Ding!
[You have entered the Trial Citadel.]
[Participation begins in 30 seconds.]
Grey's eyes darted to the glowing notification hovering in his vision.
This wasn't a shelter—it was something else entirely.
"A trial? What does that even mean?" he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
His gaze shot to Apollo, lying on the ground nearby. Blood seeped from the gash in his side, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.
Grey crouched down and shook him urgently.
"Apollo, wake up! Now's not the time to nap!"
But there was no response. Apollo was out cold.*
His head was head lolled to the side, his injuries and exhaustion far worse than Grey had realized.
Grey clenched his fists. He couldn't rely on Apollo this time. **He was on his own.**
He glanced at the corner of his vision. The timer ticked down relentlessly:
[20 seconds remaining.]
