The Reaper's Wicked Obsession-Chapter 64: The Hunt Begins

At the top of the grandstand, Rav sat by Kraven’s side, he was stunned at the sight of Isadora.

He turned to Kraven, whose attention was captivated, and then back at the fragile girl he could barely recognize.

What has Kraven done to her?

Logi was even more intrigued but maintained his composure, casually slicing a piece from his apple with a small knife before bringing it to his lips.

Isadora felt three piercing gazes on her and then a fourth one. This was not the moment to look weak.

So she lifted her chin, wearing her heavy crown in pride.

As the cheers faded from the ravenites, the whispers and pointed fingers became more obvious. Lord Raven was no longer the center of attention but Isadora was.

She was the odd one in place and gained looks from other recruits. Yet, not once did she lower her head.

"She’s wearing a warrior’s braid."

"Who does she think she is?"

"The Hunt isn’t even finished yet!"

"How dare she?"

"Such pride!"

"Such audacity!"

"Can you feel it? The aura that clings to her"

"Is it..."

"Could it be..."

Hot rage rolled off Nyssa. She had thought the girl would have gone off to die after the humiliation of losing the duel and branding herself as a cheater. But she had miscalculated.

’You picked the wrong battle,’ Nyssa thought with a dark smile.

She might be the undeniable star of the show, but not for long. She should have stayed buried in whatever hole she crawled out of—coming here was the biggest mistake.

Her filthy tricks won’t work in the Hunt, certain death awaited her.

"Warriors to be!" Nyssa announced, grabbing their attention. Her smile widened. "Your challenge awaits you."

On cue, Logi rose to his feet and stepped closer to the ledge. "Well then, shall we get started?"

The cheers erupted and Logi basked in the glory of it with arms spread wide. This was always his favorite part.

"Heed my riddle and decide your fate!" he began and the arena turned into a graveyard silence.

"The path is thin, the stakes are high..." he raised his left hand, fingers curling as if to grasp the air around him. "And with each shot, your hopes may die..."

Isadora visibly gulped.

"How will you pass?" his piercing green eyes fell on Isadora as if to convey the message to her. "With skill or grace?"

"Tell me, warriors to be, what is the key... to cross the bridge and be set free?"

Suddenly the sound of stones rolling open covered the area as the old tunnels revealed themselves.

"Let the hunt begin!"

The cheers erupted once again, making the walls and ground vibrate.

"What’s the answer, do you know?"

"I’m lost."

"I didn’t catch everything."

"How are we supposed to know what it is?"

"I think we should just focus on a plan."

"But we need the answer!"

"The riddles are the key."

The other recruits chatted as they walked toward their respective tunnels.

Isadora stood in front of hers, taking a deep breath before she walked in.

~♧~

The cheers faded as she walked deeper into the tunnel, her breaths growing raspy in the darkness.

Why was there no light?

She spun around, searching for anything, even a spark of light to rid her of the darkness. But her foot missed its step, causing her to yelp as she began to fall.

By instinct, she held onto something to break her fall just as gut-wrenching screams filled her ears.

The torches came up brightening the view and Isadora’s eyes widened at the realization that she had almost fallen to death, it was just like the Spine.

The harsh wind erupted from the endless height, dark and unforgiving and it wasn’t what made it terrifying, it was the screams following the bodies that dropped like a plague.

Isadora gathered herself, grabbed the swaying narrow bridge, and hoisted her body.

"Oh Alda!" she gasped.

The swaying thin bridge was a death sentence, with no ropes for guidance, and what made it worse... were the flying arrows.

"Move!’’

A scream followed. Someone had pushed another out of the way to get ahead.

’’The hunt reveals one true nature as well as devours them.’’

Kraven’s words sang to her head just as the recruit who pushed the other fell to her own death.

’’What are you waiting for? Move!’’

Isadora gasped, turning her head behind her. The glare she received sent her mind racing.

Then he stepped forward, the intensity in his gaze unmistakable, and she knew he would push to move forward quickly.

Isadora quickly rose to her feet, the arrows flew past her. It was difficult to navigate through the storm of arrows.

An arrow brushed her side, causing her to hiss in pain.

The person behind her growled and shoved Isadora aside. She barely managed to grab hold before she fell to her death.

But the others rushing past on the narrow bridge trampled over her hand, indifferent to her struggle.

A hand slipped and the other was on the verge of following. Despite the biting pain, she grabbed on and forced her body up until she was back on the bridge, she turned behind and found no one coming.

Good.

Isadora chose to crawl her way through, ducking the occasionally incoming arrows. Her uneven breaths drowned out the screams.

She looked to the side and the other, before focusing her gaze ahead, the sway was dangerous, and each time she had to position her body right to avoid tumbling over.

She paused when her eyes found the end of the bridge, there was another platform... a parapet, a deadly obstacle that called for her to jump to get through to the other side.

’How am I supposed to jump with all the flying arrows?’ she thought mortified by the idea but the moment she turned behind and found an incoming person in speed and with a savage look on their faces.

’That can’t be good.’