To Fall is to Die

Chapter Seven (Faze)

Faze was quiet as he stepped into the elevator with some of the other contestants. Only about eight of the children could fit into one elevator, meaning that it would take them a long time to reach the dorms. He had crammed himself into the corner but still felt uncomfortable close to the girl that stood right next to him. His leg was soaked in sweat from the extra layer of protection he had placed over it.

The elevator shook a bit as it started to move, and he looked towards the girl on his right, who seemed especially solemn and focused. She would make a good team leader, but that was only if she was able to get others to listen to her orders. He hadn't seen her talk to anyone else, maybe he was more of a loner. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, one that he noticed held no lumps. A purple shirt and a pair of light gray pants completed the look. He decided that he might as well try to gather information about the other competitors before trying to face them in battle.

"What made you decide to come here?" He asked the girl, going straight into the questions without first introducing himself.

She seemed a bit startled by the rapid fire questioning but quickly gained her footing. "My sister. She needed the help." Her eyes darted to Faze's, and then shifted to the brace around his left leg. "And you are?"

Hating revealing more about himself than he had to, Faze dodged the question by asking another. "Younger sister?"

The girl nodded, her hand squeezing the handle of her suitcase. She clearly wasn't used to much human interaction. "Yeah. My name is Isa Verlane . What is yours?"

Faze was saved having to answer as the elevator stopped moving and the doors finally opened, the mouths of the children falling with it. They walked out of the elevator and onto a small platform.

They were in front of a cloud city, the skies bright and filled with sunlight. A narrow path winded through the clouds, its bricks a peachy color. He couldn't see the clock tower from here, but he knew that it would be nearby. It would be so easy to slip from these bricks so easy to give someone a slight shove and let them fall to their dooms. He stopped himself from looking down, keeping his line of vision straight. It would be especially easy for him to fall due to his casted leg, and the others knew it.

"Come, this way." The adult who was leading their small group beckoned them towards the narrow path, their practiced gaze staying away from the clouds and focusing on the children.

Faze let the other contestants go in front, pulling the hood from his orange hoodie over his head. The air here was heated by the various heaters hidden around the city, but there was still a bite of cold that struck every now and again. An older girl walked by him and kicked out at his casted leg, trying to knock him to the side. He moved out of the way, shooting the girl a glare. She raised her fist to fight him, but another girl tugged her arm.

"Come on, Liliana. This isn't our fight." The older girl scowled but followed along the path.

One kid stayed in place, holding back the whole line. "I won't go!" She shouted, tears filling her eyes. "Let me back down! I won't go on!" The adult looked behind themselves, appearing to be annoyed. They had clearly had seen same thing before from other years.

"It is too late to back out. You must go on." They replied calmly, in a voice that one would use when talking to a very young child.

"No! I won't!" The girl stamped her foot and Faze froze as he realized how close she was to the end of the platform. One misstep would lead to her doom. He shared a look with Isa, but she shook her head. Saying something to the girl could cause her to look down and pitch forward.

"There is only one way down." The adult looked away from the girl, their gaze cool and collected. "If you feel like falling, go ahead. It would mean one less competitor for this lot."

The girl looked down and her eyes widened as she saw that her foot was halfway off the platform and onto the clouds. She started to sway and tip forward, screaming as she did so.

It was true that loosing the girl would mean one less competitor, but the Cup hadn't even started, and the girl seemed so young. All of the other competitors were just ignoring her, and the older girl, Liliana, who had tried to trip him earlier was now snickering. He jumped forward and grabbed the girl's wrist, but found that they were both on the edge now.

"Isa!" He yelled, looking back towards her. She grabbed his foot and pulled, bringing them both safely in the middle of the platform.

The girl looked at both of them, surprised and grateful. "Thank you." She whispered. "You saved me."

"Watch where you step." Isa warned as she smoothed out her shirt and stepped forward onto the path. Faze held back, letting the rest of the group go before them. Once it was their turn, he held the girl's hand as she walked onto the path.

The girl was smaller than most of them, and her white-blonde hair was neatly tied back into pigtails. Her shirt was a faded pink, and her jeans had so many rips that it no longer seemed to be intentional.

"What is your name?" Faze asked the girl, his gaze on the bricks ahead of them as they walked.

"My name is Dawn." The girl answered sadly, her gaze on the clouds. "I always loved seeing the sunrise, but here you can't see it. The only thing you can see here is the sunset."

So she understood the Cup and its intentions. Faze nodded slowly, keeping his gaze on the person in front of him. Who here would see another sunrise?