The morning air in the Outer District tasted like charcoal and desperation. Caelum sat behind the wheel of a battered, nondescript transport van—not the obsidian sedan, which was still hidden under layers of cloaking tarps. Beside him, Elena wore a heavy hooded cloak, her face shadowed to hide the silver tint of her "Fallen" eyes.
"You're shaking," Caelum said softly, his hands relaxed on the steering wheel.
Elena gripped her knees. "We're going to the Registration Pavilion. Silas said the High Lord's personal guard, the Iron Reach, are the ones over-seeing the entries. If they recognize me..."
"They won't," Caelum interrupted. "I've placed a low-level perception filter on your cloak. To them, you'll look like just another tired refugee looking for a payout. Just remember: I am the driver, you are the passenger. We are nobody."
The Pavilion was a massive, open-air structure of white stone that looked like a scar in the middle of the dirty district. Hundreds of low-tier cultivators and desperate brawlers were lined up, hoping to enter the Grand Oakhaven Tournament. For them, it was a dream of wealth. For Caelum, it was a tactical necessity.
As they stepped out of the van, the weight of the city's surveillance mana hit them. Towering crystals atop the Pavilion hummed, scanning every person who entered.
"Next!" a bored voice shouted.
A massive man with a scarred face stepped up, slammed a bag of mana-stones on the counter, and roared his name. The official behind the desk barely looked up, stamped a parchment, and waved him through.
"Names?" the official asked when Caelum and Elena reached the front.
"Caelum Ofori," he said, his voice flat and humble. "And my... ward, Elara."
The official paused, his pen hovering. He looked at Caelum's worn-out mechanic's jumpsuit and then at Elena's hooded form. "A mechanic and a girl? You know this isn't a street fight, right? This is the Sovereign's Legacy event. People die in the first ten seconds."
"We need the credits," Caelum said, playing the part of the desperate commoner. "And I've got a fast car. The 'Vehicle Combat' category doesn't require a high cultivation rank, just a steady hand."
A group of Iron Reach soldiers standing nearby laughed. One of them, a man with a gold-trimmed breastplate, walked over. "A fast car? You're the driver who worked for the Valerius family, aren't you? The one who went missing when the Fallen Queen was exiled?"
The air around Elena turned cold. Caelum felt her heart spike through the bond. He stepped slightly in front of her, bowing his head just enough to look submissive.
"I was fired, sir," Caelum lied smoothly. "After Lady Elena was... removed, they didn't have much use for a driver who knew her favorite routes. I've been living in the scrapyards since."
The soldier sneered, leaning in close. "You've got guts showing your face here. Most people associated with her have a habit of disappearing. But I like a good comedy. Give them the entry tokens."
The official stamped two pieces of black iron and slid them across the counter. "Numbers 808 and 809. Preliminary trials start in forty-eight hours. If you survive the first lap, you get ten thousand credits. If you die... well, the city saves on the paperwork."
As they walked back to the van, Elena didn't speak until the doors were locked. "That was Silas's brother," she whispered, her voice trembling. "The one in the gold armor. He's the Captain of the Iron Reach. He was there the night they... they took my child's future away."
Caelum gripped the steering wheel so hard the plastic groaned. He looked at the black iron tokens in his hand.
"I know," Caelum said, his voice dropping to that terrifying, layered tone from the basement. "I saw the way he looked at you. In forty-eight hours, he'll be sitting in the VIP box watching the trials."
Caelum turned the key, and the engine roared to life, sounding more like a predator's growl than a machine.
"Let him watch, Elena. It's better that way. A man should always be able to see the face of the person who is about to end him."
Author's Note:
The entries are set! Caelum has successfully hidden in plain sight, but the enemies are closer than ever. Will the 'Driver' be able to keep his cool when the engines start and the blood begins to flow?