The new wing didn't look any different from the first area the contestants had stayed at, however, with a bit of exploring the youth would find that it differed quite a bit. There were several courtyards filled with tranquil ponds, small waterfalls, and abundant greenery. The training rooms were larger and more advanced and the food was certainly much better.

Ash barely noticed. She gobbled her dinner down, not heading to watch the last few matches of the day. She ignored the other contestants. They were a lot more relaxed now that they had the first hurdle behind them.

Daxon was laughing and seemed to be making friends left and right. Adron stuck close by. Tobias avoided them like the plague, sitting in a corner by himself as he seethed. Skyler already sat with her childhood friends.

"You made it!" Rowan had joyfully bounded in their direction when they'd entered the new wing. Mason followed at a slower pace, nodding briefly at Ash before turning his eyes, filled with concern, to Skyler.

They'd invited Ash to eat with them, and so she'd joined their merry table. However, by the time their plates weren't even half empty, she was done.

"Well, someone was hungry," Rowan commented as he stared at the clean plate in wonder. "Where did all that go?"

Ash simply shot him a half-smile before she excused herself.

Mason stood, grabbing her arm before she could go. "Thank you," he murmured.

Ash's eyebrows rose. The boy's eyes flickered to Skyler.

Giving him a simple nod, Ash left without a word. As they hadn't been given any further instructions, and the matches were currently still ongoing, she headed in the direction of her assigned room. She wasn't even half-way there when a figure stepped into her path.

The white uniform was worn as neatly as always, not a button out of place. The ink-black hair was kept in check and the equally dark eyes pierced directly into their target. This time, Keegan had finally chosen to approach her.

Mind only half present, Ash paused and gave him a patient look.

"Going to get cleaned up?" Keegan asked.

Ash glanced down. Other than the weapons she was still dressed in her full battle gear. Dirt was smudged in several places and even the side of her face hadn't been spared with a streak there. Most of the competitors had gone straight for the food hall, feeling ravenous after only downing a light breakfast due to their nerves. There was no thought on cleanliness before food. However, most would go after to take a deserved shower...except that Ash had completely forgotten about this, mind on a certain someone.

With a curt nod, she moved to sidestep Keegan. He followed her path, remaining a wall before her.

Only then, did Ash's mind clear as displeasure flooded through her.

"What is your problem?" she finally spoke the words which she'd been thinking all this time.

Keegan raised an eyebrow.

Ash stared back. She knew there wasn't any need for explanation.

"I wanted to congratulate you on the match," Keegan spoke softly.

The young woman narrowed her eyes. "Shouldn't you be in the other wing watching those very matches right now?"

Keegan cracked a smile and his eyes sparkled. "I asked for leave."

"To congratulate me?" Ash's eyes became slits. "R-i-g-h-t." She shifted. "Are you what they call a stalker fan? Isn't it a bit early for that?" Right now, she simply wanted to go watch the replay.

"You were impressive, saving your teammates, but that wasn't even half of what you can do, is it?" Keegan spoke. The smile had disappeared as his eyes flashed with something else.

"Are you selling information on levels or something?" Ash asked. "Regardless, if it's my crystal color you're asking for, forget it." She sidestepped and surprisingly he didn't block her.

Ash had only taken one step when he spoke.

"If you had a crystal, I wouldn't be here."

The girl froze and she felt Callous shift as he perked up.

Turning, Ash found Keegan gazing calmly at her, hands held behind his back.

The events of the last few days flashed through her mind and yet Ash couldn't pull up a single time where she had revealed herself. But somehow Keegan knew, or perhaps it was a guess and he was just testing her?

"Oh?" Ash recovered in an instant. She stood straight and mimicked Keegan's pose. "As far as I see, you're here to oversee Dragon Bane, not go around questioning contestants. Or perhaps you've placed a bet and want to solidify your chances?"

Keegan eyed her, a slight smile on his lips.

The two stared each other down.

"Let me be your trainer," Keegan proposed.

Ash was at a loss of words and even Callous was caught off guard. Most contestants had brought a trainer along, they needed to keep working on their skills as they advanced after all. A coach was highly beneficial. There were also no rules against changing out one's trainer or firing them at any point, however, it was rare. As for suddenly taking on one after the event started, Ash had heard of several who had done so. However, a trainer asking to train a competitor and not the other way around...that was something she hadn't heard of. And an arbitrator no less.

Before she could speak, Keegan did. "Think it over." With that, he turned and left.

Ash stared after him, at a complete loss. What just happened? She thought.

That was...interesting. Callous didn't elaborate, lost in thought.

Keegan already disappeared before either had recovered.

Another contestant walked down the area, shooting the frozen Ash a curious glance. It was this that shook her awake. Turning, she headed to her room, steps slower than before.

A trainer? She hadn't considered it before.

Don't need one, Callous told her lazily. I'm enough.

Ash scowled, a certain past event flashing through her mind. The being contracted with her was one of pure destruction, if he gained full control for even a moment, mass devastation would follow. He was a ticking time bomb more than a trainer.

Callous chuckled, reading her thoughts. He didn't defend himself in the least.

