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Cleo stared down at Scott.

The last blow had been caused by a zombie that managed to sneak up behind him.

She watched the elf fall. His body collapsed to the ground before a blast of lightning struck the earth, making him vanish like he wasn't even there to begin with. Cleo stared at the burnt grass. She breathed in and out slowly, attempting to catch her breath while her weakened arms trembled with the sword in her hands. While she technically couldn't feel adrenaline... due to being undead, the emotions were enough of a buzz that she choked out a laugh at her victory, throwing her hands up in the air. She then belted out a scream, crying out all the built up stress from this single day of pure carnage.

After screaming her slow beating heart out, silence overtook the arena. She lowered her hands, staring down at the grass once more. She paused for a long moment at the sight...

She felt hollow for some reason.

This was the whole point of these games, making it to the end. It's why she had been fighting so hard for so many seasons, and she finally had done it. She should be ecstatic!

So... why was the quiet night around her seeming so grim?

Despite all the mixed emotions, the young woman still cheered again. She brushed the hollow feeling aside and pushed herself further to take in her victory for just a few more seconds.

Once she finally got everything out of her system, leaving her still in the empty eerily silent arena, Cleo looked around and pondered on what to do next.

It was difficult to move around this season, for all the players. Everyone could barely swing a sword or even hold up a shield properly. Their limbs just felt heavy, and their heads were foggy. They were like toddlers who came down with bad colds. They were inexperienced with the game entirely, and it was a struggle to move at all.

Frustrated with her slow and fumbling feet, Cleo decided to finish the game already, so she could rejoin her friends outside of the arena. She turned her attention over to a Creeper. She dropped her sword and called the mob over with urgency. The creature paused. It turned its head to stare at her with arms waving in the air. The creature narrowed its gaze before it marched over.

After only a couple flashes followed by a low hiss, Cleo was blinded by a bright light and consumed by a fiery pain that shot through her body.

The zombie was greeted by a dark void for only a few seconds once the pain subsided, but she couldn't even get in a breath before her surroundings changed again.

After being consumed by an orange glow, Cleo was thrown into a room. It was as if something dragged her to this new place within a blink of an eye, at the speed of light. The sudden change was so startling that she gasped. The force of the transportation nearly knocked her over, and the Creeper explosion from seconds likely added to that momentum as well. Still, she remained upright as she found herself sitting down on a cold marble floor.

The room was small and dark. A few book shelves covered one end of the room, and a table filled with scrolls rested a few feet in front of her. What really grabbed Cleo's attention, though, was the rather tall figure that stood beside the table, staring down at something that was glowing.

The stranger wore dark robes and possessed a violet pair of wings on their back. They had talons as well like an avian, but Cleo took notice that they also possessed the ears of a leopard with a few feathers peeking out around the edges. They weren't facing the zombie, and it seemed like they didn't even know she was there.

The sight baffled Cleo. Her mind spun with several questions, but her mouth could only muster a few words. "Uh... hello?"

The stranger's head shot up, ears perked. They spun around and yelped at the sight of Cleo. A white mask covered the top half of the grey-skinned stranger, but by the gritting of their fangs, the zombie could tell they were not pleased.

"How did you-You're not supposed to be in here!" the mixed hybrid spat with fists clenched, wings puffed up.

"Hey, it's not like I asked to be here, alright?" Cleo replied as she rose to her feet. She was relieved that her limbs no longer felt heavy, and her head was clear. A quiet sigh escaped her as she dusted herself off still from the Creeper explosion. She then paused when she spotted a bit of blood on her clothes. Blood that did not belong to her. It was a normal case in the games, but now, the sight suddenly unnerved the zombie for a reason she could not pinpoint. Her gaze then suddenly hardened at the recent memories of her friends, at the game she just won, so she turned her attention back to the hybrid. "Where am I? Who are you?"

The stranger sighed, allowing their wings to brush the ground for a moment. They placed a hand to their covered forehead like they suddenly had a headache. "I don't have time for this..." they muttered as if the zombie wasn't even in the room. The hybrid then glanced back over to Cleo, pausing as they thought. A slow smirk then grew over their cheeks, flashing their fangs.

