Everything had fallen into chaos quickly. The second the commencement ball rang, the cacophony erupted into a fever pitch.
Contestants surged toward each other like a tide, fists flying, bodies colliding. I’d seen fear in the eyes of most of these fighters. Especially those who’d registered recently like me. For those who’d stayed longer, they picked us out and targeted us. Making mental notes of who was weaker and easy to kill.
Four kills and sixty four survivors. This was how these games were played.
Alpha Roman wanted a show. He made sure to make us suffer. To prolong each kill and still ensure his contestants were plenty. He was a proud man, and having 60 women kill for him was a cherry on top.
Grunts of effort and pain echoed in my ears as the first blows were exchanged. The sight was madness-flesh hitting flesh, the dull thud of bodies meeting the ground, and the crowd’s cheers rising like a frenzied anthem. I felt the adrenaline coursing through me, but I fought to keep my mind clear, focused. I would not lose myself in this frenzy.
I waded through the chaos, eyes scanning for my targets. I wasn’t here to kill everyone; I wanted Malia and Jessy. They were the ones I needed to deal with. Malia was an unstoppable force, striking down contestants with brutal efficiency, while Jessy cowered in the corner, her eyes wide with fear.
“Good to see she’s good at hiding and sneaking up on people,” I muttered under my breath, my voice barely rising above the noise. The irony was almost too rich to swallow, but there was no time to dwell on it. I couldn’t let Malia get to Jessy before I did.
I watched as Malia took down another opponent, her movements fluid and lethal, a predator reveling in the hunt. My stomach twisted at the sight. I had never seen her like this-so ruthless, so unrestrained. The darkness in her was unearthing something in me that I didn’t want to confront. It felt almost contagious.
Then, just as I was about to launch myself toward Jessy, Seline emerged from the crowd, eyes glinting with malice. I remembered her well; she was the very one who had distracted me when Jessy had plunged that knife into me. Rage flared within me, a violent pulse that quickened my heartbeat.
Seline grinned, picking up a jagged stone from the ground, and my body instinctively went into defense mode. I sidestepped her first swing, adrenaline sharpening my senses. “You’re going to regret that,” I hissed, my voice low and deadly.
But Seline wasn’t intimidated. “What’s the matter, Jacky? Scared? I heard you can’t handle the truth.” Her voice dripped with contempt, and every word felt like a brand against my skin. “I’m the one who gave Malia the poisoned ax that killed her sister. Eloise died like a little bitch.”
Something inside me snapped. The rage that had simmered beneath the surface boiled over, an inferno consuming my thoughts. I charged at Seline, my body moving without hesitation. I was no longer defending; I was attacking with a singular focus, my mind a storm of fury and memories.
I tackled Seline to the ground, pinning her beneath me. The crowd roared around us, but their cheers faded into the background as I wrapped my arm around her neck, pressing down with all my strength. Her struggles were futile, her flailing limbs losing power against my relentless grip.
Eloise’s face flashed before my eyes, the memory of her laughter, her innocence, the way she had trusted me. And Anna-sweet Anna, who now had no mother. I choked back a sob as the vision of their betrayal coursed through my veins, fueling my anger. This was for them. This was for the sister I couldn’t save, for the girl who had been left behind.
Seline’s gasps filled my ears, and I tightened my hold, watching as her eyes widened with panic. The fury washed over me like a wave, drowning out every rational thought. I felt powerful, in control, a force of nature. Her struggles grew weaker, and I pressed harder, waiting for the moment she would stop fighting back.
It was a trance, a dance with rage, and then suddenly, there was silence. Seline’s body went limp beneath me, and I couldn’t stop myself. In a burst of primal instinct, I gripped her head and twisted, the sickening snap reverberating through the arena. I released her, the body falling lifelessly to the ground.
Breathless, I rose to my feet, my eyes scanning the chaos. The thrill of violence coursed through me, but I quickly registered the devastation I had wrought. Malia had killed two girls, her movements still fierce. The second girl had been the one who’d come to me earlier, the one who had whispered a warning.
I wasn’t done. Jessy was still cowering in the corner, the one I truly wanted. I took a step toward her, a fierce determination gripping me, but before I could close the distance, the bell rang, signaling the end of the challenge. The crowd erupted in cheers, but the sound felt hollow, as if mocking me.
“Contestants, cease all combat!” Alpha Roman’s Beta announced, his voice cutting through the noise.
But I wasn’t finished. I was blinded by the need for revenge, my fists clenched tight as I ignored the command. I launched myself at Jessy, my body moving on instinct, fueled by the violence I had just unleashed.
I tackled her to the ground, the impact jarring us both. Before she could react, I landed a solid punch to her face, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone beneath my knuckles. Her nose broke, blood spraying as she gasped in shock.
“Jacky, stop!” someone cried out, but I was too far gone to listen. ” Alpha Roman will punish you for disobeying.” I straddled her, my fists raining down blow after blow, each punch fueled by my unrelenting rage, by the betrayal that had become my reality.
The announcer shouted again, ordering the contestants to seize all combat, but no one dared to intervene. They were all frozen, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe, as if they were witnessing something primal and raw. I was lost in a haze, in a frenzy of retribution, and the world around me faded away.
It wasn’t until the royal guards rushed in, muscles coiling like serpents, that I was pulled away from Jessy. They yanked me back, dragging me off her bloodied form, and I felt the weight of my actions crash down on me like a tidal wave. My hands were slick with blood, and as I was dragged away, I locked eyes with Jessy, her face a mask of horror and disbelief.
“I will kill you!”