"Take me backstage," Dylan continued, blatantly letting the cat out of the bag to anyone in production that happened to be filing or watching. If there was doubt that some of us regained consciousness while we were supposed to be under, that was out of the window now.

If they were watching us, as I'm sure they were, they were aware now. But I didn't have to exposed myself just yet. So, I said nothing to confirm I understood.

Spencer looked up at Jade and I. Tears glistened in his eyes, but he managed to keep them from rolling over his lids. "I have to do something. My brother can't die here. Not like this."

"Listen." I put my hands up to press pause on the chaos and heightened emotion. I closed my eyes briefly, taking in the flow of my breath. "Our best bet is to get Sonya's health pack before she has a chance to use it."

Jade nodded and stood, returning to my side. "I'm going with you."

"You don't even have a weapon," I pointed out. "How about you stay here—"

"You're injured and so is Millie." She gestured to my hand. "You both need me."

Spencer shook his head. "I left my club at the Game area. We had to move quick, and that fog was swarming us. All we have is this spear."

Jade and I looked to the remaining pieces of the broken chair. "Spencer, you keep the spear." She didn't hesitate, grabbing a splintered chair leg, then returned to my side. "Let's do this." The eagerness in her demeanor spoke volumes, even if it was fueled by fear and adrenaline.

I caressed her cheek. "Stay close, yes?"

"I got your back." She nodded.

I locked eyes with Spencer. "If Millie returns, tell her to wait here."

"Please hurry," was his only response.

In no time, we were back outside and in the faux moonlight. I missed the sepia lighting that we first encountered when coming to this barnyard area that lit every crook and crevice in an orange-brown tint.

In the menacing darkness, the shadows and silhouettes seemed to come alive. It was easy to get lost in the environment and forget that we were running through an elaborately built set while fighting for our lives.

"The way Dylan looks scares me," Jade said as we started off in the direction where we last saw Millie heading to.

"Doesn't look good." I hook the haunting images of him lying in a pool of his own blood from my mind. "Hopefully we will get lucky and get him some help. But while we're looking for meds, keep an eye out for Millie." I took her hand in mine and picked up speed, turning our trek into a mild jog.

"We need to do this before the next game starts," Jade said.

"Even if one started now, I'm not gonna leave you alone." I squeezed her hand twice. "I'm not making that mistake again."

"You can't just not play."

"Watch me." I glared at the rafters, searching for the cameras. "I'd rather take on all the Grimm monsters than leave you alone to play their sadistic games."

"There's no other way out of here, babes. You and Millie have to win. And that means Spencer and Dylan has to lose. And losing means..."

I paused near a towering haystack. "Are you saying we should let Dylan die?"

"No." She shook her head. "I'm saying there's no other way. Arcanum isn't gonna just let us all walk out of here. You know that. You said it yourself."

I nodded. "We'll all have to put our heads together and figure it out. I just gotta find Millie and then we can do anything."

Although she gave me a weird look, we didn't take the conversation any further. Instead, she changed the subject to an equally important one. "It's even more creepy out here without that Troll or Wolfman." She looked over her shoulder and I took note and did the same. "Kind of weird. It's almost like they disappeared, and only those crazy rats are left."

As we searched for anything out of place, the lack of Grimm creatures hadn't escaped me. The thought of the Piper stalking around a corner or nearby in the darkness kept me on edge. "That Piper is such an odd addition to this game."

"Is it?" Jade shook her head. "Seems on brand to me. That music and those rats fit right in with the Grimm themes."

"Not just that, but no one seemed to encounter her." I narrowed my eyes as I thought about it. "I've seen her and talked to her too."

"Really?" Jade's eyebrow raised curiously. "What did she say?"

"At first, I thought she wanted to help me, buttering me up by telling me I have something special in me. But then she demanded payment and started asking to see my insides."

"Damn. Payment for what?" Jade managed to keep my pace as we searched the vicinity.

"For confirming you all were safe. I didn't really ask though."

"That's brutal. And the dancing—?"

"Strange, isn't it?" I scoped my surroundings, looking for anything weird or out of place. "So far, I've been the only one seemingly effected by her flute music, compelled by it. Isn't that strange?"

"Is that why you're 'special'?" She scratched her temple in thought.

"Or is me being 'special' the reason why I'm affected by her?" My mind raced, trying to put it together.

"Hmm." Jade puckered her lips in thought. "For now, let's stay as far away from these creatures as much as we can."

I nodded in agreement. "That was always the plan."

Speaking of creatures and anticipating more surprises, I took my blade in hand. The wound ached and I couldn't tell if it was getting better or worse. Either way, if we did manage to find a health pack I questioned if it would do anything to help Dylan at this stage.

How bad was Millie hurt? Would she need medical attention too? I stared at my palm, realizing I too wouldn't get my wounds treated any time soon. And I had to be okay with that.

"I don't see anything, babes."

