Page 3 of Run of Ruin

The video cut off, freezing on Archon Veritas’ smiling face. But that smile never quite reached her eyes, and it left a sour feeling in my stomach.

The crowd rippled with tension, shouts of discontent bubbling up like steam ready to burst. Nova’s voice crackled through the speakers, sharp and commanding. “Attention!” she called. The crowd dipped into a low murmur, though the anger still simmered beneath the surface.

“I know we’re all absolutely thrilled about this exciting new development!” she chirped, her voice too sweet. “So, let me answer a few questions I’m sure you all have. One, yes,every member of the Collective has their name in the drawing. If you can vote, you can Reclaim!”

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. My grip on Jax tightened instinctively. His name was in that lottery somewhere… if he was chosen…

I shook my head, shoving the thought away before it could root itself too deeply. But the fear now had a prominent place in my chest.

“Two!” Nova shouted, raising her voice over the growing rumble of panic. “There will be no substitutions for any reason whatsoever. The chosen winner is our second Challenger. Simple as that.”

The outrage exploded this time. Parents shouting about the fairness of sending young children or the elderly, and kids wailing as the reality began to sink in.

I met Ava’s eyes and I could see how terrified she was. She knew exactly what this experience does to a person, and I don’t think she’d survive if she had to follow her brother’s ghostly footsteps.

For a few chaotic moments, it was a storm of voices and panic. Then Praxis guards in gaudy silver armor began slipping through the crowd, calming or silencing… depending on who you asked.

“So much excitement!” Nova beamed into the camera, her cheerful tone as fake as the smile on her lips. I had no doubt they’d scrub the outrage from the final broadcast. By the time it aired, we’d all look like eager participants in this game of chance.

I wondered if the other Collectives reacted similarly to the news. I guess I’d never know.

Nova pulled out two envelopes. Both held closed by the seal of Praxis. My heart raged against my ribcage as I watched her break the first seal and slide the card out intoher hand.

“Canyon Collective!” she cried out into the microphone. “Your fairly elected Challenger is….Ezra Wynstone.”

Damnit.

Disappointment curled in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know Ezra, but I did know everyone in Canyon who could read at a higher level, or had basic understanding of science and arithmetic… and he wasn’t one of them. We could all but kiss the medical trial goodbye. Ezra stepped forward, a look of quiet resignation on his face. He held his hands clasped behind his back, which only accentuated his broad shoulders. On the bright side, maybe we did have a chance at some of those physical trials this year. It would be nice to get more livestock.

I leaned my chin on Jax’s arms which were hanging around my shoulders and sighed deeply. Livestock was well and good, but it wouldn’t help him.

Ava leaned into me, a quiet gesture of comfort. She knew exactly who I’d voted for and why, and she knew, just like I did, that this Challenger wasn’t the one who was going to save Jax.

“Maybe next year, hon,” she offered gently.

“Yeah… maybe next year,” I whispered back, the words bitter on my tongue.

But I wasn’t sure Jax had another year. With the way his illness was progressing, even six months felt like a stretch. I couldn’t imagine a world without him, without his infectious smile, his endless curiosity. Even on his worst days, when the pain had to be unbearable, he was still the sweetest kid I knew. Sharp as a tack, always ready with a joke or a question that made you think.

His frail arms tightened around my shoulders, and I placed my hand over his, feeling the slight tremor in his grip.

I blinked hard against the sting in my eyes, refusing to let the tears fall. Not here. Not now.

Ava gasped softly beside me. When I turned to her, she had one hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide and glistening. Panic jolted through me.

“What?” I asked, heart pounding.

She didn’t answer. More sets of eyes were landing on me now, confusion rippling through the crowd. My pulse hammered in my ears.

And then I saw it… my face, projected on the massive screen behind Nova. My confused, dumbfounded expression staring back at me.

“Come on down!” Nova’s voice rang out, cheerful and bright, but all I heard was the roaring in my head.

It all snapped into brutal clarity.

It was me.

I was the second Challenger.

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