The Witch stood on the other side of the door, an ominous figure with tangled, wiry strands for hair. Fresh red liquid oozed down the side of her head where her ear should have been and collected on her blood stained apron.

Her features were contorted and weathered, a grotesque semblance of a human, as if she once contained a beauty that had been twisted by the very darkness that surrounded her. Even in the dim twilight, her wicked eyes filled with a sinister appetite as they bore into me.

Instinct compelled me to raise my blade, ready to strike the monstrous being. But as I lunged to slash at the Witch, she skillfully dodged my attack and retaliated with a vicious swipe of her long, jagged fingernails.

I reacted swiftly, slamming the door, and trapping her hand between the heavy wood and the jamb. The results chipped some of her fingernails and prompted a bone-chilling howl to escape her. The grotesque mixture of a painful growl and an innocent childlike whimper sent shivers down my spine.

She pulled until her hand vanished. After a few seconds of stillness, I allowed the door to steadily creak open, revealing nothing on the other side but the overwhelming darkness and forest.

Then deafening sirens blared overhead, forcing me to reattach the blade to the cuff to cover my ears with my palms. I half-expected a thirty-second countdown to follow, but instead, spotlights blazed to life, illuminating the entirety of my sheltered safe zone.

Vulnerability swamped me as I remained under the glaring lights. Panic surged through me, despite the supposed safety of the zone. The blaring sirens intensified, and a dynamic camera, suspended from a beam above, emerged from the darkness to capture a sweeping cinematic view of the shelter as it elegantly panned around.

I anticipated all the contestants uniting at my zone for the upcoming challenge. A competition I was now more than prepared for, fueled by my raging determination.

I peered out from the security of the four walls as the Jeffrey brothers emerged from the twisted trees. Their impressive six-foot plus height and rich, dark-skinned hands and faces were accentuated by the matching black bodysuits that showcased their well-toned muscles and powerful physiques, even from a distance.

A part of me wanted to wave my hands to signal them, urging them to seek refuge in the safe zone from the lurking witch, but caution held me back, especially upon spotting Sonya concealed behind a tree on the opposite side.

The little trust I had in Sonya shattered when she tried to attack me with a spiked club. Her betrayal reminded me that in this game, she was here to win, and willing to eliminate anyone or anything in her path.

The same principle likely applied to the brothers. After all, wasn't everyone in the Games driven by the pursuit of victory?

It also emphasized that Millie's seven out of ten survival score was no mistake. Millie had been right not to trust Sonya or any of the players.

I should have heeded Millie's advice instead of imposing my big sister dominance on the situation and trying to rally everyone to my cause. Every single contestant was here for one thing—to win.

If I had any hope of gaining anyone's support, I needed to be strategic. Like Mother Holle, I knew that most of them probably considered my activism a hindrance, or even a complete waste of time. It's not always easy or beneficial to stand up against powerful corporations and demand social justice.

Scanning the trees, I sought any sign of Millie or Tobias, but they were nowhere in sight.

Finally, the sirens went silent only to be replaced by the host's commanding voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for an epic showdown. Prepare yourselves for the ultimate challenge—the Boss Fight to rid the forest of its wicked presence. Our remaining brave contestants must unite their strengths, face their fears, and work as a team to vanquish the naughty Witch. Who among them will emerge victorious and claim the title of conqueror? Stay tuned as the Grimm Games take a dark turn into the heart of the enchanted forest. It's kill or be killed, and the Witch won't go down without a fight. Let the Boss Fight commence!"

Each contestant, fueled by a mix of determination and fear, emerged from their hiding spots, and began to converge upon the safe zone. A collective gulp was held as we readied ourselves for the battle that awaited.

One of the Jeffrey brothers displayed a large makeshift bat, its wood bristling with thorns that resembled the branches on the surrounding apple trees. Meanwhile, his brother exhibited cornrows that were braided into an intricate design on his head and a rustic spear tipped with a sharpened stone in his hand. Like the rest of us, they were well prepared for the fight.

The Witch finally slinked out from the shadows behind the hut. Her wiry hair seemed to come alive like serpents in the breeze as she moved, her torn clothes and tattered apron added to her horrific appearance. My eyes locked onto her single ear that remained a grotesque reminder of her twisted nature.

