To an ordinary person, perhaps this situation would’ve seemed quite dubious. In every other room there had always been some kind of enemy or obstacle impeding Astra’s way, but at first glance this area had no such thing, besides being covered in scorch marks and destroyed furniture. And, of course, the self-proclaimed damsel timidly laying on the floor.

  Contrary to her meek voice though, her appearance was actually quite gritty, for she had curly ginger hair like the sunset and little dots of freckles scattered across her cheeks. Her demeanor was the complete opposite of Colette’s. Rather than being pampered, the air she gave off was of a hunter ready to pounce. That’s why this whole scenario was rather odd.

  And yet, Astra didn’t hesitate for one moment to rush to her aid. Why? Because she had asked for help, and that was the only reason he needed.

  “Are you okay, miss?” Astra said, anxiously hovering around her as he tried to see if she had any injuries. Fortunately everything appeared in working order—no scratches or nicks to be seen.

  “Huh?” she muttered, seemingly surprised by Astra’s immediate concern. It was almost as if she were expecting a different reaction. “Oh, um. Yeah. Wait, I mean no! Crud this wasn’t how this was supposed to go. Hold on a minute.”

  The freckle-faced girl coughed into her fist and then cracked her knuckles, composing herself, before flopping back to the floor.

  “Can you… go outside for a sec?” she asked, her back still turned toward Astra. “Let’s just redo everything.”

  “Um, okay?” Astra was quite confused by her switch in tone, but nonetheless he happily complied and walked back to the entrance, his feet mindlessly tapping on the floor as he waited for the girl to ‘redo’ or whatever that meant.

  “Okay, you can come in now.”

  Astra turned around and was greeted by the same sight as before, although this time she seemed more confident in her damsel facade.

  “Oh no, whatever will I do?” she said, her voice stiff as if reciting lines from a script. “I have fallen, and I can’t get up! One little nudge’s all it’d take to send me warping outta here. Probably. If only there was someone who, I dunno, could help poor little ol’ me find the exit? It’s not like I’m losing my goshdarn mind in this stupid, idiotic, repetitive piece of junk pretending to be a castle. Definitely not at my wit’s end, nope.”

  Astra still didn’t quite understand all the details, but it appeared the heart of the problem was that she was stuck. The boy sympathized with that feeling. When he was younger and didn’t know the areas around the farm as well as he did now, he often found himself scrambling this way and that way and every which way. It was quite disorienting, and his parents would have to search for him whenever the night started to creep in. It wasn’t fun being lost.

  Astra excitedly raised his hand. “I can help! I just learned it a bit ago, but apparently there’s a key you can get from the paintings or armor around here—”

  “Wait wait wait… you’re just going to tell me?” The girl tiredly rubbed her forehead and groaned, unsure what to make of Astra’s honesty.

  “Yep! Was I, um, not supposed to?”

  “It’s not like you can’t, but don’t people ordinarily ask for something in return first? A trade? Equivalent exchange? Ever heard of that before?”

  Astra nodded. “Oh, you mean selling stuff? Of course I know about that! My parents run a farm after all. We grow all kinds of crops, fruits, and veggies, but my favorite is the kvela melon ‘cause it’s sweet and juicy, and it’s real popular with the cityfolk too so it’s great for your profit margins—”

  “That’s not what I… ugh.” The girl took a deep breath and then clasped her hands together while muttering under her breath. “So you’re some kind of wealthy merchant. I can work with that.”

  “Oh no, far from it, miss. I ain’t richer than any other fella.”

  “Okay, that makes this even more confusing, but I’m just gonna set that aside for now. Point is… you shouldn’t give away information so easily. Like, come on. How innocent do you have to be? Now I feel like the bad guy here, and I’m supposed to be the one asking for help.”

  Of course Astra understood the value of information, but nonetheless he grew up in an environment where sharing with your neighbors was something a feller did naturally. That’s what made a community something more than just a gathering of folks. It’s a place where everyone works, thrives, ensures no one goes hungry and anyone can get the help they need whenever they need it. Just because Astra was away from his home didn’t mean that mindset left with him.

  “I understand that miss, but even so I’ll do what I believe is right,” Astra replied. “If someone needs help then you go help them if you can—at least that’s what my mom and dad taught me. A good person doesn’t need a reward or something back to care about another human being.”

