Page 112 of The Bleak Beginning

“The game ends either at sunrise, or when the gold flag, identical to this one other than color,” she holds up the piece of red cloth again, “is discovered. At that point, the timer will stop, and all flags will be tallied for each player. The owner of the golden flag will be declared the winner, regardless of how many red flags they had previously obtained.”

The tension in the room is palpable as Maxwell’s words sink in. I can feel the competitive energy radiating from my fellow students, their eyes gleaming with determination.

I feel a gentle squeeze on my skin and turn to see Aubrey’s concerned face. She leans in close. “We’ll find each other, okay? No matter what happens.”

I nod, trying to muster a smile, but it was like trying to push a stone through a keyhole. Maxwell’s voice cuts through the air again, sharp and commanding.

“When the bell tolls, the challenge begins. Good luck, students! May the best competitors prevail.”

The spotlights is suddenly extinguished, plunging the room into darkness. When they flick back on seconds later, Maxwell is gone, leaving only her final words echoing in our ears. The bell tolls, a deafening knell that reverberates through the ballroom like a warning of impending doom.

Pandemonium breaks loose as students scramble and scream, their panicked voices blending into a cacophony of chaos as they run in all different directions, Aubrey among them, while I stay absolutely still.

Chapter 23

Alex

Istand frozen for a moment, overwhelmed by the sudden burst of activity around me. The room spins as bodies push past, elbows jabbing into my sides. This is madness.

But as the crowd thins, a strange calm washes over me. I didn’t want this, but I’m here now. And I’ll be damned if I let the Legacies win again, especially knowing they already have an advantage.

With newfound determination, I sprint toward the nearest exit, my eyes scanning for any hint of red. The campus, usually so familiar, now feels alien and foreboding in the darkness.

Students are scattering in every direction, their silhouettes barely visible in the dim night. Some are already scaling walls, or trees, while others disappear into shadowy corners. The evening is alive with whispers, footsteps, and the occasional shout of triumph or frustration.

A flash of crimson catches my eye. Without hesitation, I dash toward it, my feet pounding against the path. Just as I’m about to grab it, Ophelia swoops in and snatches the fabric from the thin branch. She ties it around her neck like a scarf and gives me a sly smile before running off to find another flag.

“Sucks to be you, mudslide,” she mocks in passing.

Cursing under my breath, I pivot and sprint in the opposite direction. There are plenty more flags to find, and I’m determined to claim at least a few.

As I round the corner of a building, I spot another flash of red dangling from a second-story window. I assess the situation. The stone facade offers some handholds, but it’s a risky climb. Do I dare?

Before I can decide, a figure emerges from the shadows. It’s a student I don’t recognize. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, there’s a flicker of understanding. We’re both underdogs in this game, fighting against a stacked deck.

But sympathy has no place in the trials. We lunge for the wall simultaneously, scrambling for purchase on the rough exterior. I grit my teeth but he’s faster. These stupid heels are slowing me down.

I kick off my shoes, feeling the solid stone beneath my bare feet. The other student is already halfway up, his fingers grasping for the windowsill. I propel myself upward, my muscles straining as I find tiny crevices between the stone. The rough surface scrapes my palms, but I ignore the pain.

I reach the window just as the boy’s hand closes around the flag. Without hesitation, he grabs my shoulder and gives it ashove. I yelp in surprise, losing my grip. For a heart-stopping moment, we both teeter on the edge as he loses his footing from pushing me. Then we both fall, tumbling to the ground with a thud.

He quickly grabs the flag from where it fell in between us and jumps up to his feet without even giving me a second glance. Then he sprints off toward another flag.

This is what the trials are about—doing whatever it takes to win?

I lay there for a moment, the wind knocked out of me, staring up at the night sky. The stars seem to mock me, twinkling serenely above this chaos.

The fall knocked the breath out of me, but I’m more stunned by the other student’s callousness. Is this really what they are encouraging? Pushing each other off buildings for a ranking system?

But I can’t afford to dwell on it. Every second counts. Grimacing, I force myself to my feet, ignoring the throb in my shoulder and the sting of my scraped palms. I scan the area, desperate for another flag.

There—a glint of red near the fountain that divides the dormitories. I take off running, my bare feet slapping against the cold cobblestone. As I approach, I see it’s not just one flag, but three, tied to the top of the fountain.

My heart leaps. This could be my chance to make up for lost time. But I’m not the only one who’s spotted them. Two other students are converging on the fountain from different directions. I push myself harder, my legs burning with the effort.

I reach the fountain first, but only by a fraction of a second. Without hesitation, I plunge into the waist-deep water, gasping at the sudden cold. The other students splash in behind me, and suddenly we’re all grappling, reaching for the flags.

Water sloshes around us as we struggle. I manage to grab one flag, clutching it tightly to my chest as I try to fend off the others with my free arm. A hand grabs my hair, yanking my head back. I cry out in pain but refused to let go of my prize.

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