“And this is where you’ll bring laundry,” Karam explained as he brought her to an area at the very edge of the city that was delineated by a large moat. Beyond the water was the sight of vast dunes with a rusty red color to them, almost like it was stained with dried blood. It seemed as endless as the ocean horizon, and she knew Petal had been telling the truth about her odds of survival.

  She vaguely wondered if she would ever see that mysterious man again now that she was in a different faction. The silent conversation had given her plenty of questions, and so far, only Petal and Karam seemed to be willing to give her answers.

  The moat was wide and apparently circled the entire city, acting as both a barrier from the desert and a recycling point of the water that flowed from the tower. “The magic directs the waters downwards, then back to the tower, getting filtered by both the earth and the tower itself,” Karam explained.

  “Am I ever going to get to see this divine Tower?” she asked.

  A scoff nearby drew her attention as a smooth alto said, “You’ll want to stay as far away from the Tower as possible, Sky Girl.”

  Jin turned to see a young woman currently washing some laundry in the shallow area attached to the larger and deeper moat where other Servants were working as well. The woman’s chestnut skin matched Karam’s, but her darker, wavy hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

  The two main features that stood out on her compared to the mixed crowd she’d seen so far were her bright aquamarine eyes and the scars on her face. A deep gash went from the bridge of her nose across her right cheek to her jaw, and the left side around her eye and cheek looked like it had been burned long ago.

  Jin wasn’t sure if it was despite the scars or because of them that she found the woman striking. The stranger’s face seemed to be set in a permanent frown, but the strength of those eyes made her feel small. When she remembered to speak again, Jin asked, “Why’s that? Life here seems to revolve around this tower thing.”

  “Well, duh. That’s because it controls our lives,” the woman retorted and gestured towards Jin’s guide. “Karam will be lucky not to get picked for it this Season.”

  “Yeah, so no one’s actually explained about this Season thing starting in a week or what getting picked for it actually means,” Jin said, crossing her arms and glaring at the stranger. “Are you also gonna be an unhelpful prick that dangles half-answers in front of me to feel superior?”

  The woman stared at her for a long moment before the corner of her frown twisted upward slightly, and she said, “On second thought, maybe you’ll end up in his place.” Then she surprised Jin by holding out an arm towards her as if to give a handshake and said, “I’m Hadia.”

  Jin took a few cautious steps forward and grabbed her hand to shake. Hadia snorted a laugh and said, “That’s an odd grip. Here, like this, Sky Girl.” Hadia readjusted their hands so that they could grasp each other’s forearms instead.

  “Checking for a knife?” Jin asked with a raised brow.

  “Or a wand and a pulse,” Hadia replied, releasing her arm. “Some undead can go a while without losing all reason.”

  “Oh, that’s just wonderful to hear,” Jin said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “First monsters, now undead. This world just keeps giving me all sorts of fantastic news.”

  Hadia shook her head and chuckled. “Well, then you’ll love learning about the Tower and the Season of Sacrifice.”

  “It’s Season of Salvation,” Karam interjected, quietly looking towards them. At Hadia’s eye roll, he added in a murmur, “You shouldn’t teach her new things wrong. Miss Jin could get in trouble for repeating it to the wrong person.”

  Hadia frowned. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t think about that. Salman would probably lash her for that one.”

  “So, gonna explain what a Season of Salvation is?” she tried to redirect.

  “Right, so every seven years, a new Season starts where so-called Champions are selected from each Sect to climb the Tower,” Hadia began explaining as she returned to her task of washing clothing. “The Champions compete with each other to earn points, which can be gained in a lot of different ways. Meanwhile, everyone else in the city watches.”

  “Are there, like, recordings inside of it, or is it more stadium-style?”

  “Both? Kinda? Each Champion has a special bracelet that tracks and records them, along with plenty of other Sense Stones scattered throughout to record, but there’s also a stadium surrounding the Tower where people watch illusion projections of what’s inside that might be most interesting at the time.”

  “So they just climb up it and earn points along the way?” Jin clarified. “Is it like a race where the first to the top wins or more like whoever gets the most points wins? You said they compete, so I’m assuming there’s a goal with a winner.”

  “Yeah, there are multiple goals and types of winners in that sense. There’s technically a time limit to reach the top, but I don’t think it’s ever been hit before. Usually, people want to complete the Tower as fast as possible so they can get out of the Tower and have more time before the next Season starts.

  “Anyone who reaches the top gets prizes, along with, you know, living,” Hadia said with a pointed look before continuing. “But then there’s a prize for both the Sect with the most points and Champion with the most. The Sect gets a blessing from the gods for the entirety of the following Season while the Champion gets a wish granted by them.”

  “Well, if everyone can win, at least it doesn’t sound like some kind of death game with hungry players trying to just murder everyone,” Jin said, wondering where the downside was.

  Hadia gave a dark laugh. “That’s what you think. I called it the Season of Sacrifice for a reason. The Tower is teeming with monsters inside. Killing them gains you points, but you know what gives you even more points than killing a monster?”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Jin grimaced as she guessed, “Killing people?”

  “Yep. Killing the other fucking Champions means more points and, therefore, more rewards at the end,” Hadia practically spat. Then added bitterly, “Our lives are just entertainment for the gods. They don’t give a shit about any of us. Their so-called blessings and gifts are just ‘cause they’re bored.”

  “That’s the trade,” Karam said in that soft voice. “The gods need a trade to give blessings, and the Season provides that. The lives lost will power the waters that keep the rest of us alive. It is an honor to be chosen as a Champion—”

  “It is a death sentence for us, Kar!” Hadia yelled at him, causing some of the other Servants nearby to glance their way. She turned to Jin and said in a quieter voice, “Salman chooses the weakest or most cumbersome of us who meet the age requirement to go in and get slaughtered on the first floor by the other Sects. That’s why they call the first day the ‘Day of Death’, because a bunch of kids go in to die to monsters and greed.”