The sight made Cleo's hair stand on end. The snakes hidden beneath her locks tensed as well from the possible threat. She began to step back while the hybrid walked around, pulled out a chair, and sat down at the table. "Care to take a seat?" they asked, motioning towards the chair opposite to them.

Cleo glanced behind her, noticing the double doors. She stepped further back from the stranger that was starting to make her skin crawl. "No, I'm-I'm good. I'll just let myself out-" Cleo stopped when the doors glowed a bright purple hue. She turned and rushed forward from the sight. She tried to yank at the handles, but the doors refused to budge.

"Nice try, but you can't escape that easily."

Cleo whipped her head back around. Her snakes began to hiss from her growing frustration. Yet, the hybrid behind her continued to smile. "Let me out of here," she warned.

"If I do, then you won't ever find out what happened to your friends."

Cleo stiffened from their words. She paused, contemplating her situation. Eventually, though, the zombie huffed out a deep breath. She narrowed her gaze and walked over to the table to sit down. She continued to stare at the figure with a cold glare. "Where are my friends?"

The stranger held up a finger, waving it back and forth. "Ah, ah, one thing at a time. I tend to get bored rather easily during these waiting periods, so I want to soak up this time by making sure I answer all of your naive little questions."

Cleo's eyes were set ablaze. The snakes shot out from her curly orange hair, hissing furiously at the stranger. Her threat was met with little recognition as the stranger lowered their hood and mask. It was a man with pure white hair and purple eyes that glowed. Cleo was a bit taken aback by the stranger carrying a second pair of eyes right underneath his main ones. "My colleagues call me Lynx, and right now, you are in The End. Where exactly, I cannot tell. I can't risk you tattling our location to Xelqua."

"Wait... who?" Cleo asked as her snakes settled down, hiding back behind her locks.

The man let out a sigh again, leaning his hand into his palm. "Right... I forget you bunch call him, Grian, if I'm not mistaken."

"What? I-Ugh!" Cleo groaned before dry-washing her face. She then focused her attention back on the tall figure. "Look, just tell me why I'm here and where my friends are. Are they alright?" she said with her tone growing stronger near the end. She still was quite wary of this stranger.

"They're fine, just resting in the void like you all do in between games."

"What?" Cleo asked. Her brow knitted, puzzled by his words as if he spoke gibberish.

The hybrid then motioned one long talon over to the only source of light in the room. The zombie looked over to her right to see what the stranger was staring at when she arrived. A stone pillar stood beside the table, and a glass bowl rested on top of it. A bright light illuminated from it, beaming right up at the ceiling.

Cautiously, Cleo stood up and walked over to the bowl. She stared down at the contents, and her eyes widened in horror.

The water inside possessed a picture, live footage like a camera. It was her friends. All of them appeared asleep while floating in a pitch black open space.

"Everyone... Scott! Gem! Pearl!" she called out while gripping the edges of the bowl. She tried to touch the water, but her finger tips only rippled the image, causing her to yank her hand back soon after. Her attention then shot back to the man as she sent another harsh glare. "What are you doing to them? Let them go!"

"I can't do that," Lynx sang out with an all too amused expression. He grinned ear-to-ear from Cleo's panic. "The misery you all suffer in those games are just too delicious to let you all go now," Lynx replied, yet his smile dropped slightly while he glanced to the right. "Even if some of you have been acting like absolute pests lately with your attempts to leave."

Cleo scowled from the man's words. She held herself back just enough from tackling the guy right then and there and moved on. "Would you care to elaborate on all that stuff you just said, or are you just gonna keep talking like..." Cleo trailed off  when her eyes shifted back to the bowl. The picture slowly moved to show other players in the void, and that's when she noticed Grian.

He floated in the void like the others, yet his eyes were open and glowing a bright violet hue. He seemed to be staring off into the distance, almost like he was still asleep.

"Grian?" Cleo asked before touching the water again. "Grian!"

In an instant, Grian jerked his head towards her direction. His brow creased in concentration, puzzled and pained by the sudden call. Cleo continued on. "Grian! You have to get out! You and everyone else is trapped in some void! You-"

"Oh, he knows all that already," Lynx said with a casual stretch of his arms.

