Uncle Radix gives me an encouraging smile. His good mood and smile are infectious, and because we’ve been talking for so long, I hadn't noticed the arena filling up. Not many seats are left, and the crowd is growing restless and loud. This is going to be awesome.The lights go dim, and the crowd goes wild. The announcers walk to the middle of the arena and a spotlight captures their every movement. We’re all sitting on the edge of our seats. I see Eleanor in the box diagonal to ours. She’s smiling, and excitement is etched all over her pretty face.
The announcers bring out the remaining twenty competitors, thousands have competed in different tasks today,and these are the last ones standing. As loudly as I can, I scream out Amelia and Sebastian's names. My uncle covers his ears, which makes me shout even louder. He laughs and starts cheering too.?Estrella Fitzgerald signals for the crowd to calm down so they can begin. "Luxington Valley! The day has finally come!"The crowd goes wild again, and she throws her head back and laughs. I see why she still has loyal supporters. She's not only beautiful but also charismatic. "Okay. Okay! Let's settle down."
She has to wait a couple of minutes for the arena to quiet down before continuing. "We have only twenty remaining competitors. Each has passed every grueling test set before them today. Tonight, their limits will be tested even further. Each of the three tasks is timed. If they do not complete the task before the buzzer goes off, they will be disqualified."
The camera cuts to Alberto. He has dimples when he smiles. The ladies start yelling, and several whistles ring out throughout the place. "You’re sure looking good tonight!"The women scream, and I can't help but giggle. He’s handsome. Estrella rolls her eyes, and Damien flexes his biceps. That makes me take part in the screaming. I swear I hear Sebastian growl in my ear, which makes me laugh. My uncle puts his hand over his eyes in embarrassment, and I shrug my shoulders at him. He's wearing my sun on his jacket so I gotta represent.
Damien smiles at the camera. "We've waited our whole lives for this moment. Our Chosen has come home, and our generation has been given this difficult burden. We will not run away from our calling. We will fight!"?
The crowd erupts in applause. Even Estrella can't help but cheer. She looks up to where I am seated on the balcony, and a spotlight is now on us. "Before we get started, we would like to direct your attention to the second-story balcony. I knowthere was much speculation on if the Chosen would be here in attendance tonight. Arabella, stand up. Your crowd wishes to see you."
Since running is out of the question, I stand. I smile toward the camera and the crowd. My uncle gently nudges my hand, and I remember what he said about showing them my sun. I raise my fist in the air so they can see the birthmark that they so curiously want to see. The crowd is so silent that you can hear a pin drop. The look of awe on their faces makes me blush. Uncle Radix stands up and starts proudly clapping, and the crowd quickly follows.?My gaze catches Estrella before I sit down. She is looking back at me cautiously. She's trying to determine what kind of leader I'll be. The answer is simple, the one that takes the throne back for her family.
Chapter 26
The Trial of Light
Today I found out that I'm good at killing people, which in theory is good considering I'm supposed to win a war, however, I’m not sure how I feel about the fact.
-Arabella
Alberto takes an envelope from Estrella. "The contestants have not been told of the remaining tasks they will face today. I’m holding the directions for the next one in my hand."He deliberately takes forever to open the dang envelope, which makes the crowd scream and me laugh. Finally, the eternal wait for the envelope to be opened is over. "The first task is an underwater assignment. Each contestant will have ten minutes to locate a weapon that we have hidden within the depths of the saltwater tank. This weapon will aid them in their next round."
Damien looks gravely at the camera. My heart races with anticipation. "In the water they will encounter one of the sea's most venomous creatures. The purple-dotted octopus. Small but extremely deadly, there are hundreds down there hiding within the depths of the tank. This is a very serious situation that will test their abilities under pressure."
Estrella turns to the contestants. "Please, be careful. If you are bitten, you have one minute to make it to the surface. If you are even a second later, you will die. Our experts are the creators of the only anti-venom for this species in the world, and it only works if administered within that time frame of being bitten."The fact that they could actually die is intense.
