The growl of the Wolfman caused us all to cover our ears. The sound, a mixture of a lion's roar and a vicious canine's howl, sent chills down my spine just as it would when face-to-face with those animals.

Spencer and Dylan flattened their tall, brawny bodies against the back of their chain-link confinement, trying to keep far away from the mangy-looking monstrosity. Its patchy black fur couldn't quite conceal the sickly gray skin beneath.

Crouched on all fours, the Wolfman remained illuminated in the spotlight while the colossal screen over the playfield and the host's commentary shifted focus. The host had moved on, transitioning to the next captivating and dangerous moment after Jade and Millie emerged from the well of water.

"What do we do?" Jade looked to me for an answer.

Millie huffed. "Not our problem."

"They're good people," I added, hoping to change her mind.

"Not everyone who looks like you is a good person, Sis."

I shook my head at the irony in her statement. "They helped me." I gestured to the magnet as proof. "They didn't have to, but they did."

"The less competition the better." Millie finally swiped her drenched white stands from her forehead. "You forget where you're at, Kam. This isn't the streets or the community. Saving them isn't your duty. This is a competition where the entire point is to be the last ones standing."

I shook my head in disapproval and seized Jade's hand. There wasn't time for us to check in on each other or express relief at still being alive. Instead, we did what we always did—plunged straight into action.

The wet snout on the scrunched human face squeezed through one of the holes of the chain link fence, sniffing the brothers' fear as if that was all it needed to be satiated. Clear strands of saliva and snot melded together and strings of it dribbled from the creature's gaping muzzle.

"Hey!" I shouted, trying to grab its attention. Deep down, I knew it was unlikely to work. I understood the beast wouldn't listen, wouldn't just turn and stroll away. Yet, if we could manage to get it to focus on us and not the brothers, it upped their odds of survival.

Maybe all they needed was a bit of time to figure a way out, and perhaps with me helping it could demonstrate my willingness to repay a favor, to support when needed.

Jade joined me, taking my cue. "Leave them alone, you asshole!"

Millie sighed, and I wasn't sure if it was in response to our attempts to help or Jade's use of a swear word. "Ugh. Let's try to get them out of that thing." Millie finally took the lead, getting further from the raised stage and water well to meet the brothers at the fence.

Another spotlight flashed on, illuminating the brothers in its beam. It lit Millie when she crossed into the light as she approached the fence.

Jade and I were swift on her heels, protected from the half man, half canine creature by the ten-foot-tall fence that spanned the perimeter of the staging arena.

Dylan aimed the sharpened end of his staff at the snout of the beast, ready to strike but obviously afraid of escalating its anger. "Get us out of here."

Spencer flattened his body against the chain linked mesh which warped and bowed from his weight, but the door refused to budge. "They locked us in here." He signaled to Millie with a frantic wave. "I'm trying but can't get it open."

Together, Millie, Jade, and I inserted our fingers through the gaps to get enough leverage to pull the door open. We tampered with the area where a lock should have been, but the door still wouldn't budge. It seemed to be controlled electronically.

The Wolfman slashed at the fence with his thick, protruding claws, startling all of us. From above, a silent drone expertly captured the live footage, avoiding the bright lights and shadows.

Once more, the beast swiped the fence, frustrated that it couldn't best it. It howled again in aggravation before coaxing its swollen fingers into the holes and pushing, pulling, bending, and warping the fence in the hopes of tearing it off its posts.

"He's gonna kill us!" Dylan cried. The fear in his young eyes hit me in my chest. Afterall, he was only a kid, four years younger than us. "Get this door open."

I took my blade in hand and hurled it at the fence. It sparked when it hit the metal and a clang rang out through the environment before it returned to my cuff. And with the sudden interruption, I then understood why Spencer refused to use his makeshift club on the fence or the beast.

Everything went still as the Wolfman abruptly ceased fighting with the fence and snarled at me. His sunken, dark, yet gleaming eyes revealed a new tactic forming in his mind. His human-like fingers gripped the fence, and instead of trying to pull it from the posts, he began to scale it as effortlessly as a cougar up a tree.

Just as I prepared for another death—my own—a familiar, disjointed tune shrieked through the air.

Without warning, the melody seemed to trigger something in the Wolfman, instantly transforming him from vicious to docile. He lowered himself back to the ground, his claws unhooked from the chain-linked fence, and even his breathing settled from ferocious to eerily calm.

The disjointed tune came from somewhere in the distance but seemed to emerge from an invisible flute place right near my ear. My stomach churned, and I covered my lobes to prevent nausea from overtaking me.

"Ugh. What the hell is that?" Jade's face held a similar look of disgust as the rest of us. "Where is that coming from?"

"I don't know." I grabbed her hand to comfort her, not sure if it was successful. Could I truly ease her anxiety especially after she was tied up and dunked in a murky pit of water on live television?

The Wolfman hung his head low, nearly grazing the straw covered ground, and it swayed drunkenly as he wandered off toward the origin of the mysterious music.

Once out of the vicinity, the spotlights shut down, leaving us in an artificial light that cast a surreal golden hour vibe across the hay-filled space. For that split second, chaos turned to peace, and like magic, or the flip of a switch, the gate finally opened, allowing Spencer and Dylan out.

The gate to the perimeter fence opened at the same time. If any Grimm creature wanted to, they could walk right in without issue and pick us off one by one. However, the mysterious music seemed to have lured them away.

