Before the traumatized Eeva could utter a response, the five Hosts along with Solan fell twice the speed of gravity through the snap and opening of a circular trap door for each, their weapons stripped from them as they descended below.
It felt like Luka was in the great blue glass tube for less than five seconds as his heart lumped to his throat from the sudden fall and he skidded along the slick translucent surface which whipped and whirred and looped.
Him, along with the other five, slumped to a shimmering black floor which was cold beneath his scuffed knees and hands as he finally fell through the lift. He pushed himself to his feet, able to move his body freely again. Above them, the portals that carried them in slapped shut from the great hall of the fortress. They were on their own.
With another snap and fiery echo, transparent walls of orange and red fire erected between each contestant as the six now formed a circle, awaiting their further instructions from the fortress. Above them seemingly in the sky was the horizontal glowing glass tube for spectators, Eeva along with her guards slowly marching into its mouth.
The Hosts stared angrily and fiercely at Solan who smirked back, while Luka and Calysa looked at each other. The former's eyes drenched in desperation to speak with her, the latter's eyes laced with anger and betrayal and sadness. Seeing Calysa's state and the pain he brought her via Eeva's pregnancy even overshadowed the guilt he had that he led his friends into Solan's scheming seemingly yet again.
Luka slammed his fists on the warm yet harmless red fire that blocked him like a hot impenetrable shield of glass, pleading to Calysa, trying to reach her.
"Calysa listen to me, I care for you, and you alone," He said, his voice carrying perfectly into Calysa's tube somehow. It was almost as if the Programmers allowed their dyadic conversation.
"Oh, really? Who's the father then, Luka?" She said back to him and pointed up to Eeva's stomach, as she turned her back to him and sat, sliding down the red wall and folding her arms.
"Cali that was before you... before I even knew how you felt about me. It was right... it was right after her father died. This doesn't change anything. This doesn't change us."
"Oh! That makes this so much better," Calysa said as she wiped her wet eyes and rolled them. "So you just prey on us and our grief, is that it?"
Luka's skin went hot and his heart ached. He tried to pry through the red wall to reach her, to hug her, to console her, but the force field would not budge.
But then, Luka had an epiphany. Perhaps this was best. Perhaps he needed Cali to hate him, if he were ever able to trade his life for Solan's. It would soften the blow if and when he met his end. She would be safe, and she would be safe from the heartache of his sacrifice.
But nevertheless in that awful moment, he felt sick to his stomach. Sick that the one he truly loved now thought he did not. That the one she loved was not who she thought. He felt like a coward, a liar. Loyal to a fault. Sick that all the debts he felt he owed now had consequences upon other people. The debt he felt he owed Eeva finally rebounding and hurting Calysa.
"This changes everything, Luka," Calysa said quietly as she sat with her knees to her chest and her arms around them, the only warm feeling in her life at the moment from the red glow of the wall she slumped upon.
"We can't be together," She whispered to herself, but the words echoed in Luka's ears and were daggers to his heart.
He wanted to beg. He wanted to tell her that she didn't mean that. That they would figure it out together, as the duo Luka so loved to be a part of. The duo that could take on the world as long as they had each other. She was his person, but he was no longer hers.
But he didn't object. He couldn't object. As long as Solan lived, and no matter how Calysa felt about him, she would always be in danger. Her vanishing feelings for him was the only silver lining in this nightmare if the fortress was truthful about being able to trade a life for a life. He could spare his love of any further heartache, if it came to that.
"Trouble in paradise, Luka?" Solan's words sliced through Luka's tube and thoughts, his smile clear as day through their red chambers.
Luka ignored him, as him and the others looked up at a hologram screen which flashed deep within the blackness of the gigantic stadium, the face of their flags and animals along with the face of man sprawled along the glow in a vertical line, with space next to each.
A voice of the fortress boomed and followed shortly after the appearance of the screen, only one contestant smiling at the words.
"Welcome. You have been selected as contestants in the Games for Gaiathal. We, the Programmers, have constructed these Games to verify and establish your worth. Only the two that rank highest shall win."
"What... what does that mean?" Tristan said, his eyes wide, each contestant now hearing him in their own chamber and his fellow Hosts wondering the same.
"It means four of you will die. And myself, along with another lucky one of you, will leave this place, while I finally get access to the Chamber of Truth beyond," Solan said, his eyes flickering with excitement.
"The Steward is correct; four of you shall perish, however, whether the Steward lives is yet to be determined," The fortress replied. "In fact, the Steward's veil of immortality from his Black Apple is lifted while in these walls."
Luka gulped and his skin singed. The Hosts looked at each other worryingly, a fear Luka was not accustomed to seeing in his friends. The best of friends, now realizing they were competing with one another for life. Realizing that if the fortress was truthful, that three of them would be dead with certainty at a minimum. Realizing they were now competing for their lives.
Competing for only two spots to escape.
But there was a glimmer of hope. Solan, within this mystical fortress, was finally vulnerable. Perhaps the only time he would be vulnerable.
