Chaos. Pure chaos had ensued after I had called out my name. After I had voluntarily stepped up and accepted the burden of being a contestant in the trials.
The audience had exploded in a wave of roars as confusion washed over the Colosseum, the billboards flickering as the drones tried to get a clear shot of me, my face everywhere on the big screens.
The smell of summer still hung heavily in the air all around us, the sun burning down on me from its point in the middle of the sky.
Litha had claimed its last sacrifice for the year.
〄
Guards had almost immediately come to my aid, trying to get me away from the mess as they pushed past the masses in an attempt to escort me out of the old amphitheater through old underground tunnels beneath the arena.
Taeyong had disappeared before I had gotten the chance to look for him. And so, flanked by security, I walked down the narrow corridors of crumbling stone, trying to block out the sounds of trampling feet overhead, the smell of earth burning my nostrils with every shaky breath.
It didn't take us long to make it out of the Colosseum, though the blinding light that suddenly replaced the darkness from the tunnels had me instinctively lifting my arm over my face in an attempt to block out out the sun.
And then, suddenly, all of the air was forced out of my lungs as a pair of rough hands came into contact with my shoulders, pushing me against the wall of the old arena.
I gasped in an attempt to regain my breath, blinking furiously as I tried to readjust my eyes to the light, only to find myself face to face with Taeyong.
His brown eyes, earthy and dark, usually so controlled and calm, were filled with nothing but raw rage and fear as he pushed himself against me, trapping me against the wall.
"What were you thinking?!" he hissed, his breath ghosting over the tip of my nose, so close, the two of us sharing breath.
His eyes were wild as they searched my face, "Are you actually insane? What the hell were you thinking, Yuna?!"
But I knew. I knew that he was worried more than anything else. More than he was angry at me at that moment. But I still felt a flicker of annoyance spring to life within me as I glared up at him.
"What did you expect me to do, Taeyong? They just handed you a death sentence on national television, goddamnit! Did you actually think I would let them send you into those trials while I just stayed behind here in Rome, knowing you, like every single contestant since the very beginning of this horrible tradition, would die in there?! You know me better than that!"
"Me?" he huffed, almost laughing at my comment, "I would die in there? Then what exactly were you expecting to happen when you volunteered, hm? Do you not realize what this means?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but he pushed me harder against the wall, knocking the air out of my lungs once again as he leaned closer.
"There can only be one winner. And there has never been a winner, Yuna. That meant that either we both die by the others' hands or we will have to kill each other."
His words hit me so hard that I felt my breath catch in my throat, my heart sinking as I realized that he was right, what I had done, and what it would mean for the two of us.
He had been doomed from the moment his name was called across the sectors, across Haelan, but I had signed my own death sentence the moment I had raised my hand, the moment I had yelled out my own name.
And now we were both going to die.
Because there had never been a winner. The Chosen One had never come forth or been victorious, never been able to seize The White Throne and stop The Silent Plague from spreading across the lands, the kingdoms.
And so, the sectors had been forced to watch, to participate in The Trials of The Eight Mountains, hopelessly fighting in and following the trials as the kings stood by and did nothing except watch their allies be slaughtered in the arenas.
We were both going to die.
〄
The sound of someone clearing their throat made Taeyong pull away from me, turning around and stepping back a couple of steps, revealing a man in a black suit who was standing a little further back, looking rather uncomfortable as he awkwardly let his eyes flicker back and forth between the two of us.
I tried to straighten my clothes a little, brushing off some of the dust from the crumbling wall of the Colosseum behind me as I offered him a strained smile.
Taeyong ran a hand through his already messy hair, the strands of copper falling into his eyes as he huffed in frustration and turned completely away from me.
The man in the suit hesitated but tried to keep up his professional attitude nonetheless, "If you would be so kind as to follow me, the car is ready to take you to the capital where you will be meeting the others at The Palace of Atlas," he said, gesturing for the sleek, luxurious black car behind him.
I stood up a little straighter, glancing back over my shoulder only to see people begin to emerge from the Colosseum as The Declaration came to an end, sending curious looks in our direction before making their way over.