With a sense of safety around us, I pulled Jade into my arms. Her oversized overalls were cold and soaked, but it didn't stop me from embracing her, feeling the warmth of her skin on my cheek. "How did this happen?"

"They have been holding me at Arcanum ever since you left." Her chest rose and fell in rhythm with her deep breaths. "I tried but no matter what they wouldn't let me leave."

I broke the hug to explore her large, brown eyes. "You're telling me they never escorted you out the building like they said they were gonna do? How long has that been?"

"What do you mean?" She searched my face with her confused gaze. "It's been a few days, I think. You don't know?" The perplexity in her face was more than any words could explain.

"It's weird here," I tried to clarify. "The fog randomly puts us under, and we have no idea what the sky outside looks like outside of this place, so I can't tell you what day or what time of day it is."

"This is the freakiest thing I've ever experienced." Her voice caught in her throat and her grip tightened on my arm. "We shouldn't be here."

Millie squeezed the remaining water from her hair and onto the layer of hay covering the ground. "You're right, you shouldn't be here."

Knowing me and Millie's history, Jade stepped back to allow me to properly connect with my sister.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Millie," I started, but as I went to clasp my arms around her narrow shoulders, she flinched, pushing the center of my chest so hard I lost my balance and landed ass first again, this time on the straw-covered ground. "Ow! Stop doing that."

"Millie!" Jade called out before helping me back to my feet. "Girl, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Millie sneered. "Stay out of this, Jade."

"Wait, you guys all know each other?" Dylan looked between Millie, Jade, and I.

"Personally?" Spencer added, waiting on further explanation.

I nodded. "She's my girlfriend and obviously that's my sister."

"Wait..." Dylan cocked his head as he tried to put two and two together. "Somebody forced you to be here?" He turned to Jade. "You can't play for the money. You don't even have a competition uniform to compete."

"Play and compete?" Jade gestured toward the darkened stage. "They wanted me to die. Isn't that obvious?"

"No," I clarified. "They wanted me to kill you. Kind of like I did that poor man."

Jade turned to me to caress my chin. "That wasn't your fault—"

"Don't." I shook my head, suppressing any comfort her gentle touch incited.

Millie mimicked me and shook her head too. "This is why you should've never come here, Kam. And now they brought Jade into all this. If she gets killed—"

"Fuck you, Millie!" I glared, calling an end to her backhanded accusations. This wasn't the time to pile on the blame and start a fight.

"So, you're gonna curse at me now?" She sneered, giving me a glimpse of what my facial expressions must've looked like in the moment. "I never wanted you to come or asked you to rescue me, ever! I've been fine on my own. And look what happens when you try to save the day." She pointed to the pit of water and the man that lay at the bottom of it.

"I get it, okay? We shouldn't be here, but it's far too late for that now. I can't just pick up my stuff and leave."

And as if on cue, the screen above the stage glowed behind us and the cheers and applause of the studio audience roared. Our eyes were glued to the host onscreen as the stage lights encompassed him in a magical glow as he held the mic to his lips.

"Welcome back, Grimm Games enthusiasts! We hope you've caught your breath because things are about to get even more riveting. Our daring contestant, Kamila the Activist, surprised even the most seasoned of us with her audacious move to save her coworker first. An unexpected twist, especially considering her earlier transgressions that cost the life of a volunteer. It seems Kamila is not one to play by the rules, and that, my friends, makes for an even more thrilling chapter in the Grimm Games saga." Chuck's voice carried a mix of excitement and intrigue, setting the stage for the audience to witness the unfolding drama.

"So, folks, did you catch that? Kamila's shocking decision to prioritize saving a coworker over the life of a fellow activist has left us all in awe. It seems, contrary to her claims of family and community being her top priorities, her actions speak louder than words. Perhaps Kamila's true concern lies more with her personal relationships and the perception others have of her. Is this a revelation about her true nature, or is there more to the story? Grimm Games never fails to peel back the layers and expose the complexities within our contestants. Let's watch closely as the drama unfolds!"

The screen went black and the speakers silent. While the screen was down, were they watching us or showcasing other prerecorded moments to the viewers?

Jade leaned toward my ear to mumble, "They're trying to turn you into the villain." She glanced at Millie. "And it seems to be working."

Millie huffed at Jade's theory, obviously able to hear it despite her whisper. "They need more death. At least one of us was meant to die in that game to keep the show entertaining. I think they see us working together and are doing anything to spice it up."

I slowly nodded, agreeing. "So, let's not scratch their itch."

"I don't care what anybody has to say." Dylan didn't even pause to think about his remark before blurting it out. "I'm getting that twenty mill."

Jade gave the brothers a once over. "So, these guys are supposed to be your friends? You trust them?"

"You can't trust anyone. Ever." Millie glanced at their weapons. "I thought you knew that, Jade. You dedicated your entire career to bringing down the Games and you seem just as clueless as Kam."

"You know what, girl? You should show some appreciation," Jade started. "Your sister dropped everything to make sure you make it out of this place alive."

"We were both this close to dying, Jade." Millie pressed her fingers together so hard her hand trembled. "This close."

Jade fired back, "But we're still here thanks to your sister."

As they bickered among themselves, the brothers silently withdrew. If they were making their way to a safe zone, it was a wise move, one we should emulate.

Yet, as they pressed on and vanished behind a towering pile of hay, the stack quaked. Not long after, a group of sizable rodents emerged from the stack. Their sharp front teeth protruded from their mouths and their thick elongated tails trailed behind as they stealthily scurried after the brothers.