Alex's legs nearly gave out as she crossed the threshold. Sam caught her before she fell, his hands steady around her waist, but she couldn't look at him. Couldn't look at any of them. She knew they heard everything and the silence they gave her in return was crushing. She could feel their stares like physical weight. Sam's hurt confusion, Mia's sharp anger, and Ethan's... she didn't know what Ethan's expression held. Didn't dare look.
"Well done, little hacker." Sekhmet's voice drew all their attention back to the goddess. She descended the steps with fluid grace, her feline eyes fixed on Alex with something that might have been respect. "You shed your invisibility through blood and truth," Sekhmet continued, stopping a few feet away. "Not the truths I expected, perhaps. You managed to keep your deepest secrets locked away." Her smile sharpened. "How clever, cowardly, but clever."
Alex's throat was too tight to respond.
"However, you did pass and in my trials, victory earns reward." Sekhmet gestured, and light coalesced in her palm—the same sword Alex had wielded in the arena, but transformed. The blade was no longer gray smoke but gleaming silver, etched with hieroglyphs that pulsed with soft blue light. "Your Truth-blade. Keep it close."
The sword materialized in Alex's hand, solid and real. It felt different now, lighter, but somehow more substantial. More hers.
"The blade remembers your truths," Sekhmet said. "It is born of your vulnerability, forged in your confession. As such, it grants you immunity; no magic, no trial, no god can compel truth from your lips again. Not unless you choose to give it freely."
Relief flooded through Alex so intensely she nearly dropped the weapon. No more forced confessions. No more bleeding her secrets for an audience.
"But," Sekhmet's smile widened, showing teeth, "every blade cuts both ways. Point your Truth-blade at another, strike them with it, and they will speak what they most wish to hide. Use it wisely, little hacker. Or don't. I find I don't particularly care which. I find your mortal cruelty to be the most entertaining."
Alex's fingers tightened around the hilt. A weapon that could force truth from others. The implications made her head spin, and filled her with a sick sort of dread. After what she'd just experienced, the thought of inflicting that on someone else made her stomach churn.
"Strap it to your back, each trial will earn you additional weaponry or armor to build up your avatar." Sekhmet instructed. "Alex, you'll need your hands free for the next trial."
"Wait," Ethan's voice was strained. "Next trial? She just—she needs time to recover, to—"
"Recover?" Sekhmet's laugh was sharp as broken glass. "This is not a game where you rest between levels, boy. This is the Ascension, each trial builds upon the last. Each victory must be immediately defended." She turned back to Alex, appraising. "Though I admit, you do look rather... spent. Perhaps I could offer a small mercy and send one of your friends here in your stead."
"I don't need mercy," Alex said, surprised by how steady her voice came out. "What's the second trial?"
Mia made a small sound, a choke in protest or disbelief, Alex couldn't tell.
"Spoken like a true warrior," Sekhmet purred. "Very well. The Second Trial is one of my favorites." She gestured with her golden claws in the air, as the ziggurat's flames shifted color, from blue to deep amber. "You have proven you can face your own truths. Now you must prove you can live by those truths. This is a trial I am uniquely proud of." The goddess began to circle them, and Alex noticed for the first time that Sekhmet moved like her namesake, a lioness stalking her prey. "I am not only the Lady of Slaughter," Sekhmet said. "I am the Sacred Hunter. The Fierce Protector and in ancient times, warriors would come to my temples seeking guidance before the most important hunt of their lives." She stopped, her golden eyes fixing on Alex. "The hunt for a soul mate."
Alex's blood ran cold.
"Oh no," Sam whispered. "No, you can't, she can't."
"The Trial of the Hunt," Sekhmet announced, her voice carrying across the ziggurat. "Is only won when you hunt prey together, but not just any prey. You will hunt the sacred beast blessed by Ra himself. The Golden Scarab of the Sun."
A holographic image materialized in the air, a beetle the size of a large dog, its carapace gleaming like polished gold, wings of pure light folded against its back.
"This creature is fast, cunning, and nearly impossible to catch alone," Sekhmet continued. "This trial is not only about the hunt. It is about partnership, about choosing a relationship and partnership built on trust. About knowing who stands with you when the chase is on. Failure means starting over." She turned to Alex, and her smile was absolutely wicked. "You must choose one partner for this hunt. Only one. The two of you will pursue the Scarab through the hunting grounds. If you catch it within the hour, you both advance to the third trial. If you fail..." She paused for effect. "You return to the beginning. Both of you. Trial one, all over again."
