"Don't do anything stupid or her blood will be all over you." Sonya's dark black curls sat atop her head like a beat-up bird's nest, making her look disheveled and unhinged. Her lips twisted as she pressed the knife against Millie's throbbing neck artery.

Millie dropped her weapon as the position forced her arms to dangle at her side in defeat. "You're really gonna murder me in front of my sister? You're that ruthless? One under your belt isn't enough."

The look in Sonya's eyes made me throw my hands to try and defuse the situation. "Please, stop. Millie don't make this worse." I could foresee Millie's words cutting Sonya deep and prompting her to want to return the favor.

I didn't doubt she would follow through, but the fact that she hadn't already was both telling and promising. Why stage the stunt? Why not commit to the threat without hesitation?

"What do you want, Sonya?" I subconsciously guided Jade to move back by placing my extended arm between us, hoping any space between us would keep her from harm. "I'm sure you want something. Just say it and we'll figure it out. You don't have to hurt anyone else."

"I want to win," Sonya said through clenched teeth. "I need that money. I need the escape. What I don't need is this chick in my way."

Her becoming the ultimate winner meant that we all had to die. That was not a deal I could agree to. "You want us just to fall on your blade? No one will ever do that." I shook my head, trying to make her realize that was not an option.

How much did she really want to win if she hesitated while having Millie literally in the palms of her hands?

Millie gulped and her neck muscles moved under the pressure of the blade. "Ruthless to slit my throat in front of my family. This must be how you treat yours. Tobias and Abigail deserved better than having family like you."

I grunted in frustration, witnessing Sonya seethe. "Shut up, Millie." What was she trying to accomplish with her berating?

"Ruthless?" Sonya tightened her grip on Millie forehead, keeping Millie's back pressed to her chest. Sonya placed her nose to Millie's cheek and sniffed the side of her neck and face like only a psychopath would do. "I can smell your fear, Millie." Sonya didn't move, but the look on her face said so much.

Was she enjoying this?

I shook my head in confusion. "Maybe you being ruthless isn't so far-fetched.

"You want to see ruthless?" Sonya glared at me. Dark bags under her eyes showcased her exhaustion. "For now, it's either you or her. Which will it be?"

"Huh?" Jade's eyebrows raised. She stayed considerably close to me and kept her head on a swivel to watch out for any other surprises. "What are you doing, Sonya?"

"I can't destroy both of you right now, so I'll let the activist choose which will get it first." Her eyes narrowed menacingly. "So, who's it gonna be, you, her or..." She looked passed me to Jade.

My eyes widened at her suggestion. "Stay the hell away from her," I growled, pointing me finger to punctuate my words. "She has nothing to do with this game."

"She's connected to you and getting rid of one your lifelines is a win in my book," Sonya snapped back. "Anything to get me closer to that finish line."

The stream of blood traveled from a cut on Millie's neck and disappeared beneath the tight collar of her jumpsuit. The sight of the red drip suddenly made me nauseous.

I gulped, swallowing the influx of saliva that coated my mouth as my stomach churned. The feeling only concerned me when a faint melody hit my ears. I glanced back over my shoulder to see the shadowy silhouette of the Piper watching.

"We gotta get out of here," I whispered so the enigmatic creature wouldn't hear.

I stared at the straw stack beside us that began to undulate around its wide base. The noise attracted the others and we all froze in place to watch the mound come to life with dozens of oversized rodents.

Amid the abrupt commotion, Millie took Sonya off guard, ramming the back of her head into Sonya's forehead, mirroring the move Sonya had used on me. Sonya let go of Millie, but not before getting a slice in. Millie, clutching her neck, ran around the mound in a desperate attempt to escape.

Several rats galloped toward us with long, sharp teeth exposed and ready to rip apart their target. Their musky odor increased as they managed to kick up dust and noise adding to the chaos.

One hopped onto Sonya's thigh but she was quick to prevent it sinking its sharp teeth into her flesh by stabbing it with her knife. In the violent move, she removed the blade with force, spattering black ooze all over her including her face.

I turned to Jade. "Run!"

Jade took off in the direction Millie had run and I was right behind her with my crescent blade in my aching fist. A few of the rats were on our heels, chomping and scratching at the back of our legs. With no other choice, I kicked them away and kept moving.

One overlooked me and rushed ahead to Jade. I threw my crescent blade, piercing it in the ribs. Its cries of pain were haunting, like the discordant twang of an off-tuned stringed instrument.

