the boot that slammed into it, and my stomach still churns with the impact of the fist that hit it, but I have worked with worse before. And with my innate ability to heal a little faster than normal, I will be able to move around without pain quicker than some.

With a wince, I bend down for my tray of food and try to force down the tasteless slop. Their attempt at trying to weaken me through beatings and starvation will not be something that breaks me. Nor will the cuffs that bind my Sidus abilities.

After consuming what I can, I check the bag that one of the guards must have thrown in while I foolishly slept hard and find it still has some of the clothes I packed before coming here, though many of the small keepsakes are missing and most likely destroyed.

It was foolish of me to have even attempted to bring them here.

Glancing around, I quickly get changed, using some of the extra fabric I have left to pad the lining around my chest and stomach.

Throwing my boots back on, I hear the familiar thud of the guard's arrival. Quickly getting to my feet, I ignore the pain of my injuries and focus on getting through the first trial and making sure everything goes to plan.

Two new guards come around the corner to my cell. Neither seem interested in talking or hurling insults, which suits me fine.

Opening the cell door, they step back and wait for me to walk through.

Bracing myself, I step through the entrance, only to be met with an unexpected hard shove to the ground.

"Know your place, Sidus scum. Don't try anything stupid in the trials, or you will pay for it dearly."

Fisting my hands on the ground, I push down the urge to slam one of them into the cocky guard's face, and push myself up with a wince.

Looking ahead, I ignore their mumbling threats but stay on alert for any more sneak attacks. I can still fight with the injuries I have, but it's best not to push it.

They shove me forward through the long passageways and halls and up through the palace to a large outdoor arena.

The entire area is nearly the same size as the throne room, with small spaced-out seats most likely suited to the guard's needs for training and not for any public audiences.

The seating around nearly all of the square-shaped arena is mostly empty if not for the odd guard here and there, while the top space is cloaked behind shadows.

With one last hard shove, the guards leave me at the entrance and edge of the arena.

The feeling of someone watching me crawls down my back as I make my way over to the group of competitors who are spread out in the center of the arena.

Glancing around, I find no one staring directly at me, but my eyes are drawn to the stage, which is covered in shadows.

Shaking off the strange feeling, I spot Oryn and move toward him but stop when I realize this… friendship could be a means to an end, and he might not want to associate with a Sidus in public.

But my doubts are unwarranted as he sees me and gives me a friendly smile before walking the rest of the way over.

"Seren." He dips his head, finishing off the rest of his sandwich with some type of meat in it. The smell of the fresh bread hits my senses, making my stomach rumble. But the feeling quickly turns sour seeing the looks the other competitors are giving us both.

I lean closer to Oryn, and he dips his head down to me. "Your carefully built Caligo image might be ruined if you continue to associate with me in public."

Oryn frowns down at me before following my line of sight and scowling when he sees the others disgusted faces.

"If I were to choose my friends based on what others think, I would only ever be surrounded by my enemies." He glances down at me. "Ignore them. They are not worth our time nor energy."

"You truly don't care?" I ask, feeling slightly stunned by his reply.

"Not even a little." He smiles as he looks at me, but that smile quickly fades the longer he stares.

"Are you not getting enough sleep? You look unwell."

I glance away quickly, reminded of my early morning visit. "I'm fine."

"If you're worried about the plan, I can?—"

"I'm not worried about it," I tell him with complete certainty. He stares a little longer, but I don't back down, and soon enough he nods, agreeing.

"If you're sure?" he asks, but with a wary expression.

"Positive," I mumble, done with this conversation and happy for a change in subject.

The change of subject comes in the form of a tall, lean man who makes his way over to us, a scowl slashed across his face like it's a permanent fixture. He is at least a head taller than Oryn and has dark, choppy hair that seems to mirror his bad mood.

"I hate it here. When can we leave?" the new man asks Oryn, as if they are familiar with one another.

I raise a brow at Oryn, and he chuckles. "Seren, this is Nevan. Nevan, this is Seren."

Nevan's eyes widen as he clears his throat. "My apologies for my rudeness. Being surrounded by so many Caligo seems to bring out the worst in me."

"Being surrounded by your own kind makes you miserable?" I ask, wondering if I heard him correctly.

Nevan straightens up, wincing a little before looking at me. "I realize how it must sound, but I'm well aware of the reputation the Caligo have and prefer not to be grouped together with the small-minded few who ruin it for the rest of us. Not all of us are like that."

"I will have to take your word for it," I tell him.

"You must not have met many good Caligo, then?" he asks with a sad expression on his face.

"Before you two, I had not met any," I tell him truthfully. With the exception of the guards, most, if not all, Caligo stay in the mountains, where the Sidus are forbidden to enter.

Nevan and Oryn share a look, but I ignore it to watch the lithe man from my first visit to the throne room moving from the shadows to a small dais at the top of the arena. It confirms my little hunch that others are watching us behind the shadows.

Oryn follows my line of sight and dips his head closer to me. "That's Alderic. He is a powerful Caligo lord not only because of his wealth and influence but also because he has the backing of the lieutenant and guards. I would stay away from him if I were you," he warns.

