All Chapters of Love In A Deadly Game : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

A familiar voice growled “Why do I keep finding you like this?” Lena’s entire body froze. Then another creature flew sideways. Its small twisted body smashed into the maze wall with a wet crack. Riven stood between her and the monsters. Breathing hard covered in blood. His dark shirt was soaked through near his side where fake Riven had stabbed him earlier. One hand pressed against the wound. The other held his blade. His cold eyes locked onto the creatures crawling toward them. Deadly. Furious. Lena’s throat tightened painfully. “You came back…” Riven didn’t look at her. “I made a terrible decision.” Another creature lunged. He caught it mid air and slammed it into the floor hard enough to break its spine. Black liquid splashed across the walls. The others hissed violently. Their eyeless faces twisted toward him. Lena stared. “You should be dead.” “That was apparently the plan.” He sliced another creature apart. Then finally looked at her. And immediately n

Riven’s grip tightened around Lena’s arm not enough to hurt her to keep her from falling The collapsing floor groaned beneath him. Cracks spread violently under his boots. Dust poured into the darkness below. Lena dangled over the endless drop, her injured ankle screaming with pain while black-eyed creatures shrieked around them like starving animals. And Riven— Riven looked one second away from breaking. “RIVEN!” Jax shouted again. “LET HER GO OR YOU’RE BOTH DEAD!” Riven ignored him completely. His dark eyes never left Lena’s face. “Use your other hand,” he ordered sharply. Lena tried. Pain ripped through her shoulder instantly. She gasped hard. “I can’t—” Another section of concrete snapped beneath Riven’s feet. Kai’s voice echoed from below. “THAT SOUNDS VERY BAD UP THERE!” Noah looked like he was spiritually collapsing. “Oh my God oh my God oh my God—” Mira’s voice cut through the panic immediately. “Move now or the entire platform falls.” Elara crouched n

Mira met her eyes calmly.Lena realized Mira had separated her from Riven on purpose.The understanding hit, hard not loud like ice sliding slowly beneath her skin.Behind the iron barrier, Riven slammed his fist against the metal again.The entire tunnel shook violently.“MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR!”His voice echoed through the narrow corridor like a threat.Not just angry.Dangerous.Tess flinched immediately on the other side.Noah looked pale beside Lena.“I think he’s going to kill the wall.”“He might,” Elara whispered.Mira finally released Lena’s arm.Smoothly.Like nothing strange had happened.Like this was survival.Nothing more.The tunnel lights flickered red overhead.Water dripped steadily from rusted pipes.And somewhere deeper inside the darknessomething scratched against metal.Slow.Patient.Listening.Riven hit the barrier again.Hard enough to bend part of the steel inward.Kai stared at him.“…That feels medically concerning.”“Riven,” Jax snapped sharply. “Stop.”

The chain hadn't broken on its own, someone had done it. Lena's fingers slipped against the edge pain shot through her ribs, the darkness beneath her seemed alive. Hundreds of breaths, something moved below. Waiting. Hungry. "LENA!" Riven's voice ripped through the tunnel. The platform separating them groaned as he slammed into it. Hard. "Riven, stop!" Elara shouted. He ignored her. Lena tried pulling herself up. Her injured ankle screamed. Her hands slipped. For one terrible second, her body dropped lower. A scream escaped her throat. Riven's face changed instantly. Not anger. Fear. Leña was terrified Kai dropped to one knee near the edge. "Grab my hand!" "I'm trying!" "Noah!" "I'm here!" The lean scout dropped beside Kai immediately. His face was pale. His hands were shaking. But he still reached for her. "Come on, Lena." "You can do it." The platform shifted again. The darkness below breathed louder. A long pale arm suddenly emerged from beneath th

The giant creature lunged.Straight for the group holding the final Heart Core.Lena screamed. "RIVEN, GO!"He didn't move. Not toward the Core. Not away from her."GO!" Her voice cracked down the middle. "They need you—the Core—GO!"His jaw locked. Eyes on her. Only her."No."Just that. Flat. Like he'd made the decision a long time before the choice ever showed up in front of him."Riven—the mission—" Mira, sharp, disbelieving, somewhere off to the side."I said no."The corridor shook. A pipe burst overhead, steam pouring out, swallowing half the group in white. Through it, Kai's voice rose, strained thin."A little help would be nice over here!"Riven turned.The creature had reached the others—Kai and Jax, shoulder to shoulder, an alliance neither of them would ever admit to wanting out loud. Jax's blade dragged a gash down its forearm. Kai threw his weight into its knee, trying to buckle it.It didn't even flinch."It's not slowing down!" Jax shouted."Yeah, noticed that, thanks