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There were several freestanding doors arrayed around the forest, seemingly leading to nowhere. But I knew better than to assume that in a place like this. Magic was most definitely a part of whatever these doors were here for.
I pointed at one of the random doors that was sitting out in the open. “I think we need to take one of these.”
Trace nodded. “Agreed. They must be here for a reason, right? By my guess, we need to take the ones with the stars on the corner of the door. It’s actually the same star that you put on the door for us to meet you.”
My forehead wrinkled. “Well, that’s not strange or anything.”
Trace shrugged. “From what I’ve heard, they create the playing field based on the ideas and thoughts of the people that are competing. I guess it does
n’t make sense to the others, but for you, it makes perfect sense.”
“All right.” I nodded. “Stay close.”
We approached the door with the glimmering star on it, but before I could grab the handle, several people burst out of the foliage around us.
Wesley and his crew had caught up to us.
“Dammit! Go, go, go!”
I yanked open the door, and the men dived through after me. Lachlan closed it hard the second he was through, but there was no way to lock it. Seconds later, our pursuers were on us again.
And they weren’t the only ones out for blood.
Everywhere we went, there was some kind of strange animal trying to kill us. There were beasts with spikes down the backs of their heads and along their large flailing tails. There were manlike creatures that had no eyes in their sockets—but despite being blind, they were capable of throwing magic darts with almost pristine precision.
The magical creatures slowed our human attackers, but several of our competitors still found chances to lob blasts of magic at us. Anger and adrenaline poured through me. Our plan had unraveled at the fucking seams, and now we were improvising for our lives.
“The next door!” Trace yelled, skidding to a stop next to a large golden door with a star imprinted on the left corner. “Come on!”
He didn’t wait for us, just jumped through the door. We all went through as soon as we reached it, fighting off our pursuers. We had lost Wesley at least, but several other Magic Blessed students were still on our heels.
I was the last to pass through the doorway, and as I leapt through it, my throat closed in panic.
There was nothing for my foot to connect with on the other side.
I was hurtling through empty space. Falling through an endless black abyss.
Holy fuck. Maybe this door idea was all wrong.
My arms pinwheeled as I cursed the fact that we’d been running blindly, fueled by panic and adrenaline.
Then I caught sight of something in the blackness. A small, shimmering scroll, just like the one I had nabbed during the preliminary competition last semester.
“Guys!” I screamed out toward the bodies I could barely see in the darkness ahead of me. “Scrolls! There are scrolls down here! Grab them!”
Wind tore at my hair as I continued to fall, and as terrifying as the long drop was, it was even more horrifying to know that it would stop at some point—with me in a giant splat if I didn’t get out of here.
But I wouldn’t end this until the men were out. I waited, straining my eyes as I peered into the darkness. I saw Lachlan then Trace each grab a scroll, and as soon as they did, they vanished from below me. Merrick glanced up, hardly more than a blur in the darkness.
“Take a scroll, Ari.”
His voice was hard, and I could hear the anger and worry in it. Those twin emotions burned in my chest too, and I shook my head. If my arms hadn’t been too busy flailing as I fell, I would’ve crossed them over my chest stubbornly.
Merrick gave a growl of frustration and finally reached out, snatching a scroll as he fell past it.
Relief flooded me, and I began searching the darkness for my own scroll.
But I couldn’t see any more. I fell and fell and fell, covering what felt like an endless distance, but no flashes of light caught my eye.
