A Wish So Deadly

The Leviathan sways, and my stomach lurches. The deck stretches out, its polished wood gleaming wet in the moonlight. The ship is undeniably grand, but it feels claustrophobic with the weight of exhaustion pressing down on my shoulders.

Competitors can barely stay on their feet around me, their bodies broken from the surprise first trial. Some are gagging, others crying. The air thickens with emotions, the lingering aftertaste of anger, betrayal and fear hanging like a fog.

Two more competitors tumble on to the deck with a victorious scream – a copper-haired guy and a girl with a shiny black ponytail, the pair who had asked Fritz and Harry for their autographs. I remember their names from the Introduction. Troy and Selene.

Taron sits on the floor beside me, his arms looped around his legs. His chest rises and falls heavily, and his dress shirt is soaked through, clinging to him like a second skin.