No Way Out

Chapter 10: Arrows

Chapter 10: Arrows

Honey's POV

"Where the hell are we?" Ally's voice was laced with a potent mix of frustration and weariness as Marsha pushed the door open fully.

I had dared to hope, for a fleeting second, that this time the door wouldn't lead to another twisted game, another arena of despair. I thought, foolishly, that maybe, just maybe, this was our escape. But no. We were dumped unceremoniously into what looked like another basketball court. A wave of resignation washed over me. There was no getting out of this. This place had us trapped in its sickening, cyclical game.

"So, another setting again," Ally stated, her voice flat with disappointment.

"What else would we expect from this damned place?" Reixel added, her tone mirroring Ally's somber mood.

"Wait a second, guys, is that Celestria?" French's voice, a sudden burst of hope, cut through the gloom. She was pointing towards the far end of the court, her finger trembling slightly.

Thank God, she was alive.

"It is her!" Reixel breathed out, relief flooding her face.

"Celestria!" French called out, taking a hesitant step forward.

Celestria, who had been facing two other figures, turned towards us, a faint smile gracing her lips. She left the two women and started walking towards us.

"We thought that Master had already killed you," I choked out, my chest tightening.

The relief of seeing her alive was overwhelming, and a strange, unfamiliar heat prickled behind my eyes. I swallowed hard, determined to keep the tears at bay.

She just smiled, a gesture that, under normal circumstances, would have been reassuring. But something was off. Terribly off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was a wrongness about her that sent a shiver down my spine.

"What did they do to you?" Reixel asked, her voice filled with worry.

I saw Celestria's smile falter, her eyes clouding over with a deep sadness at Reixel's question. I exchanged a knowing look with Reixel, confirming my suspicions. Something was definitely wrong.

Celestria slowly raised a hand to her mouth, then revealed the horror that was concealed within. Her lips, once so expressive, were now crudely sewn shut with thick, dark thread. Ally gasped, her hand flying to her own mouth in shock. Even I recoiled, a wave of nausea washing over me.

"W-why did he do this to you?" Reixel whispered, her voice thick with pity.

"It's better this way, Reix, than having that Master kill her," I said, trying to inject a note of practicality into the situation. It was a weak consolation, but it was the best I could offer. Celestria nodded slowly, as if agreeing with my grim assessment. She then gestured towards the two women standing a short distance away.

So, as expected, there were new players in this sick game. I recognized them instantly. Sapphire, a classmate of Ally's, known for her sharp wit and even sharper tongue. And Zaunna, who went to the same school as French and Reixel, always quiet and observant. I wondered what they were thinking, standing there, clueless about the terrifying ordeal that awaited them.