Chapter 77
Seventy-seven
Icannot afford to feel regret at this moment. The guilt that claws at my insides hollows me with each tear. Something akin to relief flashes in Leo’s eyes before his face distorts in agony. He shattered my belief in him and us. In return, I traded his trust for torment.
The blood running through my veins has turned toxic, venom pulsing in its place.
I hate him.
I hate Pluto.
I hate the Kosmos.
I hate these fucking games.
But most of all, I hate myself.
I remove the moonstone from Leo’s pocket as he watches me with labored breaths, clutching his side, blood seeping between his fingers.
He doesn’t take his eyes off me, but I refuse to let those amber eyes haunt me for a moment more.
Without another word, I stand. The dagger hangs limply in my hand, crimson droplets dripping onto the polished floor.
There’s nothing left to say. Forcing one foot in front of the other, I walk towards the star path but pause as I reach the center of the room, my ears poised, listening as I pocket my dagger once more.
A faint whining noise increases to a high-pitched whistle.
The ground trembles as wind rushes around me, blowing the hair from my face.
Without warning, a beam of light shoots downward, surrounding me in its warm embrace.
My feet lift off the ground as the beam raises me skyward.
Looking up, I see the distorted waves of a portal hovering, ready to greet me and transport me out of this hellhole.
There’s no need to find another way out now that I have these shards—the two fragments solidify my win as the Celestial champion, despite Pluto and Leo’s attempts to stop me.
I close my eyes, accepting the finality of everything that has led to this moment, as I am teleported from the observatory.
I never look back.
I stumble as the portal drops me into the sand, landing on my hands and knees.
The hoots and cheers of my friends and family are louder than the deafening ringing of the crowd’s applause.
Disoriented, I raise my neck to gather my surroundings.
I’m back in the arena, where all the contestants, save for Leo, and their sponsors stand around me smiling, fists raised in the air.
Orion pushes through them to rush to my side.
He kneels beside me, laughing as he wraps me in his arms. “You did it, Zi, you fucking did it.”
Orion’s golden arms hold me up against him as my body sags with an emotional and physical exhaustion that consumes me.
He’s pristine, glowing, clean. I’m covered in dried, crusted blood.
Sweat and tears coat every surface of my body.
But inside me? That’s where I feel dirtiest. I lean my head back against Orion, finding the Kosmos where they stand, clapping, on their dais.
My eyes lock with Pluto’s. You’re stuck with me now, fucker.
Like a fissure, I will relentlessly spread throughout the Order until they crack and collapse.
Sooner or later, I will be the reason they fall.
Every blink takes effort as I attempt to pull myself from a daze. Was this worth what I’ve paid?
“Astralis, we give you Zellie Toro, the Celestial champion of the Gemini Games!” A sugared voice echoes.
The voice belongs to one of the Kosmos, but I don’t care to see who.
Orion supports my elbows as I stand, listening to the crowd scream my name.
Don’t they know what I’ve done? The betrayal that has stained my soul?
I’m not a good person, I want to tell them.
I’m nobody’s hero; I’m certainly no champion.
“With an astounding six pieces of moonstone secured, Zellie has beaten the odds, surviving all five games, and emerging victorious! What an epic conclusion this game brought with a dramatic showdown between Toro and Leo Vance, who were tied for the winning position until the very end! A memorable finale for an impressive showing from Toro and her contestants. We cannot thank the citizens of Astralis and the contestants enough for being with us for this year’s Games.
Please enjoy a brief intermission before we all rejoin in a ceremony to restore the constellation and officially induct our newest Celestial champion. Thank you!”
Orion ushers me out of the arena while taking inventory of my various injuries.
He passes a glass of water my way, forcing it into my hands.
“I’m here, Zellie. I’m with you.” We’re in a small meeting area, much like the room I was in when I first met Orion.
He has a pail of water and a wet cloth that he attentively brushes against my skin.
Don’t bother; you can’t wash away what I’ve done.