"That's not fair," Mia burst out. "Why does Alex get to choose? She just finished her trial, she's exhausted—"
"Because she won," Sekhmet said simply. "Victory grants privilege. You chose her as your champion, and now she will choose her hunting partner. The other two will wait here." Her eyes glinted and flash red with warning. "Watching. Hoping their friend chooses well."
The implications crashed over Alex like a wave. She had to choose. Had to pick one of them to take with her, to trust with advancement or failure. After everything she'd just confessed, after baring her soul about being second choice, about wishing she was Mia, she had no idea how she was going to choose between them.
"This is psychological torture, that's cruel" Ethan said flatly.
"Cruel, you joined this game, and this is a trial," Sekhmet corrected. She soften her voice, but her eyes remained predatorily focused on Ethan. "The hunt requires two things: physical prowess and perfect synchronization. You must choose the partner who best complements your abilities. Who moves when you move, who thinks when you think. Who knows you well enough to anticipate your next step." She moved closer to Alex, voice dropping even lower. "Choose the wrong partner, and you will fail. You will return to the arena of truth. Next time, little hacker, I will not be so generous. Next time, you will speak those deeper secrets you protected. Every. Last. One."
The threat hung in the air like a blade. Alex looked at her three friends, still unable to meet their eyes directly. She could feel the weight of the decision crushing down on her shoulders.
Sam: Steady, reliable Sam. Her boyfriend of three years. He knew her routines, her patterns but he'd admitted himself that he froze in confrontation. That he wasn't the champion type and could she trust him after everything she'd just revealed? After essentially confessing she'd settled for him?
Mia: Smart, capable Mia. The one everyone chose. She was quick, strategic, good under pressure. They'd worked hacks together before, moved in sync when the code demanded it but the tension between them was a living thing now, sharp and dangerous. Mia had just heard Alex say she wished she was her, that she resented always being passed over in Mia's favor.
Ethan: Ethan, who had combat training. Who she'd known longest. Who she'd been in love with since she was sixteen. Who moved through the world with a confidence she envied but who was also Mia's boyfriend. Whose fear of abandonment might cripple him if they failed. Who had tried to tell her something before the first trial, something she'd been too afraid to hear.
"I need to know," Alex said, her voice rough from screaming truths in the arena. "What happens to the two who aren't chosen?"
"They wait," Sekhmet said. "Here with me. Watching your progress through scrying pools. Unable to help. Unable to interfere. They must simply watch you succeed or fail."
"And if we fail?"
"Then all four of you return to trial one. The chosen partner faces the Arena of Truth with you. The unchosen two are spared that indignity, for now" Sekhmet's tail lashed once, creating a violent snap that vibrated through the air. "Though I wonder which is worse: facing your fears, or watching someone else face them while you standby helpless?"
Cruel, this whole game was cruel. What did Novatech gain from forcing Alex to choose? What did they gain in having her confess to feeling unchosen her entire life? Hell, it was simply cruel to make her pick just one person to trust completely. While the others watched, feeling excluded, and left wondering why they weren't good enough. Ethan was right it was the perfect psychological warfare and Alex had no choice but to play.
She finally looked up, met three pairs of eyes. Sam's were hurt but trying to be understanding. Mia's were guarded, angry, waiting for rejection. Ethan's were... complicated. Concerned and something else she couldn't quite name.
"How long do I have to decide?" Alex asked.
"You have until I count to ten," Sekhmet replied. "One."
"What?!" Mia's voice pitched higher. "That's not enough time to—"
"Two."
Alex's mind raced. Physical prowess—Ethan had the training. Synchronization—she'd known him longest, but she and Mia had worked together on complex hacks, moved in that flow state where words weren't necessary. Trust. Did she trust her?
"Three."
Who did she trust? Really trust?
"Four."
Sam, who'd been there for her but might break if they failed and he had to face his own truths? Mia, who was skilled but might let resentment sabotage them? Ethan, who she wanted but who came with so much emotional complication it could destroy their focus?
"Five."
Think. Think! This was a hunt everything relied on speed and strategy and working as one unit. She needed someone who could keep up, who wouldn't hesitate, who understood how she thought.
"Six."
Her hand moved to the Truth-blade at her back. She could use it. Force truth from all three of them, find out who really wanted to be chosen, who really thought they could succeed, who wanted to go through the trial with her. No. That was exactly the kind of cruelty Sekhmet would enjoy. Alex had just survived having truth ripped from her. She wouldn't inflict that on them.
"Seven."
A hunt required a partner who could think like a predator. Who had instincts and reflexes and didn't care to take what wasn't theirs.
"Eight."
Ethan had combat training. Mia had strategic brilliance. Sam had steadiness and support. But what did Alex need? Not just what would give them the best chance of success, but who did she need to face whatever came next?
