The Witch of the Castle of Glass

Milly stood in front of the gathered crowd of seventy people in the lobby, their numbers growing every minute as players arrived in the elevators. There were murmurs of surprise that turned to whispers of fear and uncertainty when they saw the Witch of the Castle of Glass standing at the head of the crowd.

Milly needed to keep their attention. To convince them to work together so they would survive the Event that would arrive in a mere ten minutes. That was her job. Her part of the plan. Calista was rallying the Freelancers outside, and Rain was quickly brewing a suite of diverse potions that, in her words, would bring versatility to anything they may face.

Milly glanced out the windows towards the beach. She could see Calista shouting commands, trying to bring order to the scared and independent Freelancers. They were co-workers playing soldiers, and they were failing at it. For every person Calista got in line, another two would stray. Not that Milly was doing any better.

Her crowd was growing restless. Players had started to wander around the lobby, and a handful had even left to start collecting food. A dozen players were standing by the elevators, waiting to return to their floors. And those that stayed in the crowd looked at her with a deep sense of mistrust that had not been there yesterday.

Milly was in over her head. She did not know how to convince these people to work together. All she had was her reputation. But underneath, she knew that she was just Milly. And she had no business trying to be a leader.

“Please, everyone. Please stay together,” she begged the crowd, her voice soft and easily lost in the growing murmurs of the crowd. “Tutoria said an Event would happen when that timer reaches zero. We need to be prepared. We do not know what is coming, but…”

“What do you mean you do not know what is coming?” shouted a voice from Milly’s crowd. Milly recognized the man as one of her fellow call centre staff. Unfortunately, not one she liked.

“Frank,” Milly responded, trying to sound calm, “I am just telling you what I know. What we need to do. We…”

“And who are you to tell us what to do? Did you tell the managers what was happening, like we were all told to do? Is Mr. Stone aware of this gathering of yours? He is in charge around here, not you, witch. He told us all about you. You and your troublemakers, and your desire for power.” There was an agreeable murmur from the crowd that made Milly’s stomach turn.

Frank always was a brown noser. Unfortunately, Frank also had impeccable timing.

As Frank finished his angry tirade, Jacob Stone and Judy Brass emerged from the elevator, flanked by six intimidating men that the Freelancers had taken to calling The Bodyguards. They were the ones who most often accompanied the CEOs during their forays into the terrains.

Jacob Stone’s eyes fell on her, standing at the head of the crowd. A sinister smile spread across his face. The smile of a man had just found a long-awaited opportunity.

“Ms. Mildred Brown,” he announced over the crowd, bringing them to an sudden silence. He moved slowly towards Milly, the crowd parting with each step. “Tenth floor call centre, Acicentre employee number 4950. The so-called Witch of the Castle of Glass. I have been wanting to speak with you for some time, but you stayed hidden from me. It took me a while to figure out who you were. And when I did, imagine my surprise when I found out you were one of mine.” He emphasized ‘mine’ in a way that made Milly feel dirty, as if she were property. “Sleeping under my very nose.”

Milly could feel her knees start to shake, as they had when Mr. Stone had singled her out in the crowd on the second day. Her mouth grew dry, her heart pounded in her chest, and she wanted nothing more than to turn and run out the lobby door.

Yet she did not. In the back of her mind, through the fog of fear, she remembered what Rain had said. He was trying to make her look small and weak, so he could look strong. She could not let him get away with it. Not again.

Milly took a deep breath, steadying herself.

“I have not been hiding, Mr. Stone,” she said, a tiny nervous squeak undermining her false bravado. “I have been out there, in the wilderness. Helping win this Contest so we can all go home.”

“Yes, my people tell me this Phase Two situation is your fault,” Stone countered, but his words were now meant as an announcement to the audience around him. “You and the leader of the Freelancers, Calista Gale. Another one of mine. Tell us, Mildred, what have you and Ms. Gale unleased upon us?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Milly, feeling her control and her bravery slip away with each syllable Stone uttered. “But we need to be prepared. We…”

“I know what we need,” Stone proclaimed, interrupting her, “and I know that whatever happens, we can lay the blame at your feet. At the feet of Ms. Gale. At the feet of all the Freelancers who have chosen to live their lives at the expense of all of yours. This is what happens when rogue elements sow chaos where we would bring order.”

“That is not fair,” said Milly, her words lost in the growing cries of the crowd.

“You played with these people’s lives, Mildred. You and Ms. Gale and the Freelancers sacrificed fifty-two lives to your careless whims. How many more will die from your actions? How many more of the people who stand here now will be burned on the nightly pyre?”

Stone was standing in the middle of the crowd now, Judy Brass at his side. The crowd gave them a respectful berth, their eyes flashing admiration of Stone and growing hatred of Milly. The Bodyguards were circling around the edges of the crowd, moving slowly towards Milly. Milly glanced at the timer. Less than three minutes left.

