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I spat a curse under my breath as I slowly rose to my feet, brushing gravel from my cheeks and gloved hands. Taking in the vast expanse of the desolate mountain range that stretched as far as the eye could see, feeling a sense of isolation wash over me. Glancing around, I noticed two other contestants asleep nearby, dressed in similar slick, black attire that shimmered like scales in the faint, watery light. Thick, black boots encased my feet, their laces reaching up to my shins—sturdy enoughfor traversing the terrain yet heavy enough to hinder swift movement.

I turned my gloved hands over, feeling the strange material flex and stretch against my fingers. Whatever this fabric consisted of, I hoped it would hold up to this desolate landscape of ice.

Pushing myself upright, I focused on shaking off the remnants of grogginess, allowing the biting cold to slice through me, waking me fully to the bleak reality of my situation.

To my left, a rugged expanse of towering mountains stretched out, their jagged peaks crowned with a thick layer of snow, while dark clouds swirled ominously overhead, casting a sense of impending doom. Ahead of me and to the right was a sheer fatal cliff that would send anyone who misstepped into the Afterworld. Behind us lay a thicket of dead bushes and a path leading downward, promising potential shelter. If the supposed dragon didn't claim us, surely the merciless elements would.

"Some match for compassion," I scoffed bitterly, remembering the toast everyone chanted before the king drugged us. I eyed one of the contestants who jerked nearby, her dark braid swept over her face.

I shook out my limbs, searching for anything that could serve as a weapon, but found only a barren landscape of frozen, brittle terrain.

I crouched beside the girl while the boy to my left suddenly awoke with a loud groan, his voice piercing the silent mountains.

I tried to shake her awake, but she remained unresponsive while the boy's groans grew louder, drawing attention to our presence.

Rushing towards him to muffle his sounds, he unexpectedly swung a punch at my side, knocking the wind out of me and sending me crashing to the ground. Pain shot through my kneesas they hit the rocky terrain. A cough escaped my lips as I struggled to catch my breath.

He scrambled to his feet, his blue eyes wide with disbelief as he surveyed our surroundings.

"Where are we?" he demanded, his blonde hair stark against the somber clouds. "What happened? This wasn't part of the plan!" His curses echoed louder than I'd prefer.

"Hush yourself unless you want to be eaten,"I warned, eyeing him warily as he sized me up. Rising to my feet, I still felt the lingering effects of the drug clouding my thoughts.

"What do you know?" he spat, his tone laced with arrogance.

I shrugged indifferently. "Clearly, the king drugged us and wanted us to stumble unwittingly into the monster's lair."

He staggered back as the girl coughed herself awake. She shot up, stumbling back into a prickly, dead bush. Cursing, she shoved her braid over her shoulder and hastily regained her footing.

"What's going on?" she spat, her voice laced with as much venom as I felt.

"Fernwen here thinks monsters reside in these mountains," the boy said, moving closer to the girl, helping her settle.

I shot him a glare. Fernwen? They knew I was from Fernwen, yet I knew nothing about them, but perhaps that was my fault.

"Monsters, huh?" the girl coughed, brushing herself off. "As if she knows anything besides how to cower in fear."

The boy smirked, casting a knowing glance in my direction.

"Whatwasthe plan then?" I scowled at them, my voice edged with frustration.

"Like Tyran would I tell you. Remember, only one wins," the boy retorted defiantly.

Gritting my teeth, I surveyed them, realizing they were just like Jesri, like all those at the king's party—hungry for fame and money.

"Do you know anything about survival in these conditions—"

A deafening roar erupted from the cliff behind us, shaking the ground beneath our feet and assaulting our eardrums. The girl collapsed to her knees, hands clamped over her ears, and screamed in terror, her voice bellowing just as loud as the roar. Instinctively, I lunged toward her, covering her mouth as we all crouched in frozen fear.

She quickly shoved me off and bolted down the jagged mountainside path. The boy followed suit, struggling to maintain his balance against the pull of the steep slope. I cast one last desperate glance around, searching for any sign, any clue that could aid us, but found nothing.

I quickly staggered after them, leaping from one jagged rock to another. We ran perilously close to the cliff's edge, its sheer drop stealing my breath.

"Move it, Zeph!" the boy hissed urgently at the girl, his voice strained with fear as he slowed down to assist her.

I rolled my eyes in disgust—so much for the idea that only one of us would win.

We stumbled down the treacherous slope as another thunderous roar reverberated dangerously close behind us. Glancing back, my heart pounded as I saw nothing but the swirling darkness of the approaching storm clouds.