Chapter 43 – If Only She Was Left to Rot

  The bell rang for a second time, an indication for them to start.

  The moment it did, the four of them shot forward, dust and loose gravel scattering beneath their feet. The ruins loomed ahead, their gaping entrance swallowing the last of the sunlight as they rushed in.

  Rhen and Sienna wasted no time.

  Rhen took the lead, his powerful strides covering ground with ease. He didn’t slow for obstacles – he broke through them. When a section of collapsed stone blocked their path, he drove his fist into it, shattering it into manageable pieces. Sienna moved like a whisper of air, darting ahead, barely visible as she slipped into the ruins’ shadows.

  Kaelin and Kana—

  —were already falling behind.

  “Keep up,” Kaelin snapped, ducking beneath a low-hanging archway.

  Kana scoffed. “Ugh, it’s not all about being first. You’re quite behind the times, aren’t you… Ironic.”

  Kaelin’s teeth ground together.

  Ahead, their opponents disappeared deeper into the ruins, swallowed by dim light and ancient stone.

  Kaelin swore under her breath. “Come on.”

  She surged forward, Kana moving beside her reluctantly, but at least she wasn’t dragging her feet.

  The ruins were ancient. The walls bore faint carvings, half-erased by time. Battle scenes stretched across the stone, ghostly figures locked in combat. The further they went, the colder the air became. The scent of damp earth and old decay thickened, curling around them like unseen fingers.

  Then came the monsters.

  The first wave struck fast.

  Shadows rippled along the walls before lunging forward – four-legged creatures, their bodies a jagged mess of rock and fur.

  Stonefangs.

  Their glowing yellow eyes locked onto Kaelin and Kana in an instant.

  Kaelin barely had time to react before one of them lunged, claws swiping through the air.

  She twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.

  Kana, to her credit, reacted just as quickly. A flick of her fingers, and the creature hesitated mid-lunge, its momentum faltering just enough for Kana to step aside with practiced ease.

  Mind Threads.

  Kaelin had seen them in action before, but seeing Kana manipulate a creature’s instincts so effortlessly sent a chill down her spine. What if Kana tried it on her? Could she resist?

  One second.

  That was all Kana needed.

  The beast reeled back, its brief hesitation enough for Kaelin to slam her boot into its side, knocking it off balance. It hit the ground with a heavy thud, snarling.

  More were coming.

  Their glowing eyes blinked to life in the darkness, shifting closer.

  Kaelin’s breath came fast. They couldn’t afford to waste time here.

  She moved first. She couldn’t afford to hesitate.

  Another prowler lunged, and she twisted, shifting her weight, letting instinct take over. This time, she was faster.

  But not fast enough.

  The creature’s claws grazed her arm as she barely dodged aside, pain flaring white-hot. She bit back a curse.

  Kana sighed. “You’re slow.”

  Kaelin didn’t dignify that with a response.

  Instead, she turned, already moving, already pressing forward. There was no time to argue.

  They needed to catch up.

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  But every second they wasted fending off these creatures—

  Rhen and Sienna gained more ground.

  Kaelin knew one thing for certain. If they didn’t figure out how to work together, they were going to lose.

  ***

  Kaelin moved swiftly, keeping her steps light as she scanned the uneven ground. She and Kana had barely entered the ruins, and already, their opponents were ahead. Rhen and Sienna had wasted no time charging forward, their combined strength and agility allowing them to take the fastest route.

  Kaelin could hear some distant movements, footsteps crunching on gravel, scrapes against the stone walls. Whether what she heard was the others, or monsters, she was in for it.

  They were getting too far ahead.

  She clenched her jaw.

  We need to move faster.

  Glancing back at Kana, she found the other girl trailing behind, hands in her pockets, expression one of complete boredom.

  Kaelin exhaled sharply. “Are you seriously not going to try?”

  Kana lazily kicked a loose stone. “Oh, I am trying. I’m trying not to roll my ankle running after a team that’s going to lose anyway.”

  Kaelin’s patience frayed. “You do realize we’re part of that team, right?”

  Kana smirked. “Correction – you’re part of that team. I’m just here for the entertainment.”

  Kaelin had to resist the urge to strangle her. “You’re unbelievable.”

  “And you keep overthinking,” Kana shot back. “You keep acting like we’re doomed just because they’re ahead. We won’t lose, trust me.” She stretched her arms above her head. “Let them run ahead. We’ll find another way.”

  Kaelin turned away, frustration simmering beneath her skin.

  She’s not taking this seriously at all.

  Fine. If Kana wasn’t going to help, she’d do this herself.

  ***

  The two wove through the ruins, taking a side path that led into the shadowed interior of a collapsed building. It was slower, but Kaelin hoped it would help them catch up unseen. Stone pillars lined the way, their carvings faded from time. Moss covered the ground, slick and treacherous.

