Page 5 of Insanium (Devil’s Playground)

The white fox gave us a slow, deliberate wave, his mask etched in a sly grin.

With a flourish, he gestured to the wolf, who shook his head and stepped back, passing the focus to the bear with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The bear bowed solemnly to his companions, then turned to us.

His movements were precise, laden with silent importance as he gestured towards the doorway they had come from.

The message was clear even without words: it was time to move.

Some of the more eager players darted forward.

I hung back a moment, placing a gentle hand on Hael and Aisha’s arms. “Hold up a sec,” I whispered, not ready to let them or myself charge ahead blindly.

While I usually thrived at the front of the pack, playing it strategically seemed the smarter move this time.

“Let’s not rush. For now, it’s smarter to blend into the middle of these flesh sacks. ”

“Flesh sacks?” Hael repeated, a smirk playing on his lips.

I shrugged. “Well, isn’t that what we all are? Just a collection of charmingly arranged organic materials, a dash of blood, temporarily animated and wandering around?”

Aisha snickered, giving me a playful nudge. “Only you, Kennedy, could turn existential angst into banter.”

“I suppose when you put it that way, it does add a bit of perspective,” Hael agreed.

I surveyed the motley crew of contestants once more.

More than half had their own strategies for how they planned to advance.

I was fairly certain, as was my habit of being right, that everyone here understood the stakes.

Yet, I had overheard murmurs that some, let’s say, less judicious families of the Infernal Syndicate had naively thrown their heirs into the fray without a clue of the ordeal awaiting them.

They thought it added a thrill and upped what could be earned via the betting system.

Clearly, they hadn’t learned from past disasters, one of which had taken Ciaran’s brother, my unfortunate older cousin, out for good.

History was poised to repeat that grisly lesson.

Catching sight of Eryx again, I saw he was still with Kristy and a couple of unfamiliar faces who seemed to deliberately hang back with them. I noted it all with a twinge of disappointment.

Kristy wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but then again, I wasn’t here to judge relationships—even if Eryx’s choice of women seemed as palatable as spoiled milk.

I tucked away this nugget of information with all the rest for later use.

My gaze then flitted across the room, seeking another particular head of hair.

Right … there!

Raphael was making his way forward with … Darrel?

Fucking. Darrel.

Oh, the fates could jest indeed. How had I overlooked him? A low groan escaped me. Surely, he hadn’t missed my spectacular entrance.

“Shit. I should have mentioned he was here,” Aisha whispered, quickly catching on to my dismay, her voice laced with regret.

“It’s fine. He’s not going to ruin my day. Probably. Hopefully,” I replied, maintaining a veneer of nonchalance.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle him before he has the chance to try anything,” Hael assured me.

“You’d handle my light work?” I questioned him playfully.

He gazed down at me with a serious intensity. “For you, I’d do anything.”

“That’s why you’re my absolute favorite, Mr. Sinclair.”

Aisha shot me a knowing look, one that implied I might as well stake my claim on Hael now.

My response was a swift, silent communication: not yet.

Frankly, I hadn’t decided if he was more than just a tantalizing treat or if I wanted to change our dynamic forever.

I hadn’t even taken him for a test ride yet.

I straightened up, feeling the pull of the unknown tugging at us all.

“All right, let’s move,” I announced, giving the nod for us to proceed.

We arranged ourselves smartly in the middle—not spearheading the group of seventeen other players, but certainly not lagging behind.

As we strolled past our three enigmatic hosts, decked out in their animal masks, I couldn’t help but stir the air.

“Lovely to meet you,” I declared grandly, earning a slow once-over from the wolf and a curious tilt from the bear. “Oh, don’t do that, you’ll make me blush,” I teased, laying it on thick with mock bashfulness, which only seemed to deepen their interest.

“Never a dull moment with you,” Hael remarked quietly. “You probably made them blush back.”

“You think so? That would be nice. I could always use more fans.”

Aisha laughed. “Maybe you should just charm all the masked folks into clearing the games for us.”

“Now, where would the fun be in that?”

As we rounded the corner, a new figure in a white cat mask elegantly motioned us through another door.

Their movements were fluid, almost dance-like.

We transitioned into the next hallway, and the scene shifted dramatically.

A dizzying black and white checkered pattern stretched endlessly before us, creating a disorienting optical illusion that played tricks on the eye.

The floor beneath us began to subtly shift, propelling us forward like a silent escalator.

The door shut with a decisive thud behind us.

I glanced back just in time to see it vanish into the wall, its outline completely obscured as if it had never existed.

There was no going back.