Chapter 31: The Games Begin

Alexis watches from the Chthonic section between Augustus and Kharon, nervously testing for powers and clinging to their protective closeness. The arena now sits beneath a humming, neon-green force field from the House of Zeus, meant to prevent interference. Fluffy Jr. twitches at their feet as Alexis silently prays for his recovery. Nearby, Drex, Helen, Charlie, and the Chthonic leaders take in the scene.

Artemis enters the sands on a black stallion amid scarlet mist as the crowd chants. Thirty-foot Cyclopes surround her, and while Augustus dismisses them as violent beasts, Alexis questions their consent. Above, Charlie and Achilles exchange rapid signs, hinting at unexpected camaraderie, while Patro pointedly watches Alexis’s intimacy with Augustus before turning away.

Seeking clarity, Alexis asks how a contestant loses. Augustus lists death, blood-loss blackout, or coma; Kharon adds a fourth: anyone who cannot walk out—no matter their victories—loses and is branded. His vivid recollection of crawling from the arena reveals the origin of his scars and rage toward Olympian cruelty, intensifying his vow to prevent such humiliation for Alexis.

Artemis unleashes her mist and impossible archery, firing paired arrows that drop all five Cyclopes with shots to the eye. The stadium shakes with their falls as the force field hisses, and the crowd exalts her. With the exhibition over, Augustus announces the upcoming symposium in the coliseum—a mingling of competitors, leaders, heirs, and creatures—while Kharon warns of explicit elements.

The chapter closes with Alexis’s black humor and Nyx’s crude asides breaking the tension. Kharon and Augustus reaffirm their protective presence, Alexis steels herself for what comes next, and the trio heads toward the symposium under the shadow of the force field and the reminder that in Sparta, even victory can be branded as failure.