Placing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Ash went to her new room. Unlike the nicer facilities around, the room remained identical to the previous one. For a second, Ash stared at the clean bed, conflicted. A moment later, she shrugged it off and got on as dirty as she was.

Sitting cross-legged, she pulled down the screen. With a few simple movements, she found the replay of her match the day before. She ignored the shots of the audience pointing and talking as they chose their champions for the match.

The camera switched to the commentators.

"It's still early on, but it'll be interesting to see if these teams follow the trend of picking off their own," Seriya was saying.

A light-hearted laugh escaped Hansol. "It's certainly an entertaining twist. I'd say this year's batch are quite vicious, what do you think Yera?"

The white-haired woman looked anything but impressed. "It's an interesting move. But if you ask me, it's not necessarily the smartest."

Beside her, Pendol nodded.

"Oh?" Seriya's surprise looked very much exaggerated, much like almost every one of her and Hansol's reactions.

"Distrust this early on could damage chances later," Pendol elaborated. "We have no idea what scenarios have been chosen further down the road."

"True," Hansol agreed. "But at least it will make it even more entertaining on our end." He flashed his pearly whites. "How about we take a look at the contestants for this round?"

A screen appeared up with the opposition team.

Ash fast-forwarded the images, not caring about any of it. Only when the group was done with the first team, did she bring the images back to regular speed.

She sat straight, waiting for one face in particular to appear. However, the camera seemed to focus on more the senior panelists for now. Her own team's faces flashed up, along with what little information was known, such as names and age.

For the briefest moment, the camera panned out and all panel members were visible.

Ash froze the screen. She zoomed in, heading for the pair seated at the end.

Christopher and Dara were currently lost in each other's eyes, with Dara's hand resting on Christopher's arm.

He's very much taken, Callous voiced. Don't be too heartbroken, I can always play the role of a lover if needed.

If I was interested in romance, you'd be the last, Ash replied viciously as she resumed the recording.

They had begun to go through the team one member at a time, giving a short intro as well as one or two thoughts. At this point, they didn't have much to go off of and so didn't discuss more than appearance and throw out a guess or two.

Again, Ash ignored all comments as she waited for the person, she was watching to re-appear.

"And here we have the fifth member. She goes by the name of Ash..." Seriya was saying.

Ash's profile filled up the screen.

"Oh?" Hansol asked as he gazed slyly at Pierce. He was referring to previous comments made on Skyler's beauty with which they had teased the former, and currently single, winner. "How about this one?" Hansol probed.

The camera moved to Pierce, but the shot was such that the two people to his right were visible.

A smile spread across Pierce's face. "Well..."

The words cut off as Ash froze the screen.

Even though she brought the image closer, the girl leaned forward, eyes glued to Christopher.

The young man had finally turned his attention to the screen. His body language, his face, his eyes, there was no reaction...nothing.

Ash's resolve wavered. Was she mistaken?

However, something caught her eyes. The hand resting on his arm...the fingers had curled ever so slightly, tightening.

Ash moved the image over and found herself looking at Dara. The girl was staring at the screen, eyes widened ever so slightly and lips slightly apart in a move that gave her an overall stunned look. This was the look of someone caught off guard.

She knows me, surprise flickered through Ash. She let the clip play as she considered what that meant. Christopher...doesn't? Ash turned the image back to Christopher, examining him once more.

The next moment, she pressed play.

As the camera began to turn, she froze it once more. She had caught the movement of Christopher lifting a hand in an obvious move to place it on Dara's tightened hand, a move only done to comfort someone.

He knows, Ash realized. Then...why...? She let the question trail off and even Callous didn't offer a comment for once.

Feeling conflicted, Ash pressed play. The images continued as did the talking. She watched, not interested in the fight itself but focusing on every moment Christopher and Dara were shown on screen. She ignored the squeals of delight and groans coming from the commentators throughout the match. She stayed focused on the body language of the pair known as Chara. Both showed nothing out of normal, joining in the banter and bets throughout. There was not even a waver when Ash was brought up or shown on screen.

The end of the match came too soon, and the pair were shown too little.

"That was exciting," Seriya gushed.

Pierce smiled. "Quite entertaining. I'm surprised so many are eliminated early on. It makes me wonder if the games will have enough contestants until the very end."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Pendol assured. "The designers are prepared for all scenarios."

"I would say the winning team may have a dark horse or two," Melina spoke up, her eyes filled with thought. "It will certainly be one to watch moving forward."

Ash didn't care about the analysis, nor the closing comments.

When the images ended with the panel smiling at the camera, she paused it one last time. Sitting back, she stared at the screen. Christopher's smile and eyes. She had met him before, of that there was no doubt. Dara's brief but telling reaction to her profile introduction.

They both knew her. What did that mean? Had they been friends? Enemies? Was it a simple crossing of paths? But in that case, why was Christopher burned in her mind to such an extent?

Will he come? Will she? Ash couldn't help but wonder. Visitors weren't allowed till the later stages when contestants could mingle at parties. Commentators were the exception. If they wanted to pull strings, they most likely could.

You're digging, Callous warned.

