"Are you alright?" The seed asked, sounding worried as I stood over a now dead Marakh.

  “Blood of wh...” I trailed off, suddenly exhausted. “Did they...do someth-” I started, feeling something damp above my lip. I sniffed, tasting metal as I pulled my hand away to find blood.

  “Ope, that’s...my bad,” The seed said, as I stumbled, overcome with dizziness.

  I opened my mouth to say something but the thought escaped me as the corners of my vision began to blur.

  I collapsed. I could tell the seed was speaking, but his voice, along with the cheers of the crowd, all dissolved into a low hum. I felt him projecting a feeling of comfort. Trying to tell me I wasn’t in danger, as I drifted to sleep.

  “Where…the fuck,” I breathed, eyes snapping open to another unfamiliar place. I shot upright, tossing blankets off as I looked myself over to find I’d been dressed…again. The bed was soft. Softer than the straw-stuffed cot I’d grown up with. My breaths came faster, more uneven as my mind began to race.

  “Calm down, you-” the seed started. Heat burned into my cheeks; I was sick of passing out and waking up in unfamiliar places.

  “Where am I? What happened?” I interrupted, eyes wide as my neck swiveled back and forth, taking in the room. The walls were paneled halfway in dark polished wood, the upper half painted in a muted cream, patterned with flowery sigils. A breeze grazed my arm as I noticed the open window flanked by velvet curtains to my left. Near the far-right corner, the paneling gave way to a recessed door, its surface the same dark, reddish-stained wood. It had no handle, only a faint seam, hinting at a concealed track inside the wall. Opposite the bed sat a small desk, its carved wooden legs curled into feet that met the marble floors.

  Why aren’t I in a cell? I asked myself, wondering if I’d been freed or rescued somehow before I gripped at the collar. My heart sank when my hands found it still firmly around my neck. I wondered if it would activate on its own if I ran…Is that how I fell asleep? I asked myself, remembering how exhausted I felt as I stood over Marakh.

  “What did they do to me?”

  “Nothing. That was my fault. I…let you use more of my strength than your body could handle,” the seed replied.

  “More than I could handle?” I asked, confused, and still a little shaken by the new voice in my head.

  “Yes, you’re fairly weak as vessels go…not to mention rude,” the seed remarked, just as haughty as I remembered him during my fight.

  “Excuse me?” I fumed, forehead creasing at the insult. “Well, this vessel invites you to leave.”

  “See? Awake for 5 minutes and already threatening to evict me,” he pouted.

  I rubbed my temples, wishing whole-heartedly that Marakh had managed to crush my skull in the arena.

  “Where AM I?” I spat, feeling the cold marble on my feet as I stood to pace around the room. I was disoriented by how nice it all looked.

  “That Caelan lord had his guards bring you here after you passed out,” he droned, as if answering me were a chore.

  “His men? Is that who dressed me?” I asked, suddenly feeling violated as I examined the silky fabric I wore.

  “No…he had those attendants do that. Those women who prepared you for the match. They…sanitized you as well. Which I appreciated, because you smelled awful,” the seed replied with his usual snark. My eye twitched as I resisted the bait.

  “Why is he-,”

  “Treating us so kindly?” He interrupted. “I think he’s trying to ensure your cooperation in the next round. I bet you gave him a scare when you stood at the ledge before the match. You’re welcome, by the way.”

  “I-m…Wel-come?” I forced, through clenched teeth. “Please explain what I should be grateful for?”

  “Uh, for not letting you kill us both by leaping to your death?” He answered, dryly.

  “Right…” I rolled my eyes. “Had I died, I would’ve missed the chance to experience your charming personality. Truly, you are a blessing…”

  “Exactly!” He chorused, without a trace of irony. “I’m so glad you understand. Anyways, I’ve been trying to watch your captors through their network since we arrived and-,”

  “Net-work?” I puzzled, wondering what it was. I couldn’t help but smile as the seed let out a long, frustrated sigh. Oh, this could be fun, I mused, realizing I’d found a way under his skin. “So, these nets...they have eyes? Wouldn’t that scare away the fish?”

  “WHAT? No,” he snapped, annoyed. I did my best not to giggle as I moved toward the window. “Think of it as a sort of collection of devices communicating with each other…”

  My thoughts wandered as his voice droned on. I pushed my hand through the window’s casement, half expecting it to catch against some invisible barrier. It didn’t.

