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Inhale.

Exhale.

"This is going to hurt." I felt Levon's hand take my dislocated finger as I grounded myself on the cold stone floor.

Inhale.

"One, two—"

I yelped, quickly stifling the cry as more pain jostled up my arm. Levon wrapped a small bandage around the injured fingers, then lifted me onto the bed, holding me close as the tears fell. I let the fear, the pity, the hatred, and the anger consume me until darkness overtook everything.

"It is attainable, Xaldruk," the oily voice hissed, barely audible, as the surrounding darkness pulsed, sending tremors through the earth. The mountains trembled, and the rivers roared in response.

Cheers erupted from below, their echoes bouncing off the blood-stained sky.

"Good," the shadowy voice snarled.

25

Iwoke to the gentle rhythm of Levon's chest moving beneath me, his arms still wrapped around me, warding off the chill of the night. I rubbed my tear-stained cheeks, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over me as I shifted against the stiffness in my limbs. Levon shifted as I sat up in the darkness, wondering how long I had been asleep. A faint yellow light filtered in from under the hall door, casting a soft glow over my surroundings.

I slipped off the bed, the cool stone floor grounding me as I navigated the darkness towards the privy. After securing the door and swiftly attending to my needs, I emerged to find Kaizen standing mere inches from the door. His hand shot out, muffling any startled sound that threatened to escape my lips. His eyes blazed with an intensity that seemed to pierce the dimly lit room. After releasing me, he gestured for me to follow silently. He disappeared into his small room, waiting for me to enter before closing the door, plunging us into a cloak of impenetrable darkness.

A slash crackled as a flame materialized, illuminating the room as Kaizen set down the oil lamp, casting eerie shadowsover his features. His leathers, cloak, and tunic lay discarded on a chair, revealing a muscled chest adorned with several scars, each a testament to a past battle. One scar, jagged and deep, led down to his left hip, disappearing into his pants.

I quickly shifted my eyes up and around the room as he grabbed his tunic, sliding it back on and closing the distance between us. His features blazed with worry, an unfamiliar expression in those usually harsh eyes.

"Eliah," Kaizen said urgently, his eyes intense. "There's more at stake here than this rutting tournament, so listen carefully or risk succumbing to the darkness and losing more than your chance at freedom."

I stared at him, wide-eyed and unsure how to react.

"Levon will hate me for telling you all this, but you need to know," he sighed, rubbing the stubble on his face with worry before pulling me away from the door as if afraid Levon might overhear. "With the neural pathways established, the Spellcasters are able to use their twisted abilities to manipulate minds," he continued. "They can tear apart and connect to pathways withinyourmind, turning you into a puppet. They're able to do this through the very fabricator of the universe called the Ethereal—magic, if you will."

I inhaled sharply, my mind flashing back to earlier, feeling so hollow and buried deep within myself. "I thought," I paused. "I thought I was going crazy," I muttered, recalling Kaizen's amber eyes darkening under my chokehold.

"They exploit your weaknesses. Show you everything you despise about yourself and rummage through your memories like a drug," Kaizen said, his gaze steady. "Only a conflict of pain can disrupt their control," he said urgently. "So, when you feel it happening again—and it will—you must let it happen to, first,understand it. Focus on what it feels like, how it moves within your mind, and how it scrapes through your thoughts. For whenit happens again, you'll be able to fully grasp it and channel your anger towards it to crush its head." He looked over me as fear entered my heart.

"So, I need you to clear your mind," he whispered. "They can take a step into these connecting pathways through your fear, socommandyour fear to dissipate. It can have no place in you. Remember the breathing techniques Levon has taught you:Youcontrol your emotions.Youcontrol what you feel."

I took a sharp breath, trying to make sense of all this, and feeling rather odd that Kaizen washelpingme rather than beating me down.

He glared at me, his eyes practically glowing in the dark, as I quickly nodded, steadying my heartbeat and convincing myself that I wasn't afraid.

"Do you feel any tangible fear?" Kaizen asked, his gaze piercing as if he could read my thoughts.

"I…don't think so—"

"Are you afraid?" he pressed, his tone urgent. "I need you to guard yourself and fight back. Even if youareafraid, youmustfight back—"

"I am afraid," I admitted with a hiss, lifting my chin with determination. "You are hearing yourself, aren't you? All of this is absolutely insane!" I hissed, my anger spiking.

Kaizen's eyes narrowed as he realized how close we were and took a step back. Fear and anger intertwined deep within me, feeling consumed by a battle of lies and secrets that had been hidden from me for far too long. The inside of my core burned with a determination to prove him wrong, to prove the fear wrong.

"Control it, Eliah," he snapped back. "Becausethatwill be all you have left."

I racked my brain, replaying Kaizen's short but critical commands repeatedly. A sick feeling gnawed at me as I clasped my hand around my throat, the phantom shadow of the figure's grip lingering with each breath of cool air slicing through my lungs. I ran up and down the long corridor, the inn's single hallway stretching for miles. Door after door, I kept running, unable to sleep, unable to let myself feel or think too much about what had transpired.

When you feel it happening again—and it will—you must let it happen.