Once upon a time, the realms of Chance and Men lived in peace and harmony. The balance of the worlds was perfect. Unfortunately, the thirst for power and magic is an inevitable poison, as insatiable as the noble families of chance. Their thirst led...
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Chapter 16
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We set off at dawn, leaving most of the other players behind. Some of them are on edge, so it's best to avoid being around in case of an argument or if some players want to increase their chances of winning the game. None of them have, to our knowledge, a card similar to ours. None of them know that, at the end of the path, the deadly rabbit trial awaits us.
I swallow at the thought. No survivors in all the editions of a game like this. It's a meadow, according to the map, and I suspect a test of endurance similar to the fields of ruins. My ankle may hurt less, but I'm not convinced I can run.
Some players, like us, took off at sunrise. I'm glad to see Natalie, despite my premonition that she won't make it through the day. Her lips are blue, and her complexion is corpse-like. I suspect an infection in her wounds. She's the same age as my mother, and I feel a pang in my heart at the thought. The creators of such games, of such monsters, are not human. They are monsters. No one should have to endure such a thing. She looks at me sideways from time to time, and I smile at her, just as I would smile at my mother from the kitchen while she prepares the meal.
Since I landed here, I hadn't thought about what I left behind. But as I look at some survivors around me, I can't help but think of my own village, the familiar faces, my routines. I think of Violette, Cassis, my parents, and my cat... at that thought, my eye catches a movement far ahead, resembling black fur. I grab Killian's arm, abruptly stopping. "Did you see that?" He looks at me worriedly and puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, alert to our surroundings. But nothing happens, and after several seconds, I end up releasing him. "Nothing, I must have imagined it." He furrows his brow and resumes walking, still keeping his hand on the hilt of his weapon, ready to use it if necessary.
For a moment, I was convinced I saw my cat, running between the trees, but I dismiss that absurd thought. Fatigue and paranoia have been constant since I landed here. I think about the clue I received during the first trial, the hastily written message from my sister on the back. How could she have known what to tell me? Is she watching me? After all, these games must have been created for something more than just reducing the local population. Xavier mentioned a facade for something bigger. These games are organized by the Prince of Hearts. Does he want to overthrow the King of Spades? If that's the case, why would the latter help me win, and most importantly, what do my sister and I have to do with this political scenario?
I can't help but constantly dwell on these questions in my mind. Nevertheless, my sole goal is to retrieve my sister and my previous life. I glance at Killian, imagining a world where our encounter would have been more peaceful. A sailor I met at the port, a suitor. I foolishly smile at this thought. If only...