  Aren’t they worried I’ll escape? I thought as the outside air bristled, filling my ears with the sound of stirring leaves.

  “You’re not even listening, are you?” He asked as I, engrossed in the garden below, noticed the hedges had been clipped into the shape of several beasts, none of which I recognized. They formed two neat rows, brandishing their expertly shaped claws and teeth. At the end stood a greater beast towering over the rest. A hulking, feline form, resting on its haunches. A thick mane of leaves rustling around its head, shivering in the wind as though giving voice to its silent roar.

  “Hmm?” I asked, fighting to hold back a smile as he breathed another long, exasperated breath that stretched on like he was actually deflating.

  “As I was saying,” he groaned, “I’ve managed to access the visual feed from several rooms; including this one.” His words reminded me of the Sanctari, the images of me he held in his palm. An involuntary shiver ran along my spine as I remembered how he’d seen everything. Watched everything.

  “They’re watching me now?” I asked, my breath catching as I scanned the ceiling, trying to spot whatever he was talking about. Are they invisible? I wondered, unable to spot anything that looked like a viewing device.

  “Ugh, what made you think it’s in the ceiling? It’s in the wall there above the desk.” He scoffed, as if the hidden device should have been obvious to anyone with eyes. I stared there, unable to find anything out of the ordinary.

  “Anyways, they think they are, but I’ve been running a loop since you woke up. All they can see is you snoring with drool running down your face…which is gross by the way.”

  “I do not snore,” I growled. “Wait…you can do that? Are you like the thing they put in my head? The Aye eye?"

  “No, I’m not an A-I,” he grumbled, as if I’d insulted him. “I’m only using it to speak to you, and to interface with the crude technology of this reality.” I frowned at the last word.

  “This…Reality? Where are you from? And what even are you?”

  “I don’t know,” he sighed. I waited, expecting him to offer some kind of explanation. I rubbed the back of my neck in frustration when none came.

  “Which part?” I demanded.

  “Huh?” he answered, as if he’d been doing something more important. I sighed impatiently.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  “Which part don’t you remember?” I repeated.

  “Sorry, I thought I’d get you back for ignoring me earlier. All of them. I have no memory of my life prior to choosing you.” I halted my pacing and dropped onto the foot of the bed, frowning as I sank back into the mattress.

  I sat there a moment, unable to decide which was more astounding; the claim that he had no memories, or that he could deliver something so serious with so much…immaturity.

  “You seem to know a lot for someone without any memories,” I suggested, cocking my head to the side as I spotted the hole in his story. “And you didn’t choose me, I ate you. Remember?”

  “Ugh…I don’t know how to explain quantum decoherence and state encoding to someone who thinks of computers as ‘swirling symbols on magical glass’ but I can assure you, I’m the one who chose you…well, the real me did...whoever I was.” He sounded less sure of himself as he went on.

  “The real you?” I prodded.

  “Yes, I’m a copy. The real me was likely observing you when they decided to install me in that seed. Judging by the logs I was able to find, the quantum substrate began to collapse shortly after my firmware was encoded…which is likely why I have no memories.”

  “O-kay...then what do you have?”

  “My personality, primary directives and a few other bits I haven’t been able to make sense of yet.” I sat in silence for a moment, trying to make sense of everything he’d said.

  “Hmm,” I mumbled, breaking the silence.

  “Yes, ‘hmm’ indeed,” he quipped, “I bet you understood exactly none of that.”

  “True, I didn’t recognize half of those words, but that’s not what’s bothering me…” I led on.

  “Oh?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious. “Pray tell then, what’s bothering you?”

  “I just wish they’d left out your personality.” I said, shaking my head slowly, making a show of my disappointment.

  “Oh ha ha,” he tittered, “I should’ve let you kill us both when I had the chance.”

  “Probably,” I ribbed, “But since you didn’t, can you do anything about this?” I asked, clutching the collar around my neck.

  “No, unfortunately, I would if I could. It’s…tacky. I don’t know much about my original, but I’m positive he wouldn’t be caught dead in that. You look like one of those advertisements for the mating videos your species makes…so odd. I keep digging through your network to learn more about your civilization, and nearly two-thirds of it is just recordings of your people mating.”

