Quick recap: Ara had to fight Eval. 

Darren says go. 

Eval punches my nose, and it bursts in a shower of red. I cry out, but he cannot help me. It is in the rules, though whoever made them clearly did not experience this. I fall, and then suddenly spring up, punching his cheek. 

I wince as a multi-colored bruise spreads along his cheekbone. Blood drips into my mouth and I gag, spitting it out as the acrid, iron taste fills my mouth. 

He grimaces and flips me into the wall. I groan, but once more get back up and shove his head into the same wall. While he clutches it, I deliver a punch to his gut. He doubles over as Aben did, yet when I go to cut off his air, he grabs my hands and flings me into the dust.

I cannot breathe. 

I am beaten.

They announce Eval as the winner, and he bends down. 

"I'm sorry," he whispers as he brushes a bruise he gave me lightly.   

"I know," I whisper back. 

"Ara, congrats!" Darren pushes his way through the crowd of gaping people, over to us. 

(Grammarly is saying this sounds inspirational-- ...whaaa....?)

"On what?" I groan. "Getting my face bashed in?"

"Think of it as free plastic surgery," Orla grins. 

Wait. 

Orla?

"Orla!! You're okay!!" I cry, jumping up and flinging my arms around her.

"Yeah yeah," she blushes. "Nice to see you missed me." Then she recovers herself, and in true Orla fashion, says, "but you on the other hand, well I can't say you're okay too."

I laugh.

"Congrats that you held your own against Eval," Darren explains. "You will be joining us tomorrow."

My head spins. "But I lost!!" I protest.

"Those who make the rules can break them too," he says, and then walks away.

Eval seems pained and brushes the bruise on my cheek once more. Then he bites his lip and turns away, disappearing into the crowd after Darren.

(Guys now I sound friendly-anyone else ever have problems with Grammarly? Comment here! -->)

~~~

I cannot sleep. Over and over I replay my fight with Eval. Why did I have to fight him? Why?

I slip out of bed and walk to the main hall, where we eat. It is dim in the candlelight, and I stare at the ceiling. 

Tomorrow I will go Aboveground. I think I am still nine years old inside. I think I am still afraid. 

My life froze that day. 

And I am too afraid to go with them tomorrow. 

Too afraid of what I will find.

~~~

The next morning Eval finds me. "Hey Ar. What's wrong?" he asks.

"I can't go," I say, still staring at the ceiling. 

"What? Why? Are you sick?"

"No."
"Then why can't you?" he asks.

"I am too afraid," I admit dully. Why would one of the leaders of the resistance care? The trainer of fighters? He probably does not even know what fear is, what true and utter terror feels like. 

But he nods. "Do you mind?" he says, sitting next to me.

I shrug.

He sighs. "I understand fear, Ara. My parents too were killed by Viel. And I have grown up in fear. The trick is to harness that fear and control it. Don't let it control you. Make it drive you to do things you never thought you could do. Let it be your reason to keep going. Do not let it consume you."

"I can't. I'm too weak against it," I mutter. 

He sighs and wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him. "No, Ara," he tells me. "You are not weak. Tired of fighting, maybe. But never weak."

(Now I sound sad...?)

~~~

I stand, ready to go, and Orla grabs my arm. 

"I have to do something to you first," she whispers. 

My skin crawls, remembering when Viel used Orla to speak to us. 

"What?" I ask, afraid.

"You'll see. Now come with me!" she orders. 

I twist and spin, but cannot escape. When did Orla become stronger than me? I fear. 

She locks me in the bathroom and sticks me in a chair. I see a bag on the counter. 

"There is no escape now!!!" she crows victoriously. 

I am caught.