  The girl was stunned. She stumbled over her words, bewildered and strangely frustrated, before throwing her hands up in defeat and sighing.

  “Ah, screw it. I don’t have the energy to argue anymore, you… damn cinnamon roll,” she grunted. “So what was stuff about a painting?”

  Astra smiled, and then recounted his experiences whilst in the enchanted castle, including his encounter with the sand-cloaked boy. It seemed that defeating the residents here had a chance to drop a key that led to the exit. Astra wasn’t sure what the exact chances were though, given that he had learned all this himself just one room ago. But it was a start.

  “I’m Astra, by the way!” he said to her, hoping to make a new friend.

  The girl hesitated, eyeing the boy up and down as if judging whether he was someone that could be trusted. “Eh, sure. I doubt a naive kid like you’ll betray me. The name’s Iggy. Iggy Mael from Alpha Centauri. Ever heard of the Sagittarius Tourney Major? My dad’s an engineer that works with Avalon Co.”

  Once again Astra was confronted with many words and names that flew right past his head, a fact that Iggy noticed quite clearly. She giggled and gestured for him to come over. The boy dutifully complied, lowering his head, of which the girl promptly patted.

  “Doesn’t ring a bell, huh? Figures for a country boy,” she said, squishing Astra’s cheeks. “Geez, I dunno how you even got here. A kid like you’s gonna be slaughtered in the middle of all these scheming bourgeois.”

  “I think I’m doing okay.”

  “Trust me, you haven’t seen the real horror yet. They’ll eat a cutey like you up in no time! Not unless someone protects you, at least.”

  Iggy’s lips curled into a mischievous smile, and she poked Astra’s chest with her finger. “Here’s a great idea! From now on, I designate you as my minion.”

  Astra tilted his head. “Minion?”

  “That’s right. Consider me your big boss. I’m pretty picky, I’ll have you know, so this is kind of a big deal. You should be proud! The other two didn’t quite make the cut.”

  “You already met some other folks? Huh, then why aren’t they here?”

  A sadistic glee flashed through her expression as she snickered and glanced at the scorch marks around the room.

  “Well, let’s just say they weren’t very nice. But that’s what’s normal. Too bad they didn’t have a key on them, but at least I was able to meet someone gullible—sorry—sweet like you!”

  Although said in a complicated way, Astra supposed this was Iggy’s way of calling him a friend, and so the boy grinned, celebrating his new companion.

  Iggy smugly crossed her arms, satisfied in collecting a minion of her own. “Ahem! As your boss, I hereby give you my first command: carry me on your back.”

  She held her arms out and waited, like a princess beckoning for her knight. Thus Astra carried himself like one, or at least like how he thought a knight would act, and trotted over, carefully hoisting her up as gently as he could.

  “Oh, wow. You’ve got some mean muscles hiding under there,” Iggy said, surprised by how effortlessly Astra carried her. “You’ll make for a, hehe, good steed.”

  “Thank you! My dad said I got my strength from him, and my looks from my mom.”

  “Must be a pretty lady, then. Alrighty. My next order… is to plop me down on my wheelchair.”

  “A wheel what?”

  Iggy pointed at a strange chair with wheels hiding in the room’s corner. There were a variety of gadgets and contraptions Astra couldn’t even begin to understand the workings of attached on the back—it seemed the girl was an inventor, or at least good with building stuff.

  “I’ve never seen one of those before,” Astra said as he dropped her down and watched while Iggy made herself comfortable on the cushion. “But why’d you need a fancy chair to roll around in? Wouldn’t running be faster?”

  “Cause I can’t, Astra. I’m crippled,” she blandly replied.

  “Crippled?”

  “My legs don’t work, dude. Been that way since I was just a wee little baby. Dad tried to make me some prosthetics but apparently there’s a nerve issue? Something. I dunno, but even those boring healers from Virgo couldn’t get them workin’, so I built this handsome beaut! It’s got all kinds of features and gizmos capable of blasting anyone I hate to bits.”

  In an instant, Iggy zoomed around the room with a speed even Astra would have difficulty catching up with. He marveled at how comfortably she used the wheelchair as if it was part of her own body, but that also begged the question why she needed help to begin with. The boy figured that might be rude to ask though so he kept those questions to himself.