Cleo glanced towards the stranger, but her focus remained on her friend. To her surprise, Grian didn't move much after her pleading words. "Grian, please! You have to get out of there. Grian!" she called out again, but her words only seemed to panic the young man even more. Grian clutched the sides of his head, gripping his feathery ears. He turned away from her voice with fear consuming his features. His whole body shivered.

Cleo backed her hand away again. The sight made her stomach twist into knots. She couldn't even be mad at him. Seeing his trembling form, recalling the time she spent with him during Secret Life, all of it was finally making sense to her now.

"The Warden and Wither fight..." Cleo muttered to herself. Her gaze was then set ablaze, shifting into protective mode. She turned her anger on the smiling stranger. "This is why he was having nightmares. Why after Mumbo and Jimmy died, Grian was so upset and-What have you done to him?" she asked in such a threatening tone that the air seemed to grow cold around her.

Yet still, the threats didn't faze the stranger. He practically revelled in her anger until he spotted the glow of orange in the zombie's eyes.

Unknowing to her, she had backup, and the Watcher flinched from the realization.

With a quick sigh to recover his composure, Lynx ushered her back to the table. "Well... Since I'm still pretty hungry, I suppose we should get started with the story I have planned for you."

"What story?" Cleo asked, unnerved by the man mentioning his hunger randomly. Regardless, seeing no other path forward, she reluctantly took a seat again. She then watched as Lynx pulled something from the pocket of his robes.

"The Story of the Champions, of course," he replied while laying six cards out on the table.

Cleo raised a brow. She stared at the peculiar items. The cards were a dark violet with a silver design on the back covers.

"You want to know what happened to Xelqua? I'll tell you. You won't remember any of this when you return to the games, anyway," Lynx continued nonchalantly, making the zombie frown.

The hybrid then shifted his talon to the first card. The front cover had an outline of a sun. "The winner of 3rd Life was a player that was only ever meant to watch like us," he said. "A man who we turned into one of our own. We gave him wings and powers, yet he risked all of it to return to you people he calls... friends."

Lynx turned over the card, and Cleo let out a quiet gasp. It was a picture of Grian. His bloody hands hung limp at his sides, wings torn and covered in cactus prickles. He stood at the edge of a sandy cliff with a wall of cacti behind him, but the most terrible thing was that she spotted Scar's wounded corpse right at the edge of the picture. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Yet still, even after he won, Xelqua selfishly wanted to stay with you, so he plunged himself over the edge," Lynx grumbled, despite his words making Cleo want to actually vomit. "Such a foolish thing, really. Watchers are not supposed to be in the games. After he fell and joined the next one, his powers overwhelmed him so much that he simply went on instinct and tried to cause so much chaos against his own will... which, I admit, ironically worked great for our appetites. It almost made us want to keep him in the games afterall."

Cleo was barely listening to the rest of his nonsensical words. She could only stare at the horrible image before her. She hardly remembered 3rd Life, especially when she died so early into the game. This was what happened in the end?

The zombie snapped out of her daze when Lynx motioned towards the next card. The cover possessed three stars. "You might be more familiar with these next two, but we don't like to talk much about this next champion. All his actions, his focus on honor and pushing against the Curse, it was insufferable," the hybrid hissed. His ears were pinned back before he flipped over the next card.

Cleo's eyes grew wide to find Scott standing high on a hilltop. He held his sword proudly in the sky despite tears streaming down his cheeks. The sight hurt the zombie's heart. She also noticed, though, a flash of lightning right above his head. It was close to making contact. "He turned the whole purpose of the game upside down, so we ended the game quickly to show as a warning for trying to defy us."

"He was being a good friend... and you call it insufferable?" Cleo spat, sending daggers at the man.

Lynx ignored her words before continuing. The next card had a silver outline of the moon. "You talk about being a good friend, yet what would you call abandoning a friend to her own insanity?"

