“Arise, child of the desert,” Cion said. “You’ve been reborn.” As he said it, lights flared up all around. Every boy I’d seen earlier was situated on a circular ledge that ran above the room. They each held a torch, and over their heads, names were carved in the rock.

“To claim your place among us,” Cion continued, “you must prove you are capable. You must find your way out of the pit and carve your name here among ours.”

I spun around, thinking there must be a handhold somewhere, because the ledge was taller than the arena wall. There was no way I could jump that high.

“You may use anything you see to help you,” Cion said. “But fail to get out of the pit, and you have failed.”

I moved toward the wall, inspecting it. The stone was as smooth as before. I tried jumping anyway. I stopped a good three feet from the top.

I could feel all the boys silently watching me. Most of them were short and underfed. If they could do it, there had to be a way out. I had to be missing something obvious. I’d beaten eleven suitors using my wits and skill. This was nothing compared to that.

The crackling torches echoed my shuffling around the circle. I went back to inspecting the wall. The only break was the doorway we must’ve come in through. I figured that wasn’t an option. I still tried pushing against the rock that blocked it. It didn’t budge. I searched for some sort of switch that would open the door.

Nothing.

I moved more frantically around the circle. What was I missing? I tried digging through the sand looking for some hidden treasure that might help me. Only when my knees ached from sand grains digging into them did I finally stop.

I inspected the blindfold I’d ripped off. Could I fashion it into some sort of rope? I shook my head. It was far too short.

I tried jumping and kicking off the wall like I’d seen Dimic do in the marketplace, but the circle was too wide. I didn’t even come close to the other wall.

I expected the boys to laugh at my failed attempts, but they didn’t. They stayed as still as the stone around us, watching, waiting as torchlight burrowed into the hollowness of their cheeks.

Next, I tried piling up sand, but even after working for several minutes, the pile was barely a foot tall. And when I tried to use it to jump off, I nearly broke my ankle landing on it. I ungracefully rolled down into the sand.

I shoved my hands through my hair as I sat up. “What am I missing?” I called.

They all stood silent.

I rammed my sword into the largest crack I could find. I didn’t even leave a scratch in the rock.

Still, I tried over and over again, slamming my blade against the fissure in hopes I could create a handhold. Soon, I realized that couldn’t be the way. Otherwise, there’d be handholds all over the wall from other boys. But still I tried. I tried until sweat plastered my hair to my forehead and my hands nearly bled from all the sand that ground against my palms with every strike.