Crow groaned as the metallic ringing assailed him. He’d slept like a log in the thick woolen sheets, and enjoyed doing so enough that it wasn’t until the ringing resounded through his room a second time that he was forced out of bed by the realisation of what it meant.

He hurried to clothe himself, not paying much heed to what he wore- only dimly counting a tunic among the flashes of fabric- and stumbled his way across the room toward the door. Thankfully the floor was clear of sprawling objects, as the sun, stifled as it was by the still covered windows, was too little for him to see well enough that he could’ve actually avoided tripping on anything.

It took him three tries to grasp the handle of his door, and a further five seconds of blinking to make his vision somewhat coherent in the glare of the hallway’s lamps. He squinted at the person stood before him, a tall man with a stupid moustache and a staggeringly bored expression. Before Crow could think of what to say, the man had spoken.

“Mister Tempora?”

Crow nodded stupidly, the man eyed him up and down for a moment before continuing.

“I have been sent to wake you in preparation for the second stage of the Sieve. It will begin in ninety minutes at Bermuda stadium, would you like to leave now?”

It took two silent repetitions in his own head for Crow to fully take in the statement.

“Uh, no? No. No thank you, I’d… You said it’s in ninety minutes?”

The man’s face remained completely unchanging as he answered in an almost synthetic sounding voice.

“Yes, would you like to leave now?”

Crow frowned.

“I don’t have to, do I?”

“No, the stage begins in ninety minut-”

“Okay!” Crow interrupted, his sluggish tiredness fading into annoyance. “I get it, no. I don’t want to leave now, I can make my own way there.”

With a slight nod and a turn almost on his heel, the man disappeared back down the hall without another word. Crow glanced after him before shutting the door, then groaned and made his way back to the bed. He very briefly considered letting himself fall back asleep, urged on no small amount by the rather persuasive feel of the still warm covers on which he lay. Fortunately saner, and more anxious, heads prevailed and Crow climbed back out after only a few minutes.

By the time he was ready to actually leave his room and make his way back out into the city, Crow had cleared the tiredness from his head enough to remember how his night out with Astra had ended. He grinned to himself as he recalled some of the performances they’d watched, then forced his face straight. He’d need to be focused today, more than ever. The only thing from the night before which bore thinking about was his promise to meet up with Astra so they could enter the stadium together.

The streets felt less crowded than previous days, perhaps because he was growing used to how full they were. Unfortunately this didn’t make it any easier to navigate the gargantuan labrinth, and it took many wrong turns before Crow saw something he recognised- a large statue of Gilasev Menza. Of course said statue also happened to barely be peaking out from behind several graciously small buildings, and being able to see it wasn’t the same as knowing which ways he had to weave through the streets to get to it. Still, his meeting place with Astra was the base of that statue and at the very least it was now clearly in sight. Crow would take what he could get.

It took surprisingly little time for Crow to reach his destination, though as he was using trial and error for his navigation technique it still took a while. Long enough that upon finally getting to the base of the statue, Astra had sat herself down and affixed a look remarkably similar to the one their mother used to give them. This look did not leave her face as Crow approached, instead she merely got to her feet and crossed her arms.

“You’re late.”

There was no accusation or surprise in her voice, Crow knew better than to think that would be a good thing.

“Sorry Astra,” he tried. “I got lost.”

“And which one of us, exactly, has a strain which gives them a perfect visual memory?”

Crow’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Uh, I mean… Did you expect me to take the time to memorise a map of-”

“I expected you not to make me wait for twenty fucking minutes!”

She had a point. Crow had to admit, he was hard pressed to argue against her. However he did have one rebuttal which he considered particularly strong.

“Have I ever failed to make you wait in the past?”

Astra didn’t answer, she didn’t have to.

“I’m sorry?”

“Shut up,” she sighed, then sat down against the edge of the statue’s base. From how close they were to it, it was impossible to make out the figure’s form from sight alone. Only its shadow stretched out far from them gave any indication. Planting her hands next to her on her makeshift seat, Astra sighed deeply.

“Ugh, sorry. I’m being a bitch, it’s just the… well, the next stage. You know?”

Crow nodded. It was hard for him to remember that despite all her skills, his sister was still human. With how nerve racking he found the looming contest he shouldn’t have overlooked his sister’s anxiety. One thing he absolutely couldn’t overlook was the barely contained grin which sprouted across her face.

“Eclipse, I can’t wait. Finally a chance to show the world what I can do!”

Crow nodded. It was hard for him to remember that despite her human appearance, his sister was still his sister.

Astra leapt to her feet energetically, stretching with a satisfied grunt and speaking as she rolled her neck.

“Alright Birdie, we should head off. Thanks to you we only have about an hour to make a forty five minute walk.”

