Page 83 of Run of Ruin

“You ready?” she asked.

I didn’t answer. Didn’t need to. She was already steering me down a long, winding hallway.

“Good luck,” Nova called after me. And I hated that I almost missed her presence as I was led away. She was a horrible woman with annoying tendencies, but at least I knew what to expect when she was around.

“You’re going out first,” the young girl said lightly.

“What about the others?” My voice came out rough, hoarse from disuse.

“They’ll follow after,” she replied with a dismissive wave.

“But–”

I didn’t get to finish the thought. A roar of sound cut through the corridor, the distant thrum of the crowd filtering through the studio walls. It was dizzying. My stomach flipped, bile clawing its way up my throat.

“And what a day it’s been!” Annalese’s voice boomed over the speakers. “Three Challengers perished during today’s trial, and three visitors as well, making this the deadliest single trial in Reclamation Run history!”

The crowd erupted in cheers. Cheers. Over death.

I gripped my stomach, the bile burning its way higher, but I swallowed it down.

“And we are all thrilled to announce,” Annalese cooed, “that we have a special guest in the studio with us tonight. You’ve asked for it, you’ve begged for it, we’ve seen the threads, the posts, the cries for more! So please, help me welcome, from Canyon Collective, Brexlyn Hollis!”

The door to the stage slid open.

The bright lights blinded me for a moment, as they warmed my face. The crowd was packed, bodies packed shoulder to shoulder, faces alight with feverish excitement. I froze, just for a breath. My heart was pounding so hard it filled my ears, drowning out the cheers.

Then I stepped forward.

Annalese bounced toward me, practically glowing beneath the harsh studio lights. Her golden jumpsuit clung to her like a second skin. She looked like a living trophy.

Before I could brace myself, she linked her arm through mine, her manicured nails cool against my skin. The contact made me tense, but I forced my face into something resembling a smile as she led me toward a long, gleaming couch that looked more like a prop than an actual piece of furniture. I sank down onto the plush cushions, my body heavy, aching. Annalese slid gracefully into a rounded chair opposite me, crossing one glittering leg over the other.

The crowd still hadn’t quieted. They screamed, chanted my name like it belonged to them now.

“Brex-lyn! Brex-lyn!”

It made my skin crawl.

I didn’t belong here. I wanted to run, to disappear into the shadows.

My gaze found the cameras, unblinking, predatory things trained on me from every angle. And behind one of themstood Zaffir. He didn’t smile, but he met my eyes and gave me a sharp, quick nod. A reminder. Steady yourself. Play the part. Survive.

Annalese beamed at the crowd and then turned her weaponized charm on me.

“Brexlyn,” she purred, “I know I speak for most of Nexum when I say you’ve quickly become one of our absolute favorite Challengers in Reclamation Run history, isn’t that right?” She gestured to the crowd, and they roared their approval like obedient dogs.

I managed a soft, “Thank you all,” though it barely carried over the noise.

Annalese didn’t miss a beat. “From the moment we first met you, saying goodbye to your best friend and little brother,” she reminded them, voice syrupy sweet. The crowd responded on cue with a collective, sentimentalawww. “And vowing to win the medical trials for him. We were all so touched.”

I swallowed the knot in my throat. “I love them,” I said, voice steady even as my stomach twisted. “I’d do anything for those two.”

Annalese clapped her hands together like a delighted child. “And you’ve shown that to us, trial after brutal trial. You and your fellow Canyon Challenger have already outperformed anyone from Canyon in over a decade. Tell me, how does it feel to carry your Collective’s hopes like this?”

I hesitated, turning the words over in my head before choosing the truth. “It feels like it’s still not enough.”

The room shifted. The crowd quieted just enough for the tension to settle. Annalese blinked, a flicker of unease beneath her perfect exterior. “How so?” she asked, the question light but laced with warning.

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