22

Blair

Present

Lex watches us as we leave the dark room behind, a shadow of irritation tightening his face. Whatever the Collective was hoping to happen in the dark between Asher and I…

It certainly wasn’t that.

We’re ushered out into the center of the warehouse again, where the crowd’s energy feels electrified. I don’t know what time it is—I think dawn must be creeping closer. Either way, we’re almost at the end of the competition. Just us and two other players remain: Ivan, the big scary fighter, and Flick, a wiry girl with jet-black hair and a ton of piercings.

The announcer’s voice rings out, cutting through the crowd’s noise. “This next dare is all about trust. If you want to make it to the final round, you’ll have to let go of everything—your fear, your pride, and most of all, your control. We dare you to fall. ”

The room hums with anticipation as the spotlight swings toward a high platform above us. My stomach flips as I realize what they’re asking us to do. The dare is deceptively simple: step off the ledge and trust that the person below will catch you.

It’s like a sick joke. It’s like the Mortalis Collective know about my history, the broken ankle, the way that fall shattered everything. Maybe they do. And now, here I am, back at the edge, facing the same nightmare.

I glance at Asher, who’s watching me intently. He steps closer, his hands cradling my face, his thumbs gently pressing into my skin, grounding me. God, I love how this man is capable of such gentle touches, when I know he’s also capable of such raw, violent power.

“You trust me, sugar?” he murmurs, his voice a low rasp against the background noise.

I nod, barely able to speak past the knot in my throat. “I trust you.”

His eyes soften, and his voice drops even lower. “Good. Cause I trust you too. From this moment on, I’m going to catch you every time you fall. We’re getting out of here tonight— together .”

He glances toward the crowd. I see the struggle in his gaze; he doesn’t want to draw more attention to us, but then he mutters, “Fuck it.”

He pulls me close, and his lips press to mine in front of the whole warehouse. The crowd erupts, their shouts echoing in the rafters, but for a moment, I’m lost in him. When we finally pull apart, the world around us snaps back into focus.

Yes, I’m terrified. But I can’t help but grin.

The other two remaining players are up, Flick and Ivan. They look like they want to kill each other already.

“Get up there,” Ivan orders.

Flick frowns. “This isn’t fucking fair. I don’t trust you. You’re going to let me fall to my death so you can get through to the end of the competition.”

Ivan wheezes a laugh, cracking his knuckles. “That’s the risk you’ll have to take, sweetheart.”

“Fuck you.” Flick turns to Lex, yelling across the warehouse at him. “Are you listening? I want a different dare, this is bullshit.”

Ivan pushes her toward the stairs up to the platform. “Get up there.”

Flick wheels around and clocks him in the nose. Ivan curses, lunging at her, knocking them both to the ground. The crowd around them whoops at the fight breaking out, but the guards rush forward and somehow manage to pull Ivan’s hulking form off her.

“Players Ivan and Flick, failure to complete the dare,” the announcer’s voice cuts through, and the spotlight snaps off them.

Their round is over before it’s even begun. My stomach flips. If we make it through this, we’re the only two left standing.

“Blair and Asher. Begin.” The announcer’s voice booms in my ears.

The platform looms high above me. My heart pounds as I climb the steps, feeling my fear knot in my stomach.

When I reach the top, I glance down, finding Asher waiting below. His expression is unreadable, his gaze dark, fixed entirely on me. I’ve always known he lives for this kind of adrenaline rush.

Tonight, I feel it too—a thrill, raw and alive, pulsing through me.

But there’s still a flicker of fear in my chest.

It’s simple. It’s infuriatingly simple.

I jump. Asher catches me.

Or… I jump. I fall. I smash into the ground and die.

I step to the edge, looking down into the void below. I’m back in that place again, sixteen years old, in the Meridian, before everything went up in flames.

I shake off that feeling. I do the unthinkable. I put my faith in Asher Stone.

I close my eyes, exhale, and let my body tumble off the ledge. The air rushes past me as I fall, flying, surrendering to the darkness.