lys [https://imgur.com/VUePKrs.png]

Lyssa was walking up one of the steep aisles when the first fatality occurred. She had been searching for someone, any familiar face her eyes could find, when the crowd winced and hushed, causing her to spin and look up at the giant holograms.

There she saw the man being impaled by Bernard’s glaive. Her face went white. She could hear someone near her vomiting. The colosseum around them was entirely still.

Then the man fell. He whispered Abel’s name, telling him to fight. Then he died.

Twenty minute intermission.

The voice came, cheerful as ever. In her peripherals, she saw the numerous archways along the top of the arena re-appearing, allowing access to the winding hallways.

She was already standing, feet on separate steps. The others around her began to stand and pass her on their way up to the nearest doorway. Lyssa wordlessly turned from the pit and joined in the crowds ascending the stairs.

The halls were crowded, with both people and food. She didn’t have an appetite after what she’d just witnessed, but many others did. The smells of cooked meats and fresh fruit caused her stomach to twist inside her.

Lyssa walked aimlessly through the halls, eying the faces she passed. Her gaze swept high and low, hoping to catch a glimpse of Abel, Sarah, Zero, Daryl, anyone, but she was swimming in a sea of strangers as she circled the hall, heading down a ramp and again around a hall.

She froze as she saw the one familiar face she didn’t want to see heading towards her down the hall, talking to a few people at his side. Bernard. His weapon was gone, fortunately, but he still had a dangerous look on his face as he spoke in a low voice to a man beside him.

Turning to a table, she made as though she were scanning through the tray of cookies atop it, trying to contain her stomach as their sweet smells wafted into her. The small group of men passed with a soft rustling across the stones, and she began heading towards the direction they had come from.

She thought maybe if they had come from the direction, Abel would be close, that was until she remembered the numerous doorways which dappled the walls, leading to random points through the arena.

Frustrated, she leaned herself against one of the walls, trying to gather herself. Trying to push her nausea away. Trying to push away the anger that had built inside of her after speaking to the young girl. She took a deep breath.

I need to find Sarah, she decided, repeating the words to herself. She’s the only one I haven’t seen. I need to make sure she’s okay.

She headed towards one of the doorways labeled ‘Stands’ and walked through.

Lyssa again stood at the top of the stands, stepping out of the way so others could walk past her, through the doorway. A number of people had remained seated. She set a quick pace for herself, meandering around the top of the arena, squinting down at those remaining. She’d made it halfway around the arena when she grew frustrated and stepped through the closest doorway.

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How hard is it to find someone? She thought, looking at the hallway around her, over the tables and at the faces around them.

Then a short form caught her attention. A young girl, walking away from her, long blonde hair and red ribbon swaying across her back. Lyssa immediately started towards her.

She opened her mouth, but realized she didn’t know what to say. She slowed her pace, tailing her from afar through the crowd. The girl stopped at two of the tables she passed, each time grabbing a cookie and munching on it as she continued walking.

Each time she stopped, the two tall men beside her stopped as well. Lyssa swallowed hard, looking at the men flanking her. Does she have bodyguards or something? What kind of child has bodyguards?

An important one.

Lyssa began creeping closer. I can’t just follow her around and do nothing about it. She’s the only one who can reverse my Karma. She needed it switched back. She needed to be with Sarah and Abel, or her future in the city was hopeless. She’d be sleeping on Theodore’s couch until his food ran out. Then she’d starve out on the streets.

Within a few paces of the girl, Lyssa hesitated. Sweat broke out on her forehead. I have to do this. She eyed the two men at her side one last time, then cleared her throat.

“Hey.”

The girl casually looked over her shoulder. She took a bite of her cookie, chewing on it as she stopped in the middle of the hall. The by-traffic was forced to circle around them.

“Hm?” the girl made a single sound of curiosity. She seemed ready to turn back around.

“Thanks for letting me win,” Lyssa found herself saying, trying to extend the conversation until she could find the courage to say what was on her mind.

“Ah!” Zero turned her body to face her, swallowing. “Liar Lyssa!”

“I’m not a liar,” she said.

“I’m bored,” the girl walked over to one of the tables, grabbing another cookie. The two men followed her. They really were guarding her. “This festival stinks.”

Lyssa pursed her lips. She wondered what the girl had thought of the man dying before their eyes, but decided she was better off not knowing. I need to ask her. Now.

“I want you to switch my Karma,” Lyssa said.

“Huh?” Zero tilted her head as she crunched into the cookie. She put a hand to her ear.

“I want you to switch my Karma,” Lyssa repeated, louder.

The girl’s eyes lit up, a smile splitting her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What a liar you are, Lyssa.”

Lyssa felt her hands clenching into fists at her sides. This damn brat. “I know it was you, don’t bother pretending that it wasn’t. I need you to switch my Kara and Bara back to normal.”

The girl brushed the crumbs off her hands and rubbed her mouth clean with her forearm. She was still smiling at Lyssa. “Do you have a coin?”

Lyssa blinked. She patted around herself. “No.”

Zero turned to one of the men at her side. He pulled out a wallet and handed her a penny wordlessly. She handed it out to Lyssa. “Here.”

Lyssa hesitated. “What?”

“Take it. Flip it. If you get heads, I’ll speak the Command to switch your Karma. If you get tails, you’ll leave me alone.”

No. You’ll switch my Karma back right now, you brat, there are no games around it. But she couldn’t force herself onto the girl, not with the men flanking her, neither of which looked amiable in the slightest.

Lyssa took the penny and flipped it. Zero reached out to snatch it from the air and slap it onto the back of her hand. “Heads!” she said excitedly, “Complete Override!”

She handed the penny back to the man at her side and reached for another cookie.

“Commands don’t work in the arena,” Lyssa said slowly.

“Hm?” the girl made the same sound of disinterest again. “I said I’d speak the Command and I did. Want me to do it again? Complete Override, Complete Override, Complete Overriiiide!” she laughed. “Are you happy now?”

“No, you little shit,” Lyssa snapped. “You think this is funny?”

One of the men took a step forward. Her confidence shrank away.

“Commands don’t work in the arena,” Zero repeated Lyssa’s word with a shrug. “What did you expect me to do, Liar Lyssa?”

Her mouth was dry.

What had she expected her to do?

The girl grabbed a slice of apple, gave a big wave with her hand and was walking down the hall again, leaving Lyssa standing alone, watching the small girl’s figure retreating across the smooth stones.

When she turned around, Lyssa finally saw a face she was happy to see.