As Laplan collapsed, so too did the red veil that entrapped Calysa and her fellow contestants.
As fast as the red veil around Luka fell, she watched as he sprinted towards the smiling Solan with a great spring of his legs, angry tears at his eyes and his fists clenched to kill.
As he swung for Solan's jaw, his fist locked in place and in the air, mere centimetres from the black stubble of his nemesis, the fortress blocking his attack with inexplicable power.
"Contestants are not permitted to attack fellow contestants unless instructed to. Please calm yourself," The fortress said, Solan gently smiling down at Luka who was sent skidding backwards with the same force that the fortress stopped his strike with.
Luka relented angrily with a fierce shake from the invisible grip, and scowled at Solan who stood in place. Calysa watched as the titan calmly sat to the black metal floor and crossed his legs, his usual wry smile and confident glare unmoving upon the key bearing Hosts who came together in futile comfort.
Calysa joined Adrian and Tristan and stifled her own tears, Laplan's lifeless body in her peripheral vision which she so desperately tried to avoid gazing upon as she shuffled towards her friends.
"We... we have to bury him," Adrian said, his shock obvious, his speech nonsensical, slowly approaching Laplan's body and checking for a pulse he knew he would not find. "We... we need to bury our brother."
"You did this," Tristan said to Luka, his face with a fierceness to it through his tears that Calysa hadn't seen before from the Raven. "You led us here. Laplan would be alive if it weren't for you."
Luka hung his head in shame at the words. His best friend now blaming him in part for the death of his dear friend Laplan. Tristan's words were true which made them that much more painful.
In that moment, Calysa forgot about Eeva, or Luka's apparent lying and betrayal of her, of everything beside the Games now. All that mattered was defeating Solan, somehow getting out of the fortress. But the awe inspiring and terrifying manner of Laplan's death made this seem more than daunting.
All that mattered was somehow getting Luka out. Because she still loved him despite it all, and she knew after Solan's mounting victories that Luka was the one to finally break the cycle of losing, at some point, someway.
Calysa wiped her eyes and turned Tristan towards her with a turn of both his strong shoulders. "Tristan, this is what he wants," She said to him, pointing at Solan who remained seated by himself across the silver lobby of their stadium, his smile unyielding. "We need to stay strong. Together."
Tristan appeared to snap out of his rage, wiping his face and shaking his head, nodding at Calysa's words and turning back to Luka.
"I didn't mean that, Luka," He said to him, hugging him, realizing how his words must have impacted Luka like thorns. "I'm just... so sad. I'm so sad. We all failed him. We failed Laplan."
Luka hugged his friend tightly back, gripping his eyes tightly. "No, Tristan. You're right. I'm sorry. This shouldn't be happening. Laplan's death won't be in vain. I promise you."
Calysa, the most composed of them, grabbed Adrian by the shoulders and gave him a hug in comfort, too, pulling him off of Laplan and back to their task at hand. As she did so, a hover craft with sharp spinning propellers and extending claws delicately clasped Laplan's body and slowly flew him away, deeper into the darkness of the stadium never to be seen again. Only Luka was able to hold his eyes on the hover craft which slowly drifted into the distance and darkness.
"Luka's right. Laplan's death won't be in vain. But what have we learned so far?" Calysa whispered to her friends who huddled together tightly. She had to right their ship if they were to beat Solan. Mourning could come later. It had to come later.
"That we can't beat him," Adrian said still in shock, coming to terms with Solan's unparalleled scheming and seeming power. His hands were still cold from touching Laplan's cold body.
Calysa snuggly and sternly pinched Adrian's shoulder, scowling at him for his defeatist attitude. Her grasp appeared to snap him out of his daze, as he nodded in apology.
"No. It's that this fortress is truthful, and more powerful than we can possibly comprehend. It also said Solan doesn't have powers here. This is where we beat him. Possibly the only place we can."
They all nodded steadfastly to Calysa, but Calysa could see something was bothering Tristan as his eyes were focused on the darkness of the stadium beyond.
"Something's wrong. My vision..."
Tristan squinted off into the distance as if his eyes were human again. Luka moved his hands in front of his own eyes and scowled himself.
"I'm... sluggish," Luka said, flexing his fingers. They didn't have the usual quickness he was so used to as a Wolf. He brought his fist to his mouth and bit it until he drew blood, bringing it forth for his friends and him to watch in confusion.
To everyone's shock, the wound failed to heal as Luka was so accustomed to seeing by now.
They all came to the realization as the screen of the stadium illuminated again and the voice rebooted. "This is the First Intermission. There are no eliminations. However, you will have a chance to regain your powers for the next Game. You will be asked three confidential questions. If you answer them correctly, your powers will be reinstated. If you lie, we will further weaken you than you already are."
Calysa, Tristan, Adrian, and Luka exchanged glances as the words registered in their minds. How did they know what the correct answers were?
"You heard the fortress. Answer the questions truthfully. Don't risk lying to pretend we know the right answer to get weakened even more," Calysa said to them, each nodding and agreeing.
