No matter what Iggy did, he couldn't seem to get his head to stop spinning. His vision had tilted, almost like his entire world had been turned on its axis, kind of like the dangerous world of Hadaxys* in the Black Sky star system. The ground beneath his feet felt more like sand. Knees buckling, he collapsed back onto the bed.

This couldn't be happening.

His father couldn't be a rebel. He just couldn't.

But as he recalled memories from the past, he realized this truth had been in his face the entire time. Their abrupt evacuation from Yensari, the hushed conversations in the dead of the night when Iggy's parents thought he was asleep. The letters in the mines. All the evidence was there. It had always been there.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he swallowed hard.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he finally asked.

"I didn't want you involved," his mother told him. She joined him at his side, her hand resting on his shoulder. "He didn't either. Your father didn't abandon us, Iggorii."

Iggy wiped his eyes. "Where is he? Why isn't he here?"

"It was for a reason, I'm sure of it."

That was all she could tell him. Biting the inside of his cheek, he glared at the floor.

His father placed the rebellion over his own family. He valued fighting a pointless war over the safety of his wife. Of his only son. Iggy's hands curled into fists by his side.

"Icarii was a..." His mother caught herself before chuckling. "He's always been an idealist. A dreamer. When we were still on Yensari, he dreamt of a better galaxy—one no longer ruled by the Elysian Empire. His dreams brought us here, in search of the rebellion. He told me he contacted someone from Galenrad. A warrior." She gestured at the letters. "Shortly after that, he went missing."

Iggy turned away. It didn't make sense. Not a single word. Why would his father rip them away from the safety of Yensari in search of the rebellion?

His mother was wrong. The man wasn't a dreamer. He was a fool.

"He might not have abandoned us," he began, his voice shaking with rage, "but he left us here to die." Grabbing his mother's hand, he stared at her with tears in his eyes. "We're drowning, aurata. We can barely keep up with the rent. Your lungs aren't getting any better, and your medication isn't getting any cheaper. The Au Vormnirs just upped the prices. I'm not sure how much time we—"

She grabbed his face with both of her hands. "You listen to me, and you listen to me good. Some things in this universe are bigger than us. Your father...he believed standing up against the empire was one of those things. He wanted to fight for something bigger than himself. You have to understand. You have to forgive him—"

"I can't!" Sniffling, he wiped his eyes again. "And you shouldn't either."

"Iggorii..."

"If you believe in his stupid dreams, then maybe you're just as much of a fool as he was."

Thick silence filled the room like a dense fog. Iggy immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his lips. They burned against his tongue like poison. But he couldn't take them back. They were out in the open, igniting the tension in the air like lightning bugs from the mines.

His mother flinched away from him, her eyes wide. A single tear slid down her face.

She didn't speak.

Neither did he.

He wanted to apologize. He wanted to hug her and kiss her on the forehead, but he couldn't. The immense shame and grief squeezing his body wouldn't let him. All he could do was sit on the edge of the cot as an overwhelming numbness enveloped him.

After a while, his mother took his hand again.

"One day you'll understand," she told him. "One day you'll find him again."

He desperately wanted to believe her. But he held no faith in his father, nor did he hold any faith in the universe. They both lost that from him cycles ago. All he had in this life was his mother and himself. Those were the only things he could afford to put his trust in.

Not in the empire. Not in any rebellion. Not in anyone.

He stood up. His eyes refused to even look in his mother's direction.

"I'm going to bed."

She simply nodded at him before climbing back into bed. Sighing, he left the room and closed the door behind him. As he ventured toward the sofa near the front door, voices gathered outside. Footsteps accompanied them. Blinding light from a vehicle poured in through the window, dousing the entire apartment in white. Iggy shielded his eyes as he approached the door.

What the—

The front door exploded off its hinges. He dove to the ground as it sailed over his head before lodging into a wall. It stuck out like a sword pushed through a warrior's chest. A pair of laser dot sights stabbed through the blinding light filling the room. Iggy glanced down and saw them dancing across his chest. Sweat beaded along his temple as his mouth dried up.

Two soldiers—clad in white armor with golden plates bearing the Elysian wreath—burst into his apartment with rifles in their gloved heads. Black visors met Iggy's incredulous stare as he remained on the floor. Scrambling away from them, he called out for his mother.