But it's not needed. The way this man makes my skin crawl anytime he is near is warning enough. I do not trust him or his malicious smile. Staying away from him will not be a hardship, especially if I have my way.

"Today marks the first day of the guard's competition," Alderic announces with a smile.

Cheering sounds out, with the competitors and guards joining in. An overenthusiastic roar blares out, followed by laughter and chuckling.

"Yes, yes. It is all very exciting," Alderic says.

I squint, trying to hold back the twitch of annoyance wanting to be set free at their fawning.

"You will be paired off against chosen competitors suited to best showcase your skills," Alderic continues, quieting the crowd down. "All pairs were individually handpicked by the guards, so make sure you all show us your best."

I could bet that the competitor they handpicked for me is no doubt meant to maim and kill rather than showcase any type of skill.

"Those who win their match will face off against another winner and so on until the final winner is announced. Should you be knocked out of the round quickly, don't be too discouraged, as you will all have another chance to redeem yourselves in the next trial." Alderic claps his hands together and a Caligo guard with a bald head and hard expression stands up beside him to start calling out pairs.

The lieutenant isn't here, which is a small mercy, but Levon is. I spot him eyeing a tall, bulky man with short brown hair.

"That is Haddon. Levon has personally chosen him to be here," Oryn says.

I share a look with him before glancing back at Haddon, this trial's first winner, no doubt.

"Oryn with Koa. Peyton with Triston. Seren with Ward." The guard continues with more names, but Oryn's eyes widen as a towering, stocky man with short black hair and a vicious smile walks over to us, setting his sights directly on me.

"I don't think they have chosen your partner based on a suited skill set," Nevan mumbles next to me.

"I wasn't expecting them to," I reply.

Oryn frowns as Ward moves closer, the glint of excitement in his eyes looking more deranged the closer he gets.

"Maybe we can talk to them and?—"

"Sit down and have a quiet conversation with some tea and biscuits?" I turn to Oryn. "I knew coming here would mean I would have to fight my way at every step."

"You shouldn't be treated unfairly just because of what you are," he grits out, giving Ward a murderous expression.

"I'm used to it," I tell him.

Oryn turns to me, his anger quickly deflating as his expression grows sad. "You shouldn't have to be."

His words warm something inside my chest, giving me hope for a future where our kingdom is no longer divided. That is, until reality comes crashing down as Ward pushes him aside and steps in front of me.

"I'm going to thoroughly enjoy breaking every part of you," he says with an ugly smile.

I don't get the chance to reply as Ward attacks before we are given the go ahead, slamming a fist into the exact spot of my broken ribs. Pain blossoms inside my chest, making the previous broken rib feel like a bruise in comparison, and each intake of air burns as I try to catch my breath.

Alderic quickly announces to begin, covering Ward's sneak attack.

Ward steps back, but the callous smile growing on his face makes me think he knew exactly where to aim to injure me further. The look he shares with one of the other guards seconds later only confirms it.

Spitting out the blood from what is most likely a punctured lung, I ignore the tight, stabbing pain spreading across my chest and focus on the ruthless beast of a man in front of me.

A girl with dark hair in a blunt cut and sharp features turns around after I spit the blood out and scrunches her nose in disgust rather than showing any type of sympathy.

"She is wild and savage. She does not belong here," she hisses.

Tracking Ward's movements, I block his next attack, duck his next punch, and use my elbow to aim straight at his throat.

He chokes, attempting to catch his breath, and stumbles back.

Stepping forward, I grab hold of his wrist, twisting it before slamming my head into his nose, instantly breaking it.

Ryuu's methods were built on structure and precision, but he also had a side to him that was molded from the depths of despair and the ruthless world we live in. He taught me to be brutal and savage, and it seems it has come to my aid today.

Ward drops to the ground, on his knees as a pool of blood pours down his face and chest from his now crooked nose.

Cradling his wrist, he sways sideways, his eyes rolling to the back of his head before he falls to the ground with a thump.

The girl who turned to me with disgust now looks at me in shock and horror, her mouth and eyes wide open.

"How is that for savage?" I ask her with a smirk.

She snaps her mouth shut and quickly turns back to her fight, ignoring me completely.

I glance around, catching the guards' glares and snarls, and my smile widens. I will not let them think I am afraid of them, nor that I will back down so easily.

Oryn catches my eye and smiles at me, mouthing a "Nicely done" before ending the fight with his opponent and knocking him out.

My next few matches all seem to be similar to Ward. All large, brutish, and with skill sets completely different from my own.

But they all fall just as hard as the first.

Ignoring my pain, I use it to fuel me, fighting without mercy. If they think a couple of broken bones and beatings will break me, they really don't know what the Sidus are made of.

After a few minutes, all that is left to continue competing is Nevan, Oryn, Haddon, and a few others.

Waiting on my next opponent to be called, I stand to the side and watch Oryn's fight. He is paired with someone who has the same build as him, his moves just as quick and impressive.