When he turned the card over, Cleo's body tensed. It was Pearl. Scarlet Pearl if she were being specific. Despite how deranged she knew the brunette was during that game, all the zombie could see now were tears flooding Pearl's gaze as she held a hand out to Scott. The elf, to Cleo's horror, was holding up sticks of dynamite and was giving a teary-eyed smile. The explosives around him blew.

Cleo stared at the picture, holding back tears not only for Scott. Yes, she had her gripes about Pearl, but she never wanted things to go that far. The pleading gaze the brunette carried in the picture made Cleo's insides twist into knots. It made her heart break. Pearl never deserved this.

All the pictures, so far, continued to bewilder and horrify the zombie. These games were supposed to be just simple fun, but the longer Cleo remained in this room, the more she started to realize how incorrect that thought was. She started to remember the terrible violence, the amount of blood and pain everyone endured. So many deaths that repeated over and over again. Reality began to sink over Cleo like a stone brick, and it almost made her topple to the floor again.

Was this... Was this why Pearl, Martyn, Grian, and some of the others were acting so strange? During Secret Life, she recalled being so puzzled by their strange behavior. How Pearl, for a large part of the game, refused to lay a hand on anyone. How Martyn was so angry at Grian and so furious beyond the explanation of just being a Red Life.

How... Gem looked so lost. How Grian always appeared so exhausted when he was at the Roomies' base. How Scott's smile never really reached his eye.

Cleo hardly ever cried... but she felt like she might in that moment.

"That season was so delicious. So much drama. So much misery, especially between you four," Lynx continued, snapping Cleo out of her spiral. She looked back to notice the man was still rambling on about Double Life. "You really gave us room to plague our scarlet queen." He then sighed with a bit of whimsy. "Oh, I remember how we even used her mutt to ensure she kept those negative emotions festering," Lynx drawled a little too proudly.

Cleo did a double take. Her eyebrows flew up, processing the last sentence with growing alarm. "You did what?"

Her question was ignored again as the man continued with a slight yawn. "Pardon me, I don't usually get excited like this... I was starting to act like Celeste there," he muttered the last part to himself before shuddering in disgust. He then took a breath, gaining back his joy. He leaned his cheek against his palm, watching Cleo closely. "But genuinely, little player, I can't help it. Recalling such delicious moments just makes my mouth water," he explained while his fangs poked out from a sigh.

Cleo's face twisted. Her eyebrows pinched, feeling herself recoil. "You're disgusting."

"Ah, watch the insults," Lynx said before he yawned again. "I've been lenient with your attitude up until this point because I lack the effort to bother sending you back." All four of his glowing eyes then narrowed, turning harsh all of a sudden. "But don't test my patience..." He finished, making Cleo's gaze hardened. Still, with much reluctance, she kept quiet. After pausing to monitor the zombie, Lynx went on with his story. "But, of course, after that game, we wanted more, so we chose our favorite little puppet to make a very satisfying ending in the next one," he explained while his talons hovered over the next card. It carried a picture of Mars. When he turned it over, Cleo felt herself grow ill once more.

Martyn, dressed in dark red and black clothing, stood in front of a giant hour glass with a deranged grin. His eyes glowed a bright purple while his hands and sword were splattered with blood. Beside him laid the corpses of both Impulse and Scott. The blonde stood tall in his victory, but Cleo did not miss the slight tears streaming down his cheeks. It was almost like the man was forcing himself to laugh.

"Stop this. This-You complete psychos... You're torturing my friends. All of them," Cleo growled, uncaring of the hybrid's previous warning, as she shifted her focus back to him.

Her anger, though, only made him smile. "But the story is not done yet. Don't you want to hear what happened to one of your boys?"

Cleo paused. Her brow creased from the stranger's statement. It took her a moment to remember what he was talking about until it suddenly hit her. The little game of pretend family she joked around with some of the guys: Etho, Bdubs, and Scar. Her eyes then shifted to the next card with newfound dread. It held a picture of the Earth.

Cleo wanted this horror show to stop, but she had to know. She wanted to know what had been happening to all of her friends.

She just felt so in the dark. She wasn't even sure if the hybrid sitting before her was telling the truth about any of this. After all she had witnessed today, though, and with not much else to go off of, Cleo couldn't help but be swept away by every detail she was hearing. She didn't speak again as Lynx turned over the next card.