"Communication between contestants will be terminated in thirty seconds, and the First Game will be revealed. We, the Programmers, wish you all good fortune."
A giant red clock with the number thirty flashed upon the giant screen, now at twenty-nine, twenty-eight.
Luka frantically slammed on his tube which was opposite of Calysa's, who remained slumped in hers.
"Calysa you don't have to reply to me, but listen to me. You're getting out of here alive, do you hear me? I said I'd die for you, and I mean it. I'm going to make sure you're ranked in the top two."
While Calysa remained with her back to Luka, Luka frantically turned towards Tristan's red chamber as the clock clicked to twenty. "Tristan, listen. I know you guys think I'm some hero, but I'm not. Play the games to win, do you understand me? Do not risk your life for mine. Whoever the Programmers deem to move on... whether it's me or you or Laplan or Adrian... anyone but Solan... they'll be worthy of defeating Solan. Promise me."
As he scrambled to get his last words out to Adrian and Laplan as well, the same words he said to Tristan, they nodded towards each other. Sheepishly, scared, confused, stunned. They had to not only think of Luka, but of their partners back on the old continent. Was Luka right? Was playing the Game the best way to put forth the best of them, to ultimately save their people and their loves from Solan if Solan moved on? Was there a chance they were that person? Would trying to game the Programmers to get Luka, the boy they believed in all along, a mistake?
Was Luka betraying his friends by telling them to play by the rules, while he would try his best to game for Calysa's survival?
The sound shut off as if a door slammed shut. Luka's words now simply bounced off the fire and back into his ears, no longer carrying to his friends and now fellow contestants in their red glass tubes of fire. The fire tightened around them, and they could no longer see each other through the raging flames in the glass case that entombed them.
The fortress spoke directly to each as if a Programmer was face to face with them in their small red chamber.
"The First Game is simple. Each of you will vote who of you will not move on from this round."
Luka sighed in unbelievable relief. Had the Programmers finally established a way the most evil of them were rooted out at the beginning? Could him and his friends vote Solan to death finally?
His hope was evaporated in the very next instant. As Calysa had said before, and which Luka hauntingly remembered in that moment, was that when something appears too good to be true, it rarely is.
"However, if one of you gets all six votes, that person's worth will be guaranteed, along with access to the Chamber of Truth. If everyone gets one vote, we will revote with additional parameters."
Luka closed his eyes in despair.
If they all voted for Solan, and Solan took a chance and voted on himself knowing everyone's hatred of him, he would get his wish and get access to the Chamber of Truth, and be one of the two survivors. It was a risk far too great.
But would his friends realize this risk, too? Laplan certainly would, but would Laplan also think a couple of his friends would still vote Solan, perhaps still voting Solan to death with the most votes?
It was dizzying to think of all the permutations. But Luka knew what he would do.
He would vote for himself. Because if he voted for himself, while only some or all of his friends voted Solan, Solan would die with certainty. This way, Solan would likely have four votes against him, probably five if Solan inferred that he could get the magic number six.
"Orca, please cast your vote," The fortress said, Luka's stomach dropping as he realized Calysa was up, she herself also dealing with the mental anguish and decision and possibly toiling with the exact same thoughts Luka had had.
Through his red flames, Luka could see as Calysa's tube flashed yellow and blue, her vote cast and ascending into the heavens and surging at the glowing board beyond.
Please let that be for Solan, Cali, Luka pleaded to himself.
"Tiger, please cast your vote," The fortress said, and in an instant Luka saw red and white flames flashed.
Laplan voted so quickly, Luka thought to himself. It sent Luka's mind in circles even more. Was it a clue from Laplan? That the obvious choice of Solan was the fastest choice?
"Bear, please cast your vote," the fortress said, which was followed by brown and green flames flashing after a full five seconds.
Did Adrian deliberate with himself up to the very last second? Luka thought. He shook his head in an attempt to avoid overthinking his decision.
"Raven, please cast your vote."
Orange and black fire whooshed from next to Luka, Tristan's vote cast almost as fast as Laplan's.
He couldn't let the haste of his friends' decisions influence his own. He knew this was the right play, the logical play, the best chance they had, the best chance they could rid themselves of Solan here and now.
"Wolf, please cast your vote."
A hologram flickered in front of Luka upon his glassed red flame, the face of each Apex animal and the face of man depicting Solan flashing directly within his grasp.
He closed his eyes, locked in his decision, and pressed the face of the Wolf with a determined finger and exhaled shakily.
Black and silver flames swirled and engaged in his chamber, shooting upwards into the black heavens as his vote arrived to the glow of the board beyond. It resumed its red and orange glow shortly after.
"Steward, please cast your vote."
While Luka couldn't see Solan's face through the flames of his tube, he imagined the terrible man smiling as he cast his vote.
Yet, Solan didn't cast his vote. Almost a full minute passed without anything happening.
Luka grit his teeth as he realized Solan was toying with them. He was purposely making Luka and the others live through the agonizing minute of his decision, as if telling them through their flames yet again, 'everything that happens is under my control'.