"Right. Being out here, we're just bait for whatever is out here lurking." I shook my head, reluctant to give up but knowing if we stayed we would encounter something we weren't ready for.

"There was a medical pack near the gaming arena, but it sounded like whatever was inside was broken and useless."

"It's better than nothing." Jade shrugged. "Maybe there are several useful items inside."

I extended my hand to her and when she placed hers in mine, I took off in the direction of the fenced-in stadium. The gates to the main gate and the connected chain-linked compartment were closed and locked, but the red pack was where it had fallen on the ground. It had been covered in dirt and straw, but the bright red pouch made it easy to spot.

I rushed to pick it up and unzip the zipper to empty out the contents on the ground. Out tumbled a broken medicine bottle with a rubber cap and the remains of the liquid that was once inside of it. A syringe, a sperate needle meant to attach to the barrel of the syringe, and a few packaged gauze squares.

I pocketed the useful items and toss the pouch back to the ground. "It's not nothing."

"Let's get back," Jade suggested. "It feels weird being out here in the quiet."

We headed back, knocking on the door of the safe house. "It's Kam and Jade," I murmured through the wood.

The door opened and Spencer met us again with the spear ready to defend him and his brother. When he saw it was safe, he stepped back and ushered us in. We entered to see Millie sitting on the floor opposite of Dylan who lay silent and still except for the soft purr of his snores.

"Millie!" I went to her side, kneeling to get a look at her cut. "How bad is it?"

She gulped. "She got me pretty good." She removed her bloody hand to expose a long, but superficial cut that oozed with a fresh accumulation of blood.

"Oh god." Jade reacted with wide eyes. "With a little more pressure, she could've cut through an artery."

"I think that's what happened to my brother." Spencer pointed to the larger pool of red. "He's losing so much blood. I don't know what to do. I tried tying his pant leg around his thigh to stop the bleeding, but it only slowed it."

"Damn." I presented what was left of the old health pack. "This is all I found."

Spencer shook his head and sat down next to Dylan. "Fuck!"

It was silent except for the rustling of the paper wrapper as I opened the gauze square. I quickly placed it on the cut on Millie's neck, and she applied pressure with her hand.

"I need something to hold it on," she said.

Without hesitation, Jade removed her shirt and while standing in her bra with the straps of her overalls hanging at her sides, she ripped the shirt into a long piece of fabric and assisted Millie before securing her straps over her shoulders again.

"We have to be more carefully," I started. "And that means we all stick together. No more splitting up."

"What about the next game?" Millie looked up at me with tired eyes. "We can't bring Jade and Dylan."

"I say we screw the games." I straightened my shoulders defiantly. "I almost lost you and Jade. Never again."

"So, you don't hate me for what I said earlier?"

"You get on my nerves sometimes like any other sister, but no. I don't hate you." I stood. "I just want all this to end and I'm no longer participating in whatever they throw at us."

Millie didn't say anything, she just shook her head. Obviously not in the mood for my bold statements and ideas. However, I was surprised that she didn't voice her opinion, but the state of the situation we were in made it all make sense. No one was in the mood to fight and argue with Dylan bleeding out feet from us.

I went to Spencer and Dylan. "Is he alert?"

Spencer shook his head. "He keeps waking up and passing out again. It's random." The knot in his throat was audible when he spoke. "I can't lose my brother, Kamila. I'm only here because of him. Without him—" He dropped his head to avoid eye contact.

I understood completely.

The silence was broken by a familiar scratching sound at the door. I looked to Millie almost out of instinct.

"Don't open it," Jade was quick to say.

Millie let her finish securing the fabric on her neck before standing. "It might be the rat with another gift." She moved to the door and glanced at us. "Spot me."

Spencer stood and took his stance with the spear. Jade lifted her chair leg. With everyone ready, I took my blade in hand and nodded.

Millie nodded too and cracked the door ajar. Sure enough, the rodent was on the other side with the red pouch in his teeth. He removed it with his little hands before dropping it to the ground and sniffing around.

"It that medicine?" Spencer's eyes widened.

Unfortunately, it was the empty pouch I had already looted. "No." I sighed. "It's empty."

The disappointment was apparent on everyone's face, but Millie seemed intrigued. "I think this little guy is really trying to help us."

"Or maybe he's starving and desperate," I suggested.

"But why him?" Millie took the remaining protein bar from her sleeve. "What makes him so special?"

I shrugged. Remaining alert to the darkness behind him. "I don't know, but whatever it is, the ugly little thing seems to like you."

Spencer grimaced in disgust at the thought, lowering the spear.

"I always wanted a pet," Dylan groaned and breathed shallowly. "You should...name it."

Spencer crouched to get closer to his brother. "How you feeling, little bro?"

"I wanna tell you something, big bro," he breathed, blinking slowly.

"What is it?" Spencer waited.

"If I tell you, it's gonna...change how the game is...played." He blinked slowly. "Are you ready for that?"

Spencer looked up at me and when our gaze met a chill crept down my spine.