Each looked to Solan and saw that he continued his apparent meditation. Calysa looked to Luka, who was looking back to the blue spectator tube in the clouds, at golden Eeva and his imminent newborn, guarded by Outlanders and looking down on them from afar.
Calysa's skin went hot at the thought of Luka's child stealing the affection she had just attained from Luka. Their time and peace and love together on the beach all for naught. Nothing but a mirage and tease of happiness.
She hated that an innocent baby made her so jealous, and she couldn't help but hate that her thought was true. That Luka's revelation that he was a father snatched away what could have been between them. The loyal Luka no doubt ending up with the ethereal Eeva again to be the best father he could possibly be. Another underhanded trick from Eeva to steal him away from her yet again?
She snapped back away from the sight of her and back to the task at hand. She cursed herself that she worried about romantic drama when it wasn't even guaranteed she would survive the fortress. That Solan the Scientist sat mere meters away from her.
Defeat Solan. It's all that matters, She thought to herself. She couldn't look at Luka's face in their huddle.
This time, a black and silver pane of glass snapped into place before them seemingly out of the sky, folding in on itself and forming a crisp cube, with a door automatically chiseling itself into the new chamber which eerily slid open like a robotic mouth.
"Steward, please step forth."
Solan rose slowly, and with his eyes fixed upon the Hosts and a grievous grin, made his way to the black box of a chamber. They watched as he slipped inside to the smoky room, wondering what was in store for them when it was their turn to confront the apparent questions the Programmers had for each.
"Like Cali said, whatever you do, don't lie," Luka reminded everyone, Calysa hating that he still called her by the name she adored him calling her by. "We can't be weakened if two of us are going to leave. We all have to be strong."
Luka's words reignited the pain that each had felt, reminded them of Laplan's death and that two more of them, or even three, were not leaving the fortress alive.
Calysa could see in both Tristan and Adrian's eyes that they were more fearful than Luka. She could tell a piece of them was terrified that they competed for survival directly against Luka, the one person they watched time and time again do what he did best and was apparently born to do.
Calysa prayed to herself that Luka would do just that despite her anger with him. But deep within, she dreaded that he was running out of cards to seemingly cheat death.
As the Hosts continued to torment themselves within their own minds, Solan appeared from the foggy cube and sat back down where he was seated before, resuming his apparent meditation.
"Bear, please step forth."
Adrian gulped, and with a pat on his shoulder from each of his friends, slowly made his way for his one-on-one with the Programmers.
Realizing he finally had some time to speak with her in the flesh, perhaps the last words he could speak to her ever, Luka grabbed Calysa by the arm.
"Cali please, can we talk?" He said to her as she shrugged her arm free from his warm hand. Tristan left them both to give them space.
"Don't call me that," Calysa said back to him. "There's nothing to talk about. As you may be aware, we have more pressing issues."
Luka grabbed her arm more forcefully this time, and Calysa couldn't help but feel slightly fearful with his expression and grasp.
"I might be dead before morning," He snapped at her, "and this is how you want to leave things? How you want to leave us?"
Calysa pushed him away with a swift shove, to Solan's delight and Tristan's discomfort.
"Don't you dare sacrifice yourself for me," Calysa said to him, her voice quavering, avoiding his eyes. While she was heart broken at the revelation of Eeva and that Calysa was convinced she couldn't be with Luka, she still couldn't bear to think of Luka being left in the fortress. "I don't need your help," She added, to deflect this suspicion that Luka may or may not have had in that moment.
She couldn't look into his eyes, so scared of the pain she may have filled them with. Luckily, she didn't have to, as Adrian exited the black cube.
"Wolf, please step forth."
With her back to him, she listened as his dejected and quiet footsteps made their way to the black glass house and into the fog and mystery within.
"Calysa..." Tristan said to her as he rejoined them and awaited for Luka to finish his turn.
"I don't want to hear it, Tristan," Calysa said to the Raven.
"Well, you need to. He loves you. Three of us may not be getting out of here, and you want his prior romance to affect your potential final goodbyes?"
Calysa squinted her eyes at Tristan in a serious frown which stopped tears from falling to her cheeks. Her stare prevented the Raven from saying any further words, and they stood in silence for many moments awaiting Luka's return. It was Tristan's turn to answer the mysterious questions after the Wolf exited.
"Raven, please step forth."
Luka ignored both Calysa and Adrian as he hung his head, alone, nearest the wall where they fell in from. Tristan answered his questions much quicker than those before him as he marched out.
Calysa breathed out slowly as she realized it was her turn to enter the unknown.
"Orca, please step forth."
With quick yet purposeful steps, Calysa entered the black glass and mist, breaking through the thin layer of cloud and through the doorway to the inside.
Within, it was a different world. A bright blue sky with clouds and sun, a river flowing delicately before her and palm trees in the distance. She realized instantly it was a happy memory that the Programmers projected forth on her behalf, bringing her a sliver of happiness amidst the chaos.
"Please, have a seat," The fortress said to her and she obeyed, taking a soft seat in the grass. "We remind you, answer each question truthfully and with a final 'yes' or 'no'. Shall we begin?"
Calysa nodded towards the sun where the voice appeared to emerge from, her golden and blue uniform almost mirroring the sunny sky.
