Her mind ran hot with exchange as time slowed to a crawl. Selves fought for the floor in notions and inches, and the mansion roiled in chaos. The imagined geometry of the halls blurred. Her real eyes were locked on the white wave. One hundred feet out.

“There’s nowhere to twitchwalk to,” Mercurial said.

“Perhaps the Child?” Eury suggested.

“Her stasis merely buys a moment!” Sethlana shouted.

There was also no metal nearby to bend. Not that Izanami was ever present in these discussions.

“Quiet!” Lyssa had to say out loud. But they would not. In fact, she could feel a different perspective begin to slide down her nerves.

“Maybe we just don’t do anything,” Eury said mischievously.

Her will was suddenly overpowering Lyssa’s, forcing her to stay her ground. Seventy feet.

“What are you doing?!” Lyssa exclaimed. “We need to move!”

“You exhausted our strength coming into this arena so quickly,” Eury said. “But there’s one tool in your arsenal you seem to forget.”

Fifty feet. Lyssa was going to die. She realized this was the point. That did not mean she accepted it. It was akin to being told to jump off a building, having been reassured that a parachute would sprout from one’s scapulae. The logic seemed sound at first. But what about the prevention team, wouldn’t they save her if they thought her life was in danger? That fact didn’t matter; if Lyssa could move, she would tremble. Death felt imminent. She felt her stress rise to some critical point, and a great heat began to build deep in her core.

“No.” Bildungsroman’s overwhelming Self freed her from the paralysis. Lyssa wrestled for control over her gifts. Power surfaced beneath her skin, but the wave was already upon her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement rush towards her. She did not see what it was; the world lifted as she fell into the ground. Nothing but dark flooded her vision, and she felt as though she had been thrust in a salt bath depriving her of her senses. Out of instinct, she held her breath. She held it until the edges of her vision threatened to close in on her. Her mouth opened in the silence, but nothing could come out. Even the voices seemed far away, as though she had left them in the depths.

And then it was over. She flopped onto a tiled floor under a dim light, gasping for breath. Rags floated into her field of view, waving in the air despite the lack of wind. Shakily, she tilted her head up. Beside her was someone familiar, with bright white hair and green-tinged skin, looking down with inverted color eyes. Wisps of smoke fell away from the woman in the direction of any minute movement.

“Ecto?” Lyssa said between breaths.

“You look surprised,” the paranormal student said. She helped Lyssa back on her feet.

“I didn’t- I thought I was out of the game.”

“Hm…”

“Where are we?” They were surrounded by empty metal shelves arranged in aisles. Compartments with glass doors lined the wall that was visible. This was a model supermarket. Or had been once before.

“That’s what they use ‘em for,” Ecto said, sensing the recognition. “They could pay crews to knock these parts of town down, or they could just host games in them.”

“I thought the derelicts have been cleaned up,” Lyssa said quietly.

“The mayor did promise, didn’t he? Once upon a time. Oh well.” Ecto waved for her to come with. “A few of us are waiting in the backrooms.”

“For what?” Lyssa asked as she followed.

“The two big cats tearing this place apart. The cold bitch is Selazane. I heard she got into a disagreement with Metalobe, the guy with upper-end cat-5 telekinesis. We’re just going to sit the fight out until it’s time.”

They entered the backrooms, where about a dozen people lounged about on boxes and old furniture that had been left behind. Occasionally, a rumble would test the integrity of the building, causing the lights to flicker. But nobody seemed to mind.

A thin man with a blue-black jacket leaned against a wall next to the fuse box. A blue glow could be seen just underneath the brim of his hat. Nothing else could be seen of his face. Lyssa surmised what his gift must be.

She scanned the room and saw only one other familiar face. Xiaoshu, the cat-3 strongman, walked over.

“Lyssa! You made it,” he said.

Lyssa couldn’t tell if he was glad or surprised.

“I almost didn’t,” she said. “Ecto saved me.”

“Don’t mention it,” Ecto said. “Besides, we might need you later.”

When Lyssa looked confused, Xiaoshu explained.

“The gate hasn’t opened yet,” he said. “That’s the twist in this obstacle course. I guess a lot of us have abilities related to speed, so they put the finish line on a timer. What’s more, there’s a holographic number above the gate.”

“Two hundred,” Ecto said.

“I’m going with the obvious implication,” Xiaoshu said.

If Lyssa understood it correctly, then only two hundred would be allowed through the gate once it opened. There were only a few hundred contestants. This meant this game was going to cut them in half again, further distilling the pool of students.

She did not think about it for long.

“I need to go out,” she said.

“That’s not a good idea,” Xiaoshu said.

“I can’t explain, but two of my friends are in danger. I don’t think the prevention teams can get to them. I have to go.”

“I’ll come with,” Xiaoshu said.

“Really?” Lyssa raised an eyebrow. “You had no trouble letting me run into danger before.”

“You made a choice with your own volition before. I respected that. But if you’re right about your friends, then it’s not just about you.” He cracked his knuckles. “This is what a hero would do.”

“Okay… thank you.” Lyssa turned to Ecto. “Do you want to be a team again? I think I’ll need your help.”

Ecto sighed.

“Where are your friends right now?”

“Under that big building.”

“Of fucking course.” She shook her head. “Alright, sure. But you’d owe me for two.”

“Thank you.”

As they left, a student called after them, “You people are being dumb!”

Lyssa ignored them. She headed back out into the street with two allies and some of her strength returned. A singular goal burned in her mind. She would save her friends. They would all make it across the finish line, no matter what. She did not want this, she needed it. In the back of her thoughts she felt Bil’s cold, curious observation. What the telepathic Self had done was strange. If Bil had not interjected, a new Self might have been born, like a monkey’s paw, perfectly equipped to counter the immediate danger, though not in a convenient way. Eury was already proving to be a very irksome personality.

Lyssa went for the direct approach.

“Why did you stop her?” She asked in her thoughts.

Bildungsroman sneered.

“If you can’t even control the gifts you have, you should not be tempted with the tool to acquire more.”

“I almost died.”

“You wouldn’t have,” Bil responded unequivocally. And then her presence retreated, no longer standing in judgmental vigil over Lyssa’s course of action.

Lyssa felt her anger rise. She would show her Self. She had to, there was nothing else more important now. She would prove to all of her Selves she was in control. She would prove that she deserved to be real.

“I am Lyssa,” she whispered.

“Did you say something?” Xiaoshu asked.

“No! No…”