The Elysians rushed him, barking orders through their mechanized helmets. One yanked him up by the collar while the other stomped about the apartment, knocking the little bit of decorations they had to the floor. Iggy hung limply in their hold with his entire body trembling.

He couldn't do anything but watch.

"Iggorii?!" his mother exclaimed from the bedroom. "What's going on?"

The soldier ransacking the apartment barged into the room with their weapon raised.

Gritting his teeth, Iggy wrenched himself free from his captor's grasp for a split second. It was all he needed. Before the soldier could reclaim him, he chased after the other one into his mother's bedroom. He jumped in front of their rifle with his arms outstretched.

"What is the meaning of this?" his mother exclaimed.

"We didn't do anything," Iggy told them. "You can't just come in here like this."

The soldier laughed. "'Course we can, kid." A beam of blue light from their black visor scanned his body. "Iggorii Amrada. Yensari. Arigorii. Seventeen cycles. Salt miner."

"Yes, that's me."

"The mining company got an anonymous tip about a thief. Said we'd find 'em here. Mind if we take a look around the place?"

Thief?

That couldn't be right. For as long as he'd worked in the mines, he never stole anything, not even by accident. He hadn't even brought back any salt today after what happened. How could someone report him to the mining company for—

"You know what happens to thieves, Iggs."

His expression soured.

Squok saw the amulet he recovered from the hidden room in the mines. Surely he hadn't ratted him out. They were partners. Had been for over a cycle now. But who else could it have been? He and Squok both knew the potential reward for turning in thieves. Loyalty didn't exist in the desert. On Novr, they were crabs in a barrel, desperate to get out any way they could.

A sneer twisted Iggy's lips.

The soldier stepped past him and proceeded to rummage about the room. His mother remained on the bed. While the Elysian ripped out the drawers from her nightstand, she carefully inched her hand toward the letters sitting just inches away from her. The soldier hadn't seen them yet.

Clearing his throat, Iggy stepped toward them.

"What did they say I stole? You won't find any salt or stones here."

"Who said anything about salt, kid?"

His blood ran cold.

The other soldier entered the room. Pushing past Iggy, he snatched up his mother's hand faster than the pincer of a scorpion*. She had just been about to tuck the letters underneath her pillow. Guilt crossed over her face as her cheeks reddened.

"What've we got here, eh?"

Iggy gulped as they glossed over the papers. Despite not being able to see their face through the opaque shield of their helmet, he could feel their demeanor shift as they read the words written on those wretched documents. He felt the oxygen evaporate from his lungs. Sweat trickled down his back as a chill stabbed at his spine.

The soldier holding the letters lifted their head.

"What is it?" their partner asked.

"Looks like we've got ourselves some rebel conspirators."

No, no, no.

Iggy wanted to vomit.

"You do know the punishment for treason, right, kid?"

"Listen, this is all just one big misunderstanding."

"Alright, go on then. Set the record straight."

He stuttered. His brain couldn't find the words. What was he meant to say? He didn't even know what the letters said to fashion a believable lie. But he did know they must've been filled to the margins with treasonous language.

There was no worming his way out of this.

"I gave you an order, scum." The soldier directed their rifle at him. The beam of light shooting out from it felt like a brand against his chest.

"Leave him alone!" his mother shouted. A string of harsh words in Arigorii left her mouth shortly after.

The second Elysian trained their gun at her in reply. Rage ignited in Iggy's core. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he bit down hard on his lip. It took every ounce of willpower to keep still. One wrong move and they both would've been shot on the spot. They were going to make it out of this alive. He just needed to be smart.

Think, Iggy. Think.

"You know what," the soldier standing before him started. "That's enough talking. We'll let Commander Emerik deal with you." They jerked their chin toward the door while glancing at their compatriot. "Grab 'em."

Iggy paled.

"Wait!"

Surprisingly, both soldiers stopped.

Iggy's chest rose and fell at the speed of a sand skimmer zipping across the Novrian desert. After reading the letters, it was clear the soldiers believed both he and his mother were involved with the rebellion. There wasn't anything he could say to change their minds. But he couldn't let them take his mother to their commander. He hadn't had many altercations with the Elysian military before this, but everyone knew what they were like.

Stern. Uncompromising. Ruthless.

If they already thought Iggy and his mother were rebel conspirators, they both were as good as dead.