  “Let’s get a move on, Astra!” she said, already heading toward the door. “Getting those keys are gonna be easy peasy now that I know I can just kill them.”

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  “Kill? Um, wait—”

  Iggy sped off before Astra could say any more. And so the boy hurriedly chased after her into the next room. Inside, hundreds of pots and pans clattered independently around a huge kitchen. No one else was there, but nonetheless a savory smell wafted into Astra’s nose, and he heard all kinds of pleasing sounds like the bubbling of soups or the sizzle of meats. All the cooking utensils acted on their own, preparing a grand feast for this castle with no one to eat it.

  Astra didn’t know whether or not the food was safe to eat, considering he wasn’t an enchanted resident like them. Still he respected their efforts and would have snuck quietly by if possible.

  For his new friend Iggy, however, she chose to do something… different.

  “Locked and loaded!”

  The girl pulled a remote from her pocket and then pressed a big red button on it. Then two metal cylinders extended from the side of her wheelchair, which began to glow ominously in a faint red hue as something inside shook and rumbled.

  Before Astra could react, two miniature rockets were fired ahead, and then a deafening explosion boomed with a mighty roar. The living utensils were vaporized within seconds. A shockwave sent the boy tumbling back, and he could only stare in horror as the once bustling kitchen was replaced by the smoking ruins of an ashy crater.

  “Nice, now that’s the stuff!” Iggy shouted, laughing manically whilst admiring the carnage she caused. “Don’t see a key dropping from anywhere though. You sure you saw that Scorpio kid right? Maybe there’s another condition we’re missing.”

  Astra didn’t respond. He was too shocked by the scene he just witnessed to listen to her now.

  “You… you destroyed everything,” he mumbled.

  “Dang right I did. Wasn’t that cool? Shame I can’t use some of my bigger stuff since I don’t wanna get caught up in my own blasts, but it does the job nice and quick.”

  “I, um, guess so.”

  Astra wasn’t upset that Iggy used her explosives. Rather he was happy that she had the means to protect herself if she were ever in danger, but… she wasn’t in danger. The living cookware hadn’t attacked or even bothered them when they stepped inside. Had the pair stayed longer maybe that would’ve changed, but it didn’t change the fact that what she did wasn’t self defense.

  Astra had encountered many dangerous beasts before, and sometimes, even if he tried to avoid confrontation, they’d get angry and attempt to harm them. When that happened he protected himself and ran away. But never once did he attack first. That’s because there was no reason to; unless they posed an immediate threat to the people around him, Astra always did his best to take the peaceful way forward.

  That’s why he sulked before Iggy now. He knew she meant well and had only wanted to get the two out of the castle, but regardless of one’s goals they shouldn’t sacrifice what they believe in—what they consider right—just to achieve it. And for Astra, he didn’t want to let fear of what someone or something could do to him sway his judgement so violently.

  “Hm? What’s wrong?” Iggy said, rolling over to meet the pouting Astra.

  The boy fidgeted for a moment, carefully picking his words, before replying, “I’m sorry, Iggy, but I don’t think we should be so quick to attack if we can help it. Unless they try to hurt us first, can we maybe be more… gentle?”

  The girl looked at him, her eyes narrowed in confusion. “Wait, you don’t think I blast people on sight, do you? Come on, don’t worry! I’m not that crazy. If they’re mean to me, maybe, but otherwise I’m as polite as can be. Sometimes.”

  “It’s not people I’m talkin’ about, miss.”

  “You mean… those things?” she replied, pointing at the ashy remains of what once was the living cookware. “Astra, they’re fake. Illusions. They aren’t actually living, and even if they were that doesn’t put them on the same level as us.”

  “Even so, everything’s deserving of respect, whether living or not.”

  Iggy groaned and sunk into her wheelchair. She leered at Astra, expecting him to back off, but nonetheless he put his foot down and refused to budge from his ideals. If she could convince him why her methods were correct, then he’d relent and apologize if need be. A good person should be willing to hear everyone’s opinions. That didn’t mean one should change at the drop of hat though, and right now Iggy wasn’t doing a very good job of swaying him to her side.

