few days after the brutal ambush outside the dungeon, the trio limped back into a quieter rhythm in Ceil. Sheriff's damaged leg had been patched with spare wiring and a metal brace the medic scavenged. Shed's back was wrapped in fresh glowing herbs that still stung when he moved. Saint's arm was in a sling, the burn from the laser shot healing slowly. They had survived Mark's fifty-man assault only because the shadowy girl had appeared like a storm and wiped out the rest of the crew. Her warning still echoed in their heads: "You guys are ready. Go back to Ceil and prepare for the worst
The trio stepped inside a crowded bar. The heavy wooden door creaked behind them. Smoke and strange music filled the air mixing with the smell of spilled drinks and desperation. Dim lanterns cast warm orange glows across rough tables where locals drank and argued. Sheriff slammed a handful of coins on the counter without a word his duster flapping. He bought drinks for all three then ordered one for himself sliding the glass across with a metallic clink that drew curious stares.
Saint stared wide eyed his mouth slightly open. Arent you a robot.
Sheriff looked at him with his red eye glowing steady a hint of amusement in the mechanical drawl. I know dawg. I did not realize I cannot drink shit.
The bar crowd suddenly gathered near the back wall pushing and whispering excitedly as word spread fast. A big holographic board lit up with bright flashing prizes and dramatic music. A competition was starting right now drawing everyones attention. The prize was huge sixty seven thousand enzo enough to buy supplies weapons a safe ride out of town or even a hiding spot from hunters like Mark.
Sheriff nudged Saint hard with his elbow his red eye narrowing. You should enter kid. I always want to but they say I am too strong for it. They ban me every time on account of my size and upgrades.
Saint blinked surprised his heart picking up speed. No kidding Sherlock Holmes. You are like seven foot tall.
Sheriff looked at him with his red eye flaring bright for a moment. Hey do not joke about my height.
Saint started to feel scared his stomach twisting into tight knots and his palms growing sweaty but something stubborn in him refused to back down. He stepped forward anyway pushing through the crowd and signed up on the glowing pad his name appearing in bright letters.
The competition was simple at first but intense. Hot potato with exploding orbs that counted down fast and grew hotter each second followed by laser tag in a shifting maze arena full of traps glowing barriers and moving shadows. Saint joined a random team of four strangers who looked tough and experienced with scarred faces and confident smirks. The leader of the team was a cocky human man named Duro. He had a jagged scar across his jaw and a smirk that never left his face. He slapped Saint on the back hard. Noob you are going to win this easy watch and learn.
Saint grinned back trying to sound brave despite the nerves. Nah I would win for Sheriff.
The first round began. The hot potato orb appeared in the center of the arena a glowing red sphere the size of a melon. It started counting down from thirty seconds the heat rising fast. The orb was passed from player to player. Saint caught it on his second turn. The surface burned his palms immediately like holding a coal. He tossed it to the next teammate his hands throbbing. The orb grew hotter with every second. Sparks flew when it touched skin. One player dropped it too late. The orb exploded in a burst of fire and shrapnel. The player screamed and was thrown back against the wall but the arena shields kept the blast contained. The crowd cheered loud.
Saint dodged and weaved as the orb came back to him again. The heat singed his hair. His palms blistered. He threw it desperately to Duro who caught it with a laugh and passed it on. The countdown hit five. Four. Three. The last player panicked and hurled it high. The orb detonated mid air. Flames rained down. Saint dove behind a glowing barrier just in time. The heat wave washed over him. His shirt smoked. But he survived. His team made it through the round. Duro slapped him on the back again. See noob. Easy money.
The second round was laser tag in a shifting maze arena. The walls moved and rearranged themselves every thirty seconds. Traps popped up. Glowing barriers rose and fell. Laser beams shot from hidden turrets. Saints team was given glowing vests and small laser pistols. The goal was to tag the opposing team while avoiding being tagged yourself.
The maze started simple narrow corridors with low ceilings. Saint ran behind Duro. The walls shifted suddenly trapping one teammate. Laser fire erupted. Saint ducked and rolled. A beam grazed his shoulder burning a hole in his shirt. He fired back tagging an enemy player. The vest lit up red and the player was teleported out. The crowd roared.
The maze changed again. Platforms rose. Gravity flipped for a second making Saint float before slamming back down. He scrambled up a wall and leaped across a gap. Duro covered him firing precise shots. Saint tagged another enemy. His team was winning. But the maze grew crazier. Collapsing floors. Spinning walls. Laser grids that swept the corridors. Saint barely dodged one grid. The beams passed inches from his face. He felt the heat on his skin. His heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears.
One teammate got caught in a trap. A pit opened under him. He fell screaming. The arena shields saved him but he was out. Now it was three against three. Saint pushed forward. He slid under a low laser swept the pistol up and tagged the last enemy on the opposing team. His team won the round. The crowd cheered louder than before. Duro pumped his fist. We are unstoppable noob. Keep it up.
They made it all the way to the final round together. The arena lights blazed down. Split or Steal flashed huge on the board in bold letters. The big prize hovered there in holographic glory sixty seven thousand enzo ready for the team to split fair or for one player to steal it all and leave the rest with nothing.
Duro looked at the board his eyes gleaming with greed. The other teammates laughed and slapped each other on the back. Saint felt the tension. He whispered to Duro. We split it right. We all earned this.
Duro smirked. Yeah sure kid.
Then betrayal hit like a knife in the dark without any warning. The same teammate Duro who had laughed with him earlier and called him noob slammed the steal button without hesitation his face twisting into a greedy smirk. The enzo transferred instantly to his account with a bright chime. The traitor laughed loud and vanished into the crowd with the winnings pushing past people as he ran.
Saint stood frozen in the arena lights his body still buzzing from the adrenaline. Everything he had fought for gone in one click. Betrayal burned worse than any monster bite or any slap from Johanna back home. His legs felt weak and the bar noise turned into a roar in his ears. He had trusted them for a moment in the heat of the game and they had thrown him away like trash.
Sheriff and Shed pushed through the disappointed crowd shoving people aside without apology. Sheriff put a heavy metal hand on his shoulder steady and warm the grip reassuring. Kid you made it farther than most ever do in this town. That is real strength right there not some fake prize. You showed heart.
Shed hissed softly beside him yellow eyes steady and kind his scales reflecting the neon lights. We are your real team Saint. Not those cowards who run at the first chance. We got each other through the ruins and the monsters and everything else. No need for their fake enzo when we have this bond.
Saint exhaled slow his shoulders relaxing as the fear and anger faded a little leaving a warm spot in his chest that grew stronger. He looked at his two outcast friends the robot who could not drink yet still tried and the reptile who refused to kill for sport yet fought fiercely when it mattered. The bar noise faded around them like it did not matter anymore. Veyra was still dangerous and Mark was still hunting somewhere out there in the shadows but for the first time Saint did not feel completely alone in this broken world. The trio had each other and that felt like the real victory.
Outside the two moons watched bright and steady as the trio left the bar together walking back into the night air. The ruins waited ahead and the road to whatever came next but tonight they had each other. And that was worth more than sixty seven thousand enzo.