His hands clenched at his side. It was his fault this was happening. Had he left those letters and the amulet in that room, Elysian soldiers wouldn't be pointing rifles in his face. He and his mother would be safe. There was nothing to be done about the past, though. Only one thing could be now.

A deep breath left his lips.

Iggy retrieved the amulet from his pocket and held it up.

The soldiers bristled, their fingers inching toward the triggers of their weapons. He held his ground, glaring at both as his knuckles went white around the orange pendant.

"My mother has nothing to do with this," he told them.

She stared at him with tears in her dark eyes. "Iggorii, no—"

Smiling weakly, he held his hand out toward her, silencing her. She reached out for him. They were only a few feet apart, but it felt like they were worlds away.

Iggy turned his attention back to the soldiers. "It's me."

"It's you?"

"I'm the rebel."

"You sure don't look like one."

"Isn't that the whole point?"

"Smart mouth. We'll see how bold you are once you meet the commander."

The soldier freed a pair of handcuffs from their belt. They grabbed both of Iggy's arms and held them together. He winced as the cuffs were slapped onto his wrists. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched his mother rush over to him. Tears poured down her face like rivers as she grabbed his face.

"We're going to get you out of this," she promised him.

Nodding, he leaned into her touch and closed his eyes for a moment.

But only for a moment.

The soldier yanked him away, practically dragging him out of the room. Before he knew it, he was being pulled out of the apartment and into the blinding light filling the street below. His mother followed them outside, hiccupping as she watched the soldiers haul away her only son.

Iggy hung his head as he was stuffed into the back of the Elysian transport. Bystanders on the street witnessed the scene. Curious eyes watched on from the safety of their homes. Silent tears slid down Iggy's cheeks as he dropped his gaze to his shoes. Embarrassment and anger burned across his face.

He was in the hands of the empire now.

#

Iggy was trapped in an all-white room.

The corners and edges of the walls were invisible to his eye, giving the holding cell the appearance of an endless void of bright nothingness. There were no windows. No visible vents. The only door melded in with the nondescript background.

They dropped him in there without a word an hour ago.

Was it an hour? Maybe it had been longer. He wasn't sure anymore. The lack of...well, everything, made it difficult to gauge of time.

Only one thing was on his mind: getting back to his mother.

He was set to be put before Emerik au Victorus, a high ranking Elyisan commander whose jurisdiction presided over Novr, Rasko, Isan, and other surrounding planets in this sector of the Inner Rim. It was his arrival on the planet that had the mining city of Salcresis* worked up.

Iggy waited in silent agony for the commander to arrive. If he could just explain what happened, there was a chance he could get this all cleared up. He wasn't a rebel, nor did he want to be one. He needed them to know that. More importantly, he needed to make them believe it. While it was the truth, the truth didn't always matter. He needed to make it matter her, though. His mother, and his freedom, depended on it.

Sliding down to the floor, he sat in the corner and glared at the amulet in his hands. To his surprise, they hadn't taken it from him. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was another form of psychological warfare—just like the room they had him locked in. If it was...well it was doing the trick.

All of this could've been avoided if he'd left it in the mines.

He scowled at his father's initials in the metal.

This was his fault.

He brought them to Novr. He conspired with rebels and left the evidence behind for him to find. He got himself into trouble and vanished, leaving behind his family to fend for themselves in an unknown world at the hands of the merciless empire.

The door to the room retracted into the wall. A gust of pressurized air entered the room, along with a tall man dressed in a pressed, tar black uniform adorned with golden shoulder pads. Silver pins and medals decorated his chest. A digital nametag was built into his left breast pocket.

Commander Emerik au Victorus.

Iggy stiffened in his domineering presence.

His pale face looked like it was chiseled out of stone. Platinum blond hair was cut closely atop his blockish head. Piercing blue eyes bored into him, seemingly searching through his very soul. Swallowing hard, he averted his gaze to the compact pistol strapped to his thigh.

"Huh," the man said. "I was expecting someone more...dangerous."

He said nothing.

"My men say they found rebel correspondence in your apartment. Is that true?"

He nodded.

"You don't strike me for a rebel, boy."

"That's because I'm not."

The commander lifted a brow.

Iggy shot up from the ground, his eyes pleading as he stepped toward the Elysian. "Look, you've gotta believe me. Those letters... The pendant... They're not mine. I know I told them they were, but I only said that so they wouldn't take my mother. I found them all in this hidden storage closet in the mines today.

