Checking their points revealed something unexpected.

  - Rusk = 32 points

  - Alira = 2 points

  - Kai = 0 points

  Rusk and Alira had more points than they should have.

  Rusk survived being a target (20 points) and killed five entrants (5 points). Yet he had 32 points instead of 25.

  Alira killed one entrant (1 point) but had 2 points instead of 1.

  The most logical conclusion - killing an entrant stole the points they held.

  Robbing lives was a consensual exchange in the system’s eyes.

  Kai had a pitiful score of 0 points - but it wasn’t his fault. He’d been unarmed until recently.

  It’s not like Kai had never killed before.

  Renzo had seen to that.

  Growing up in the Serpent Mob wasn’t for the faint of heart. Kai’s heart froze after his first kill at eight. He killed his first man in battle at thirteen. The first woman he killed…was a memory he refused to recall.

  Kai had prepared for cold-blooded murder his whole life. He had no room for hesitation, no choice. He had to kill to survive.

  Still, having 0 points was a blow to his ego. The system refused to acknowledge his contributions - unreasonable.

  Rusk didn’t let Kai suffer in silence. “What a shame. Zero points! How are you gonna pass the trial like this?”

  Kai clenched his jaw. “Points don’t matter! Everyone will be a Target by the end of the trial. I only need to outlast the others.” He glared at Rusk, gesturing at the bloody remains nearby. “And I’m doing pretty well in that department.”

  Kai didn’t let Rusk get away with his unfair analysis. “Weren’t you naked and useless a second ago? Who helped you get your new threads? Shouldn’t you be sharing your points with me?”

  Rusk gazed at the floor as if it were an interesting piece of art. Then he raised his eyebrows. “Actually…how did you do that? The teleporting, I mean? Isn’t that—“

  Kai halted that line of questioning. “That’s not important right now. Ask me when we survive this trial.” Kai extended his hand. “Now, hand over those points.”

  “I thought points didn’t matter…” Rusk grumbled as he grabbed Kai’s arm and handed over his well-deserved points. Kai now had 11 points - half the points Rusk gained from turning those wannabe assassins into meat chunks.

  Kai nodded, a smug smile creeping onto his face. A cough reached his ears.

  He caught Alira holding back laughter, though her smile vanished as his gaze reached her. “Are you two going to play all day? We should get moving. We’ll recover the rest of our essence while heading towards the centre.”

  Alira started walking - Kai and Rusk followed close behind.

  ***

  Their short journey returning to the centre of the maze was mostly uneventful. Unfortunately for Kai, ‘mostly uneventful’ meant trouble. As the trio approached the courtyard, sounds of shouting and laughter echoed nearby.

  “Let me do it - both of you have more points!”

  Kai empathised with the shouting voice.

  “Who cares? We’ll split the points anyway. I’ll do it faster.”

  “Calm down, gentlemen. What kind of oaf gives up a numerical advantage? We’ll attack him together.”

  Kai had to agree with the third voice’s strategy. Some fools would call a three-on-one fight dishonourable - but who cares about the honour of a dead man? Honour is worthless in the face of death.

  As the son of the devious and unscrupulous Death God, Kai knew this better than most.

  Kai and his companions slowed their pace to reduce sound. As they crept toward the voices, he used his spatial sense to analyse their surroundings.

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  Three people grouped together, another a short distance away.

  Three hunters and a Target.

  That matched the three voices and his initial assumptions.

  Kai used hand signs to communicate the situation to Alira and Rusk.

  Rusk nodded with a smile.

  Alira raised an eyebrow. “Why should I listen to you? I’m the noble here,” she whispered.

  Kai shook his head. “Can you sense every movement in our surroundings? How many ambushes have you executed?”

  She frowned. “Fine. You lead.”

  They didn’t need to discuss much - the course of action was crystal clear. Yes, Kai was the descendant of an underhanded god, but his companions were cunning and devious in their own right.

  They wouldn’t be his companions if they weren’t - the plan was simple:

  Attack the group from behind while they’re distracted - mop up the last guy if he becomes a problem.

  As they approached the unsuspecting group and the three Marked came into view, Kai’s stomach tightened. The shouting had stopped, but that wasn’t all.

  The subtle sound of the wind was gone. Kai tapped his ear…he was deaf! No…that wasn’t it. Alira and Rusk looked as confused as Kai felt.

  All sound had vanished.

  Weird things like this didn’t happen at random. One of their intended victims had a hearing Gift; he must’ve heard them coming and silenced the area within his range.

  This is…a petty annoyance at best.

  Not being able to surprise-attack the bastards was unfortunate, yes. But apart from scouting and disrupting enemy communications, controlling hearing was weak in combat.

  If the other two had weak Gifts like that, this fight would be what the old books call a ‘cakewalk’.