It was Scar. He wore his dark purple cloak from Secret Life. Blood splattered across the garment's beautiful pattern of lilacs and poppies. He held a bow in one hand with a scroll in the other. He stared up at the Secret Keeper with a distant look. Tears streamed down his face while his brow knitted with absolute despair in his wide eyes. He looked as though he was talking to the rock structure with a plea in his gaze. The man looked so broken, so lost, even with his lips pulled back into a twisted smile. It made Cleo's own eyes fill with tears.

"Oh, Scar..." Cleo muttered. She could hardly recall her interactions with the man during that game, let alone notice how far he got to the end, despite the literal backstabbing she received from him. She didn't care how she died, not really. She barely recalled the pain now. All she could feel in that moment was sorrow worming its way inside to the point she almost didn't hear the hybrid speak again.

"Now, this one. This one's misery was absolutely divine. We can't get enough of it. His fear of loneliness, inadequacy. It kept us going after the Listeners' attacks."

Cleo's hands balled into fists in her lap. Her anger reached its limit. She had no idea Scar felt that way, and worst of all, he ended up alone in the end with only these monsters to use him as entertainment.

"You-You-" Cleo muttered, trying to find the words to describe her hatred towards the figure in front of her. Her whole body was trembling. Her snakes were hissing even louder than before.

"And now we have you. The champion, who won't be receiving a crown," Lynx said as he pointed to the last card.

Cleo paused her fury for just a moment from the unexpected news. She looked back down at the table to take in the last card. The symbol on it was a design of Pluto, yet it was dulled and almost scratched off completely. Lynx raised the card up as he turned it over.

It was an image of her. The zombie's arms were raised in celebration, but her bloody sword and clouded gaze expressed the emptiness she felt at that moment. The colors on the picture were faded and bits were scratched off too as if the card was many years old.

"We had rushed this season. We wanted to regain our full strength quickly before the Listeners returned, but I suppose removing you all from the void too soon resulted in your minds and bodies being... not to their full extent," Lynx explained with a sigh. "What a shame, it would have been nice to gain another champion, but alas, the game was a complete waste of time," he said before flicking the card over his shoulder, leaving it to be forgotten. Cleo narrowed her gaze. "So now, while we prepare for a proper season, we decided to keep this delightfully miserable one in the arena still. His suffering really has been a complete treat for us," Lynx finished while motioning towards the picture of Scar.

Cleo's eyes grew wide from that fact. She didn't spot Scar in the watery image before. Was he really still back in Secret Life? All alone?

That fact set the zombie off, the last straw that broke her restraint.

Cleo shot up, balled her fist, and sent one hard punch against the hybrid's jaw.

Lynx tumbled onto the floor. The chair fell over, and the Watcher was taken aback by the sudden attack. He held his jaw, rubbing it. He seemed surprised, not by the woman's actions, but more so the fact that he was too slow to react in time. The hybrid growled, ears pinned back. His wings then pulled him back up to his feet. Growing hostility covered his face once he shifted his attention back to Cleo.

"You..." Lynx muttered, glowing eyes set ablaze. "How DARE YOU!"

"No, how dare YOU do this to me and my friends!" Cleo roared. Unknowingly to her, an orange glow appeared over her gaze, making the man tense.

Lynx started to back away as Cleo drew closer with a murderous look in her eye. Her fists were raised and ready to attack again. He scowled down at the woman before glancing over at the table. He then grew a smirk once an idea struck him. "I may not have the strength yet to send you back, but I can at least have some fun."

Before Cleo could charge at the man, she noticed the cards from the table rising into the air. A wave of purple energy blasted through the room, blinding the zombie for a moment. By the time she regained her sight, she felt hands grab on to both her arms.

"What the-" Cleo's breath hitched when she saw ghost-like projections of Martyn and Scott. The two men were a dark shade of purple and Cleo could almost see right through them. Their bright glowing eyes carried no pupils, and both of them had a death grip on one of her arms. Cleo yanked against their hold, but they refused to budge. "Hey, let go!"

