As my eyes fluttered open, the room greeted me with a dim, eerie glow of yellow lights. My head throbbed, and I instinctively tried to rub my temples, only to find my wrists firmly restrained by thin rope.

I lay at an angle, wrists and ankles outstretched and tightly bound to a table under me. On a separate table beside me, Sonya was still in slumber but tied similarly as well.

To my right, walls adorned with bright colored candy and fragrant baked goods surrounded me, but there was no sign of Millie or Tobias. A strong scent of gingerbread hung heavy in the air.

Hunger gnawed at my stomach making me wonder what lurked within those tempting apples and why I had been so drawn to them.

Millie had mentioned safe zones for rest and sustenance, but trust in this place had already proven naive.

Shame washed over me for letting the Games remain one step ahead. I had volunteered to protect my sister, yet I'd only plunged us further into danger.

"Millie?" I called out. Only the crackling of burning wood mere feet from our legs responded. I turned to Sonya. "Hey, Sonya?"

She remained still, her breathing giving me hope she would awaken soon.

Strapped down, clueless about our location and predicament, I realized I had no idea how long it's been. My body and joints ached as if I had been asleep for quite a while. Now I understood why Millie wasn't sure how long she'd been here.

I tried to predict the challenge, recalling similar games from the show. From the looks of it, the game would consist of struggling to free oneself before time ran out.

Was I prepared?

Gingerbread walls, lollipops, and gumdrops adorned the room, enhancing the illusion of the Witch's hut. If I were correct, this would be part three of the Hansel and Gretel challenge.

I scanned for signs of the Witch or my sister and Tobias, finding only a similar table containing an assortment of raw meats and veggies, thankfully non-human.

My stomach protested, rebelling against the scent of freshly baked goods. It must have been whatever was in those apples that lingered in my system and caused that reaction to the food.

I pulled at my restraints, eager for release. The wood beneath me reminded me more of a culinary cutting board than a table.

What were we waiting for? I wanted out. I needed to find Millie. I needed to know she was okay.

Sonya began to stir, and the howling wind creeping through the exit door beckoned from behind us.

"Sonya, wake up."

She blinked at me, grogginess in her tired eyes. "What's going on?"

"Another game," I muttered, tugging at my restraints when she struggled with her own.

Suddenly, the speakers crackled to life, and the host of Chuck Gillian's voice filled the room. "Esteemed contestants of Grimm Games, it's time to delve into the dark and twisted world of the Witch's Cottage. Prepare yourselves for a challenge that will test not only your wits but also your courage in the face of the unknown.

"In the third segment of the Enchanted Forest challenge, we continue to pay homage to the chilling tale of Hansel and Gretel. You all know the story – the siblings, the witch's cottage, and the fight for survival. But in Grimm Games, we take it a step further.

"We invite you to embrace the spine-chilling atmosphere as we embark on a trivia challenge like no other. We'll delve into the heart of our grim contestants, testing your knowledge of your darkest secrets.

"Are you ready to reveal your truths and unlock the mysteries that lie within? Your quick thinking and knowledge will be your best allies as we navigate through the twisted paths of Hansel and Gretel's nightmarish adventure.

"Remember, it's not just about the correct answers; it's about facing the fears that lie dormant in the corners of your mind. Let's see who emerges victorious."

Above the open maw of the roaring brick oven, words appeared on the rusty-red brick above written in projected light.

True or False: Kamila Wendall disowned her twin sister for months after paying her sister's court fine for aggravated assault against a friend.

A ten second timer appeared in bright glowing red light below the question, ticking down by the second.

"True!" I yelled to the blinding light above me in the rafters.

The timer stopped and the word "Correct" replaced the trivia question.

The heat from the oven began to get to me, but I ignored it to read the next question that appeared on the wall before us.

What dangerous situation did Sonya Torres find herself in at her home daycare?

The ten second timer started counting down.

I turned to Sonya. Only she could answer that question.

Her eyes went wide. "A child was hurt."

The timer continued to decrease.

She tried again. "A child died."

My eyes went wide when the timer refused to stop. "Wrong answer?" How could she not know the answer?

The timer ticked on. Five, four, three...

"I killed a child!" she screamed.

The timer stopped and the word "Correct" replaced the question.

I couldn't prevent my shock from showing on my face with wide eyes and my mouth agape.

As I looked at her, something about her suddenly seemed off. While there was a flicker of remorse in her eyes, doubt gnawed at me. The game had only just begun, and the unsettling reality about the person beside me stirred an unexpected unease within me.

"It was an accident, okay?" she clarified, avoiding eye contact.

I didn't respond, hoping to swiftly navigate through this game and reunite with Millie. Another question appeared.

True or false: Sonya's murder of a child was an accident.

"True," Sonya said without hesitation.

The timer continued to tick down.

"True!" she yelled again.

The timer continued.

"I said true. It's fucking true. It was an accident!" Her eyes bulged and panic tightened her neck muscles as they stretched through her skin like elastic bands.

I stepped in as the timer went to three, two, "False!" I answered for her.

"Correct" replaced the text and the timer stopped with one second to spare.

Shocked, my gaze went back and forth between the roaring, searing oven and Sonya.

She finally turned to me. "It was an accident. Don't believe them. They're fucking with us."

Was she being truthful? Were they playing mind games, attempting to unsettle us and create mistrust? If so, I anticipated some uncomfortable truths about myself to surface.

Instead, Chuck's voice came through the speakers. "I think it's time to take things up a notch."

Suddenly, the oven at our feet roared to life, spewing intense flames from its gaping maw. The heat made sweat trickle down my temples and dampen my armpits.

