Page 134 of Godbound
Just one more to go.
Iclimb the etched stone stairs, and by the time I reach the top, my legs ache and my breath comes ragged. I’m bloody, sweaty, and exhausted. When I glance at Seraphina and Zyrel, both as fresh as they were at the start of the challenge, a hysterical laugh slips out.
It’s suddenly very funny to me that I’m always the one half-dead by the end, while those two look like they’ve strolled through a garden instead of a battlefield.
If I weren’t fighting for the win, I’d pay good coin to watch them battle each other in the next Challenge just to see which of them would end up with even a single hair out of place.
At last, I straighten my spine and lift my gaze toward the raised dais where the Sibyls stand. Forcing what little composure I have left into place, I give them a small, deliberate nod.
Then, unable to stop myself, I glance over the edge of the pillar. I spot Kaelzar already standing at its base, panting heavily. He looks up at me. Our eyes meet.
He smiles.
That smile—bright and warm and real—steadies me. It spills through my chest like warm honey, spreading through my limbs, and I forget the pain, the fear, the doubt.
For a moment, there’s nothing else. Just him. Just that impossible softness in his expression, so at odds with everything he’s been.
The wariness, the cruelty, the weight of those chains—none of itexists in that smile. And somehow, it’s enough. Enough to hold me steady, to remind me I’m not alone.
I smile back.
Then the Sibyls’ voices draw my focus back, perfectly in sync, carrying across the arena like a tolling bell. “Today, your king shall judge. Each Champion will present a single offering. When all are revealed, the king will dismiss the one he values least.”
For a moment, I forget how to breathe. I thought the third Challenge was over. I thought all three of us would move on, but the challenge isn’t won yet.
A low rumble trembles through the air, vibrating in my chest. I look up. Breaking through the clouds, Zyrel’s gift takes shape in the sky. It's a massive flying ship, its body gleaming with metal plating, cannons lining its sides. The thing looks unstoppable.
My jaw slackens.
I hadn’t even considered what kind of power a wish could hold. But it really could be anything. Next, the Sibyls call on Seraphina.
She leans forward and whispers something into her box. A moment later, gasps ripple through the arena as Ryker begins to glow in his royal box, set near the Sibyls’ dais and overlooking the center of the arena. Then, in a flash, he’s clad in golden armor. Flames curl along the gauntlets. He flexes his fingers, and fireballs ignite in each palm.
“Unbreakable,” Seraphina calls out. “Fire-wielding. The perfect weapon and shield for the wars to come. It appears and vanishes at will.”
I stare at them both, Zyrel and Seraphina, trying to breathe through the pressure crushing my chest. They’re both smirking, confident I have nothing that could match their grand gestures. Confident I’ll be eliminated.
I grip the edge of the box. My mind scrambles. What can I give him?
A weapon? He’s already got two. A creature? A beast?
Even if I could think of one, it would pale beside Zyrel’s warship. Magic? Power? A show of strength?
No. That’s what they expect from me, what they expect from allof us. But I’ve seen where power leads. I’ve felt its weight. I know how easily it rots the hands that hold it.
I close my eyes, heart pounding. My thoughts spiral. What can I give a king who already has everything?
A memory flickers behind my eyes. Mael’s voice, the sweet taste of spiked wine. How many times have I relived it? How many times have I hoped for Ryker to believe me, only to be met with doubt, with questions, with eyes that looked through me?
My gaze lifts up, to the glowing Divinity Gazes waiting above.
Maybe the only thing I can give Ryker is what I was never given. The truth.
I lean forward, voice trembling, and whisper into the box, “Show Ryker what really happened that day with his brother.”
I don’t know how it’ll work or what he’ll even see, but when the Divinity Gazes ignite, I remember, too late, that everyone will see it, not just Ryker.
The images appear in the Divinity Gazes, crystal clear showing Mael entering my chambers. A hush ripples across the arena. One by one, the whispers die. I can feel thousands of eyes shifting, leaning in.