I stepped foot outside the safe space to join the others. Sonya, Dylan, Spencer, and I formed an unspoken alliance, the lingering distrust between us was set aside in the face of this wicked creature, at least for the moment.

The air crackled with tension as we positioned ourselves, our weapons at the ready.

With a sudden, bone-chilling screech, the Witch lunged. The older-looking brother with the patch of dark, coarse chin hair acted first, swiftly swinging his weapon. However, she evaded his strike with an unusual agility.

The slightly thinner, younger-looking brother of the two followed suit, attempting to flank the Witch, but she twisted away, avoiding his spear.

Her movements were nothing like the hobble she possessed in her gingerbread cottage when toying with me and Sonya's restraints.

It was my turn. I rushed in, landing a slanting blow on her arm, but she was fast, and the hit only grazed her. She retaliated, slashing at me with her sharp nails. I ducked out of the way just in time.

The panning camera swooped in, diverting my attention briefly.

Sonya's movements were strategic, a careful dance of precision and agility despite her injured ankle that caused her to limp. She managed to land a hit with her knife, and a searing cry of pain echoed from the Witch.

It was a small victory, but it fueled our determination.

In the chaotic tango of battle, cinematic lights, and dramatic camera angles, we began to learn the Witch's patterns and weaknesses. Her attacks were fierce, but we fought with unity, exploiting her moments of vulnerability.

The combat continued for several minutes in a repeated pattern of swipe, dodge, observe. The fight was far from easy—each blow of her remaining claws could be lethal.

I had been so deeply absorbed in monitoring the chaos within the dense forest that I temporarily forgot we were within an intricate set. It was only when a camera suspended on a crane smoothly glided in for a cinematic shot that I was reminded of our staged surroundings.

The commotion distracted me, allowing the Witch to swipe and miss my cheek by a millimeter, but take a chunk of my hair from my ponytail instead.

As the fight pressed on, adrenaline surged through my veins. The Witch, though intimidating, began to weaken. She sluggishly swiped at each of us one by one. Her hollering became less fierce as her breaths grew rapid.

We pressed our advantage, striking with renewed vigor.

Finally, I calculated my throw. Hurling the crescent blade like a dart. It flew and spun through the air landing a decisive blow, severing the Witch's arm.

The blade performed with such precision and force, the arm detached like a twig from a branch and landed on the ground a few feet behind her.

I was startled by the power of the weapon more than her ear-piercing scream.

With an agonizing shriek, the Witch dropped to the ground. She placed her remaining arm up in defense while she pleaded. The fearful look in her eyes told me she knew death was a moment away.

But as her lips trembled, silently begging for a semblance of mercy, I couldn't finish her. She whimpered like a wounded deer hoping for pity. In that moment, I recognized the sliver of humanity within her beastly shell.

I hesitated as her lips curled to form the word, "Please—"

A swift shadow in my periphery stole my attention. My eyes met Sonya as she stepped into view, yanked the Witch's head back by a handful of her stringy hair, and pierced the blade into the Witch's neck all the way to the hilt.

The brutal sight was enough to send a chill through my bones, seeing the determination in Sonya's eyes and the willingness to follow through with such an intimate act of violence.

Chilling.

The spotlights dimmed, the craned camera pulled back into obscurity, and the eerie twilight glow of the enchanted forest returned.

Silence.

We had emerged victorious from the Boss Fight, but the Grimm Games were far from over.

Sonya made sure to retrieve her blade from the flesh of the defeated Witch while she released her last breath. The searing look in Sonya's eyes told me she claimed her victory in the challenge and rightfully so. She eyed each of us before disappearing back into the shadows again.

The brother holding the spear in one hand turned to me. "Absolutely brutal." The way he held the weapon was non-threatening with the sharpened stone at the end aimed awkwardly to the side as his brother swooped in to tend to it.

They swiftly traded weapons, moving like a well-oiled machine, in sync and with great teamwork to assess and repair the parts of their weapons that were damaged.

"You see either of the other contestants?" I butted in, determined to know where Millie could be.

"Probably backstage in medical," the one with the facial hair, doing the fixing said.

"Medical?" The word reminded me of Mother Holle's sterile background when she appeared onscreen to speak to me. "There's a medical department?"

"Where do you think they take us after they knock us out?"