The Selection
Power access had finally been extended to a small part of her village, and everyone was taking full advantage of it.
For once, the community center was glowing.
The old building that doubled as the village library was lit from the inside, warm yellow light spilling through the dusty windows and illuminating the darkness outside.
It almost felt like the old days.
Almost.
Ria gathered with the others from her village in a small room that served as a meeting place whenever there were televised announcements.
Tonight, it was packed full of families.
Children sat on their parents’ laps.
Couples squeezed into chairs beside one another.
Neighbors stood along the walls because there weren’t enough seats.
Everyone was here.
Everyone was waiting.
But Ria sat in a chair by herself.
Her back was straight, her long brown hair cascading down her back.
She ran her hands slowly over her skirt, smoothing out wrinkles that weren’t even there.
Her nerves were getting the better of her.
Her eyes drifted around the dingy old room.
She spotted Penelope sitting excitedly with her family.
Ria smiled faintly.
How she missed her Ba.
She wished he were here.
He would have been proud of her.
A beat-up, outdated projector hung from the ceiling.
The image on the wall showed their country’s symbol beside the beast’s crest, both displayed proudly as though they represented some beautiful partnership between two worlds.
Everyone waited anxiously for the screen to light up.
Some of the people in the room knew exactly what this was.
A show of peace.
Proof that the treaty was working as intended.
Proof that humans and beasts were living together peacefully.
In reality…
It was a carefully wrapped lie designed to maintain control.
Most people didn’t believe the government’s story anyway.
It wasn’t like they announced every person who died at Yueying.
They didn’t.
Most families were paid off for their silence.
Mortals were creatures of greed, after all.
Give someone enough money and most people would convince themselves they could live with almost anything.
But the ones who refused?
They were silenced by their own government.
A fire.
An accident.
A tragic mistake.
There was always a story.
There had to be.
It was also how they disposed of the bodies of the students who died at Yueying.
This was a secret only a select few knew.
And the ones who did know…
They kept their mouths shut.
They accepted the payout.
Or the government offered them a job.
Either way, they learned quickly that silence was worth more than the truth.
Finally, the screen came to life, brightening the dimly lit room.
The logos of both the beasts and humans appeared side by side.
Everyone immediately quieted.
Two people appeared in front of the camera.
A man and a woman.
Both smiling brightly.
Both looking far too cheerful for the importance of the announcement they were about to make.
“Hello, Tosh and Turner here with you tonight, and we hope everyone is having a good night.
We thank you for tuning into this special broadcast.”
“Yes, thank you, Tosh, for that introduction.
I hope all you viewers are as excited as we are for the release of the names of The Selected!
Are you as excited as me, Turner?”
“Oh, Tosh, I might be even more excited.
Now, let’s not keep the audience waiting!”
The names began appearing one after another.
Each name was followed by a short biography before they moved on to the next.
Ria sat completely still.
Her heart pounded harder with every name.
She listened carefully.
No one from her town had been named yet.
There were only five names left.
Penelope was practically bouncing out of her seat.
Her mother kept nagging her to behave.
“Penelope, sit still.”
“I am sitting still!”
“You are bouncing.”
“I’m excited!”
Ria couldn’t help it.
She giggled.
Someone nearby immediately shushed them.
Ria covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile.
Moments later…
Only two names remained.
Her heart began beating so hard she could feel it in her chest.
One more name was announced.
Then the screen changed.
The room went completely silent. Get faster updates on g.com.
“Euphoria Sima.”
Ria froze.
For a moment, she didn’t understand what she was hearing.
Then slowly…
Everyone turned their heads toward her.
One by one.
Dozens of eyes landed on her.
Envy.
Shock.
Sadness.
And something else.
Something she couldn’t quite place.
Something somewhere between anger and fear.
Ria’s mouth fell open.
Her heart stopped.
I’ve been selected.
Her thoughts screamed.
That’s me on the screen!
“Tosh, I would say that’s a unique name, wouldn’t you?”
“Turner, I agree.
Let’s pull up her profile and meet her.”
A picture suddenly appeared on the screen.
Alongside it was a small fact sheet.
It was her.
It was actually her.
Her photograph.
Her name.
Her information.
Her life…
Displayed for everyone to see.
Ria stared at the screen in disbelief.
She’d done it.
She’d actually done it.
She’d been Selected.
“She’s a real looker, this girl,” Turner said, his eyes lingering on her photograph.
“And how unusual her face and eyes are…
truly enchanting.”
The way he said it made Ria uncomfortable.