“The Freelancers have unleased chaos on us. I have been telling you this for days. And here is your proof! You have put your trust in me and my fellow CEOs to protect you, and we will do just that. And we will ensure the sacrifice of your co-workers will not be forgotten. We will ensure those responsible for their deaths will be punished. We bring justice to the Castle of Glass, and Ms. Mildred Persephone Brown will be the first person arrested, tried, and found guilty under that justice system,” Mr. Stone declared, and there were cheers from the crowd as he finished.

“It’s her fault!”

“Arrest the witch!”

“Punish her. Make her pay!”

“What?” exclaimed Milly in disbelief. “That…that is not right. I have been trying to help people.”

“She burned me at the pits when I only wanted food!”

“Me too!”

“She worships the devil! I’ve seen the pentagram on her hoodie!”

“That Huntress is no better! An office bully! Irredeemable! Throw them both on the pyre!”

The crowd was growing frantic, filling the lobby with their accusations. Milly saw Rain appear in the doorway of Rain On My Parade, hand covering her mouth in silent shock. She signaled to Milly, then quickly ducked back inside.

Stone stared at Milly with an intense smugness that chilled her to her core. “Ms. Brass, if you would.”

Judy Brass cleared her throat and shouted over the frantic crowd with a hoarse croak that spoke of a lifetime of cigarettes. “Mildred Brown, I charge you with reckless endangerment of life, of intentionally sowing chaos, and for causing, directly or indirectly, the deaths of fifty-two people. You are to be arrested and held pending your trial. Joseph, have the Bodyguards take her into custody.”

“But you can’t…” Milly protested, as the six bodyguards rushed towards her from either side of the crowd. “Stone, the timer has less than a minute left! People will die! Why are you doing this?”

“I will protect these people, Mildred Brown,” Stone announced. “I will protect them from whatever you have brought upon us. I will protect them from you. Because that is what a great CEO does.”

Rain emerged from Rain On My Parade just as the bodyguards grabbed Milly’s arms and hauled her to the ground. She was holding a bottle of black liquid the consistency of ink, sealed with a simple wooden cork. “Milly!” yelled Rain, hurling the bottle into the middle of the crowd.

The bottle shattered at Stone’s feet and a cloud of perfect darkness erupted where it struck. The darkness spread across the floor and to the ceiling, cascading out in a fast moving, billowing wave that covered the entire lobby in the pitch black of deepest night.

Milly could feel the bodyguard’s arms holding her against the floor. They were rough, and squeezed tight as Milly squirmed in their grip. She struggled to breathe. They pressed her to the floor, holding her down with their bodies and leaving her helpless.

As her stepfather had held her down, so she could not escape. Powerless to resist.

The memory of her the worst night of her life flooded in, but she fought against it. She was not powerless anymore. She could not let it happen again. She would not let it happen again.

Salem’s Fury Activated

The twin flames of Milly’s eyes suddenly flared bright violet, piercing through the darkness, visible to every person in the frenzied crowd. Powerful stars against an empty night sky.

There was silence from the crowd, and Milly released a desperate scream from deep within her. The power of Salem’s Fury flowed through her blood, filling her with power. She flicked her index fingers and the six Bodyguards flew backwards, thrown away from Milly, and collided with the glass walls across the room. The sound of fractured glass and slumped bodies hitting the floor was audible to everyone through the darkness.

Fire erupted from Milly’s palms as she got to her feet, great flames that stretched towards the ceiling and burned away the darkness around her. The sound of metal expanding and popping echoed across the lobby as her flames licked the metal fastening of the glass panels high above. She could feel her anger fueling her, and she sought out Jacob Stone in the crowd, scowling.

She burned away the darkness until she found him and met his eyes.

But there was no fear in Stone’s eyes. He stared into her violent eyes and gave her a sly smile. And then she heard his voice in her head, his mouth unmoving. “Thank you, Mildred. You have made this so much easier for me.”

His mental laughter echoed in her mind as Rain rushed across the lobby carrying a satchel of her potions. She grabbed Milly’s arm. “Milly, we need to go!”

Milly wrenched her gaze away from Stone and found Rain’s desperate eyes. Milly let her flames fade, and she and Rain dashed out of the lobby and onto the beach before the crowd could recover.

10…

9…

8…

“Calista!” Rain shouted as they emerged from the lobby. “Milly needs help.” Milly like she was in shock, anger mixed with fear as she tried to process everything that had just happened.

The Freelancers were spread out across the beach in ten groups of six, weapons at the ready and talking anxiously. Calista had the groups arranged in a diamond pattern and had just finished positioning the final group. When Calista heard Rain’s cry, she dashed across the sand as fast as she could.

7…

6…

5…

“They…they tried to arrest her, Calista,” stuttered Rain. “Stone and Brass. They turned the crowd on her. On all the Freelancers.”

Milly could hear Stone’s fading laughter in her head, weakening as she moved further away. “They are not going to help, Calista,” Milly said, shaking her head to dislodge the final echoes of Stone’s laughter, “And we are out of time.”

4…

3…

2…

“You’ll be safe, Milly,” assured Calista, her voice shaking with worry and anger. “I promise. You too Rain. I will not let anything happen to you.”

“Calista, he’s after you too…” Milly replied softly, but Calista had already turned towards the anxious Freelancers.

“Freelancers!” Calista shouted. “Be ready for anything.”

