The Capital Games arena roared like a living beast as Kael stood frozen in the contestant tunnel, his stomach performing acrobatics that would impress the court jesters. The Moon Fox dug its cws into his shoulder.

  *"If you vomit, I will never forgive you."*

  Beside them, the Chaos Panda happily licked remnants of breakfast - and possibly a street vendor's sign - from its paws. Lia adjusted her gloves with a smirk. "Ready to be humiliated in front of thousands?"

  Before Kael could retort, a trumpet bst shook the tunnel. The announcer's voice boomed:

  "AND NOW... THE DISASTER TAMER AND HIS... UNUSUAL COMPANIONS!"

  They emerged to a wall of sound. Sunlight blinded Kael as he blinked up at the sea of faces - nobles in their boxes, merchants in the mid-levels, commoners crammed in the rafters. Something wet smacked against his cheek.

  "A direct hit!" someone cheered as rotten fruit slid down Kael's face.

  The Panda's nose twitched. Then, with reflexes that defied its zy nature, it leapt and caught three more projectiles mid-air, swallowing them with gusto. The crowd erupted in surprised ughter.

  *"They like him better than me,"* the Fox grumbled, fttening its ears as the audience cooed over the Panda's antics.

  The Grand Archmage floated above the arena, his robes billowing dramatically. "Competitors! Your first challenge: THE GAUNTLET OF BEASTS!"

  The ground rumbled as the arena floor transformed. Stone pilrs erupted like teeth, ptforms rose and fell unpredictably, and ominous growls echoed from hidden chambers.

  "Rules are simple," the Archmage continued. "Cross to the far side. Alive."

  A gong sounded.

  Kael barely had time to gulp before the other teams surged forward. "Okay, pn! Fox, scout ahead. Panda, defensive position. I'll—"

  He turned to find the Panda already curled into a ball, snoring softly. The Fox yawned. *"I'll consider helping... for two ducks."*

  "WE'RE DOOMED," Kael wailed as a nearby contestant was unched skyward by a hidden spring trap.

  The first obstacle became apparent immediately - a chasm spanned by crumbling pilrs. As Kael hesitated, Team Ironcw shoved past, their armored rhino beast knocking him sideways. He filed wildly, fingers scraping stone as he began to slide into the abyss.

  Then—THUMP.

  The Panda, still mostly asleep, had rolled onto the pilr, pinning Kael's cloak and saving him. The crowd "aww"-ed at the accidental heroics.

  "Thanks, I think," Kael muttered, hauling himself up.

  The Fox, seeing an opportunity for mischief, leapt ahead. Moments ter, Team Ironcw's rhino suddenly reared back in terror, trampling its own handlers. The Fox trotted back, smug. *"They now believe the pilrs are made of spiders."*

  Progress came in fits and starts:

  - The Panda sleep-rolled through a spike trap, fttening it like dough

  - The Fox convinced three teams they were going the wrong way

  - Kael mostly screamed and ran

  Then came the va eels.

  Sleek, molten creatures unched from hidden pipes, hissing as they arced through the air. Kael ducked as one seared past his ear. "Fox! Illusions!"

  *"Busy!"* the Fox snapped, currently making a rival tamer dance uncontrolbly.

  A particurly massive eel zeroed in on Kael, jaws wide—

  CHOMP.

  The Panda, finally awake, swallowed it whole. Then burped a smoke ring.

  The crowd went wild. Judges scrambled to check rulebooks. The Panda grinned and patted its stomach.

  Somehow, they staggered across the finish line in fourth pce. Kael colpsed to his knees, gasping. "We... actually did it?"

  The Fox sniffed. *"I did it. You were luggage."*

  Their celebration was cut short by Judge #3's nasal voice. "Penalty points! Unsportsmanlike conduct! Excessive use of... of whatever that was!"

  As the judge ranted, the Fox's eyes gleamed. Moments ter, Judge #3 suddenly screamed, batting at his own head. "MY HAT! I'M A HAT!"

  Lia materialized beside Kael, grinning. "So. Not dead yet."

  Before Kael could respond, a shadow fell over them. Ron loomed, his griffin beast snarling. "You're being set up," he muttered. "The Games aren't what they seem."

  Kael blinked. "What—"

  But Ron was already striding away, leaving behind only tension and unanswered questions.

  That night, while the others slept, Kael crept through the torch-lit underbelly of the arena. The Fox, despite its protests, padded beside him. *"This is stupid. I should be preening for tomorrow."*

  A hushed conversation echoed from a storage room. Peering through cracked wood, Kael saw Judge #3 speaking with hooded figures bearing a familiar symbol—a crimson scale.

  "...Phoenix Project proceeds as pnned," one whispered. "The chosen beast arrives tomorrow."

  Kael's blood ran cold. The Fox stiffened. *"That's—"*

  CRUNCH.

  The Panda, having followed them, chose that moment to eat a nearby scroll. The voices went silent.

  "RUN," Kael hissed.

  As they fled through the maze of corridors, two realizations struck Kael: First, the past-life conspiracy went deeper than he'd imagined. Second—and perhaps more urgently—the Panda was now glowing faintly red after consuming whatever that scroll had been.

  The Fox's mental voice was dry. *"Tomorrow should be interesting."*