Chapter 33

Tori’s POV

I tossed around on the bed for what felt like the hundredth time that night, frustration settling deeper into my chest with every passing second.

Eventually, they had decided to leave me alone, at least for now, but that didn’t mean I was stupid enough to think everything was over.

The way those girls had looked at me earlier made it obvious they had a lot more planned, and honestly, that thought alone made sleep almost impossible.

I needed to find a way around this.

I needed to make allies here somehow because surviving in a place where everyone wanted you miserable was going to be harder than I thought.

I wasn’t going to lie, I was very uncomfortable being here too.

The heat wasn’t helping either. Neither were the mosquitoes that seemed determined to make my life worse with every bite.

My skin itched terribly, and the more uncomfortable I became, the more irritated I felt.

A part of me understood them.

If I were in their position, locked up in a place like this, forced into competitions where survival wasn’t guaranteed, I would probably hate someone who got a special treatment too.

But if they wanted someone to pour all their frustration onto, it should have been the brothers.

Not me.

I let out a tired sigh before sitting upright abruptly, running my fingers through my hair while my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in the room.

Everyone else seemed asleep, though I couldn’t really tell with how dark it was.

I was tired of lying there and I needed air.

Quietly, I slipped off the bed and moved toward the door, careful not to make any sound as I opened it slowly. The hinges creaked lightly, and I paused immediately, waiting to see if anyone reacted.

There was no reaction! Good.

I stepped outside and closed the door gently behind me.

The moment I reached the balcony, the cool breeze hit my skin instantly, sending goosebumps across my arms.

For the first time since arriving there, everything felt strangely calm.

The night sky stretched endlessly above me, dark and beautiful, the moonlight spilling across the massive compound beneath. From up there, I could see just how impossible escaping this place truly was.

The walls surrounding the buildingwere enormous, tall enough to make climbing pointless, while guards patrolled almost every visible corner. Torches burned brightly around the perimeter, making it impossible for anyone to move unnoticed.

This place was practically a fortress, and it was quite amusing that there was a place like this inside this castle. How big was the compound though?

.

My fingers rested against the balcony railing as my thoughts drifted unwillingly.

Kael.

Of course it had to be him.

The memory of what happened at Laura’s place came crashing back so suddenly that I physically tensed. The kiss. The way he had looked at me and the way his hands moved against my body, while his hands ran through my thighs.

Fuck.

I squeezed my eyes shut immediately.

I didn’t need to think about that right now. I shouldn’t be thinking about this, but my stupid brain refused to cooperate, replaying everything in painful detail until my entire face was red.

And the moment I remembered his fingers brushing slowly against my thighs—

"Fuck," I muttered underneath my breath, gripping the railing tighter.

Why was I even thinking about this?

I let out another sigh before tilting my head upward again, staring blankly at the sky.

How long was I really supposed to survive here?

I still didn’t know what was happening outside these walls or if there was even a chance of things changing. Everything felt trapped, like my entire life had been shoved into this place without warning.

The breeze brushed softly against my face again, colder this time, and before I realized it, exhaustion started creeping over me heavily.

My eyelids slowly became heavier. I think I should get inside now.

*******

I woke up abruptly.

For a second, I couldn’t even process where I was, my vision still blurry from sleep as I sat up too quickly. My brows furrowed immediately while I looked around the room in confusion.

The room was completely empty, and that also made me curious about what was going on.

I sprang off the bed instantly, my heart pounding as I looked around again just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things.

What?

There was no way they had gone for the competition without me, right?

Panic settled in my chest almost immediately as I tried figuring out how long I had even slept. The sunlight pouring through the windows made it obvious it was already morning, and that realization alone made my stomach twist.

A few moments later, the door opened.

A girl walked in carrying folded clothes in her hands, but she stopped slightly the moment her eyes landed on me standing there.

"Hi..." I called out carefully.

Her gaze lingered on me for a second before she nodded slightly.

"Good morning," I added awkwardly. "Uhm... where is everyone?"

I tried to keep my tone careful.

I still didn’t know who hated me and who didn’t, and honestly, I wasn’t willing to find out the hard way again.

For a moment, she didn’t respond.