The breath she didn't know she had been holding escaped Ash.

It's affecting you, the powerful being did not sound happy. Don't lose focus, he warned.

Ash rubbed her temple. I know.

Do you?

The rubbing stopped.

If you were lovers, friends, mortal enemies, or just strangers passing by, none of that matters, Callous reminded. You live for only me. You live for nothing but my will.

Ash narrowed her eyes. "Don't get conceited," she said sharply. "I may follow your will, but that doesn't mean I'll follow your methods if there are other ways to achieve it."

As I've noticed, Callous sneered.

Ash dropped her hand, fatigue washing over her. "Callous?"

Hmm?

The question formed, but Ash was unable to ask. Instead, she leaned back, choosing to ask something else. "You're not going to make me do anything I'll regret?"

What you choose to regret or not is completely up to you, came the cold reply.

Ash closed her eyes.

The shape of a man appeared before her. Those electric eyes didn't waver once. I only laid the contract out; you chose to accept it.

The girl didn't reply.

Callous' gaze softened. I'll keep you safe, he promised.

Ash's lips curled. It's not my safety I'm worried about with you around.

The dragon spirit chuckled, his eyes flickering with amusement. Then don't lose control, he taunted.

Ash sighed. Why me? Why choose me?

There was a pause. You're the one who fell into my domain, came the calm reply.

Ash raised her eyebrows. I sincerely doubt you couldn't have snatched up another dying person in the ocean.

Callous hesitated. Fine. Believe it or not, we're quite similar, he spoke softly as he closed the distance. A hand reached out, Ash didn't move. The hand landed on her head, but she didn't feel the touch at all, it was only an illusion after all.

You wouldn't let me know how, would you? Ash probed.

Callous leaned down. For the briefest moment, Ash saw something in his eyes she had never seen before. It felt as though the walls from this powerful being were dropped and for a split second she saw the feelings beneath. It was a cloud of something which slashed deep. It was a cloud of endless and cutting pain. It pulled her in, sucked her into its depth.

For a second, she found herself standing on the edge of a cliff. Before her spread a beautiful landscape. It was twilight. A huge and unfamiliar purple planet hung on the horizon, so close she could clearly see the craters on it. It illuminated the beautiful fields below with a light hue of purple. Despite the peace, the feeling of sorrow rapidly seeped to her bones.

The next moment, screams pierced the peaceful air. Ash clutched her ears which felt as though they would explode. The world before her twisted, distorting into endless red. The cloud of pain changed and something else washed over her. It was raw rage, the will to destroy. Hate, loathing, and the rotting smell of death all mixed together. It was dark and hideous.

Why? The moan of pain drifted through the air. Why? Why? Why? It grew louder until it became a roar.

Gasping, Ash's eyes flew open. A thin layer of sweat covered her forehead. Her hand had unwillingly risen to clutch at her heart.

Don't ask questions you don't need the answers to, Callous told her roughly as he retreated from her mind.

Panting, Ash took a moment to gather her wits. As the world cleared around her, she saw the screen with the image of the panelists still smiling at her. Flicking it up, she shakily got off the bed. She headed for the shower, stumbling slightly. The feelings from before drained away, however, the memory was enough to make her shiver.

The girl stripped from her battle gear and showered, taking the time to recover. The moment she stepped out she found fresh clothes and her dirty clothes gone. She changed without much thought, weariness taking over. Dragging her feet to bed, she fell in and drifted to sleep almost instantly.

Her dreams were a mess. One moment they were peaceful, the next chaos. One moment she saw Christopher smiling at her, then Dara appeared clutching his arm and his expression turned blank toward her. A purple planet orbited around her. Peace was broken by screams. And it all repeated.

Ash tried to stop it, to get away. She ran and ran, but it all followed her. And then, she reached the edge of a cliff towering above an ocean. She turned to find Callous, Dara, and Christopher all standing there. Behind them, her team was running around, battling in Dragon Bane.

Then, the smiles disappeared, and the feeling of rage washed over. Ash took a step back only to lose her footing.

She felt the familiar feeling of falling before plunging into watery depths. As she sank, one hand outstretched, she dimly saw figures standing and looking down from above. Their features were blurred.

Why? her own voice asked.

Ash knew she should fight, struggle to live, but she could do nothing but sink into the depths. She opened her mouth, bubbles escaping as she tried to call out.

She couldn't breathe. She was dying.

Ash's eyes opened. As the dream withdrew, she slowly sat up. Gathering her jumbled thoughts, she glanced at the time. Morning had come.

Throwing her legs over the edge of the bed she took a moment to probe for Callous. He didn't budge, seeming to not be in the mood to appear.

With a shrug, Ash got up and slowly got ready. It was another day of team matches, so she had nothing much to do other than watch or wander around.

Deciding she would get some breakfast first, she turned to the door.

The moment it opened she found Keegan leaning against the wall on the side.

"My offer. Have you made a decision?" the man asked without even greeting her.

Ignoring him, Ash walked by.

The door slid closed behind her.

"Just how much do you know," his voice carried behind her in the empty hallway. His next words made her stand rooted to the spot: "About the contract you've made?"