"Nine."
She met Ethan's eyes and saw something there, it looked like a plea, maybe, or an offer. Choose me. Trust me. Let me prove I can be the partner you need.
She looked at Mia and saw calculation, the same assessment Alex was doing. Mia would be efficient, logical, probably their best tactical choice.
She looked at Sam and saw resignation. He already knew. He'd known since the arena. He wasn't her first choice.
"Ten."
"Ethan," Alex said. The name fell like a stone into still water.
Sam's face closed off, carefully neutral. Mia's eyes flashed with something, unreadable, maybe jealousy before her expression went cold and Ethan... Ethan looked relieved and terrified in equal measure.
"I choose Ethan," Alex said again, louder, more certainty and conviction. "He has the combat training. We've been friends since we were kids, I've known him the longest. We can do this."
The justification sounded hollow even to her own ears. They all knew, she was going to choose him. Because she was in love with him even if she hadn't said it out loud. Because given the choice between the three of them, she would always choose Ethan. Everyone knew it, just like everyone always chose Mia over her. The irony was not lost on her.
"Excellent," Sekhmet purred. She gestured, and the space beside her rippled. Two scrying pools materialized, they were shallow basins filled with shimmering water. "Sam, Mia. Come watch your friends hunt. Watch them succeed or fail. Watch them work as partners while you stand apart."
The cruelty in her voice made Alex's skin crawl. She was enjoying this. But Sekhmet wasn't finished. She turned back to Alex and Ethan, her golden eyes gleaming with predatory amusement.
"One more detail about this trial," she said, her tail lashing once. "The Scarab is sacred to Ra himself. To catch it is to receive his blessing, and his protection. You must not kill it. If it dies you will be handicapped for the rest of the trails." She let the words hang in the air for a moment. "Whichever of you captures the Scarab, and closes their hand around it first, will receive the Shield of Ra. An invincibility reward." Sekhmet's smile sharpened. "Should your group fail a future trial, this shield will activate. It will protect all four of you from the consequences. You will advance as if you had succeeded, with no penalty, no return to previous trials." Alex's breath caught. A safety net. A way to protect them all from failure. "But," Sekhmet continued, "only one of you can receive this blessing. Only one of you can become the shield that guards the others."
The words hit Alex like a physical blow. It wasn't just about partnership anymore. It was about deciding which of her friends she trusted most to be their protector. Their salvation if everything went wrong. She was the one who got to decide who would get to be the hero of the group if they needed. After everything she'd said about being the backup, about being second choice, now she had to choose who she believed in most.
"That's..." Ethan's voice was strained. "That's not fair. That's putting all the weight on—"
"On the victor?" Sekhmet interrupted. "Yes. That is how victory works. Power. Privilege. Burden." She looked directly at Alex.
Alex's mind reeled. If she caught the Scarab, she'd have the power to save them all later. She'd be the shield, the protector. She'd finally be the one people could count on. She didn't have to choose Ethan to be the hero, if she caught it she could be hero. But if she let Ethan catch it... if she chose to trust him with their safety, then each of them could start building their avatars.
She looked at Sam and Mia, already moving toward the scrying pools. Sam's shoulders were set in resignation. Mia's expression was carefully blank. They would watch. They would see whether Alex trusted herself, or whether she trusted Ethan more.
And they would judge.
"The clock starts when you land in the hunting grounds," Sekhmet said. "One hour. Catch the Scarab. Decide who touches it first. Succeed or return to bleed more truths in my arena."
She raised her staff, and the amber flames surged higher.
"Hunt well, little hackers and remember—heroes are not born. They are chosen."
Ethan stepped forward to stand beside Alex. She could feel the heat of him, that impossible warmth that the game made too real.
"Alex," he said quietly, just for her, "we need to talk.."
"After," she cut him off. "After we catch the Scarab and pass the trial. Then maybe we can talk." She couldn't deal with talking right now.
Sekhmet's laughter rang out across the ziggurat. "How delicious. Two people with so much unsaid, forced to move as one. This should be entertaining." She raised her staff, and the amber flames surged higher.
"The hunting grounds await. You have one hour to catch the Golden Scarab. It will not wait for you to resolve your emotional tangles. It will not slow down because you're tired or confused or breaking inside." Her smile was all fangs. "Hunt well, little hackers. Or return to the arena and bleed more truths for my amusement."
With another whip of her tail, the ground beneath Alex and Ethan's feet vanished. They fell through light and shadow, through copper sky and star-filled void. They landed hard in a jungle that shouldn't exist.