章節 26: Blindfolded

Sitting on a boulder, Lily kicked on some leaves before turning to her sister. Her blue eyes glistened brightly as she stared into hers while fiddling with her fingers.

"Don't give me that look," Lyla said with an annoyed sigh, "you know how much of a problem this is for me too!"

Lily shook her head, "someone else knows of our presence here. You should have killed him already! We don't need any witnesses or evidence against us now! If we kill everyone who has seen us then no one will ever find out about us again!"

Lyla sighed and nodded reluctantly, "I guess you are right, but Tristan said we can't kill any participants only he would when the time is right."

Lily's eyes glistened with tears as they began to roll down her cheeks. She looked up at the sky above them through the suspended water surrounding them before letting out another frustrated groan.

"You're not going to cry on my shoulder like last night?" Lyla asked as she reached over and wiped away Lily's tears.

"No… I'm fine. I just wish I could do something other than sit around doing nothing waiting for him to return to us." She replied bitterly, wiping away more of the tears from her face, leaving streaks of dirt along her cheek.

"Well, if you want to alleviate your sad state, we could go hunt for more fish." She suggested, causing her sister to smile slightly despite herself.

"That sounds good actually," Lily agreed before jumping off the rock, "we get to strike back for Tristan and what they did to us."

Lyla giggled as she watched Lily run towards a path before following after her with a grin on her lips as well.

*****

Ding!

Only one hundred and eleven hours and forty-three minutes are left on the timer for the level's completion.

Standing in a clearing, all participants were made to wear blindfolds as their hands had been tied behind their backs with a rope that was attached to each others' wrists so that all of them stood in a circle together to prevent escape attempts by anyone inside it.

'This is tiresome.' Tristan thought tiredly while waiting for some form of movement or words for the next task.

When they were told to wear the blindfolds, he had not expected to have his hands bound in such a disgusting manner that reminded him of the handcuffs he wore during his arrest or numerous transfers between prisons, but he supposed this would be better than being forced into wearing shackles again which would have caused him pain and discomfort due to how tight and constricting those things felt on one's body.

"Psst!" Damian, who stood not too far from him, whispered loudly enough for Tristan's ears only as everyone else seemed busy talking amongst themselves. He leaned closer as if trying to whisper something more private. "I know you can break free from these ropes easily with your magic, why don't you do something about them?" His voice sounded almost desperate. "I don't think I can take much more of these things."

"You're right," Tristan replied, turning in Damian's direction with a sarcastic smile playing on his lips. "Because, you know, breaking free from these ropes is the most pressing matter right now. Forget about the task at hand, forget about the bigger picture. Let's just focus on my magical abilities and how I can save us from a little inconvenience."

Damian nodded, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I know, I know. It's just... I hate feeling so helpless. I thought I would be able to protect myself, but these blindfolds, ropes..." His voice trailed off, and he looked down, his frustration evident.

Before Tristan could respond, a hushed silence fell over the clearing, signaling the arrival of someone. He felt a shift in the air, and a sense of anticipation settled among the participants. The blindfolds prevented them from seeing what was happening, but he could sense the presence of a familiar aura.

Suddenly, a voice resonated in their minds, clear and commanding. "Welcome back, participants."

Tristan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The voice was unmistakably feminine, regal, with an air of authority that demanded attention. Undoubtedly it was none other than Neriah.

"You may remove your blindfolds," Neriah continued, and with a wave of her hand, the blindfolds were whisked away from the participants' faces, revealing their surroundings and the ropes snapped apart before they dropped to the ground like dead snakes.

Tristan blinked, adjusting his vision to the sudden brightness. As his eyes focused, his breath caught in his throat. Standing before them was Neriah of breathtaking beauty, her long, flowing robes shimmering with intricate patterns and adorned with jewels that glittered in the refracted light.

Neriah surveyed the participants with a stoic expression before speaking once more. "I am Neriah, Empress of Nereid, the overseer of the final task. You have all been chosen for a purpose, and it is time for you to fulfill it."

Tristan studied her carefully, his mind racing with questions. 'What is this task she spoke of? And why had she chosen us?' Before he could voice his inquiries, Neriah continued.

"Each of you bears a mark, a scale-like pattern on your body, signifying your participation in this challenge and your downfall if you go against the regulations...."

'More or less an anchor for my need to draw blood from these jerks, but those dead sirens did help me quench my thirst.' Tristan thought as the empress began walking around the circle, inspecting each participant closely.

She stopped at Damian who stood next to him. "Your first task is to choose a partner, someone you think is like an equal. However, Damian, you are exempt from this selection." She said while looking directly into his eyes with a stern gaze that made it seem that there was no room for argument about her decision.

He nodded reluctantly and stepped aside so that another person might be selected.

Confusion rippled through the rest as they looked at each other, uncertainty etched on their faces. Shanks turned to Damian, envy evident in his eyes. "Your Imperial Highness, why is Damian exempt? He has not yet completed the tasks set forth by you!" His tone sounded almost accusing towards Neriah's choice of selecting Damian over himself despite being one of the most skilled fighters among them all.

*****

A/N

¶ Do you think Shanks will survive this slip?

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