Arden's POV
The morning light spilled through the tall windows of Edelweiss, casting long shadows across the marble floors.
I rubbed my eyes, still exhausted from last night's secret challenge. My body ached, my mind spun, and yet I felt… alive. Or at least, I thought I was.
Breakfast was quieter than usual. Mira, Kian, and Sylvie joined me at our usual table, their expressions guarded.
"You survived," Mira said softly.
I nodded. "Barely."
Kian smirked faintly. "You didn't scream or cry, so I'd call that a success."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Stop teasing him. The Game isn't over yet."
I frowned, sipping my tea. "Game? It feels more like… a trap."
"Trap, challenge, test — same difference," Sylvie replied. "At Edelweiss, it's all the same. They observe everything."
The hall was buzzing as higher-ranked students moved among us. Their eyes flicked toward me frequently. I could feel their judgments like invisible knives.
One student, #005, approached our table. "Number 013," he said casually, his smirk faint but sharp. "Word is, you survived the midnight exercise. Lucky, aren't you?"
I met his gaze steadily. "Maybe," I replied.
He leaned closer. "Lucky isn't enough. Awareness is. Observation. Adaptation. Remember that."
I swallowed hard. His words carried a weight I couldn't ignore. He walked away, leaving me with a lingering chill.
After breakfast, our group was led to the library. The afternoon was filled with research exercises, designed to test our observation skills and problem-solving under pressure.
As I moved through the aisles, I noticed something odd: a small scrap of paper tucked behind a book. I pulled it out carefully.
Observe her patterns. She watches more than you know. Shadows hide in plain sight.
My pulse quickened. Her?
Elaria Montclair…
I felt that familiar pull in my chest again, inexplicable and unnerving. I didn't know why, but somehow, the message felt personal.
Mira leaned closer. "You found another message?"
I nodded. "Yeah. It mentions her… the Queen."
She gave a faint, unreadable smile. "Keep it in mind. Don't let it distract you. Observe, Arden. Everything is a lesson."
During the afternoon exercises, higher-ranked students began testing us directly.
One of them, #007 — the boy who had mocked me before — approached.
"Number 013," he said lightly, "I hear you're becoming observant. Let's see if that translates to action."
I tensed. "What do you mean?"
He smirked. "Follow my instructions carefully. One mistake, and it will be recorded. Are you ready?"
I nodded, forcing calm.
The task was deceptively simple: navigate a small maze, avoid obstacles, and collect tokens placed strategically by the seniors.
But the maze was more than physical. There were traps, misdirections, and subtle signals designed to confuse me. Every movement had to be precise. Every glance calculated.
I moved carefully, following patterns I had memorized from my observations.
#007 watched silently, occasionally giving faint hints — or perhaps trying to mislead me. I couldn't tell.
Halfway through, I stumbled on a misaligned plank. My foot slipped.
"You're too slow," #007 said sharply. "Predict, Arden. Observe the pattern. Anticipate."
I exhaled slowly, heart pounding. I adjusted my approach, more careful than before.
Finally, I completed the maze, collecting all the tokens.
#007 smirked faintly. "Not bad. Keep improving. The Game never stops."
I nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and exhaustion.
Back in the courtyard, I noticed her again. Elaria Montclair, standing near the fountain, watching me.
I froze, heart pounding. Why is she like this?She never approach me. She didn't speak to me. Just observed, her posture perfect, her expression unreadable.
I didn't know why, but I felt the same pull I had felt since the first day I noticed her.
I glanced at Mira. "She's always… watching."
Mira gave a faint nod. "Rank I. Always. The Queen's attention is rare, but when it falls on you… it means something. Or it's a warning. Be careful, Arden."
I swallowed. I didn't know which it was.
That night, in Room 013, I reviewed my notebook. Every observation, every pattern, every message.
The messages were becoming clearer. Someone was guiding me, warning me. But I didn't know if it was a friend… or another layer of the Game.
I traced the red ink above my bed.
Observe the Queen. Learn her patterns. Survival is recognition.
I exhaled slowly. I didn't know why, but I felt that the Queen — Elaria Montclair — mattered more than anyone I had seen so far.
And somehow… I felt a strange pull toward her.
I couldn't explain it. I didn't understand it. But I knew it was important.
Because in Edelweiss, nothing was ever random.
And nothing — not a glance, not a whisper, not a message — was meaningless.
Tomorrow, I realized, would be another test.
Another chance to survive.
Another layer of the Game.
And perhaps… another step closer to her.