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Back The Wishing Game Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. PREFACE
  2. Full Page Image
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. One week ago
  6. THREE
  7. Present day
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO

I blink slowly as I take in the new information.

"That is fascinating," I whisper. "But I'm not clear why you would participate in the game if you're not allowed to. Aren't you immortal? What more could you want?" Shouldn't that already give them the ability to have whatever they wish for?

"Well..." Thea stammers, a panicked look on her face. "I vowed to do it." She gives me a guilty smile. "And in our world, a vow is an unbreakable promise. Cer just followed me to make sure I'm safe. And Ze... He does what he wants." She shrugs, bitterness reflected in her tone.

"And of course, Ze is a deity too, isn't he?"

Why doesn't that surprise me? He's so powerful, I should have gotten an inkling about it. But we've already settled that I am far too foolish and too trusting.

"Not just a deity." She takes a deep breath. "He is one of the most powerful gods. And with the elections coming up, he might end up being the new Supreme."

FORTY-ONE

Cer disappears, leaving us alone in the middle of the courtyard as we await our turn to use the designated portal. Thea is still happily chatting away, but I'm too busy churning the new information in my mind.

They are all deities. Forbidden to take part in the game.

Then what the hell are they doing here, and more importantly, why with me?

Why would they get involved with a powerless human?

Now it makes sense why Ze was so condescending or why he never stopped using the term human in such a derogatory manner. For him, I'm an ant—if that. But though this sheds some more light on his personality, it doesn't excuse what he's done or how he's behaved with me, or Thea.

He crossed a line, and for that, I can't bring myself to forgive him.

The line moves at an insane pace, and soon, we are almost in front of the portal. I shake myself from my Ze-ridden thoughts and try to put it all behind me—though it's easier said than done. Even when I should be watching for the competition and cataloging those who are left in the game, my thoughts always go back to my disappointment toward Ze.

"Do you think there are other deities participating?" I ask Thea.

"Hmm, who knows. The only way they can sense if a deity participates in the game is by their power signature. You see, to qualify as a deity, your abilities need to be at a certain level. It's why you undertake a series of exams that track your power signature until it's within the acceptable parameters for a deity. The game tracks god power signatures. It's why Cer and Ze were so careful with their abilities so they wouldn't trigger the game security mechanisms."

I mull over her words.

"But what if someone is as strong as a god but is not actually a god?"