  Eventually, she gave up and approached Astra with a stern expression, before playfully ruffling his hair.

  “Alright, alright. Fine. Let’s do it your way,” she said with a sigh. “But if it doesn’t work out we’ll go back to my strategy: blowing stuff up.”

  Astra beamed with joy. “Thank you!”

  With that, the two set off for the next room. Astra took the lead this time and Iggy slowly trailed from behind. Judging by the pattern the castle had shown him so far, he expected to step into a bathroom or maybe a closet. What the pair was met with instead however was a sudden surge of darkness.

  Everywhere around them was drenched in it, a deep shadow which clung tightly to weathered grey tiles and rusted iron bars. The only light amongst the dark came from flickering torches placed sparingly along the walls.

  Astra and Iggy both quivered in fright, for they had entered the enchanted castle’s dungeon.

  “Astra are you really, really sure about this?” she said to him. “We can always blast first and ask questions later. No biggie. Not that I’m scared or, haha, anything. Okay yeah I’m scared out of my mind dude!”

  The boy felt similarly, but if he let something like this change his mind so easily, then he’d be nothing but a flimsy-willed coward.

  “U-um, we can do this!” he cried. “Just stay behind me. We’ll go… slowly. Small steps.”

  “If you say so…”

  The pair hugged each other the closest they could, and then fully stepped into the dungeon. It was quiet here. Astra would’ve been less afraid if there was at least some sound, but instead an eerie, pervasive stillness permeated the air, following their every movement. Each step he took was unnervingly loud. Were it not for the occasional hiccups from Iggy behind him, Astra would have likely lost his nerve from the silence.

  The deeper they went, the more the shadows swirled in their terrifying forms. Until eventually, the pair stopped, and they stood frozen in place.

  They heard shackles dragging across the ground. Clinking cuffs and low, droning groans. Something else was here. They couldn’t see it, couldn’t predict when it would arrive. But the two heard it terrifyingly clear—that which skulked in the gloom.

  Iggy tapped Astra’s shoulder, and then gestured to her rocket launcher. “It’s still not too late, Astra. Let me press the button.”

  “I think we’re still okay, so not yet. Not unless it gets close.”

  “How close are we talking here? Until that thing’s claws or fangs or whatever it has jumps at us?”

  Truthfully, Astra didn’t know himself. But still he gathered what courage he could and stepped boldly forth, ahead of Iggy, so that even if he were to be taken down she could at least have time to escape.

  The boy collected himself, calmed his pounding heart, and then confronted the source of the sound.

  There before him, a tall, lanky, and pale man slowly entered into view. His face was covered in a sharp metal box, and frayed robes like that of a prison warden stretched across his chest. But what was most frightening about the pale man was the gigantic cleaver held in his gnarly hands. Something dripped from the blade. It looked like blood.

  “Astra, the button. LET ME PRESS THE BUTTON!” Iggy yelled.

  The warden did not react to her voice. He shuffled forward, chains rattling from the cuff on his neck. He was at least triple Astra’s height. All it would take was one swing for the boy to be cut down mercilessly.

  Even so, even whilst his body trembled down to his little toes, Astra bravely approached the pale man and greeted him like he would any other.

  “Nice to meet you, sir,” he said. “Would it be okay if you could let us pass? And if you had a key on your person, we would very much appreciate buying it. I don’t have much on me right now, but maybe you’d like my cloak? My mom tailored it herself. It’s very precious to me, but it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to give up something of yours without a gift, so if you like it then you’re more than welcome to trade.”

  The warden did not speak, nor did he raise his weapon. Instead, he loomed ominously over Astra, waiting to see how he would react.

  Once a few moments passed, and Astra hadn’t run away, it reached into its robes before pulling out a keychain.

  “How… many…?” the pale man rasped.

  Astra nearly fell on his butt out of surprise, but thankfully he managed to catch himself at the last moment. “Two! Two keys if you don’t mind.”

  As requested, the warden ripped out two keys and placed them on Astra’s palm. Then it continued its march, heading toward wherever required its lone vigil.

  “Be good now, children,” he said in a haunting farewell. “Do not be violent… or else prisoners… you shall become.”