We'll see who's in control when you vote yourself to death, Luka said to himself, his eyes fixed on where he knew Solan's tube was. He had to believe Solan had received just two votes from his friends. The odds were in their favour.
Finally, the red and orange glow heightened and flashed and surged from Solan's chamber, the Steward finally casting his vote to the fortress. Luka and the others watched as the glowing screen flickered and brightened deep within the blackness of the stadium. Terror filled their hearts as they realized the First Game had concluded.
"Thank you. We will now reveal the outcome."
As the flames around everyone died down, back to the red glow of before and transparent for everyone to see each other yet again, their attention was brought back to the giant screen and faces of animals. Their hearts beat with anticipation and fear as they awaited the results, each Host stone faced, trying not to reveal anything, while Solan simply smiled.
Keep smiling, we're smarter than you think, Luka thought to himself angrily, clenching his sweating fists within the humidity of his red confinement.
"We will now tally the results. The most votes indicates elimination, while six votes indicates victory."
The screen began blinking almost at the speed of Luka's fluttering heart. He looked at Calysa who looked back at him, her eyes tearful and worried and scared, perhaps even sorry for what she said to him as the Games began. A face fearful that either of them would be voted off due to a catastrophic miscalculation on their part, that her last words to Luka were that they couldn't be together.
The screen stopped shuttering and the votes revealed with an ominous clack which echoed in the stadium and within the minds of all the worried contestants. Luka's heart sinking to the very floor it felt, a great pit in his stomach, as the tally registered in his demoralized mind.
The Wolf had one vote.
The Orca had one vote.
The Bear had one vote.
The Raven had one vote.
The Steward had no votes.
The Tiger had two votes.
Tears welled up in Luka's eyes as he realized each of them voted for themselves, each of them with the exact same fear Luka had, the fear of Solan getting six votes.
Meanwhile, Solan knew all along they feared this. And he cast his vote to one of them.
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a..." Solan paused menacingly as he stared at Luka, "...Tiger, by the, toe," Solan concluded chillingly as he directed his gaze upon Laplan, smiling. He winked, and with his long index finger and thumb outstretched from his crisp black uniform towards Laplan, motioned a click of a gun. Terribly, the Programmers lifted the sound block. Laplan's heavy and fearful breathing permeated to each of their tubes.
Luka felt like he was punched in the gut as he turned to Laplan. Laplan looked back at Luka, his eyes watering and his face filled with fear and shock, even the ever logical Laplan having difficulty coming to terms with his fate and what had happened, what the tally meant.
"Laplan... I'm sorry..." Luka said as he fell to his knees, out of breath, stunned. He failed one of his closest friends. They failed one of their most trusted and best friends. He failed again. Outwitted by the Scientist.
In that last moment, Luka thought of the adventures he shared with Laplan the Philosopher. Laplan saving Luka in Orconia City from certain death. Laplan saving him from Markus at the Eastern Outpost. Laplan helping save Luka from Julien, only to follow him here to his demise. Their countless fights, countless laughs, the bond they formed which was about to be snapped far too soon.
"Luka, it's okay. Really. I mean it. Remember what I said to you, at the Eastern Outpost?" He said to Luka, finally meeting Luka's eyes which were filled with despair and guilt and tears which he was all too accustomed to experiencing now.
Luka remembered and nodded to the Tiger. But right now, it was proving difficult to believe in himself having led his friend to this terrible place. His friend's terrible end. But he had to. He had to honour his friend. He had to believe in himself, believe he could stop Solan, believe that he could avenge Laplan. He angrily rose and stared at Solan with renewed conviction and determination.
Laplan looked at all of his friends now as tears started to trickle down his cheeks. His eyes the bluest Luka had ever seen with the tears in them. "One of you is getting out of here at the very least... Tell... Tell Talia I love her. Please keep her safe," Laplan pleaded, unable to stop himself from his voice and spirit breaking at the end of his sentence.
Calysa was now crying with her hands pressed to the red glass of her cage. She couldn't imagine the pain Talia would experience when they informed her. If they could inform her. So too was Adrian. Tristan pounded on his red casing in rage in an effort to get to his friend as he cried, too. "Laplan!" He shouted, angrily pounding and trying to stop the inevitable from happening, somehow, someway.
Through their tears, they all promised him.
"Tiger, you have been eliminated. Our sincerest apologies, but nonetheless, we thank you for your service. Goodbye."
As the last word from the fortress reverberated in the black chamber, Laplan fell to the floor of his chamber with wide eyes as if he had been unplugged. His lifeless body slumped to the ground, as Tristan continued to pound on his chamber and every other Host fell to their knees in agony.
Luka couldn't tell if the muffle of everyone's cries within his chamber was the Programmer's doing, or because of the horror of it all, stunning his whirling mind.
It finally dawned on everyone, as they saw Laplan die, that the Games were indeed real and horrible and the threats that the fortress levied were truthful and terrifying. Their eyes could no longer linger upon their fallen comrade as they looked at each other with wet, wide eyes.
"That was fun. Who's ready for Game Two?" Solan said with a great smirk.