THE SCARLESS ALLIANCE

Chapter I

The last day of the fifth trial, It’s just a coincidence that four of my friends and I managed to survive throughout all trials without ending up like the rest of the victims, maybe that's because we’re lucky. We all made it at the edge of the finals. No doubt it’s one of the greatest moments I had in my entire life. It all now depends on the finals. One step closer to becoming the final member of the Scarless Alliance. Known to be the most prestigious alliance that everyone wanted to get themselves into. But, in reality, it feels like a suicide mission. You don’t know when you are gonna die or live. That’s the fun part. But the trials I’ve gone through, they were not once dead bodies and blood that weren't present. Why did I choose this path? Well, it’s been my dream being part of the alliance since I was young, I would watch each trial on my holographic television for every season recruiting new members just like what I’ve been through, imagining myself being able to participate in. The trials were being allowed to lapse over time, not a single mending of them has ever happened.

Now that I got the chance to, my loyal friends decided to join me, and we all had a hell of a journey to the end. Endless thoughts of the final trial began rummaging through my exhausted mind, I didn’t get a chance to get a peaceful sleep. Dawn broke the next day as I was getting ready with my formal attire for the ceremony. My eyes were heavy, my movements were limped, and my arms were weak. A maiden came bursting through my room with a wide smile to compensate for my nightmare of a rest.

“Darling, get yourself ready. You need to be on stage in a few minutes.” The maiden smiled.

I nodded drowsily, as my consciousness began to slowly drift back and forth. The maiden then left the room after that short reminder. I managed to get myself ready for the ceremony, and I left the room limping towards the main hall. The light illuminated the golden stage through the glass dome hovering above it. Thousands of people were roaring our names at least ten feet away from the stage viewing from large sitting podiums. My friends and I were standing solemnly in a vertical line at the side edge of the stage waiting for the que to go upfront. The great leader, Osmosis declared his year long introduction before we had the chance to move. The moment they mentioned our names, I was thrilled escaping from the boredom I consumed earlier. We walked gleefully up the stage facing towards the crowd.  The crowd was about to go wild and in a split second they suddenly went silent. Confused, I glanced back to see a taller golden podium with all the five members of the Scarless Alliance standing still. All of us made a hundred and eighty degree turn, facing towards them.

“Congratulations,” Osmosis said, looking down at us. “You five have successfully completed the five trials before standing beyond the final showdown.”

The crowd applauded as the sound of their hands colliding repeatedly, deafened me. I peered to my right and left to examine my friends’ reaction. They seem rather paranoid and nervous just as I am. We couldn’t stand still, we kept shuffling our feet at the same spot being pressured constantly by the crowd.

“Therefore, Let the final trials begin!”