Biting down the urge to point out that it had been her who cut that hour down by five minutes, Crow gestured in the direction he vaguely remembered the stadium being.

“Lead the way, o’ prodigy Astra.”

She smirked, setting off the exact opposite way Crow had been pointing and forcing him to take the first few paces in a jog to catch up.

***

As annoying as it was to catch the self-satisfied grin tugging at the corners of Astra’s mouth and eyes, Crow had to admit that he far preferred being with her when making their way through Bermuda. She must have gone out of her way to study the city’s maps, as she guided them down streets and alleys without once consulting any kind of guide for directions. Though as pleasant as it was to not spend two thirds of the time walking over his own footsteps, it would have been wonderful if either of them had actually had the money for a carriage. And after half an hour of trudging through the city, Crow couldn’t help but fixate on the fact that the official who had offered to escort him there almost certainly would have provided one.

He may have spent his last two days living in the lap of luxury, but Crow had to remember he was still a country boy from Selsis. And as amazing as she was Astra had no more spare stars to spend than he did. And so they continued walking, and Crow found his mind flitting between wishing he’d accepted the offer of an escort and wishing he’d taken the minute or two he’d spent talking with Astra to sit down.

Fortunately it was not much later that the stadium loomed nearby. Unfortunately there was just as large a crowd looming around it as there had been for the orientation. Much grunting, muttered swearing and elbowing later Crow stumbled to the front gate- glancing to ensure Astra hadn’t been separated from him before making his way toward the main desk. The receptionist was no more lively than the last one. A young man, he quickly perked up upon seeing Crow and Astra’s gaugers.

“Ah, contestants. Please make your way down the passage to the left, don’t take the stairs this time.”

They didn’t walk away as much as they were shunted by the mass of people behind them, half staggering towards the hallway just as someone started screaming about seeing a contestant. It wasn’t until they’d taken a good dozen paces down the stone corridor that the raucous noise of the masses seemed to be blunted. Crow wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting from the route to the contestant area, perhaps a clean, glinting path made from solid gold? It certainly wasn’t the damp and chilled one he found himself in. He resisted the urge to glance at Astra for reassurance, just pushing ahead.

Before long they were far enough from the main entrance that the light of the sun failed to follow them. There were none of the glowing crystals Crow had seen illuminating the seating areas the night before, nor were there any torches- though that at least made sense, given that it probably wouldn’t do to fill the corridor with smoke. This meant that, on top of being cold and made of solid stone, the hall was also dark. It didn’t take long for that darkness to compound the general claustrophobia, either. Crow almost turned to glance back over his shoulder once or twice, convinced that he’d be greeted by the sight of that awful tentacle thing dragging its bulbous form towards him. The walls seemed to contract inwards, dragged towards him by the darkness. His only reassurance were the footsteps of Astra right next to his own, and were it not for how hard his heart was beating in his chest he may well have mistaken himself for dead. When at last he caught sight of a dim glow ahead of them it was an embarrassingly big relief.

Crow immediately picked up his pace, eager to reach the illumination as quickly as he could, and closed the distance quickly enough that he was just shy of running. The moment he stepped through out of the corridor he exchanged a glance with Astra, rather happy to be able to see her expression clearly again, and then took in the sights around them.

The room was at least a hundred feet wide and twice as long, with an exit on the far end and a ceiling as high as five men stood on one another’s shoulders.

The floor was made from basic planks, the walls appeared to be cobble and, most importantly, it was nearly filled with people. Crow noticed this last detail at the same time as he noticed that many of those people were staring at him, broad grins across their faces.

“Uh, hello?”

Crow’s voice sounded weak, even to him. Unfortunately it was also the only voice he had. At the very least it seemed to make the strangers crowding around him laugh. They didn’t seem to be looking at him and Astra the way the other contestants had at the start of the first stage, these people knew who he was already. And a quick examination showed that most of their wrists were bereft of gaugers, so unless they’d taken them off Crow figured they weren’t other participants. But what if they had taken them off? What if Crow and Astra were the only ones who hadn’t thought to do that, and had somehow singled themselves out? No… most of the people here were all twice their age, they couldn’t possibly be competing. Could they?

Whatever conclusion Crow was haphazardly stamping towards was interrupted as one of the strangers walked towards them. A woman, perhaps in her mid twenties, with pale skin and red eyes. She wore the same bemused expression the rest of the crowd did, and when she stopped a few feet from them her attention immediately moved to Astra. That was almost reassuring, Crow was very familiar with that particular response.

“Astra Tempora.” The woman spoke with an accent Crow wasn’t familiar with, though one that sounded completely distinct from the Bermudan ones he’d heard. She extended her hand to Astra, red eyes twinkling. Astra took the hand and shook it, tensing slightly.

“Uh, hi. Do I know you?”