I turned back to face the two men in front of me, but Taeyong had already shut the door to the car after getting in, disappearing behind the tinted windows just as the driver did the same.
I rolled my eyes, though followed his example nonetheless as I turned to look back at our horses tied to one of the trees outside the ancient arena one last time before they would forever become part of my past.
The car took off, but I was unable to take my eyes off the window as we rushed through the streets and roads of the old city, my home, practically eating up the familiar buildings, temples bridges, statues, parks, and squares, wanting to engrave them in my mind, to remember every single detail.
Realizing by now, thanks to Taeyong, that it would be my last chance to ever see them.
At the thought of the male next to me, I dared to glance over my shoulder just once to see Taeyong sitting with his back turned to me, staring out of his window as well.
My heart sank at the sight, locking eyes with the chauffeur in the rearview mirror, his eyes asking me a silent question I wasn't willing to answer. I turned away.
Leaning my head against the cool surface of the glass, I let out a heavy sigh.
We were both going to die.
〄
I was awoken as someone gently shook my shoulder, pulling me from the lands of sleep and comfort as my eyes fluttered open. I turned my head to look at Taeyong, still silent, though he motioned for me to turn back to the window as he pointed to the world outside with a strained smile.
I did as told, my jaw going slack as I slowly edged closer to the glass‚ completely in awe as I took in the landscape we were quickly speeding through.
Absolutely mesmerized, I leaned in to put my hands against the window, feeling the steady vibration and low hum of the motor fall into the background as I stared out at the vast fields and hills stretching out into the distance, billowing grass and trees in every colour of the seasons merging together into a wonderful rainbow.
Only for the colours to be replaced by black as we suddenly entered a tunnel, making me instinctively pull back a little, only for my breath to catch in my throat as light once again drowned out the darkness outside of my window.
The full view of the capital suddenly exploded from everywhere around us as we drove onto a bridge crossing a crystal clear, winding river that snaked along the foot of The Eight Mountains above.
On the other side of the bridge loomed Martell, the heart of Haelan, a city built on top of an island in the middle of the mountains and river; a land of cliff and fields and hills surrounded by the clear water and reef near its edges.
The colourful landscape went up, up, up, each level of the city filled to the brim with vibrant houses, buildings, temples, and parks divided into sections by walls that marked each level.
And in the middle, looming over the top, as if trying to reach as high into the skies as the mountains themselves, was The Palace of Atlas.
Built from stones in every shade from crisp white to warm tan and decorated with towers that stretched toward the skies above, the palace was almost impossibly tall.
Made up of several buildings, towers, domes, watchtowers, and with waterfalls rushing down its sides, it was also decorated with intricately sculpted and shaped columns holding up its roofs and balconies, with golden statues of eight figures placed along the outskirts of the building itself.
At the front, one column was empty, missing a statue despite there already being eight, I realized, but it looked grand nonetheless.
I let my curiosity get the better of me as I rolled my window down, enjoying the warm breeze that flowed into the car, whisking through my hair, and singing in my ears.
As I stuck my head out into the fresh summer air, I took the chance to look up at the mountains overhead, spotting eight separate palaces all the way up in the skies. One for every king.
North, South, East, West, Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn.
I turned my attention back to The Palace of Atlas, completely breathless by now as I was finally able to see the top of the towers to which the clouds themselves seemed to be bound, drawn to, surging down from the clear blue sky in a spiral.
It was almost like watching a tornado, only that the nature of the phenomenon was calm, as if the powers inside the palace itself had summoned the clouds, beckoning them to swirl downwards, around and around.
It was beautiful, and I couldn't help but feel like the capital was the whole world at that moment, with Earth itself uniting with the sky, The Palace of Atlas carrying the weight of all of the heavens.
I pulled back into the car but kept the window open, enjoying the way the breeze continued to caress my face, almost as if it was alive, as if it had been waiting for me.
We kept driving, finally hitting the city, and my eyes widened all the more as a wall of smells hit me; spices, freshly baked goods, nature, and people, their laughter being carried along with the wind.
