Page 84 of The Deadliest Game

"Ah, that's the volcano’s namesake. La Dama. We don't know exactly who she is," the elderly man with a high brow replied, his voice tinged with reverence. "Legend has it she's from an ancient civilization that lived here long before our time. Some say she's a symbol of destruction."

I swallowed. My feet had felt unsteady and tired, and the tremors and heat worried me. Looking back at the distance I was meant to cross tomorrow, a plan formed.

"Gracias," I said absentmindedly, returning to where I had left my tent.

On the other side of the tent, there were others. There was no reason to stay here tonight; I could start walking now. If I could make it through a few hours, I could reach the base by morning.

Antonio had taught me to climb by myself. I didn't need Isaac.

Lost in thought, I saw a familiar profile. Santiago. I frowned. It was good he was still going. His scores weren't like mine, and he needed to keep working hard for Magda. Everyone was tense around the camp, and very few people spoke, but I went next to him.

"Hola," I said quietly while approaching. "¿Cómo están?"

Isabela looked up at me and scowled. "Don't gloat, Renata. I'm exhausted. Let me die in peace."

I blinked. She was back to being unfriendly. "I'm tired too."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then bite your finger, just like you did at dinner. Go gold, feel incredible, and leave us alone."

What was there to say to that?

Sam grunted behind her. "Time to eat again." He didn't look at me or smile.

She hissed, and Santiago laughed.

I swallowed and tried again. "Come on. I'm working just as hard as anyone."

Santiago looked up at me and frowned. "You also are doing better than everyone else."

The blond girl sat up on her boyfriend’s legs. "You're kind, but I'm tired of pretending I don't care how poorly I'm doing, so could you just go away?"

A full-body blush flared to life. I hated it. A lopsided weight settled on my side as they pushed me away. My feet hurt, and my lungs ached. I hadn't been eating that well—there was no way I could survive a quick fix by just biting myself.

When I didn't move, they all stared. Santiago looked sad, but we didn't know each other that well. He had tried to save me before but only did so out of obligation to my best friend.

I was on my own now.

I knew this.

Two options were laid before me: go to sleep or sneak away. It was late and wouldn’t be hard to leave unnoticed since most people were too exhausted to sneak away.

I was tired, too. Midnight had already come and gone. The faster I finished this tournament, the faster I could go home. Luckily for me, most people were tired enough to sink into sleep. I didn't need anyone's approval or company to complete this challenge. I would rely on my strength, resilience, and cunning to make it through.

Taking a deep breath, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and strode out of the camp. Leaving early wasn’t against the rules, it was just stupid. Climbing up the volcano without a spotter would be a problem.

"Señorita?" one of the Trabajadores called.

I looked at her and smiled. "Voy al baño. No se preocupe, mi tienda de acampar ya está puesto." I gestured at the one person tent which was still standing.

She looked back, convinced, and nodded. “Buenas noches.”

Once out of sight, I quickened, taking long strides as I moved away from the camp. The only sound was my footsteps echoing in the moonlight. I was so grateful we had a waxing crescent moon.

The path was rocky and uneven, my feet stumbling over the occasional boulder or loose stone. But I pressed on, determined to make it to the volcano's base by morning. Sweat dripped down my face, and my heart pounded against my chest with each step, but I refused to give in to the exhaustion. The adrenaline pumping through my veins was enough to keep me going.

As I walked, I thought about what lay ahead. Climbing wasn’t necessarily a strength of mine. I was doing this because I had to win, for myself and my family.

But just as I relaxed, something else caught my attention—a black cloud billowed above the volcano, a haze that hung low in the night sky.

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