Page 99 of The Wishing Game

By disqualified, I guess she meansdead.

"Until we meet again." The wraith offers a salute before she vanishes from sight.

TWENTY-THREE

We arrive at the P'davi complex half an hour later. The journey down the mountain is smooth, and I'm amazed to see how similar the environment is to that of my world. There is a dense forest at the base of the mountain, and the complex is nestled right in the middle of it. It almost looks like a military center. There's a metal fence surrounding the entire area. Inside, there are rows of buildings painted in a nondescript gray. They are all the same height—some five or six floors.

The closer we get, the more I'm surprised at how well guarded the complex is. There's barbed wire around the metal fence, with armed guards stationed at every watch tower. We head for the gate of the complex, which, as we get closer, I realize must be quite a few meters in height.

I stare up at the intricate design engraved on the gate. It represents a circle cut in two. The bisecting line flares into a triangle at both ends of the circle, with vines entwining the line and flowers slowly blooming, one development phase at a time.

One of the guards comes up to us, requesting to see our key, which I hold up for him to see. Nodding at us, he gives his colleague the signal to open the gates.

There's a loud sound as the gate creeps open, the bottom dragging onto the ground. When there's an opening wide enough for us to pass, it suddenly stops.

We go through and the first thing that greets us is a large courtyard—the area where the next trial will be announced. There are already people around, all of them with their own teams—none larger than five. In fact, there's no one around that's on their own, and as they turn their attention toward us, I can see the interest and curiosity radiating from them. We are competing for the same prize, after all. They're probably sizing us up for any potential weaknesses.

As we get to the accommodation, we see more and more people, and I realize that plenty of teams have made it past the first trial. But what worries me more than anything is the fact that they all look to have some ability of sorts. Especially as some make a point of displaying their powers as they glare at us.

"Don't mind them," Thea whispers by my side. "They're just trying to show off."

I give her a strained smile, nodding. I know they're just trying to intimidate us, but for me, it's working. I don't have any special abilities, and now I don't even have the advantage of being in my own world. My team is the only thing keeping me afloat, and as much as it pains me to admit it, it's the reality. Yet I'm not about to give up. I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself useful so they don't think I'm a burden.

A member of staff intercepts us and, seeing the number of our suite, he leads us to a building in the back, telling us that our accommodation is on the first floor at the end of the corridor.

The inside of the building is eerily similar to one in my world, except I don't think it's made out of concrete. Curious, I touch the walls, marveling at the spongy but firm material. They seem to have hard metals, but other than that, the rest of the materials seem different.

I don't get to dwell much on it as we arrive at our suite. Opening the door, we all step inside, surprised to see it's a small apartment with a rudimentary kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. It's sparsely furnished, but it should be enough for our stay here. If anything, it's quite extravagant considering we're not all crammed in one room.

"This is not bad," I comment as I look around. "Thea and I can take one room and Cer and Ze the other."

Thea nods, dropping her shopping bags to the floor—I'd almost forgotten she insisted on bringing everything with her.

"I know you guys didn't get much sleep on the plane. Maybe you can rest a little?" I offer with a smile.

Ze grunts, and he's gone before I can even blink, the door closing behind him.

"You two will be all right?" Cer inquires, his gaze drifting to his sister.

"I'm exhausted," Thea sighs. "I'll see you later, big bro." She winks at him as she heads into our room.

I give him an awkward wave before I follow after Thea.

There are two beds in the room, with two nightstands in between. There are clean, white sheets on each bed, a pillow, and a blanket. On the opposite wall, there's a double door wardrobe, the design incredibly similar to what one would find in my world. Most things so far have been very familiar, except they seem to be designed on a more basic level, without any advanced technology.

The moment the door to our room closes, Thea discards her clothes, changing into a light cotton dress she bought from the duty-free. As she gets in bed, she only lets out a loud yawn before her eyes close and she's deep asleep.

That was... fast?

Since the weather is pretty warm, I decide to change into the purple dress Thea got for me. It's a pretty sundress with a fitted bodice and a flared skirt. Too bad that I don't have any pretty shoes to pair it with since I only brought a pair of comfortable sneakers with me. Hopefully, that will be enough, or at least there will be some shops in this world to get some new stuff.

As soon as that thought arises, it dawns on me that I know nothing about this world. I have no idea what the geography is like, if there are countries and governments and what currencies and languages they use. What species are its inhabitants? I am absolutely clueless. But because my toxic trait is that I'm too curious for my own good, I can't let this slide.

While Thea and the guys are resting, I can go explore and maybe ask some questions around. I don't want to bother any of them with my mundane curiosity, given that they're all likely exhausted. Thea hasn't slept since we left New York. The same goes for Ze and Cer, but they put in additional effort as they carried us forhoursup a mountain. I'd say they truly deserve a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

There were staff scattered throughout the complex, including the guards. I'm sure that someone will be able to give me more information. Maybe I can even find a way to get us some food since I have no doubt they'll be starving when they wake up.

As I exit our bedroom, I wonder if I should tell the guys that I'm going to be out for a bit. I don't want them to worry about me if they don't find me. Stopping by their door, I raise my fist to knock, but I stop myself at the last minute. I place my ear against the doorframe, listening for any sounds.

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