"The first question: If we, the Programmers, could make you the most powerful being in the Universe, would you accept this?"
Calysa looked ground-ward and blinked several times towards her crossed legs and the green grass. She pondered for several moments. With such power, she finally would be able to destroy Solan, possibly save everyone.
But her head snapped upwards as she clued into the history of mankind. The history of her people upon Gaiathal, and what she truly felt in her heart. Her leader, Aimos, along with his siblings were purportedly immortal and the most powerful beings who ever lived. Their grandfather Samuel was consumed by his power. Each of their fates, terrible. Power corrupted, or was always envied, or always led to suffering.
"No," She said to the fortress. "I choose not to play God."
The clouds above her appeared to whoosh as the fortress accepted her answer, wind breezing through her dark braided hair and her uniform rippling from the rushing wind.
"Thank you. The second question: If you could die to save those who live upon Gaiathal, to save those of who you do not love or have a relationship with, would you accept this fate for yourself?"
"Everyone who I don't love?" Calysa responded to the sky.
"Yes - strangers upon Gaiathal."
Calysa thought to herself for several moments, but she knew her answer all along. Admittedly to herself, it was an answer that she may have answered differently given her current mindset. But she couldn't lie.
"The people here... I don't think they deserve salvation. I've seen even the best of us betray the best of us... I've seen acts of selflessness utterly disregarded. I've seen the most selfless of us pretend to love, yet their heart belongs to another... the best we have to offer a liar himself," She said aloud, referring to Luka mostly through her testimonial. "And what, I should die so someone like Solan can continue to live, unleashing his continued wrath upon others, only bringing suffering? No. No, the best of humanity deserves a chance free from Solan. And we, we are not the best of humanity. My answer is no."
The sky stirred yet again and settled, Calysa awaiting her final question.
"Thank you. The final question: We ask that you picture the one you love most. Would you set them free if it meant they'd be happiest, yet the joy they brought you was forever extinguished?"
Calysa scoffed at the question. It was as if the Programmers had their very fingers on the pulse of her personal predicament. She wondered if the other contestants had the exact same question.
Her mouth opened, ready to answer, as she reflected on the statement.
"You know... there was a time when I'd say no. Luka, he..." She paused and folded her arms, enjoying the programmed sunrise that she was glad she could enjoy, finally able to smile as the rays touched her face. "He brought me so much happiness. In fact I... I saved him so many times and I've told myself so often that I was doing it for him. The truth was, I was doing it for both of us. Because he was the sunlight breaking my darkness. And I never wanted that sun to leave me."
Her smile disappeared as she thought of him, and said, "Sometimes we sacrifice our joy so the ones we love can have it. I think I've always been that type of person, too, but... I've had such a privileged upbringing that I never had to sacrifice anything before. Until now."
Her speaking aloud helped her understand, helped her finally understand Luka's perspective and even her own. He did love her. But his great flaw was that he always wanted to shine his light upon everyone he could who lingered in the dark.
"My answer is yes. If that means Luka ends up with Eeva, and his unborn child, and that means he finds peace and happiness and I am without him... Yes. I'd set him free."
The sky disappeared with a whoosh and snap, Calysa finding herself back in the black grim glass she almost forgot she was truly within. She tucked her hair behind her ears and stood, leaving the cube, emerging back through the fog and joining the other Hosts as they awaited the next steps of the Games.
"Were your questions the same?" Adrian asked her as she rejoined, Luka still averting his eyes from her.
"Power, dying for mankind, and setting a loved one free?" She replied, and each nodded. Luka walked away completely at the thought of the last question, Calysa warming slightly that she was clearly on his mind for it.
"Thank you all. We have the results of the Intermission."
On the great screen beyond, the contestants gasped as two icons flashed upon it. A smooth face, along with a face with a long silver snout and fierce barred teeth.
"The Steward and the Wolf are restored their powers, successfully passing our questions."
The contestants closed their eyes in anger and dejection that they were without their powers, Luka sick that he was the only of them that passed, that he passed whatever was deemed acceptable in the chamber. It sickened him that the Programmers allowed Solan to pass with whatever disturbing reasoning he had for each question.
Calysa was about to ask Luka's answer to each of the questions, but there was no need to. She already knew what his answers were.
As her eyes were drawn back to the heavens towards the blue tube which the Outlanders and Eeva resided in, she noticed with shock and confusion that she, and them, were no longer there.
Where had they gone?
**
Several moments prior, and as the waves upon the rocky shore of the world the Programmers created for Luka's mind in the black glass cube had stopped upon his answer to the final question, he stood and looked straight to the ceiling of the shimmering black glass.
"I don't know if I passed I... I want to make a deal," He began, not knowing if what he was doing was part of the rules of the Games. The fortress was quiet towards him, and so he continued, "If I pass, instead of giving me my power back, I want you to give the Orca her power back, in the event she doesn't pass. And if she does, give the Bear or Raven their power back. Is this allowed?"
The chamber appeared to whir as it digested Luka's words. "Your request is granted," The fortress replied.
Luka exhaled in relief as he exited to rejoin his friends.