I wobbled as I waded out of the pool. I stood in place, struggling to maintain my balance. I chose to sit instead, however, even that felt fundamentally wrong.

"I..."

Even my voice was no longer my own.

I am Zeke.

I lost my name. My body. My world.

I can never go back to how I was. Ever.

Even if I wasn't the most attractive human being, I was now trapped in a body that wasn't my own and would continue 'swapping' bodies until I died, or I ended up kicking this curse.

There was one way to stop a curse.

Kill the caster.

Even though I was thinking calmly, my body was having a panic attack. Zeke's body, that is.

I tried some meditative motions. Closing my eyes made me more conscious of the changes in my body. It took a while to find out how to breathe properly again.

About ten thousand prominent aliens were allowed to buy shares of a human's soul. About a thousand would be influential enough to have their name redacted from the system. Only fifty are strong enough to apply curses leisurely, and I know for a fact that only four would have been watching contestants before they entered the portals.

Turning to statistics had a calming effect similar to counting sheep.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

I can cross off the strongest because they're attached to the main character. That leaves three aliens that I know of; depending on if this world is the same as my novel or if there are deviations, there could be more. I can't formulate a plan unless I confirm the facts I know.

The surefire way to gather information was to make it to the first safe zone. Numerous things would happen the first time a contestant reached one.

Everything that came before was a prequel. The basic qualifications to play the game were to have seeded genes (or be lucky enough to hide in a survivor's shadow) and to have the capacity to kill another intelligent being.

After that, contestants enter The Box. A labyrinthian dungeon sown with monsters, mazes, traps, and treasures. The purpose of which was to entertain aliens, and ultimately die.

I can still change it. I can fight and...

A realization hit me like a lightning bolt.

"I am Zeke."

Oh no.

No, no, no.

Zeke was supposed to be a two-bit villain who was killed by the main character. Though seemingly inconsequential, Zeke's death would spur the hero to accept reality and grow faster. The points the hero would gain from killing Zeke would be pivotal in his class assignment.

Zeke needs to die.

I need to die.

I would force the story into a completely uncharted path if I didn't.

Changing the story to a winnable scenario, even with my foreknowledge and the help of easter eggs, would be a legendary accomplishment. Surviving without the hero would decrease my abysmal chances down to zero.

Am I screwed?

The dark enclosure remained silent. The pool shifted, slithering ever so slightly from memories of a disturbance. The cavern walls were granite rock painted with layers of drunken ivy vines. The single pathway of escape was marked with a flickering orange torch every 20 feet.

The dungeon called to the contestants, urging them forward with an illusion of safety.

It was ten minutes before "Zeke" stood up.

"It's possible."

Distant torchlight flickered hesitantly.

I repeated the words through unfamiliar lips.

"It's possible. I won't die."

Stepping out of the darkness, my long legs carried me forward.

"Look forward to it."

I felt an unnatural smile creep upward.

"Let Zeke play with you."