  “I can hear them,” Kaelin murmured, pausing near a broken archway. Rhen and Sienna’s footsteps echoed faintly from ahead. “We’re not as far behind as I thought.”

  Kana leaned casually against the wall. “You’re the one worried about time. I think we have plenty.”

  Kaelin ignored her and peered into the next corridor. It was narrow, the walls lined with deep alcoves. A perfect place for—

  A rustling sound snapped her attention upward.

  Shadows moved.

  Kaelin barely had time to react before something lunged from the darkness.

  A skeletal beast, its ribs exposed, its skin long since rotted away. Hollow sockets glowed with an eerie blue light as it leaped toward her, claws bared.

  Kaelin threw herself to the side, the creature’s claws raking across the stone where she’d stood. She hit the ground and rolled, narrowly avoiding another swipe.

  Kana, meanwhile, remained exactly where she was.

  She yawned. “Ah. Right. The old magic constructs. Forgot these things were still functional.”

  Kaelin scrambled to her feet, heart pounding. “You forgot?!”

  Kana shrugged. “They don’t usually attack unless you make too much noise.”

  Kaelin clenched her fists. “And you didn’t think to warn me?”

  “Maybe I wanted to see if you’d notice first. Anyways, you should’ve been listening in class when we were told about them. You aren’t gonna stay ahead forever, especially if you’re always in La La Land.”

  Before Kaelin could shout at her, the construct lunged again. She dodged, but its claws clipped her shoulder, tearing through her sleeve. Pain flared.

  Okay, enough of this.

  She reached for her Threads, but felt no need.

  Kana smiled lazily. “This is all on you. It’s basically some kind of soulless, heartless creature. Much like you. Without a mind, I can’t do shit.”

  Kaelin didn’t hesitate. She pivoted, grabbed a fallen piece of stone, and swung it into the creature’s skull. Bone cracked. The construct collapsed, its blue glow flickering before fading entirely.

  Panting, Kaelin stepped back. “Would it have killed you to do anything?”

  Kana smirked. “Where’s the fun in that? I’m not gonna risk my life when yours is there for the taking.”

  Kaelin groaned. “You must have read the contract we signed. They aren’t gonna help us, if we die, that’s on us. Just, don’t say stuff like that. It might end up coming true.”

  Kana walked past her, hands in her pockets. “If only it did… Come on, partner. We still have a trial to win.”

  ***

  They continued deeper into the ruins. The walls pressed in tighter, and the air grew colder.

  Kaelin kept her focus sharp. She wasn’t about to get caught off guard again.

  Then—

  Her vision blurred.

  For the briefest moment, the world shifted.

  She wasn’t here anymore. She was two steps ahead – running forward – something was beneath her—

  And then it was gone.

  Kaelin gasped, her body snapping back to the present. Her head pounded. The vision had lasted barely two seconds, but the warning was clear.

  A trap.

  Her foot skidded to a stop just before a seemingly solid patch of stone. There, hidden beneath layers of dirt, thin cracks lined the surface. The ground was unstable.

  A pitfall.

  She turned sharply. “Kana, don’t step there!”

  Kana raised an eyebrow, already mid-step. “What?”

  The stone gave way.

  With a sharp crack, the ground crumbled beneath Kana’s foot, sending her plummeting down.

  Kaelin lunged, instincts overriding thought. She caught Kana’s wrist just before she could vanish into the darkness, the force nearly yanking Kaelin off her feet as well.

  Her muscles screamed as she tightened her grip, digging her heels into the loose ground. Below, Kana dangled over the edge of a deep crevice, her dark eyes wide before her usual smirk returned.

  “Well,” Kana drawled, swinging slightly from Kaelin’s grip, “I thought you said you’d get rid of the risk of shit like this.”

  Kaelin gritted her teeth, sweat beading at her temple. “It… It was only two seconds! I—”

  Kana grinned. “Two seconds too slow.”

  Kaelin hated how amused she sounded. “Would you shut up and climb?”

  Kana gave a dramatic sigh but complied, using her free hand to grasp the ledge and hoist herself up with surprising ease. The moment she was on solid ground, she dusted herself off as if she hadn’t just nearly fallen into a death trap.

  Kaelin, meanwhile, was still catching her breath, her heart pounding against her ribs. She scowled. “You could at least pretend to be shaken up.”

  Kana grinned. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  Kaelin groaned, rubbing her temple. “This is going to be a long few days.”

  Kana clapped her on the back. “Don’t worry, partner. I’m sure you’ll get just fast enough to be useful soon.”

  Kaelin shot her a glare. Kana only smirked wider.

  Somehow, she already knew she was going to regret saving her.