I cleared my throat, unable to hold it in any longer.
"So… what did you do back in the garden? And what exactly did you and Lucien talk about in the royal chamber?" I asked, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.
She turned her head slowly, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "Nothing special, really," she said casually. Then, as if reading deeper into the storm beneath my surface, she faced me fully. "Shin… you have a crush on Kei. It's so obvious."
I flinched slightly, the words hitting me harder than expected.
"I just wanted to help you," she continued. "So you two could spend a bit more time together. That's all."
I looked away, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Is that why you're here? Are you worried about the games?"
Her smile softened, but her eyes remained clear, unshaken. "I'm not worried about the next game," she said quietly. "Or the one after that. You won't die, Shin. I know that much. As for you and Kei…"
She paused, watching me, maybe trying to decide how much truth I could handle.
"I–I don't know what to do," I admitted, the words leaving me before I could stop them.
"How about a test?" she offered, stepping a little closer, her tone now playfully mysterious. "You and Kei—I'll help make sure you two get more time together. You'll find the documents together, after all. Maybe then you'll finally know how you feel... after all this time."
Her voice carried a warmth that contrasted the cold night. And somehow, that scared me more than anything.
"Shin!"
His voice rang out across the quiet morning air, firm and unmistakable. I looked up from my half-eaten breakfast, startled, to see Sergio standing at the doorway, arms crossed, his presence as commanding as ever.
"Yeah?" I replied, wiping my mouth quickly.
"You're late," he said, voice clipped. "Let's begin your training."
I blinked at him, the words from last night still clouding my mind. I hadn't slept. Even with my eyes closed, I kept replaying Inaya's voice in my head—her strange certainty, the way she said 'you won't die'… as if she had already seen it written somewhere.
"I—I'm coming!" I answered hastily, gulping down the rest of my water and bolting out of the room.
We walked together through the winding corridor of stone and glass, the silence thick between us until I finally asked, "So… how are we going to train for Satimas? It's just around the corner, right?"
Sergio didn't break stride. "We won't be training for that, "he said plainly.
I frowned. "What do you mean? I don't understand."
He stopped at the end of the hall and turned to face me, his gaze sharp and composed.
"You will not be participating in Preempt," he stated. "Only five are required for the match, and I've already made my decision. Cheng Hao, Satoru, Enji, Yoko, and Kei will represent us."
I froze. "Wait, what? You already knew? Then… why didn't you say anything last night at the dinner table?"
"Because," he said calmly, "it would have been unwise to reveal such things openly. Others are still training under the assumption that selection is uncertain. That illusion keeps them motivated."
He took a step closer, lowering his voice slightly. "Shin, this must stay between us. As far as anyone knows, everyone is preparing equally—except you and Inaya. I've already dispatched Kei to Physical Impact for conditioning. You must not speak of this."
I nodded slowly. "Alright… that does make sense now. And tonight—are we going to the mainland?"
"We are," Sergio confirmed. "We'll begin searching for the tax documents. It's likely Nithe has hidden them well, so you'll need your focus."
"Will Kei be coming too?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Yes," he said without pause. "And Enji will accompany us as well. Kei recommended him—she believes he has a talent for investigation."
I gave a small smile. "She's not wrong."
"Good," Sergio said, giving me a firm nod. "Then let us not waste more time. Your training begins now."
And with that, we stepped out into the daylight, leaving behind the comfort of walls for the weight of what lay ahead.
I stood near the sidelines with a wooden staff in hand, sweating more from anxiety than effort. I wasn't a fighter, and everyone knew it. My training was lighter, more observational. Sergio said it was "strategic positioning," but I knew it was his way of shielding me from the danger I wasn't ready for.
By sunset, the training field would empty out, and the real journey began.
The night air of Dagahra was colder, heavier. We moved through the city in cloaks, our breath visible in the mist. Sergio led the way — his knowledge of the terrain uncanny, his presence like a compass that didn't falter.
"Keep to the shadows," he whispered one night as we passed a checkpoint guarded by soldiers with Nithe's sigil. "They see your face, they report it. If they report it, we lose time — and time is life."
Kei nodded without a word, her eyes sweeping rooftops and alleys for threats. She was alert, detail-oriented. Every night, she memorized maps, catalogued exits. She'd sketch them from memory in the mornings while the rest of us barely stirred from our bunks.
The days came down like hammer blows, each morning carved out of exhaustion and duty. We trained under the merciless sun, the air sharp and dry with tension, yet no one complained. Sergio ran the drills with his usual quiet intensity — calm but commanding, every instruction clear as a blade.
"Again, from the top," he said.
By the third day, we were exhausted. Bruised from training, hollowed out by the secrets we were digging through — tax records, missing persons, encrypted correspondences. Kei found the first trail — a ledger that didn't match the treasury seals. Enji decoded the hidden messages between captains. And Sergio, always watching, always calculating, slowly began connecting the dots.