  Kai nodded to his companions and they abandoned their attempts at stealth. As they moved closer and peered into the courtyard, Alira stiffened. She said something, but the words didn’t reach him.

  Reading lips wasn’t among his vast array of talents - whatever she said was lost to him.

  He focused on the direction of Alira’s gaze. Three young men positioned on the courtyard’s right side were looking toward them. Another man held a defensive stance in the courtyard’s far left corner.

  The three hunters had a clear view of Kai’s group and the unfortunate Target they hunted.

  The crests on their armour and the high-quality swords in their hands revealed the hunters to be nobles. Which family they belonged to meant little. Kai didn’t plan on leaving witnesses to spread rumours and fuel blood feuds.

  The three nobles had a problem.

  If they attacked the Target, Kai and company would butcher them from behind like naive pigs. If they attacked Kai’s group, their prey would stab them in the back and claim his righteous vengeance.

  Kai expected their next move.

  That’s why he wasn’t surprised to hear the silence broken by the calm voice of a man raised to command.

  “Welcome! I know what you’re thinking, but we needn’t be enemies.” He covered his nose with the back of a gauntlet and sniffed, the awful sound cutting through the silence. “Why don’t we team up and split the points? What do you say?” said the noble bastard standing between the other two - their leader.

  His proposition offended Kai. What did they take him for? Did they think him a fool?

  Twenty points shared six ways was a pitiful three points each - not even considering the inevitable backstabbing the nobles would pull.

  Why on earth, or on the Darklands, would he consider this awful deal when there were three walking point machines in front of him?

  Four, if he included the unfortunate bastard in the corner.

  Before Kai could retort with equal amounts of wit and disdain, Alira spoke in a tone icier than her usual.

  “Gideon Ashvale. First you send assassins, then you barter? Do you have no shame? Or did it die with your scoundrel father?”

  Gideon narrowed his eyes, glaring at Alira with hostile intent.

  “You bitch! How dare you!”

  Alira shrugged. “I dare many things. Never much considered the ‘how’.”

  Gideon tightened the grip on his sword, his knuckles turning white, a vein protruding on his forehead. “You should’ve died with your foolish sister. I’ll rectify that mistake today!”

  Alira offered nothing but an icy glare in response to Gideon’s barb, like a graceful statue who had no doubts about the outcome of the confrontation.

  Kai glanced at Rusk.

  The fingers of his right hand were twitching. Kai sensed the threads shooting toward the trio of noble bastards. They had moments to live.

  The threads were inches away from them when it happened.

  A wall of flames rose in front of the three nobles. Rusk clicked his tongue.

  Kai gritted his teeth. This was trouble. Fire countered thread and ice. This Gregory bastard could shut down both of his bodyguards.

  Do I have to kill them all by myself?

  No…his companions could still attack the other two - or act as dangerous distractions. If Gregory stopped focusing his attention on Rusk or Alira, even for a moment, the noble bastards were doomed.

  Kai knew well how dangerous his bodyguards were - he wouldn’t want to fight them!

  I’m lucky they’re on my side…for now.

  As the flaming wall dissipated, leaving a scorch on the concrete stone in its wake, Alira lunged towards Gregory - and Kai disappeared.

  Kai emerged behind the three nobles, his longsword slicing through the air, moving to cut Gideon in half. His sword met resistance - steel clashed against steel, and Kai was locked in a struggle with a noble bastard with large ears.

  Gideon moved to intercept Alira, while Rusk remained at the courtyard’s entrance. The remaining two nobles focused their efforts on Kai.

  Not good.

  He teleported behind the big-eared noble. His blade descended like an executioner’s axe. He cut nothing but air. The big-eared bastard moved with swiftness and grace, like he was dancing to the tune of battle.

  Kai had underestimated the power of supernatural hearing.

  Reassessing the situation, he realised he couldn’t surprise the big-eared noble with teleportation. His big ears would warn him of the slightest vibrations and movement.

  That wasn’t the end of the world. Kai could manipulate space and disrupt the slippery bastard’s movements. But…Kai couldn’t focus his attention on the big-eared noble.

  This wasn’t a duel - Gideon’s other noble minion was closing in.

  The intruder was gaunt, his eyes low. He looked as if he had just escaped a tiresome battle and had nothing left in the tank. His looks were deceptive.

  The sickly-looking bastard moved to surround Kai with measured, purposeful steps. He was full of energy.

  Kai felt a wave of nausea rush through him. His sword was heavy in his hands, his body a weighty burden. His movement slowed; his mind stalled. The big-eared bastard lunged forward to skewer Kai on his sword.

  Thanks for reading the chapter.

  Controlling sound isn't the flashiest Gift in the world - but it has its uses.

  Kai better not underestimate seemingly useless Gifts again. Even a pen's deadly in John Wick's hands, or the Joker's, or anyone angry enough to stab you in the eye.

  If you could have any Gift, could control any concept or element - what would you choose?

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