The woman grinned, revealing a pair of jagged canines. A vampire. Crow felt his breath catch in his throat.

“I’d be very surprised if you knew me, but I most certainly know you. I have quite an astounding sum of money riding on you, though with your odds an astounding sum is the only way to get any noticeable returns from a win.”

Astra’s face lit up with realisation, though he was completely lost.

“Ah,” his sister replied. “This is the betting hall?”

“Yes it is, or one of them at least. This one just happens to be run by yours truly, you can call me Adelina.”

That was comforting in some strange way. At the very least being stared at by people who knew him based on how safe a bet he was felt less dangerous than the other potential reasons a large group of people might have to eye him and Astra up.

At that train of thought. Crow was suddenly struck by a question of his own, cutting into the conversation to ask it.

“Excuse me, you said Astra has good odds right?”

The vampire took a moment to study Crow with a shiver-inducing stare before answering.

“Yes she does… Tempora, I’m an idiot. The two of you are related?”

Crow nodded.

“I see.” The woman had a sly grin. “I suppose you want to ask about your own odds?”

“I do. I know they aren’t going to be as good as Astra’s but… well, they aren’t terrible are they?”

With an arched eyebrow, Adelina plucked a small notepad from her breast pocket. Curious, Crow hadn’t seen clothing with pockets in that area before. After flicking through it for a second she looked back to him.

“They most certainly are not, in fact you’re one of the most popular to win. Number six in fact.”

It took a second for that to dawn on Crow, and when it did he glanced to Astra- noticing a warm smile on her.

“Not bad Birdie.” Astra beamed, then turned to Adelina.

“Where do I score?”

The vampire didn’t need to glance at her notebook to answer this time.

“Number three, not bad for a country girl.”

Judging by the way her mouth thinned, it appeared Astra disagreed.

“Who’s number two? I assume Menza is number one.”

“Wait, odds for what exactly?”

“For winning, of course. The only thing really fun to bet on.”

Crow figured there was a chance he’d regret asking, but he suddenly felt the need for some reassurance.

“And, uh, what about odds for getting certain prizes?”

Adelina laughed good-naturedly, though it still made Crow bristle.

“You mean the Eclipse’s Nectar, I assume?”

Crow nodded. The Eclipse’s Nectar was, purportedly, a fluid containing the power of a Deity. According to rumour ingesting it would immediately give a mystic magical power which stretched the imagination. It was also the exact level of power Crow needed to fulfil his purpose.

“My dear boy, nobody’s taken a bet on anyone winning that in the last seven years before now. And people are only daring to put money on it this time because Gemini Menza is competing, who by the way is currently sitting at nine hundred to one odds of getting it.”

Face reddening, Crow clenched his jaw and went to retort. Before he got the chance, however, he felt a tugging at his arm. It was Astra, who suddenly had an almost startled expression.

“Crow, we need to hurry. The ceremony will probably be starting before long.” She looked to Adelina. “I’m sorry to leave so soon, but why were we sent down here? Is the way to the ceremony through this room?”

The woman nodded, and Astra half-pulled Crow behind her as she hurried forward into the room. There were not quite so many people as there had first seemed, certainly there was enough space in the crowd that they could make their way through relatively unimpeded. And yet it was not until they had exited the betting hall and made their way into another corridor, one thankfully lined with sources of light, that Astra let go of his hand. They continued walking at a brisk pace for a few moments before Crow felt the need to speak.

“So, we have odds.”

Astra didn’t seem to even register what he’d said.

“The Eclipse’s Nectar, fuck I’m stupid. Is that what you’ve been after the entire time?”

They hadn’t needed to hurry, Crow realised. She’d just wanted a few minutes to lecture him before the stage began. He set his face and replied.

“What’s wrong with aiming for the top prize? You can’t tell me you of all people haven’t considered-”

“Shut up.” Astra spat the words out with such anger that it stunned Crow into silence. He turned to look at her, realising only then that there was genuine worry etched across her features.

“We both know it’s not about the top prize, you only want it because of what you think happened to Galad.”

“What do you mean what I think happened? I suppose you were there too? Funny, I don’t remember noticing you. Though it was a bit difficult to see through the cloud of blood.”

Astra stopped walking, full on pivoting to face Crow with her face red with anger.

“God’s tears, Crow just stop. What happened to Galad was a tragedy, but-”

Crow couldn’t help but scream.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO GALAD WAS MURDER, HE WAS FUCKING KILLED AND I’M THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD WHO SEEMS TO CARE.”

For a moment he wondered whether his sister was going to hit him. She’d never done so before, not outside of sparring, but there was a look of utter frustration on her face that made him wonder if he’d finally pushed her far enough. Instead she just swallowed, looking away from him and continuing the walk.

He heard her mutter under her breath as she went.

“We should hurry up.”