Another question appeared above the blazing fire.

Fill in the blank: Kamila Wendall and her organization allowed women and children to go hungry after protesting a __ store that donates food to those in need.

Ten seconds began its countdown.

I huffed, breathing in hot air. "A grocery store," I answered. "But that's not the whole story. That store was mistreating their workers."

"Correct" displayed on the wall and the timer stopped.

What kind of game was this? What was the purpose, to show us as wicked individuals? To skew the audience's perception of us so they'd bet against us and want to see us dead?

Another trivia question replaced the previous one.

True or False: Kamila Wendall's parents disowned her after discovering she joined the Grimm Games.

"What?" I shook my head at the accusation. The thought of such a thing stilled my heart.

My parents were the only people I truly trusted. And they knew they could count on me to do whatever I had to do to protect my sister. They knew what I put myself through day in and out to demand justice, integrity, and accountability to and for the people of the state.

Would they go as far as disowning me for joining even if they weren't aware of the intention? They had to know I would only join for a good reason.

The timer began counting down from ten.

"False," I yelled, the heat of the oven dehydrated me more and more with every passing second.

Surprisingly, the timer continued.

"They'd never do that!" I yelled at the words, daring the timer to halt. "They'd never abandon either of their girls. Never."

The timer continued. Five, four, three...

Sonya butted in, ignoring my denial. "True." But the countdown went on. Her head whipped toward me. "Tell them it's true."

"But it's not!"

"Say it," Sonya growled, eyes glaring through my very soul. "If you don't, I swear I kill you myself once I get out of here. Don't take this opportunity away from me."

I hated that they made me do this. But I tucked that anger away, closed my eyes and yelled, "True!" I tried to stuff down the pain of the possibility, feeling the Games break me down more than I ever anticipated.

When I opened my eyes the trivia question had been replaced with the words: Time's up!

Before I could let the words and its meaning register, the door behind us burst open with a crash. In came the menacing witch, her skin all gray and dirty, dried blood stains on her messy apron. She giggled, showing off her few remaining teeth, big and sharp, just like her infamous claws.

Our gasps were audible even above the sound of her sauntering between our tables.

Her large, bloodshot eyes scanned our bodies and her finger rose to her chin as she assessed my limbs.

Again, I fought against my restraints. I no longer processed the pain around my wrists or ankles but wanted to get as far from her as possible.

Her bony finger came down toward my arm and the ragged fingernail grazed the length of my forearm, stopping before the rope at my wrist. The test of their sharpness was apparent in how easily it parted the dense fabric, splitting the fibers from my inner elbow to my wrist.

"This isn't fair!" I screamed. "You never explained the rules of the game."

The witch's head cocked to the side and her slow blinking eyes registered on mine, then she pulled her hand back as if she wasn't sure how to proceed.

Sonya caught wind of her behavior and nodded. "She's right. What about our prize for agreeing to cooperate in the last challenge, huh?" Her eyes roamed the room as she waited for an answer from anyone but the Witch.

But I kept my eyes firmly glued to the monster and her intriguing body language, even as she turned with a shuffle and exited the way she came.

My heart nearly beat out of my ribcage. In fact, I hurt all over, but seeing that creature up close and personal made me not want such an encounter ever again.

"You guys didn't even stick to the format," Sonya called out. "You let her answer for me, but I can't answer for her? This isn't a game anymore. You're breaking the rules!"

Suddenly the fire died down, the lights dimmed, and the speakers crackled back to life. "Silence!" a female voice demanded. The familiar inflections made my jaw drop when I recognized it.

"Ms. Holle?"

She didn't confirm. She only continued, "The rules of this game are simple, answer the questions directly or else."

"That doesn't sound much like a game," Sonya countered. "How do we make the right decisions if we don't know the consequences?"

She was right. They never told us what was at stake if we failed the game. Having clear rules wasn't only a part of the entertainment but a part of the contract. We can't be thrown into a challenge without knowledge of the rules unless it's part of a test or assessment.

This seemed like neither.

"You never told us the rules!" I called her out.

Amid the odd silence, the meticulous breaths of the showrunner hummed over the speakers. "Don't forget, I make the rules."

The silence resumed, stilling the room. I briefly looked over to Sonya, seeing a seedy determination in her eyes that I hadn't seen before.

The fireplace was dead, the lights settled a warm glow over the space, but the speakers finally roared to life with the familiar host back at the mic.

"Esteemed contestants of Grimm Games," the host began. "We stand at the threshold of a realm unknown, ready to unravel the darkest secrets that dwell within your souls—"

"Oh, cut the nonsense," Ms. Holle could be heard in the background. "Get on with it. We have a game to run."

What was happening?

The host continued, "The stakes are high, dear contestants. For every question answered correctly, you move one step closer to freedom, perhaps a glimmer of hope in this grim world."

I huffed at that last remark, especially at Chuck's glum delivery.

"But for every question left unanswered or answered incorrectly, the consequences may be dire. Failure could mean a step closer to the clutches of the witch that awaits, ready to make you her prey."

Before I could react to the impromptu insertion of Mother Holle, the fire roared back to life. The heat of the flames quickly transformed the space into an oversized oven, and the spotlight nearly blinded me once again.

Words appeared above the open mouth of the oven on the brick wall above.

What is the only way to get through this challenge alive?

Kill your opponent

Kill your opponent's sibling

Kill the Witch

All the above

"What the hell?" I glanced to Sonya, seeing anger fuming from her eyes as the timer appeared on the mantel, ticking down from ten.