Then she sighed softly.

"They’re downstairs," she finally said. "Training for the next competition."

My brows furrowed slightly.

"The next one?"

"We still don’t know what it’s going to be," she explained while adjusting the clothes in her arms. "So everyone started training early."

A faint smile appeared on her face, though it looked forced. I bet they have been doing it for a very long time and this wasn’t going to be the first time.

Then she walked out before I could say anything else

I didn’t waste time following after her.

The moment I stepped outside, the size of the compound became even more obvious in daylight.

The training grounds stretched endlessly, divided into different sections with guards standing almost everywhere imaginable.

Some stood near the gates and some were also standing near the walls, and some directly beside the girls training.

Escaping this place would take a miracle, and judging from the amount of security surrounding us, they already knew that.

My eyes moved across the field slowly while I took everything in. Some girls were practicing hand-to-hand combat with brutal intensity, their bodies already covered in sweat while instructors barked orders at them. Others trained with swords, their movements sharp and controlled as metal clashed loudly against metal.

A smaller group ran laps endlessly around the field while carrying heavy weights tied to their backs.

No one was relaxing, everyone looked desperate to survive and strangely enough.

That only strengthened my resolve.

If there was one thing I was glad about, it was the deal I made.

At least the others had a chance now, and they weren’t all going to die because of this competition.

Even if it cost me everything in the end, I would still make the same decision again. The only thing was the fact that I would prevent Elora’s death.

My gaze drifted toward the different groups before eventually stopping on one particular girl.

She stood out immediately.

Not because she was loud or trying to gain attention, but because of how controlled she looked.

Every movement she made carried confidence, like she already knew exactly what she was doing while everyone else struggled to keep up.

She moved differently, and that made wanted to train with her.

Without thinking too much about it, I started walking toward her carefully, though it quickly became obvious that remaining unnoticed was impossible.

Several girls slowed down to stare as I passed them, their expressions ranging from annoyance to curiosity.

I ignored all of them.

"Hi," I greeted once I reached her. "Good morning."

"101... 102..."

She didn’t even look at me.

I sighed quietly.

"You can get the hell out of my sight because I’m not interested in talking to you," she replied flatly while continuing her push-ups. "And I don’t think I ever will be."

"Well," I said slowly, crossing my arms slightly, "now that you’ve replied, I think we’re already making progress."

That made her stop counting. Finally, her gaze lifted toward mine..She was intimidating up close.

Exactly the kind of person I expected to be dangerous.

"I don’t train with people," she said calmly while standing upright.

"Are you scared your feelings might get involved?" I asked bluntly. "Because honestly, you seem like a threat to me, and I’d love to see how strong you really are."

A smirk slowly appeared at the corner of her lips.

"So basically," she said, stepping closer, "you want to study my weaknesses?"

"Maybe." I shrugged lightly. "But I also think you haven’t trained with anyone because you believe none of them can beat you."

Her brows lifted slightly.

"And that confidence is valid."

She stared at me quietly for a second before crossing her arms.

"You talk a lot."

"Congratulations, Ellie," I replied after glancing briefly at the tag attached to her chest. "Looks like you finally found someone interesting."

That made her laugh softly. Okay! She was down for a spar.

The fight started lightly at first, mostly testing movements and reactions, but it didn’t stay that way for long.

Ellie was terrifyingly fast, her strikes controlled yet powerful enough to throw me completely off balance several times.

I managed to keep up for a while, landing a few hits of my own, but the difference between us became obvious quickly.

She had experience and eventually, she pinned me to the ground effortlessly, breathing only slightly heavier while I struggled beneath her grip.

"You’re decent," she admitted while stepping away from me. "But you hesitate too much."

I groaned while sitting up. "Thanks for the motivation."

A small smile tugged at her lips before she walked off again.

I liked her already.

I dusted myself off and turned to leave, but before I could take more than a few steps—

Something hit my head really p hard, and pain shot through me immediately.

"What the hell?"

I grabbed the side of my head quickly before turning sharply toward the direction it came from. The three girls from last night stood there.

One of them held another stone in her hand.

I felt a warm liquid dripping off my forehead. My index finger rubbed it slowly. I was bleeding.