"I see." Commander Au Victorus eyed him. "Say, you look familiar."

He paled. "Excuse me?"

"You're an Arigorii, right?" The commander nodded, answering his own question. "The pointed ears and olive skin give it away."

He stayed silent.

"But your eyes..." The man leaned in toward him. "I've been tracking an Arigorii on this planet for a few cycles now. He had eyes just like yours."

Iggy blinked. Realization dawned on him like the morning sun.

His father hadn't been captured by the empire. Not yet.

Hope swelled in his chest, but it immediately dissipated into invisible smoke. It crawled up his throat, manifesting itself into a sneer on his lips. Anger flashed across his burning face. If his father was alive and not in the clutches of the empire, then his mother was wrong. He did abandon them. He must've gone into hiding to save his own skin.

"The Elysian Empire has a very strict policy when it comes to dealing with rebel conspirators," Commander au Victorus said. He examined his immaculate fingernails. "That pendant you found—it's insignia belongs to enemies of the empire." He wagged a finger at Iggy. "But you're not one of them."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you—"

"But someone has to answer for this."

"What?"

"Male. Arigorii. Bright eyes." The commander stroked the hint of stubble growing on their prominent chin. "You fit the description for our target on this world. My superiors have been on my back for ages about finding the rebel on Novr. They'll be pleased to know I've apprehended such a high-ranking rebel conspirator..."

Iggy's head spun. Knees buckling, he leaned against the wall for support.

The commander knew he wasn't a rebel. Yet, he was still going to punish him as if he was. All so he could satisfy the emperor. His stomach churned with dread and hopelessness. Holding back tears, he shook his head defiantly.

"You can't do this."

The commander chuckled.

"You have to let me go," Iggy pleaded. "My mother... She's sick and she needs me to take care of her. I have to stay here and work in the mines. We need the credits. If I don't, she'll—"

"My hands are tied."

Iggy flinched backward as if he'd been slapped. The commander's words felt more like a punch to the gut. This can't be happening. Things weren't supposed to go this way. After his father disappeared, he had to become the head of his small family. He vowed to save enough credits to travel back to Yensari with his mother. Just a few more cycles slaving away in the mines and they would've been able to return home. That was the plan...not this.

He wiped his eyes, angry at himself for crying in front of the Elysian.

This wasn't fair. None of it was. But nothing ever was fair when the empire was involved.

"Listen here, Arigorii." The commander lifted his chin slightly.

Iggy's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"All rebel conspirators and insurgents are meant to be sent to The Void for imprisonment and eventual execution," the man elaborated. "But I'm feeling charitable today, so I'll cut you a deal. The closest prisoner vessel in this system is headed to Elysium to supply participants for the games."

The games...

One of the many things Elysium was infamous for was its gladiator games. Citizens of the empire from every corner of the galaxy made the trip to the paradise planet just to get a glimpse at the fabled arena.

"What're you saying?"

"You said you need credits. Win those games, and you'll have more credits than you'll know what to do with."

He couldn't be serious.

"I'll die in that arena."

"Would you rather be sent to The Void instead? I'm giving you a chance here. If you don't want it, then by all means—"

"No!"

"No?"

"Just...let me think for a second, okay?"

Iggy swallowed hard. The Elysian made a valid point. The Void meant instant death. At least if he went to fight in the arena, he had a chance. A slim one. A very slim one, but a chance was a chance.

Still, the idea of competing in those games nearly made him faint. He'd never been in a fight in his entire life. He was smaller than most and weighed less than a full sack of salt crystals. Even if he were a seasoned warrior, his ankle was still busted. He could barely walk. How was he meant to take on the galaxy's most fearsome fighters?

"What'll it be, Arigorii?"

Iggy squinted at the commander. "Why are you doing this?"

The Elysian shrugged. "You've got something about you. If you make it big on Elysium, you'll have me to thank."

"I'll also have you to thank when I get killed."

Emerik snorted.

Iggy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Both of his choices were undesirable ones. But there was a chance—a tiny sliver of one—that he could survive the gladiator games. If he did, he'd have more than enough credits to save himself and his mother. They could return to Yensari.

His eyes lit up.

It's better than being executed.

He slipped his hand into his pocket, his fingers running over the pendant deep inside. Exhaling quietly, he nodded at the commander.

"Alright," he said. "You've got a deal."

The Elysian simply smiled.

Iggy truly was in the hands of the empire now.