Rome was something. But this, this was another world.
I glanced back over my shoulder to find Taeyong glued to the window as well, his hand splayed out on the cool glass surface, watching intently, eating up the colours, the smells, the view. I let myself smile a little.
〄
It was with hesitance and on shaky legs that I finally stepped out of the car. I looked up at the palace towering over me, practically glowing in the light from the Litha sun as the last rays of light from the summer solstice shone of the tops of the mountains before it would disappear for the day.
I struggled to swallow as I once again remembered why I was here. Why we were both here.
Despite the beauty of this place, something dark and horrible was hiding underneath its surface.
The next time we would see that sun, the solstice sun, would be for Yule, The Winter Solstice, where the trials came to an end and The Chosen One would be crowned victorious. If we even lived for that long, that was. If there even was a winner.
I shuddered, and despite how angry Taeyong had been only hours earlier, I felt his hand touch mine, searching, before interlocking his fingers with mine, giving me a reassuring squeeze before pulling his hand back and hiding it behind his back, pulling me closer as well.
He kept his gaze trained on the pack of palace guards that stalked towards us.
Somewhere behind me, I could hear the sounds of car tires screeching, engines turned off as they came to a halt. No doubt the other contestants.
The guards were clad in all-white armor, their coats flickering behind them in the warm summer breeze, almost blinding, the golden details catching the light of the sun as they moved.
The closer they got, the more intricate the details in their breastplates seemed to become. The pauldrons on their shoulders looked heavy and made them look broad and strong as they marched in our direction, their hands casually held over the swords, the hilts gilded.
Their white helmets covered their faces, features, leaving nothing but the eyes visible, decorated with intricate details that had been cut into the material, the bottom shaped with feathers, wings, along the jawline.
I struggled to swallow, fighting the urge to step back as the guard at the front stepped closer to Taeyong and me before bowing, looking back up and locking eyes with me, strikingly green behind that mask of white.
"Welcome to the heart of Haelan," he said, his deep voice sending shivers through me.
It was a kind, welcoming sound, like a warm breeze, like the cliffs along the waterfront during the summer where I would enjoy the heat radiating off the stones while letting my feet touch the tops of the waves passing by. I felt myself relax.
He turned to Taeyong, "I sincerely hope that your journey has been pleasant and without any issues. We're honored to have you for this year's Trials of The Eight Mountains. The other contestants will arrive shortly, so if you would be so kind as to follow me and the other guards, we will lead you to the throne room where the kings are awaiting your arrival."
Taeyong stood still for a moment. A moment too long for it to be considered casual as he squeezed my hand a little tighter behind his back. But he shook his head, offering the guard a strained smile before thanking him.
The white helmet turned back to me, studying me for a second before turning back around, walking towards the entrance of the palace. I furrowed my brows, looking to Taeyong who was staring after him, unmoving.
I tugged at his hand, and he looked down, still without saying a word which was very unlike him and, reluctantly, he let go of my hand.
Nudging him with my elbow, I offered him a warm smile and followed the guard, glancing over my shoulder to see that several other cars had pulled up to the palace as well.
Contestants I had only caught glimpses of on the screens in the Colosseum were all getting out, looking around, admiring, in awe, just like I had been.
Humans, people, who I would soon have to face in the trials, the games, where we, in the end, would have to fight each other to the death.
A familiar sense of dread washed over me, and I shivered despite the warm weather, quickly trying to push the thought away. My goal was to protect Taeyong, no matter the price, I told myself, glancing back at the copper-haired male behind me who offered me a curious look.
No matter the price, I told myself, straightening a little more as I put a sense of confidence into my step, following the white guard through the entrance to The Palace of Atlas.
Straight into the heart of Haelan.
A/N:
If you enjoyed the story so far, please leave a vote on the little star in the corner. It would mean the world to me :)
Our lovely kings, ATEEZ, will be making a grand entrance in the next chapter when the story kicks off for real now that the foundation has been set and we have the context down - Happy reading :))