Chapter 101
Fla’s POV
Everyone froze when Thorne made his proposal.
“What test!” Raelen frowned, his voice laced with confusion.
Thome glanced at me before turning back to the group, “Apparently, there’s a lest we can take to become verified rogues, and once we pass, we get access to the Grace Ruin.”
His eyes shifted to Jory, silently asking for confination. “Is that bu
Jory hesitated, clearly reluctant to speak up. “It’s true. But I don’t know the details. I’ve heard it’s dangerous–more dangerous than anything we’ve done so far. And once we step foot in the Rogue King’s imperial city there’s no turning back.”
Thome’s voice was steady, unwavering. “We don’t need to turn back. This war won’t end unless we kill the Rogue King. And the only way to do that is to Eace him head on. If anyone wants to back out, now’s the time. The Craglen Fortress will still be here when you’re ready”
Jory clenched his jaw, imitation flickering across his features.
“I’m with Gamma Elara. Wherever she goes, I go,” he said, his tone fim
Raclen nodded, determination in his eyes. “Same here. So, where do we take this best? Any clues!”
“There’s a place. Finish your meal. We’re going there as soon as we’re done Jory didn’t wait for their responses, and they ate quickly, ready to move.
It didn’t take long before they were stepping out of the restaurant, following Jory through the city streets.
The location turned out to be a dive bar, tucked away in an alley so narrow that only one person could walk through it at a time. The dingy sign above
fickered under the dim streetlamp.
As soon as Thorne pushed open the door, the bell jingled, drawing the attention of everyone inside. The air hit us–a thick cloud of smoke and stala beer,
The bar was run–down, the wooden stools chipped, the booths cracked. I could barely make out the laces of the customers huddled in shadow, eyes watching, but saying nothing. I felt their gazes on us as we made our way to the bar
An old man with a grizzled face and messy hair stood behind the counter. He looked at us briefly before grunting, “What?”
Jory slid a fity–dollar bill toward him. “Five Whiskey Ruined on the rocks.”
The bartender squinted at him. “Five? All of you?”
Ralen raised an eyebrow. “is that a problem?”
The bartender snorted, shaking his head. “Haven’t seen a group in ages. And just so you know, that drink is strong enough to knock you out. Don’t say i
didn’t warn you.”
“I know. We’ll handle it,” Thorne said with a grin, clearly unfazed.
The bartender dropped the rag he’d been wiping glasses with, then shuffled to the back to prepare the drinks
“What’s a Whiskey Ruined!” Elara whispered, her voice a little too loud for the quiet bar.
“It’s the price of entry. Just watch,” Jory repiled, his tone low but sure.
Moments later, the bartender returned with five glasses of whiskey, each holding a ticket beneath the rim. He handed them over with a gruff mutter, “Finish your drinks. The entrance is through the back. Next to the men’s room”
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$11:50 Wed: 30 JOP EI OU;
Chapter 101
We exchanged glances, then took the drinks. The whiskey burned as it slid down my throat, a fire that spread, making everything fet cleare. Astrariga kind of energy flooded through me, like Leould do anything
I downed the rest, feeling the liquid sear its way down, and followed the others toward the back of the bar. The door was exactly where the banander had said next to the men’s room
in front of it was a small ticket gate, the kind I’d seen in subways,
“Okay,” Jory said, his voice tense, “insert your ticket here. The gate will open. After that, I have no idea what happens.”
Thome’s hand found mine, his fingers warm against any skin. He squeezed gently. “Are you ready?” His eyes sparked with intensity
1smiled softly, squeezing his hand back. “Always”
Thorne stepped up first, sliding the ticket into the gate. A green light flickered, and the door swung open, revealing a dark, narrow funnel that seemed to stretch into nothingness.
followed closely behind him, inserting my own ticket as we went. One by one, the others followed, each passing through the gate.
The tunnel was pitch black, the air thick with humidity and the smell of mildew. The walls fell slick with moss, and I reached out, steadying myself along the rough surface.
The steps descended, twisting down, down into the earth, I lost track of how many flights we’d descended–ten? Twelve? My legs ached, but I kept my focus on the path ahead.
“Is it much further?” Bex’s voice echoed from the back of the group.
No one had an answer. We were all just as in the dark as he was
Another five minutes passed, and then, finally, we reached the bottom, I almost stumbled as I stepped off the final stair.
Before us stood a rusted iron door, its edges corroded with age. Thorne gave it a slight push, and the door creaked open, revealing a small cell, the size of a bedroom.
Inside, a dozen or more people were already waiting, all of them staring at us with cold, hostile eyes. They didn’t move, just watched as we entered.
Raclen muttered, “What is this? A group test?”
I walked closer to a man who stood near the wall, his eyes narrow and calculating. “Are you here for the test too?” I asked, trying to make conversation.
He didn’t respond, not at first. Then, in a sudden motion, he grabbed my wrist, his fingers like iron, and sniffed it. His grin grow wide, revealing yellow
tooth
“You smell… different,” he said, his voice almost a growl. “Not Eke a rogue. What are you?”
I jerked back, but before I could do anything else, Thome was there, his hand gripping the rogue’s throat and slamming him against the wal
The rogue’s legs kicked helplessly, trying to find purchase, “No… please don’t…” he gasped.
“Wrong person to mess with,” Thorne said coolly, his voice laced with a lethal edge.
I called his name softly. “Thorne…”
Reluctantly, he loosened his grip, dropping the rogue to the ground. He turned back to me, taking my hand and guiding me back to our group.
“Are you okay?” Jory asked, concern in his eyes
I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. These are just common rogues. Not soldiers. They’re nothing to fear.”
Chapter 101
Bex scratched his head, looking baffled. “What the hell is this place? A caps for rogues? And what did he mean by don’t kill anyone before the he
I sighed, my gaze flicking to Thorne. “Doesn’t it remind you of something?”
“The Coliseum,” Thorne’s voice was ice.
The rogue’s words echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t shake the comparison. The Coliseum–the brutal arena where slaves fought for sport. This k the same game.
“Filthy bastards,” Raelen muttered.
We sat on the cold floor, waiting in silence.
on, and I leaned against Thorne, closing my eyes. “You should rest,” he whispered. “I’ll wake you up when it’s time
The minutes dragged on,
“I’m not tired, treplied softly. “I’m just… excited,”
The fire inside me burned brighter now. The Rogue King–he was close, I could feel it in my bones. This was what we’d been preparing for.
Time passed, but I wasn’t counting. It felt like an eternity before the low hum of machinery rattled through the air.
The ground beneath us trembled, and dust fell from the ceiling. Everyone jumped to their feet as the brick wall before us slowly slid open.
Silver moonlight poured into the room. And what we saw beyond the door made my heart race.
We were in a Coliseum.
It was real.
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