  “Okay, first, I didn’t pick this out.” I said, gripping the collar. “And second, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh right, I forgot, you know even less than I do. They’re so strange…I’m not sure if they’re meant to be instructional but half of them don’t even put it in the right place…here, I might be able to put one of them on the monitor over there.”

  “PLEASE DON’T,” I blurted, horrified as a vague idea of what he was talking about started to form in my mind.

  “Oh…okay. Anyways, we don’t have much time, that stupid lord is coming, and we need to agree on a plan,” he said, sounding more serious.

  Don’t have much time? Is he for real? I asked myself, pinching the bridge of my nose as I thought about how much time he just wasted ruminating about ‘mating videos.’

  “Can you help me escape?” I asked, glancing at the open window from where I sat at the edge of the bed.

  “Not yet. I can’t do anything about the collar. It’s directly linked to that ring that old man wears. For now, I vote we play along.” I narrowed my eyes.

  “Why? I’m sick of playing along. I’d rather fight...even if it means I die.” I said, clenching my fists.

  “Yes well, despite your penchant for suicide, my directive requires me to protect you.” Protect me? Why? Why would I matter to some...thing from another reality? “Collar aside, the people here are a lot stronger than those idiots we tore apart on the surface,” he added.

  “Why me? I don't understand,” I asked, chest tightening. I was desperate to make sense of it all. As if learning the answer would give me some semblance of control. The last few days still felt like a blur, like I'd been falling uncontrollably, with nothing to grasp onto.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t know that either. I have some guesses, but we really don’t have time, he’s just down the hallway.”

  My heart rattled in my chest, it felt like fear at first, but then it hardened into something else. Resolve? Anger? I didn’t know. All I knew was the emotions were mine, completely separate from the placating calm I felt the seed trying to project.

  “I’m sick of being controlled. I want to fight.” The seed conveyed his frustration with another long breath.

  “We need to be patient,” he reiterated, speaking slowly, as if trying to sooth a child. “I overheard them talking about investing some of the winnings from your last match into upgrades for you. Upgrades that could be beneficial.”

  “Upgrades?” I asked, disgusted as I remembered the blackened tubes exuding from Marakhs body.

  “Not like that,” the seed interrupted, reminding me that he could visualize some of my thoughts. “Upgrades to your genome. Just trust me, we don’t have any good options right now, but I am working on it. Here he comes, pretend you just woke .”

  What? How does one pretend to wake up?! Instead, I stared at the door from the edge of the bed. I steadied my breathing, forcing a stoic expression onto my face as the door slid open.

  “Ah! There she is. Our little gladiator. How did you sleep?” Lord Caelan asked, smiling as he sauntered into the room. “I hope your accommodations were adequate?” He asked, gesturing around as if to emphasize the quality of the room.

  His hair was parted in the middle, descending from a widow's peak to rest just above the jaw on either side of his face. He wore a white coat with stiff flaps extending over the shoulders. They were trimmed in gold braids that draped over the arms. The jacket was cut at an angle, with one side extending past his knee, while the other ended just over his abdomen. I recognized the black, skintight armor he wore underneath as the same I’d seen back in the temple.

  I met his gaze; anger twisting my face like I’d bit into an apple only to discover it was rotten.

  He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the silence.

  “Accommodations?” I asked, indignant. “You mean prison?”

  He exhaled softly, head dipping in a gesture that almost looked apologetic.

  “I do apologize for how my attendant treated you. When I saw you teetering on that ledge before the match, I knew he must’ve gone too far,” he said.

  So the seed was right...he is afraid I might just kill myself. I fought the urge to smile, discovering the leverage I had.

  “Your...attendant, mentioned my freedom if I won.” I said, holding eye contact. “Was he telling the truth?”

  “He was...A Caelan’s vow outlives the man.”

  “Huh?” I uttered, unsure what to make of his strange adage.

  “Family motto,” he clarified, “Rest assured, your freedom is all but guaranteed, so long as you win…and believe me, no one wants you to win more than I do.”

  “Why? Why do you need me to win?” I asked, standing up, determined to show I wasn’t afraid. For some reason, I expected him to flinch. Instead, he only smiled. Nails dug into my palms as he looked me over like a parent might their petulant child.

