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I nodded, dreading the moment we would have to part ways.
For me, it would be back to the cold confines of the Prize Pool, and for him, the treacherous world of the pits.
Now, without the secret knowledge of the opponents’ weaknesses and his own injuries to contend with, the stakes were higher than ever.
“We will find a way, Tix,” I tried to reassure him, though the doubt was evident in my voice.
His golden eyes met mine. “Grace, the pits have changed. Without our advantage, it’s going to be even more perilous.” He paused, his gaze dropping to the floor. “And then there’s Fleth.”
I shuddered at the name.
Fleth was not just any opponent; he was now Tix’s most formidable adversary, a behemoth of a creature with a personal vendetta against Tix.
Their last confrontation had left Tix gravely injured, and the thought of another encounter sent a cold shiver down my spine.
Tix lifted my chin gently, forcing me to meet his gaze. “No matter what happens, know that I will always fight for us, for our freedom.”
I took a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to face the world outside. “Let’s go,” I whispered, preparing to leave the safety of the dreamworld.
As I was about to make the leap back to reality, something held me back.
A sudden, overwhelming conviction gripped me.
This couldn’t be how our story ended, trapped in a cycle of endless battles and heartache.
It was as if a switch had been flipped in my mind.
“No,” I said, my voice firm with determination. “This isn’t right.”
Tix looked at me, confusion evident in his eyes. “Grace?”
I took a step closer to him, my hands reaching out to grasp his. “We’ve been playing by their rules for too long, Tix. We’ve been pawns in a game that’s stacked against us. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
He stared at me, trying to comprehend the sudden change in my demeanor. “What are you saying?”
I squeezed his hands, the conviction in my voice unwavering. “We rewrite the rules. We change the game. This isn’t how our story should end.”
* * *
The weight of the situation was palpable between us, the air in the dreamworld thick with the weight of our despair.
As the seconds ticked by, a fire grew in my chest, an indomitable flame that refused to be snuffed out by the hopelessness of our predicament.
I grabbed Tix’s hand, pulling him close.
The familiar touch was grounding, a beacon in the chaos that surrounded us. “I refuse,” I whispered vehemently, staring deep into his cobalt eyes. “I refuse to give up like this.”
He looked at me, confusion clear in his gaze. “Grace,” he murmured, his voice hoarse from exhaustion, “what else can we possibly do?”
I didn’t answer immediately, allowing the silence to build, as the depths of my determination to forge a new path became clearer.
A power that had long been dormant, buried deep within me, began to stir.
The very essence of the dreamworld around us shifted as the dormant energy I had hidden away for so long started to wake.
Pulling Tix into a fierce embrace, I pressed my lips against his, the sensation an anchor amidst the growing storm within.
And as I pulled away, I let the pent-up anger, the frustration of being trapped for so long, fuel the power bubbling within.