1…

0…

A single, deep tone sounded in the sky above, and a large screen appeared above the Castle of Glass.

The First Event has started

Scenario: Siege

Victory Conditions: Survive 30 minute or defeat all enemies

“Siege?” Calista asked, until she saw dozens of arrows flying towards them from the edge of the jungle. “Freelancers! In the sky! Look out!” But it was too late.

Milly watched in horror as the arrows fell on the Freelancer formations, screams of pain and panic erupting around them. Milly watched Freelancers fall to the sand, arrows piercing their bodies and staining the sand beneath in blood. The healers rushed to the sides of the wounded and dying, but Milly could see they would not be powerful enough to help them all.

Milly sprinted forward, palms aglow with blue healing light. Calista ran at her side, her light shield active and pointed towards the sky for protection. Rain was on their heels, fumbling through her satchel of potions.

“Milly, over here! I need help!” shouted Ying, one of their healers. Ying was crouched over Billy, Elmer’s second-in-command, an arrow embedded in his stomach.

Milly knelt at Billy’s side, wrenching the arrow out of Billy’s stomach and flooding the wound with her healing energy. “Again, Billy?” Milly complained, trying to sound calm, “That is the same place the boar got you on the second day. I swear, if I need to heal you a third time, I am going to start charging you for it.”

“You just tell me the price, Milly,” Billy said weakly. “and I will gladly pay it. Though I prefer Ying’s bedside manner to yours.”

“Yah, well, I’m a witch, Billy, not a nurse. I don’t do bedside manner.”

“Second volley incoming!” Calista shouted, dragging Rain beneath her shield and holding it over all of them. Three arrows collided against Calista’s shield, each one releasing a sickening snap as they struck. Milly shut her eyes in fear, but Calista’s shield held, the arrows falling to the side with broken shafts.

“Can you take it from here, Ying?” Milly asked, Billy’s wound stabilized, though still in rough shape. “I need to help the others.” Ying nodded and placed her glowing hands where Milly’s had been.

“Calista, we cannot stay out in the open,” Rain said. “We are sitting ducks. We need to find cover.”

Calista nodded and bellowed as loud as she could, “Grab the wounded. Get inside the lobby. Get inside! Stay together!”

The Freelancers started to move, and Milly saw over two dozen injured and dying being dragged frantically across the sand. Elmer dashed between them, trying to keep control of their shredded formations.

Ying lifted Billy across her shoulders and joined the others. “Billy, you watch those hands. I do not care if you are injured. If you cop a feel, I am dropping you.”

“You did not seem to mind last night,” Billy answered weakly, earning himself a slap from Ying.

Calista dashed across the sand, Milly and Rain close behind. They were faster than the others, stronger than the others, and arrived at the lobby doors first.

Calista reached for the door and pulled.

The door did not budge. Stone had locked it from the inside.

“Fuck,” spat Calista, struggling desperately to open the door with her enhanced strength. It would not move. There was a glowing red barrier around the frame and glass, and Milly could see two of the Bodyguards, faces bloody from their encounter with Milly, using barrier magic to seal the door shut.

Milly could see Stone inside the lobby, preaching to the gathered crowd.

“The Freelancers have brought this upon themselves! And the Witch and the Huntress have brought this peril upon all of you! But I will protect you. I have sealed the lobby, to keep at bay whatever may come. Stay inside, stay safe! Let those who would put you at risk find well-earned punishment outside these glass walls.”

“Stone!” Calista shouted frantically. “Open the fucking door! There are people dying out here!”

Stone heard Calista’s shout, but he ignored it. Inside, the crowd has started to anxiously disperse, heading to the elevators or climbing the stairs. A dozen players tried to escape the lobby to go help the Freelancers, but they were quickly rebuffed by the remainder of the Bodyguards.

Stone would let no one out. And he would let no one in.

Milly saw the third volley of arrows erupt from the jungle, headed their way.

“Calista! More arrows!” shouted Milly.

“Shit! Everyone, get against the glass wall. Make yourselves small. Hurry!”

The Freelancers dragged the wounded against the outside wall and pressed themselves flat against it. Calista moved to the front of their line and expanded her light shield as high as she could, twenty feet above the sand, trying to absorb the brunt of the volley.

Arrow after arrow shattered against Calista’s shield, the sound of snapping shafts filling the air like a tree breaking in a hurricane. Milly watched as sweat beaded Calista’s brow and her knees began to shake, trying to keep the shield whole through sheer force of will. Until Calista released a final frustrated whimper, her shield shattering, as she collapsed to the sand.

Milly heard the screams of the Freelancers behind her as the final arrows fell upon them, piercing shoulder and chest and neck. Milly knelt and covered her head, praying as she heard the shafts strike in the sand around her. She felt the barrier extended by Redeeming Protection break as an arrow struck her back, her last protection gone.

Then she heard Calista’s scream. She opened her eyes to the sight of Calista laying on her back, an arrow buried deep in her chest.

“Calista!” Milly screamed, her world collapsing around her.

And as she scrambled across the sand towards Calista, the ground beneath Milly’s feet began to rumble.