  With that, the pale man left, leaving a baffled Iggy to stare incredulous at the keys in Astra’s hold.

  “That worked?” she said. “That actually worked! Dang, well I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t listen to me.”

  Astra laughed, though admittedly it was a weak one since the ordeal had left him weak in the legs. Still he was glad that everything worked out in the end. As if right on cue, a door also manifested onto the nearby wall, its keyhole glimmering in a faint light. Right to its side was also another door, only this one had two keyholes located on opposite sides—likely an option for if the two friends wished to go together. Of course, they chose that one.

  Astra and Iggy raised their keys and then inserted them. The door crumbled away, revealing a wrinkle inside which warped the surrounding space.

  With a triumphant step (or roll) forward, the pair was swept away by the wrinkle and then teleported across space. When they opened their eyes, Astra and Iggy were back in the stadium, only this time there were no obstacles or traps or dangerous terrain to avoid. Instead there was just a long flat stretch, and a finish line.

  Other applicants were already making their way there, running as fast as they could to enter within the top ten.

  “Look at those kids go!” Mister Mob the emcee shouted amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd. “They’ve dodged the traps of the Ruins of Lockjaw, braved the fiery rage and lava of Mount Pariah, and even escaped the wacky wondrous rooms of Aravinci the Enchanted Castle! Can you hear it, contestants? The SCREAMS, the APPLAUSE! Run like the wind! HURRY! Those top ten spots are about to be filled here and now!”

  Astra and Iggy were far behind the other children. At this rate, entering amongst the top ten was all but impossible, and that meant the boy would also lose his chance of getting a full scholarship.

  Even so, Astra warmed up his legs and prepared to take off. Even if he couldn’t make it in time, he didn’t want to give up now, to return to his parents and tell them that he didn’t try his best all the way to the end. That an ordinary farmkid like him even reached this point was a miracle in itself. Right now, he just wished to finish the obstacle course fully satisfied in how he had done.

  Before he could leave though, Iggy grabbed his waist and then plopped him atop her knees.

  “What’re you doing?” she said with a mischievous smirk.

  “Um, running?” he replied, confused.

  “That boring stuff? Nah, if you do that we’ll never make it in time. Let me take the wheel. Trust me… you should probably hold on tight.”

  The moment she finished speaking, Iggy smacked another button—this one on the side of her seat—and small thrusters kind of like the ones Astra had seen on the rocketship before appeared on the wheelchair’s back. The boy hardly had time to prepare himself before the two were propelled forward in an explosive launch. The wind smacked against Astra’s face. The world around him devolved into a blur, and soon the wheels had even lifted off from the ground, sending the pair spiraling through the air as the kids below stared up in awe.

  “FIFTH PLACE! SIXTH PLACE! SEVENTH! Folks, we’re nearly at the grand finish—sorry to those kids lagging behind—and in just a few minutes the rankings will be all… all… what in the Stars’ name is THAT?” Mob exclaimed. “You seeing what I’m seeing, folks!? Two kids are BLASTING their way to the finish line! I’ve never seen such a reckless gamble in my life, but it’s working! IT’S WORKING!”

  Astra could barely hear what Mob was saying anymore. The wheelchair’s flight couldn’t be controlled. It looped, swerved, and zigzagged in chaotic motions that left the poor boy dizzy! What was up, down, right or left—none of it could be discerned.

  At the end of their long, seemingly endless flight, the pair finally crashed down and skidded to a rubbery stop.

  Astra held his breath. He wobbled out of Iggy’s chair and promptly collapsed to his knees, before leaning over and falling flat onto his back.

  His fuzzy vision began to refocus. His hearing, ever slowly, returned to normal. And when Astra had fully recovered, a thunderous bellow erupted from the audience, their claps and cheers shaking the boy to his very core.

  He had done it, against all odds. Amidst all these powerful, wealthy, and noble children, a lone farmboy achieved this day what only ten could grasp.

  Astra was now a student at Excelsior Academy.

  “Ninth and tenth place was just swept up in an instant! Bravo, kids! BRAVO! All eyes were on you. A last ditch effort, an electric display that left the audience biting their nails! AND YOU SUCCEEDED! With that one supernova of a finale, the rankings have been finalized! CONGRATULATIONS!”