As for me — I listened. I wrote. I kept the team together when tempers rose and patience thinned. And maybe that counted for something.
Because even though I wasn't the strongest, or the smartest, I knew how to see people. And right now, we needed more than plans — we needed trust.
The games were coming. But so was something else — something deeper.
And I could feel it, thrumming beneath our feet like a warning in the bones of the world.
The warm breeze kissed my skin as I stood alone on the balcony, sipping from a porcelain cup of bitter coffee. The sun had just risen, casting a golden hue across the marble walls of our temporary home. Today marked the beginning of the first game after a long, well-earned break — Preempt. A strange mix of anticipation and unease settled in my chest. I hadn't seen Inaya at all in the last three days. Not once. It was unlike her.
But those nights spent scouting the mainland weren't in vain. Kei, and I had grown closer once again — strangely enough, it felt natural. Kei wasn't cold as I once thought. In fact, her focused determination balanced perfectly with Enji's humor and quick wit. Together, we made an unexpectedly good team.
Suddenly, Celestina's voice echoed through the halls, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"It's time!" she called.
I downed the last of my coffee and rushed to the dining room, where everyone was already gathered. After breakfast, Celestina led us across the dry plains to a massive open arena surrounded by high, metallic walls. The ground was a field of coarse desert sand that crunched beneath our boots. Five colossal clocks stood aligned in a row at the far end, spaced evenly apart. They loomed like ancient relics, their ticking hands echoing in my mind. I had never seen a game like this before.
We waited in a shaded chamber just beside the field. Celestina's voice was calm, yet the weight of her words filled the room with tension.
"Only five players will participate," she said, her eyes scanning the group. Sergio have already chosen them as planned.
Sergio stepped forward with a nod. "Kei, Enji, Yoko, Satoru, and Cheng Hao. You five are the most physically capable. Represent us well."
The chosen five stepped forward, each already dressed in blue — a fitted t-shirt and trousers, signifying our team color. Their faces bore a mix of focus and quiet confidence.
Celestina began her explanation of the rules. "The game is called Preempt. It will be played between two teams — Red and Blue. We are Blue. There are two parts to the game, and you'll start with a coin toss to decide which team goes first."
She pointed toward the five massive clocks. "Part one is simple but deadly. One team — the Watchers — will stand in a line, backs turned. At the start of a musical rhythm, they must close their eyes. When the rhythm ends and the clocks begin to ring, they will turn around and open their eyes."
She paused, her tone darkening.
"They will have exactly one minute to catch movement. If any of you are seen moving during that time… you die. Instantly."
Gasps rippled through the room, but Celestina continued, unfazed.
"The catch is — the Watchers cannot move from their spot. That's your advantage. Your goal is to move forward while their eyes are closed, touch one of them before the time runs out, and return to your starting point — without being caught."
Yoko leaned forward, frowning. "And what's part two?"
Celestina smirked. "Ah… now that's where things get interesting."
"Part two," Celestina continued, her voice echoing through the waiting chamber, "is where you must run from the starting line to the main field and attempt to tag the Watchers. The rhythm isn't long — you'll have to sprint with everything you've got. The moment the music stops, they'll turn. And if you're caught moving… even the slightest twitch..."
She trailed off and drew a single finger across her neck, a silent gesture that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"You must freeze immediately," she added. "Even a flicker of movement will cost your life. I hope we're lucky enough to start with part two — being the Watchers is a dull role in comparison."
Satoru, calm and sharp-eyed, leaned forward. "And how do we win?"
Celestina tilted her head, amused by the simplicity of the question. "Survival," she replied. "The team with more surviving members at the end will be declared the winner. If both teams end with the same number of players, it's a draw. No prize. No punishment. Just wasted effort."
"So we have to drag them down," Enji muttered under his breath, cracking his knuckles. His eyes gleamed with mischief and calculation. "Make sure they don't make it back. No other way around it."
Celestina smiled, satisfied. "That's right."
She stood, clapping her hands lightly. "Let's head to the field. The match begins soon."
We followed her across the wide arena toward the platform where the match would be officiated. From our group, Satoru volunteered to toss the ceremonial coin — a heavy disc etched with dragon sigils. He stepped forward with solemn calm, flipping it into the air.
But fate, it seemed, was not in our favor.
The coin landed in favor of Team Red. They chose to take part two first — the runners. That left our team, the Blue team, standing stiff and still as Watchers.
From across the field, the enemy team lined up. Dressed in crimson, they looked confident, some even smirking.
Our task now was simple, yet fatal: catch even the slightest motion.
Five massive clocks appeared from behind the sand dunes, rising like ancient gods. Then, the music began — light, rhythmic, hypnotic. The countdown had started.
And with it… the hunt.