I look at Sebastian and my heart melts when I see him staring up at me. He gives me a knowing smirk.Don't worry about me, Bells. I eat razor blades for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I laugh despite myself.Great, now everyone thinks I'm crazy, because they think I'm talking to myself.
He shrugs.You are crazy. For me.
My smile grows bigger.Just don't die, okay?
He rolls his eyes.I'm already dead.
I turn to Uncle Radix. "I've talked to Sebastian all day and I know thousands have already died in the preliminaries. Is it necessary for the trials to be this dangerous?"
"Arabella, our jobs are dangerous. Since birth they have known dying young is a real possibility. Not all of us will make it, but we pledge our lives to keep everyone safe." He grabs my hand and gives it another gentle squeeze, which I know is his way of calming me. "They've been given the rules, and they know what the outcome will be if they don't make it back to the surface in time."
The hosts and contestants move over to the far side of the stage. The bottom of the floor starts to open up, the saltwater tank is underneath. They announce that the tank is twenty feet deep and fifty feet wide. They also show the crowd the body suitsthe five will wear. Each of them will be given a helmet that will help with their breathing underwater.
The first contestant, Derek Jones, carefully puts his suit on and dives into the blue depths without hesitation. Multiple screens have come down from the ceiling so that we can watch every move he makes. I'm nervous for him and can't help but think of his family. I bet they are a nervous wreck right about now.
Whoever created the ocean habitat did a great job. It's got everything, even fish. Thankfully, I don't see any sharks, and have yet to see any of the purple spotted octopuses. Never knew those poisonous assholes were a real thing. As Derek makes his way further down, hundreds of luminescent purple dots make their television debut, covering the bottom of the tank floor. I don't know how any of them will be able to find their weapons with that mess of venomous creatures on the tank floor.
Taking a stick from a nearby plant he starts his search for the weapon he will use in the next round. Derek has five minutes left on the clock, so he better get his ass in gear. He looks around every plant and through the garden of seaweeds and finds nothing.He has no other option but to comb through the tangle of little killers down at the bottom. He does so almost violently, agitating the creatures. He quickly becomes their target and while he tries like hell to wave them off, there are just too many.
He swims furiously to the surface which tells me he must have been bitten. A team of Healers are waiting for him to emerge, at the docking station. He's clutching his stomach andis writhing in pain. They have to inject his bite with the antidote twice before he becomes stable. Then Derek is sent to the recovery room so they can monitor his condition, but it's announced shortly after that he has passed away. My heart achesfor him and his loved ones. His picture flashes on the screen with his birth and death date at the bottom.
A woman with bright pink hair wails in the crowd, I stand up and look at her, my heart caught in my throat. That must be his Mama. The resemblance is uncanny, she's devastated but she doesn't look at me with hatred. She lays her arm across her chest, as tears roll down both our faces. I whisper, "I'm sorry," and mimic her motions.
The crowd including my uncle do the same. Derek's mama bows her head slightly and walks toward the recovery to gather her son. Instead of celebrating, she will have a funeral. Uncle Radix squeezes my shoulder, and we sit back down. It feels wrong to continue the competition, but that's what we do.
We sit on the edge of our seats for the entirety of this task. Thankfully, the remaining contestants find their weapons, and no one else dies. Sebastian finds his weapon in record time. The entire time he was down in the tank, a million questions are firing off in my brain. When he says that he's already dead, what does that mean? Do I need to worry that he could die or die again? Caring about someone like I do him has its perks until it doesn't. Uncle Radix stopped me more than once from running down the stairs to help him.
The weapons hidden within the depths of the tank were brass knuckles, nun chucks, and billy clubs. Amelia and Sebastian were gifted with billy clubs for the next challenge. Amelia's time was only a second behind her brother, she should be proud.
