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He took a deep breath. “The winner, the one who Claims you, gets to keep you as his prize. And then he can do whatever he wishes with you.”
My heart raced, my mind a whirlwind of fear and confusion. “And what aboutyou?”I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Are you here to... to Claim me too?”
He looked at me, his eyes intense. “Yes… and no. That’s not why I was chosen. That’s why we’re cuffed together. My species, the Zelthori, never Claims a female without her permission. Unlike the others here.”
I looked down at the cuffs that bound us, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and resentment. “So you’re my… protector?”
He nodded. “In a way, yes. But it’s more than that. If you are Claimed, I lose too.”
I met his gaze, searching for answers. “What happens to you then?”
He looked away, his voice barely audible. “No one really knows. The losing contestants are never heard from again. Maybe they are released… maybe not.”
The gravity of the situation hit me all at once.
We were trapped in a dangerous game, with my life and dignity at stake.
* * *
Talan’s revelations came like rapid punches, each more unsettling than the last.
Still perched high on the tree, our vantage point afforded us a panoramic view of the treacherous terrain that stretched out beneath us.
The gravity of my situation settled heavy in my stomach.
This wasn’t just survival; it wasentertainment.
“When a male is injured in this game,” Talan continued, looking down at his hands, “he’s taken back to one of those glass pods to wait.”
“To wait for what?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“For the female to either die or be Claimed. In either of those scenarios, the event is reset. Every participant is returned to their pods.”
My brows furrowed, trying to make sense of it all. “So it’s like… a reset button? Everything starts over?”
He nodded slowly. “Yes. And every time we restart, the platform we’re on shrinks in size. It’s designed to make things more… exciting.”
“Exciting?” My voice was incredulous. “Exciting for who?”
“The viewers,” Talan murmured.
My heart skipped a beat.“Viewers?What viewers?”
He glanced at me, his eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and resignation.“Billionsof them. Aliens, from across the galaxy, watching us. Watching you. Right now.”
I felt my face grow pale.
My eyes darted around the surroundings, searching for some sort of sign, a camera, or any indication we were being watched. “Where are the cameras? I don’t see any.”
Talan leaned in, whispering as if the trees themselves might overhear. “They’re nanoscopic. So small, you can’t see them with the naked eye.”
“Not even you with your superior vision?” I quizzed, looking for some reassurance.
He shook his head, his expression somber. “Not even with my superior senses.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
The implications were mortifying.