"Like them? They're not exactly your friends. They're more so a memory of them. A fraction of their mind that will never recover from their victory," Lynx explained as he soaked up the look of horror that suddenly appeared over Cleo's face. His glowing eyes pinched with pure delight. "Pretty fun puppets to play with, yes?" Lynx asked as a shadow version of Grian handed the man back his white mask. Shadow Pearl stood next to the two as well. She held an axe at the ready to defend. She watched Cleo with an emotionless expression like the rest.

Cleo's body then stiffened when she noticed the ghost-like image of Scar moving to stand in front of her. He held up a sword that carried the same violet color as the rest of him. It was see-through as well, seemingly not as threatening, but the grim expression the salesman had made Cleo uneasy.

"So what? You're going to kill me using ghost versions of my friends?" Cleo asked, forcing her voice to remain steady. She turned her fear into anger as she glared at the tall figure.

Lynx scoffed after placing the white mask back over his eyes. "Oh, no, you're much more valuable to us alive than dead. All the misery you endure and produce in the games... in this very moment too, in fact... you give off such strong emotions that we can't give that up," Lynx explained while clapping his hands. His grin then turned wicked as he stared the zombie down. "These things can't kill you, but they can still hurt like hell."

Before Cleo could react, Shadow Scar took a swing at the zombie. His blade didn't cut her, but the purple energy from the sword stung like hot iron. Cleo held back a scream from the burning sensation on her shoulder and chest. She pulled against the hold of her friends, but her attempts were ruined by another slash from Scar. Cleo finally screamed when a third strike hit her right after.

Cleo tightened her fists. Tears blurred her hazy vision while she gritted her teeth. She refused to give in. Refused to let that annoying monster gain anymore satisfaction. She tried to think of a plan. She racked her brain with ideas. Cleo squeezed her eyes shut when she noticed Scar raising the sword once more-

-But the hit never came.

"What do you think you're doing? Stop that!"

Cleo opened her eyes. She looked up to find Scar's raised hand was held back by the ghost-projection of Grian. The avian gripped the salesman's wrist, making everyone pause for a second. Cleo grew surprised to see the shadow of her short friend now held an orange glow in his eyes. Within seconds, Shadow Grian then elbowed Scar in his side and snatched the sword out of his hands. Before anyone else could react, Grian spun around and sliced the blade against the Watcher. Lynx screamed from the pain, causing all the shadows to waver.

Cleo took this as her cue to rip her arm free from Scott before punching Shadow Martyn right in the face. The ghost of her former soulbound tumbled back. Cleo then ducked as Shadow Scott lunged for her. She spotted a second sword on Martyn's belt. She quickly grabbed it before the two men collided and fell to the floor.

That's when Shadow Pearl raced forward with her axe. Their blades collided as Cleo held her ground. The zombie glanced over to see Shadow Grian doing the same with Scar. The orange-eyed avian carried conviction in his face, much different from the near emotionless husks of the others.

"Grian? Is that you?" Cleo asked right before she groaned from a sudden weight shift that jerked her injuries. She readjusted the hold on her sword when Shadow Pearl pressed down harder. When she looked back at the avian afterwards, he turned his head in her direction and gave a wide smile. Cleo returned it with a laugh. "I knew you could hear me in that void!"

Grian's face beamed before returning his attention to Scar. He kicked the other shadow in the stomach, making his opponent stagger back.

Satisfyingly, Cleo was able to shove Shadow Pearl far enough to deliver a final blow across the stomach. The fake Pearl wavered, seemingly surprised, which caused the zombie's grin to falter. The hologram then vanished into thin air without a trace of it in sight. Cleo watched the spot for a second until she was thrusted back into action from a stabbing pain in her shoulder.

Cleo yelped as she leaned forward from the force. She held her arm and looked back to find a holographic arrow sticking out of her skin. She spun around to find Shadow Scott as the culprit with Martyn slowly rising to his feet next to him.

"Oh, you have got to be joking," she grumbled from seeing the elf's bow.

Before she could react, though, a sword flew through the air and sliced right through Shadow Martyn. The pirate stumbled, shocked by the sudden attack, before disappearing as well. Cleo looked over to see Grian had chucked his sword before being nabbed by the back of his shawl by Shadow Scar, who had risen to his feet again.

