abel [https://imgur.com/gfZpXk6.png]

A long bout of time passed before someone left the room. The first one to leave was a man, lifting his head from his hands and stepping out into the stone hall, the sounds of his footsteps disappearing as soon as he was on the other side.

Then another left, and another.

Soon, Abel was the room’s sole inhabitant, breathing the impossible air, not smelling the smokeless torches.

It’s not my fault, I know that, he told himself as he listened to the distant sounds of the crowds passing above him. I tried my best to teach him. This might have happened even if I hadn’t said a word to him.

He tried telling himself that Brian had been a stranger that morning, that he was just another person in the city of Agona, one of many who had likely perished and would perish in the future of this hellish city.

Nothing made him feel better.

Abel pushed himself to his feet, no longer able to lean on his sabre for support, now that it had vanished. He took slow steps, easing himself over to the doorway. People milled past on the other side, food in their hands and smiles on some of their faces.

What was the point of this festival? To keep us happy? Was this festival for us? It seemed that so many had forgotten the truth of their situation; the game they had been trapped within. Or they were doing their best to forget.

He stepped into the hall gingerly, favoring his left leg, keeping close to a wall to avoid any collisions. He maneuvered around tables and groups and found that wherever he went, the conversations grew quiet, glances being shot his way.

It seemed they recognized him. Great.

“Hey, you need help?” A man offered a shoulder.

“No,” he declined, “but thank you.”

“You got this, Abel!” Another man said a few moments later.

“Good luck!” A girl called to him.

His face burning red, he continued wordlessly along the wall, trying to blend in as well he could.

His leg was killing him, but he knew he couldn’t stay in the room. His mind would have pulled itself apart. And Abel knew there were people looking for him. He found one of them after half a minute of walking.

“Abel!” Lyssa called, pushing past a group lurking around a table. She squeezed him, careful to avoid his lower body, then gave him a smile. “I finally found you.”

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

He smiled. “You’re okay.”

She looked at him a moment, then nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m staying with a nice old man. East side of the city. How are you though?” she pointed to his leg. “I saw what happened. Why didn’t you give up? That thing was terrifying.”

Abel shrugged his shoulders, tapping his left leg against the stone beneath him. “I think I’ll be fine. I won, didn’t I?”

Without his permission, she slipped beneath his left arm and began easing him towards a wall.

“I can walk,” he argued.

“You need to save your strength because I’m guessing you’re still going to fight. Especially after that last round.”

He silently assented, letting her guide him to an empty space against one of the walls. She stood beside him and they watched the people walking past.

“They’re all looking at you. I feel like I’m with a celebrity,” Lyssa laughed. She turned to him, face suddenly serious. “Is Sarah safe?”

“She should be here somewhere, said she was going to watch in the stands. I’m surprised you didn’t find her.”

“There are...alot of people,” Lyssa said.

He nodded. There were thousands.

“I take it everything has gone splendid at the good guy base? What have you two been doing all this time? Any news on...” she lifted her gaze to encompass everything around them, the teleporting doors, the self-replenishing tables of food, the arena which had built itself over the course of a single minute.

“Not that I’ve heard. We have been playing it safe, staying inside and waiting for help.” He thought back to those first days inside the city, a blur of anxiety. “They buried Annie.”

Lyssa was quietly nodding her head. “Somewhere nice?”

“Yeah, a small graveyard with people guarding it.”

“How is Sarah?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“It takes a while for her to open up to people. Don’t take it personally if she’s giving you the cold shoulder.”

Abel gave a small smile. “I think that’s exactly what she has been doing.”

“How is-” Lyssa began, catching herself.

They were quiet as the image of Bernard appeared in their minds. The fifth person who had shared the train with them. The man who had just killed Brian.

“Did you...” Lyssa began again, slowly, “That guy said your name.”

“I was teaching him how to fight. Trying to at least.” He managed a laugh, a painful one, “He would forget most of it once he was out there. I don’t blame him though. It’s hot and bright, and there are so many people out there. It’s hard to concentrate.”

“You seem to do a good job. Why didn’t you tell me you were some kind of sword prodigy?”

He laughed again, honestly this time. “I just have a few years training in fencing. It’s nothing much.”

“But it’s better than everyone else. You might actually win, ya know.” Her eyes lingered on his leg for a moment. “Maybe.” She cast her eyes to the lines of people around them. “At least I know you can protect Sarah if something happens. That’s all I care about.”

Abel lifted his eyes to look at her. He tried pushing himself straighter against the wall, fighting the pain in his leg. “You still have a level in Bara?”

She gave a faint smile. “Yup.”

“We can help you. You’re looking for that girl, right?”

“Zero,” Lyssa said.

“Zero, she’s the one who can switch your Karma levels. Sarah and I can help you find her. She has to be in the city somewhere. Once this is over, we’ll help you find her and then once you’re back to having a level in Kara, you can finally come and stay with us.”

“I know you could help me, but I couldn’t ask Sarah to endanger herself for my sake. I need you to protect her, I can handle myself. I have Theodore, the old man, to count on.” She looked at the unconvinced look on Abel’s face. “I mean it, he’s really nice and doesn’t mind helping me at all. I’m fine.”

“That girl told me to watch out for your lies,” Abel said.

They looked at each other, sharing their gaze for several heartbeats, then their shoulders shook with laughter.

“She wants to see you, Sarah does,” Abel said. “After this is all over, we will leave together, the three of us, and we can all catch up.”

“Okay,” Lyssa submitted. “We’ll catch up. But then you two need to get back before night falls and the city’s nightlife takes over.”

“Agreed.”

Neither of them saw the attack coming.