With a quick twist of my arm, the blade returned with an odd clink. I didn't have time to investigate, as metal hit metal, a familiar voice came over the speakers.

"Now, folks, let's dive into the thrilling recap of our last game and see how our contestants fared. It's time to reveal the scores and determine where they stand in this deadly competition!"

I glanced over my shoulder at the commotion behind me, catching a glimpse of Sonya fighting off some of the rats before running in the opposite direction with them not far behind.

"Alright, folks, let's recap the action from our last game, Burning Bridges: Troll Edition. All three contestants gave it their all, but it was clear that Sonya the Babysitter truly excelled, solving the most riddles and racking up an impressive eight out of ten survival score. On the flip side, Dylan the Sick took a nasty hit from the Troll's pitchfork, causing his score to plummet to a two. Spencer the Fixer ends the game with the same score of four for his abysmal performance. The stakes are high, and the competition is getting fierce!"

As we ran to get further away from the chaos behind us, I scanned the space for Millie or traces of where she went but found nothing. "This way to the safe zone. Maybe Millie headed that way too."

Jade followed without hesitation, placing her hand into my uninjured one to match each other's pace. "Is she hurt? It looked like the knife sliced her neck."

Just the thought was too much to bear. "I hope she's okay." My breaths were rapid even as I tried to control my breathing. "I can't lose either one of you."

We met each other's gaze and my heart warmed even if briefly.

With shrill enthusiasm, Chuck Gillian's voice echoed throughout the space. "Thanks for placing your bets at home! We've tallied up the numbers, and no surprise here—Sonya the Babysitter came out in the lead! As the top contender in the Grimm Games, Sonya has chosen from the three crucial categories of weapon, medicine, and food. She'll receive her requested medical pack via airdrop!"

"Are they serious?" Jade shook her head. "Didn't it seem like she was walking just fine? I don't even think she needs any more medicine."

"I don't think she used the last medical pack," I said, remembering the Wolfman throwing it at the gate and shattering its contents. "Maybe she's running off of pure adrenaline."

"Either way, I don't see how we're getting out of this." Jade huffed, a trace of defeat in her voice.

"Just keep your head up," I said. "First, let's get back to the safe zone."

The area looked familiar as we crept next to a demolished stack of straw where the Troll once nestled. "There!" I pointed to the small hut that glowed with light from within.

We hurried over, rapidly tapping on the locked door.

It opened quickly. On the other side, Spencer stood with the sharp end of Dylan's broken spear aimed squarely at our heads.

I raised my hands to surrender. "It's just us."

He lowered the weapon and eased my fears. "Get in."

I stepped in to see Dylan lying on the floor in the fetal position. The brothers were both sweating and anxious, but Dylan seemed sicker and in more pain than ever. I was more shocked by his ashen skin tone and sunken eyes. I'd never seen color drain from dark complexion quite like this before.

"This isn't good," I said. Jade was right. Dylan didn't look good at all. In fact, his situation seemed dire.

Dylan only groaned in pain. And as he rolled to his back, the puddle of blood beneath him stole my attention.

Spencer placed the shortened spear on the floor and rushed to Dylan's side to place his hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "I don't know how to help him. I tried stopping the bleeding, but I can't stop the pain."

Dylan's pant leg was ripped up to his groin and tied around his thigh, exposing his muscular leg and the deep puncture wounds on his thigh that oozed with blood.

"He needs medical attention." Spencer huffed and rubbed his forehead. "Like, now."

"Backstage," Dylan murmured and continued groaning. "Take me backstage."

Spencer and I exchanged wary looks.

"He said they can help him backstage," Spencer shrugged. "I don't know where that is or how to get him there."

I shook my head, knowing damn well no one from backstage or production were going to help. "I don't think that's an option."

"What do we do?" Spencer's eyes were wide and full of fear. "We can't just stand around and watch him die."

"Millie's hurt too," I said. "But I'm sure she could help. Maybe she has better knowledge of this place. Have you seen her?"

He shook his head and placed his attention back on his brother, kneading his shoulder.

Tears and sweat streamed down Dylan's face revealing the vulnerable teenager in him. "They have medicine and gear backstage that can help."

"How do you know?" Jade moved closer to assess the wound.

"I woke up back there," he said. "I saw it. I saw everything."