Judging by the look on Tosh’s face, she thought the exact same thing.
But the people watching from home weren’t the only ones who noticed something unusual about Euphoria.
The beasts watching the broadcast noticed too.
Her face looked strangely familiar.
Like she belonged to one of their clans.
Yet the government claimed she was mortal.
That didn’t make sense.
Some were suspicious.
Others were intrigued.
And one particular beast was very interested.
A sly fox.
A prince.
Aries.
The moment her face appeared on the screen, something inside him shifted.
Those eyes.
That smile.
That face.
He leaned closer to the screen.
A slow, wicked smile spread across his face.
This one was going to be fun.
She would be his target this year.
He would turn her into his lover.
Without a doubt.
That mortal woman would belong to him.
He had to have something that beautiful.
His mind immediately began filling with images of them together.
Walking through the halls of Yueying.
Making out in empty corridors.
Sneaking around when they weren’t supposed to.
Their fun would be endless.
Aries had already decided.
He needed to leave for school early.
Get settled in.
And start planning his game.
Prince Aries never shot his shot and missed.
He wasn’t about to start with a mortal girl.
He stood from his chair and began packing.
He was leaving immediately.
There was no point in waiting.
The sooner he got to school, the sooner he could get away from the whores his father kept around.
Evil seductresses who would love nothing more than a chance to sleep with both father and son.
Some foxes knew no shame.
And if they were with his father, they were desperately trying to get close to him.
The king of the fox beasts knew as little shame as the sluts he kept around.
Aries hated his father.
He hated the women.
He hated the entire situation.
So this new game he was about to play couldn’t start soon enough.
Back in the village, Euphoria was still trying to process what had happened.
She couldn’t believe it.
This was it.
People began walking toward her, congratulating her.
“Congratulations!”
“Oh my Gods, Ria!”
“You actually got in!”
“I can’t believe it!”
“You’ll have to tell us everything!”
She was overwhelmed by the sudden attention.
People surrounded her.
It wasn’t that people avoided her before.
They just didn’t go out of their way for her.
Only her friends did.
Or the people who had known her when she was little and had been close to her Ba.
Now…
Everyone suddenly cared.
Everyone suddenly wanted to talk to her.
Ria smiled politely, still struggling to believe this was real.
Then the doors to the community center opened.
Two men walked inside.
The room slowly quieted again.
Both men were dressed like they didn’t belong.
One wore a perfectly fitted black suit and tie.
He looked like he could have been some kind of secret service agent.
The other was dressed more regally.
His clothes looked as though they belonged to another time entirely.
Yet somehow…
He managed to make them look perfectly appropriate in this century.
They suited him.
He was handsome.
Very handsome.
His jaw was square with a strong chin that he kept raised proudly.
His eyes were dark and piercing.
The angles of his face were sharp, almost severe, like he’d never smiled a day in his life.
His gaze swept across the room.
Then landed on her.
“Euphoria Ri-chan?”
The man dressed more regally spoke her name.
Ria stepped forward cautiously.
“Yes?
I’m Euphoria.”
“Come with us.”
Those were the only words he offered.
No explanation.
No congratulations.
Nothing.
Ria blinked.
“I don’t understand.”
“Come.
With.
Us.”
The second time, he emphasized every word.
Ria looked around the room.
Everyone had backed away.
They were staring at her nervously.
No one said anything.
Her stomach tightened.
She took a deep breath.
“Fine…
but at least tell me where I’m going and who you are?”
“You have been Selected.
We are here to escort you to the border.”
“The border?”
Penelope spoke before her mother could stop her.
“Yes, Miss.
We are on a tight schedule.
I won’t ask again.”
His tone was aggressive.
Almost as if she’d personally offended him by asking a simple question.
Ria frowned.
They were being so forceful.
So demanding.
It didn’t seem right.
Shouldn’t she be treated with more kindness?
Wasn’t The Selection supposed to be a blessing?
Wasn’t this supposed to be something people dreamed about?
So why were they treating her like a criminal?
Like someone…
Who might run?
Her stomach twisted.
Why would anyone want to run?
She looked around the room one last time.
Penelope stared back at her.
Her mother had a hand over her daughter’s mouth, trying to keep her from saying anything else.
Ria swallowed.
“Okay.”
And just like that…
She left with them.
She had no idea where they were taking her.
No idea what waited beyond the border.
No idea that the moment she stepped through those doors, her old life was already over.
🌸This chapter has an image in the Pictures Auxiliary chapter🌸