All Chapters of THE CULLING TRIAL: Chapter 91
- Chapter 94
94 chapters
CHAPTER 91 — THE HIDEOUT
The crossbow bolt hovered inches from my face, unwavering. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at that sharp metal point, waiting for the inevitable. Then the girl shoved the person holding the weapon, hard. He stumbled backward, the crossbow swinging away from my head. "Get off him, you idiot!" she snapped. "You're going to scare him away with your ugliness." A burst of laughter erupted from somewhere to my left. I twisted my head to see another figure doubled over, clutching their sides. "His face!" the laughing one wheezed between gasps. "Did you see his face?" I lay on the ground, confusion replacing fear. What was happening? The girl extended her hand toward me, her expression softening slightly. "Don't worry. They aren't who you think they are." I stared at her outstretched hand, my mind struggling to process the sudden shift from mortal danger to... whatever this was. "Katseye!" A voice called from deeper in the shelter. "Don't ruin the party before it even starts
Last Updated : 2025-12-07
CHAPTER 92 — THE CURFEW OPERATION
The shack felt like it was closing in on me. Every creak of the walls made my heart jump. Every groan of settling wood sounded like the whole structure was about to collapse and bury me alive. I sat on the edge of one of the salvaged seats, my hands gripping my knees, staring at the place. One strong wind, if wind even existed down here, and the whole thing would come down on top of me. A sharp ringing sound cut through my spiral of anxiety, making me freeze. It continues, slowly growing faint until silence fell again. That must've been the curfew. But yet, sleep didn't come. I needed to get out of here. Out of this shack, out of this underground city. But how? the toxic air at the surface would kill me if I tried. Even if I could somehow retrieve my suit, I had no idea how to navigate back to the surface. The tunnels twisted and branched in ways that made no sense. I'd be lost within minutes. And then there was the matter of what they'd do to me if I got caught. I had
Last Updated : 2025-12-07
CHAPTER 93 — THE JUDGEMENT
"Good work, citizen." One of the vigilantes clapped Riko on the shoulder, his voice warm with approval. "We've been searching for this one all night." Riko shifted his weight, his expression uncomfortable for a fleeting moment. Then he straightened, adopting a more confident posture. "I spotted him walking through the lower passages. Seemed suspicious, so I followed him. When I heard the announcement from your patrol, I knew I had to track him down." The vigilante who'd praised him tilted his head, studying Riko's face. Then he shook his head slowly. "You really think we'll fall for that bull-crap story?" Riko froze. His jaw tightened as panic flashed across his face. Then the vigilante's expression brightened, and he laughed. "We all know you did it for the reward." The tension in Riko's shoulders eased slightly. "You heard about the bounty and decided to cash in," the vigilante continued, leaning closer to Riko. His voice dropped to something more intimate, more dangerous.
Last Updated : 2025-12-08
CHAPTER 94 — INTO THE HIVE
The Council chamber felt colder than before. Or maybe that was just my imagination, my body responding to the pronouncement still echoing in my ears. Cleansing Rite. The high-one with that cold gaze, rose from his seat. The other Council members deferred to him immediately, a subtle shift in posture that told me everything about the hierarchy here. "The Cleansing Rite," he began, his voice carrying an authority that demanded silence, "is reserved for those whose presence poses... uncertainty." He descended from the platform, his robes trailing behind him. Each step was deliberate, measured. He stopped directly in front of me, close enough that I could see the lines etched around his eyes. "You will enter the Blackvein Hive," he continued. "Deep within its chambers lies a crystallized cocoon, the egg of the colony's next queen. You will retrieve it and return here within one cycle." "One cycle?" I asked. "Roughly twelve hours." His lips curved into something that wasn't quite
Last Updated : 2025-12-08