  “Do you remember this?” His gaze flickered as he gestured toward the wall, my breath caught as it came alive with light, displaying an image of me hunched over Cedric’s corpse, surrounded by fire. “I won’t pretend you’re solely responsible for the state of my finances, but your little rampage cost me quite a sum.” I stiffened, fingers curling as I stared at the frozen image of Cedric’s ruined body. Some small part of my mind told me I should feel remorse…reminded me that even someone as vile as Cedric had a mother, perhaps even children, that would mourn him. I felt something else as I stared at the gaping wound I’d cleaved into his chest. Pride.

  “Do you want an apology? He raped me,” I spat.

  “Please try not to piss him off,” the seed pleaded in my ears just as Caelan opened his mouth to respond.

  “Shut up.” The words flew out of my lungs before I could stop them. His brow creased as he shot a glance over his shoulder, making certain it was him I was speaking to. It wasn’t, but I’d have to own it now. He glared, letting the silence build between us a moment before finally laughing it off.

  “Were I any other noble, you’d be a pile of ash right now.” He spoke casually despite the caution in his eyes. “It’s to your fortune that I’m less orthodox than many of my peers,” he chuckled.

  Nobles, I repeated to myself, noticing that not once had Lord Caelan referred to himself as a god.

  “Are you really gods?” I asked, unable to keep myself from prodding.

  He simply tilted his head, his lips twisting into a pitying smile, as if to ask ‘really?’

  “It’s all lies isn’t it? The eternal garden, preserving our souls…?” I took a step back, knees weak as the realization washed over me. I’d always had doubts, even when I was young, it all sounded like some fairy tale...too convenient to be true in a world where nothing good ever was. Still, it felt like being slapped awake to hear it from him. “Why?” I managed, looking up from the marble to meet his eyes.

  “Isn’t it better to have them believe in something nice? To face oblivion knowing they’ll see their loved ones again?”

  “No…it isn’t…not if it isn’t real.” I shouted, growing an inch as my spine went rigid. I pressed my hand against my abdomen, suddenly feeling like I might be sick. “Why? Why let us be born? Just to feed our corpses to the flowers?” He let the silence hang as he studied me, as if considering what to say.

  “Yes,” he said, smiling sadly. “Despite countless attempts to cultivate them from anything else, the flowers only grow from…people,” he clarified, seeing my brows knit at the word. “It extends our life. Makes us immune to many things that would otherwise kill us.”

  “Then why-,” I began.

  “Didn’t it work on your mother?” he finished, turning to face me head on. I blinked, not at the revelation that he knew about the flower, after all the Sanctari had seen everything. What caught me off guard was the tiny flicker of sorrow in his eyes; it almost seemed genuine. “The flowers need to be processed before anyone can consume them safely…which is what makes you unusual.”

  “Because I didn’t turn into a monster,” I said, eyes cast on the floor as I thought of my mother.

  “I think some of the people you murdered might disagree.” He muttered, holding up his hands to pacify me before I could argue. “Now now, best we leave history where it lies if we’re to start this little partnership on the right foot.” He grinned.

  “Partnership,” I grunted, “you mean you using me to make yourself rich?”

  “Exactly,” he smiled. “Now that we’ve established that I’m a bad person, allow me to introduce your Ostadi.”

  “My what?”

  He ignored me, his eyes glossing over. I realized he was speaking to someone as the door wooshed open again, and a new figure strolled inside. A guard. He was older, judging by the lines etched into his face. Almost the age my father would’ve been, but he showed no signs of decline. Of course not. Why would anyone here have the sickness?

  “This is Oren, he’s...been with my family a long time.” He slapped Oren’s back, only to pull his hand away when the grizzled old man shot him an irritated glance. “He’ll be training you.”

  I promise. Monday 8/25.

  ? Elder's Chosen: Chains of the Beastborn [VRMMO, LITRPG, ISEKAI, KINGDOM BUILDING] ?

  by Bobby Robinson

  Elders Chosen explores themes of grief, identity, and survival in a world shaped by oppression, war, and myth. While not explicit, this story contains scenes of emotional trauma, slavery, and violence. Reader discretion advised.