Nina I awoke with a start, gasping and clutching my chest. A cold sweat had caked my back, and as I sat up in bed, I noticed the ache in my limbs from tensing my muscles during my sleep. But my physical discomfort felt like nothing to the mental discomfort I felt. Selena’s words, even in my waki
Enzo “Enzo…” Nina straddled me, her long, dark hair falling like a curtain around us. We moved in tandem together, just as we had a thousand times before; she leaned down, pressing her warm, small hands into my chest, and began to trace gentle kisses along my jaw and neck. I let out a soft moa
Somehow, though, an idea came to mind. Before, it had been so sudden and horrific; but maybe if I could meet my opponent first, get a feel for whoever I would be fighting, it wouldn’t be so bad. Right? “Alright,” I finally agreed, albeit hesitantly. “But first, I want to meet my opponent.” Mil
Nina “Wait! Wait, I’m coming with you!” At the sound of the familiar voice, both my mother and I whipped our heads around toward the noise. A moment later, I saw a lanky male form and a head of tawny hair break through the woods. “Tyler?” my mother and I said in unison as he ran toward us, a b
Mariah nodded. “It’ll keep you from getting sick when traveling between realms,” she said. “Luke told me that you were getting sick when using portals, so I did some research and foraging and developed this. Go on, try it.” My eyes widened a bit as I took the vial from Mariah’s hands. The liquid i
Nina The humidity hit me like a wall as soon as we stepped through the portal and into Mila’s overgrown jungle territory. Sweat instantly beaded on my brow, and I grimaced, already missing the cooler mountain air back home. But there was no time to dwell on such trivial discomforts—not when Enzo
Enzo I paced back and forth in my lavish bedroom once again, my mind racing. The image of that feral panther was seared into my brain, its wild eyes and foaming mouth a haunting reminder of what could become of me if I didn’t turn out the way Mila had… hoped. Or at least, that was what I assumed
Nina I watched with bated breath as the weathered village leader, whose name I had learned was Kai, walked up to the hut where my friends and I were being held. As the others murmured amongst themselves, I kept my gaze fixed on the old leader. “Sir, please, you have to listen,” I said as soon as