Cleo then turned all her focus to Scott, who raised another arrow. The zombie, luckily, was faster and managed to slice the bow in half. Desperate, Scott then grabbed onto her arm and tried to snatch the sword from her grip. The two tussled over the weapon while Cleo fought against the pain still stabbing into her shoulder.

At the same time, Lynx remained on his knees. He panted, letting out a few haggard breaths. Thanks to the illusions, his powers all but spent. Yet still, his anger boiled over when he witnessed the near victory the intruder and traitor both had. The Watcher snarled, eyes glowing violet. With all the strength left he could muster, he screamed. "ENOUGH!"

A wave of purple energy shot out through the air, shaking the entire room. The illusions of past champions rippled before disappearing altogether, minus Grian. The avian's form wavered slightly, but he remained with his orange gaze.

The intensity of the blast, though, was heavy over Cleo's mind. That blow combined with the pain still stretched over her body, it made her stagger. Her eyes glowed a similar purple hue before her eyelids began to droop. With her body growing heavy, she glanced over towards Grian. The avian acknowledged her stumbling and rushed towards her, but the zombie collapsed seconds later into an unconscious state on the floor. Grian fell to his knees, scanning his friend over. He shook her arm, but the zombie remained motionless.

"You... You filthy scum." Grian turned to find Lynx looking straight at him. The avian ignored the insult and stretched his wing protectively over his friend. Lynx gasped for air, chest heaving from the overuse of his powers. "Just because you received the Listeners' help doesn't mean you've won." A grin then appeared over the Watcher's lips. "You felt it too, right? You died first in the last game. Such an early death while your body's still in recovery from the gruesome one before. It must have been terrible for your powers... for your mind to take."

Grian opened his mouth to argue, but no sound was uttered. He moved a hand to his mouth until he stopped to stare at his nearly see-through hand.

Lynx laughed. "You're a Watcher, Xelqua. You thrive off of chaos and destruction. Your powers crave that control. Dying so pitifully will fracture your mind just like the beginning of Last Life."

Grian stiffened. He did a double take to look back at the Watcher. A mixture of emotions settled into his face. He tried to keep his composure, but unease became evident in his expression from the news while his wings puffed up.

Lynx's grin turned dark once he noticed the other's fear. "That's exactly why the elders agreed to let you come back for the next game. Such an unhinged fledgling must have the freedom to let loose."

Grian gritted his teeth, showing a pair of fangs just like the hybrid. Lynx, though, waved him off. "You can leave now. I'll have another Watcher send your friend back to the void. There's nothing else you can do- Ah!" Lynx squawked when the avian raised one of the fallen swords and charged towards him. "Stop that! You annoying little-AH!" Lynx cried out when Grian slashed the man with the sword.

The hybrid clenched his teeth from the burning pain. The eyes under his mask were set ablaze as he snarled. He latched onto Grian's wrist, and the two tugged at the weapon until Lynx finally grabbed a hold of the sword and sent a deadly blow across the avian's chest.

Grian stepped back. Alarm consumed his features while the orange glow in his eyes began to fade. A pleased look was plastered over Lynx's face. "See you in the next game, Xelqua."

...

When Cleo opened her eyes, she was greeted by sunlight. She blinked the fuzziness from her vision and scanned the area around her. She stood on top of a small trimmed bush with several others in one big circle. All of her friends opened their eyes as well and admired the vibrant landscape around them.

Cleo's eyes trailed up to notice the nearly invisible dome that encased them, trapped them as she realized, but she wasn't sure why that should bother her. Finally, her attention was pulled towards the center again with Grian opening his arms wide in a flashy gesture.

"Welcome, to Wild Life," he spoke with his eyes glowing a strange purple hue. Unease settled into the pit of Cleo's stomach. She noticed the dark and crooked grin over the host's face while he tilted his head. Cleo looked over to the rest of the players, seeing their starstruck faces at the beautiful scenery. There was a bad taste in the zombie's mouth as her muscles grew tense for a reason she could not pinpoint.

What're we doing here?

~~~~~