"We'll be a team, right? Me, you, and Cer." Thea immediately grabs my hand, her smile intoxicating.

I find myself nodding despite myself. As a human, I doubt I'd do much by myself. I don't yet know how demanding the contest will be, so I'll benefit from having them by my side. But what's in it for them? Because if I die...

"Are you sure? I'd be the weakest link," I admit honestly.

"Nah," Thea dismisses my words. "We'll make it through this, trust me," she adds confidently, pointing to her brother with an amused grin. "Cer is practically unbeatable," she whispers in a low voice.

He scoffs, but he doesn't turn, nor acknowledge our conversation.

"If you've decided how you will compete, please form a queue in front of the stage to receive your task for the first trial."

"Wait... Is there a different task for every team?"

"It seems so." Thea nods as she gets to her feet. Her hair is magically dry while mine is still soaking wet—well, I guess being human has some downsides.

She takes my arm and hops over to her brother, looping her arm through his, too. She's probably the most excited and energetic person in this room. Everyone else is wary, suspicious, and greedy for the prize. Not Thea, though. She seems to be in it just for a good time—or maybe annoying her brother.

To my surprise, there are a lot of people who form teams, only a few choosing to compete in the game individually. But as I study the teams, I note that almost all have partnered up with their own species, or at least as close as possible.

As if reading my thoughts, Thea explains.

"There are a lot of enmities in the underworld. Half of the people in this room hate the other half. I'm surprised no one has started a fight yet. Especially with humans."

"Do you guys hate us so much?"

"Hate you? Of course not. I find you rather cute," Thea adds vehemently. "But not everyone shares my opinion. Most hate humans because they're different—and powerless. But mostly different."

"Awesome," I mumble, suddenly realizing why everyone was staring at me with distaste. In fact, the people I suspect are also humans have partnered up together. I'm probably the only one with non-human teammates.

"Don't mind it. The wolves over there hate the foxes." She points to two teams that are currently baring their teeth—fangs?—at each other. "The nymphs abhor the satyrs." She points to another cluster. "And it goes on and on. Very few get along." She shrugs as if this is simply the nature of things.

"Is there any wiki page for the underworld that I can use for reference?" I joke lightly.

"Wiki?" She frowns.

"You know, like an encyclopedia."

"Of course not!" she says, horrified. "To have all that information in one place would be extremely dangerous. Every kind viciously defends its secrets."