A Game of Ordeal

Chapter seven

The sun was rising over the beautiful and quiet Denver—the streets were empty, devoid of any sign of life. They were missing the sound of cars, the loud laughter of children, and the swearing of drivers angry at pedestrians. Although the sunrise was beautiful and enchanting, it was almost hidden by thick, black clouds dancing across the sky. Outside, an icy cold wind was blowing, and in the distance, faint thunder could be heard.

Despite the bad weather outside, nothing could change the fact that today was an incredibly important day for Alexander—today was the beginning of his training. The day had finally come after long anticipation and killing impatience.

The blond-haired boy was sleeping deeply, wrapped in a thin sheet, as if he could still feel the warmth of last night's conversation. He had gone to bed late, almost at the break of dawn, after hours of chatting with Penelope. Their conversation had stretched on, filled with casual words and laughter, as if time didn't matter. She, as always, kept him awake—not by insistence, but with the ease and magic of her personality, which captivated him more with each message.

They started with the usual topics, but with each passing minute, their correspondence became something more intimate, more meaningful. Every reply from her brought freshness and playfulness, but at the same time, revealed the hidden depths of her soul. She managed to spark his curiosity with every word, and he, more and more engrossed, wanted to continue writing, to discover more about her. Penelope was not only charming and witty but also mysterious—she skillfully led the conversation, leaving small traces that lured him to keep going.

For Alexander, the hours passed unnoticed. It was as if he was in another world, a world of words and thoughts, where the two of them were alone despite the distance between them. In every playful remark of hers, there was a note of sincerity, giving him the feeling that he understood her on a deeper level. For her, it was like a dance—a play with words that made her smile in front of the screen, knowing that she had his full attention. She enjoyed this flirtation of thoughts and feelings, knowing that his interest in her was growing with each passing minute.

And so, as the night progressed and the world around them fell asleep, the two continued to write to each other as if they were the only ones that existed.

"Alex?" Christina's gentle whisper pulled him out of the world of deep sleep. "Alex, wake up."

Her soft hand lightly stroked his short blond hair—something Alexander had adored ever since he was a little boy. A smile played on his sleepy face before he groggily asked,
 

"What time is it?"

"Nine thirty," the woman replied seriously.

His blue eyes widened in sudden horror—their meeting was scheduled for ten, and it was already nine thirty, yet he was still lounging like a carefree child. Panic struck him instantly. He shot up from the bed, but in his haste, he got tangled in the thin blue sheet that was still wrapped around him. The awkward situation took him by surprise, and before he knew it, he found himself on the floor, sprawled in a comical mess.

"Damn it, damn it, why didn't my alarms go off? Damn it!"

An overwhelming sense of anxiety gripped his mind—he had been waiting for this important day for so long, and now he was going to mess it up. He kept darting left and right, lost in a panic. As he headed to the bathroom, he muttered curses under his breath and cursed his phone for once again failing to activate the damn alarms.

Behind him, Christina was quietly laughing to herself.

"Oh, damn it, I don't have time! What am I going to wear?!"

He paced the hallways in nothing but his boxers, his whole body covered in goosebumps from the cold that had enveloped him. Time was ticking—ticking away, and he still wasn't even fully awake.