But whereas both seem to be evenly skilled, Oryn doesn't charge in blindly trying to gain an upper hand; he reads his opponent well, blocking and evading any attacks before spotting a weakness and striking it with force.

I glance over at Nevan and his opponent. His fighting style is a little sloppy, his attacks more personal, and they drain his energy quickly. One small mistake is all it takes to force him to forfeit any further fights.

My gaze finally lands on Haddon. His level of skill seems to be on par with Oryn, his ability to access weaknesses and attack similar. But that is where the similarity ends. Where Oryn uses his opponent's main weakness to take them down, Haddon seems to use every single one he spots. He leaves his opponents bloodied, broken, and completely destroyed.

My next opponent is called, a short stocky male with nothing but hate in his eyes. But just like every other competitor before, he underestimates me, and the fight ends quickly.

A heavy exhaustion settles over me as I push myself to move through the next couple of rounds. Time passes quickly until all that is left is me, Oryn, and Haddon.

"Oryn and Seren," the guard calls out. It means whoever wins between us will have to fight Haddon.

Oryn quickly moves in front of me, a worried expression shadowing his face.

"Let me do it," he whispers low enough that no one else can hear.

I give him a sharp look, but he doesn't back down.

"I have watched you favor your left side the last few hours. If I have noticed it, so has Haddon."

I glance over at Haddon, watching as he wraps his arms around his opponent's neck and slowly squeezes, his opponent's face quickly turning red and then blue. He doesn't let up, even when his opponent passes out. He catches me watching and winks before dropping the man to the ground.

"I'm not afraid of him," I tell Oryn as we attempt to look like we're sizing each other up.

"I never said you were, but I thought you were smart. Neither of us is trying to win this," he reminds me before he advances on me.

"I can take a hit," I snap as I dodge his poor attempt at an attack.

"So can I," he says.

I raise a brow before striking, hitting him in the side. He grunts and moves a step back but doesn't let up on his incessant need to be the one to sacrifice himself.

"I think you have taken enough hits for today. Besides, you need to be the one to follow through on the plan."

My rising ire quickly disappears when I realize he's right. I'm injured, and from the look in Haddon's eyes, he will make sure I will not be leaving my cell for a few days. And unlike the other competitors, who seem to have healers at their beck and call, I will not be so lucky. He will leave me too beaten to continue on with our plan, and Veles will also suffer because of it.

"Fine," I grit out. "But you have to make it look real. They won't believe it otherwise."

Oryn swallows hard but nods. "Just know that I do not want to hurt you."

"If you don't shut up and hit me, I will take Haddon on myself," I hiss.

My words are all it takes for Oryn to strike, hitting my broken ribs just hard enough to hurt before twisting and swiping my feet from under me, knocking me down.

My head hits the ground hard, and the world tilts and spins around me.

"Stay down," Oryn whispers, believing me to be faking it. But he doesn't realize I have broken ribs. The hit on them was hard enough to keep me down without having to fake it.

I turn and cough up blood, knowing he will feel guilt for something that he had nothing to do with.

"Oryn wins and will fight against Haddon," the guard calls out, and the others cheer around us.

Ignoring the smug looks from the other competitors and guards, I force myself to my feet. Moving to the nearest wall to help me stay upward, I hold my head high and conceal the pain from my injuries, not allowing any of them to see me weak or to try to use it against me.

Each rattling breath feels like flames of steel, but I force myself to watch the fight, hoping it will take my mind off the sharp pain.

The fight is vicious and brutal and over in minutes. Haddon leaves Oryn completely destroyed, not finishing the fight until Oryn is blackened and bloodied, completely passed out on the ground.

I can't tell if Oryn is faking it, playing along like we planned, but one thing I do know is that he was right. Had I fought Haddon, I would have been too broken to do anything, let alone follow through with our plan.

The two guards who brought me to the trial appear and take me back to my cell. Their shoves and pushes are a welcome distraction that helps me make my way through the palace and back to my cell without passing out from the pain of my injuries.

One last hard shove has me inside my cell, with the steel door slammed shut and locked behind me. I force myself to stay awake long enough to watch the two guards leave before darkness completely envelops my vision and I pass out.

W aking with a jolt, I sit up straight without thinking, quickly realizing my mistake when my broken ribs protest in pain.

I push myself up, preparing for the trek across the palace to find a bottle of wine, when I hear movement coming toward me.

Listening intently, I notice there are no thumps of footsteps like when the guards announce their arrival to me.

Whoever this is likes their arrival to go unnoticed.

Slowing my breathing, I take stock of my injuries should I need to fight my way out of this.

My ribs are still sharp and painful, but the punctured lung must have nearly healed, as each breath no longer feels like I am swallowing flames.

My body aches and is probably blackened with bruises, but I can move it, which tells me it isn't too broken and it won't be long before I feel like myself again.

Just as I finish inspecting my injuries, the newcomer reveals themselves.

"I hope you have not missed me too much." The Breaker smiles and it slides down my back like ice.

Two men in dark cloaks open my cell and drag me out as another session with the Breaker begins.