  “Kids?” Jin asked in surprise. “Exactly how low is this age requirement?”

  “Eight,” Hadia replied and gave another pointed look towards Karam. “Which you just turned last quarterhalf, remember? You’re eligible now, Kar.”

  Jin frowned as she turned to look at the gentle giant, who bowed his head and meekly said, “I live to serve.”

  “We serve to live!” Hadia retorted angrily. “You bow your head and grovel at their feet because you don’t want to die! That’s not right, and you know it!”

  “So, why don’t you fight back? Why does everyone go along with it?” Jin asked.

  “Because fighting back is just suicide,” Hadia retorted, crossing her arms. “And the only way to become a Caster and even have a chance at fighting is by getting Aspects from the Tower. The other Sects send in Champions that have been training for years in order to become Casters and want to keep the system in place.”

  Then those aquamarine eyes were leveled directly at Jin’s green ones as Hadia reiterated, “That’s how the Tower controls our lives. Those who win protect it to keep winning while the rest of us suffer or die.”

  Jin was back in her barren room after eating dinner with Karam in the dining hall that could be visited at any time. Servants and Workers saw to it that food was always available there and she was grateful that it was free. Most basic things seemed to be provided to everyone, but as Hadia had said, life here seemed to revolve around the Tower.

  Fighters to protect the populace from monsters beyond the moat or from each other’s ire. Workers craft the necessities, along with growing and cooking the food. Lovers to keep people entertained and prevent boredom. Whispers to handle the more magical processes within the city and study ways to increase its efficiency… and keep dissenters from getting too loud, apparently. Servants to make sure everything ran smoothly and stayed clean. Then, the Speakers to rule over it all, their words becoming law.

  With only a week until the start of a new Season, people were almost frantic about getting preparations done. Crowds thick of people running errands and decorating the city for the arrival of the gods.

  Apparently, the gods could appear anywhere at any time, according to Karam, but the opening ceremonies of a new Season were the only scheduled time when all of them would appear to greet the chosen Champions and watch them enter the Tower.

  Jin found herself slightly worried now after talking with Hadia earlier about not only her survival but also her newest buddy, Karam. Hadia seemed to think Karam would get selected, and if they were expected to fight actual monsters inside, Jin knew Karam would die without some kind of protection.

  It wouldn’t be because of the disadvantage of having fewer limbs, though. From what she had seen all day, the man was quite adept at getting things done regardless. Maybe a bit awkwardly, but he got it done. No, she knew it would be his soft and submissive nature that would have him dead on that first day if it was as brutal as Hadia made it sound.

  Jin might not have ever fought a monster or another person outside of a childish scuffle, but she knew what it meant to compete. The drive and determination required to push yourself and win. The resolve to train and hone your body, perfect your form, and push yourself beyond what you were capable of before.

  Karam was the opposite of a competitive nature, and he would be exactly what Salman had described: Easy points.

  An unexpected knock at her door made Jin start in surprise before going to open it and peek outside. Salman was there, holding a slip of paper and a bundle of cloth.

  She opened the door wider and asked, “You’ve got my first assignment or whatever?”

  Salman frowned at her. Then he shoved past her as he said, “Yes, and I want to make sure this fits before I leave.”

  Jin shut the door and took the proffered bundle from his outstretched hand as she asked, “Are these the other sets of clothes I got measured for earlier? They said it might take a couple days since they’re overbooked with the Season preparations.”

  “No, this will be what you’ll need to wear for your first assignment. One of the Speakers that was at the party yesterday has requested you as his home attendant,” he explained. “You’ll just need to keep the house cleaned to his liking. Make sure everything is put back where it belongs and fetch anything he might ask for. You won’t need to worry about cooking or anything, just the cleaning.”

  “Oh, fuck, no,” Jin said, not in response to his words but to the very tight-looking red dress she was now holding in her hands. “I’m not wearing this.”

  Salman raised a brow at her and firmly stated, “You will wear this. Clean his home. Obey his requests. And keep your mouth shut unless asked to speak. You are a Servant, and we live—”

  “To serve,” she finished for him, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, I got that part but why can’t I just wear the normal outfit that has… you know, pants. I don’t like dresses.”

  “Lord Nabil has all of his home attendants wear this, and a Speaker’s words—”

  “Are law,” she finished again, scrunching her nose in distaste. “Yeah, I caught that earlier, too. What happens if I just… don’t?”

  “Don’t?”

  “Just don’t wear it?”

  “But you will.”

  “But I really won’t.”

  Salman gave a heavy sigh and looked up at the ceiling as though praying for patience. “You will wear it or be punished.”

  Her eyes narrowed at the older man, then at the dress, then back to Salman as she asked, “Exactly what kind of punishment are we talking about? ‘Cause I think I might prefer that to wearing this.”

  “The punishment varies based on the severity of the crime. For this, I’ll simply beat you unconscious and put it on you myself. Then, if you don’t learn from that and try to refuse more, I’ll feed you to the Tower.”

  “I’m sorry, did you just say the Tower would eat me?”

  Salman gave a creepy smile as he explained, “Anything thrown in the Tower outside of a Season gets instantly killed as a sacrifice to the gods to fuel their divine magic. I have little reason to suffer your insolence when that is an option, and you give me no reason to want to keep you. You will be useful, one way or another.”

  Jin glared at him, then put on the damn dress as she tried to plot her revenge.