My head turned toward the sound.
Step.
It wasn't unusual for a guard to patrol the corridor.
What was strange—
Was the feeling crawling beneath my skin.
Something bad was about to happen.
The last time I felt something similar was when Lisa and I headed home from the party on the day of the crash.
And I had ignored it.
Fear crept up my spine as the memory resurfaced—
But it shattered the moment I saw who followed behind the guard.
Number 31.
The bad feeling intensified instantly.
The mana lines I had been maintaining broke apart as my focus snapped.
Step.
The guard entered the cell with 31 following close behind him.
He halted near the table, his eyes scanning the room before settling on me.
Step.
He moved closer.
Even as I sat on the upper bunk, he towered over me. The long horns protruding from his forehead made him even more imposing.
His mouth opened slightly as he spoke, revealing sharp canines.
"Is it him?"
I flinched at his words, heart racing.
31 answered the guard as he looked straight at me.
"Yes. I saw him hiding it under his bed."
That was all I needed to hear.
The fear and panic vanished.
And anger replaced it.
'This bastard...'
He had told them about the broken piece.
I didn't know how he had seen where I hid it.
It didn't even matter.
What mattered was that he betrayed me.
"Get down and step aside."
The guard's commanding tone made me flinch for a moment before I obeyed, climbing down and moving away from the bed.
The anger drained as quickly as it had come.
And fear returned.
The guard stepped closer and started to search through the bed.
It didn't take long before he found it.
His hand slid beneath the mattress and pulled the broken piece of metal out.
He examined it briefly, then glanced at 31.
"You were right. As promised, you won't have to fight today."
A day of rest.
That was what he received for selling me out.
The guard turned back toward me, voice cold.
"You will be punished for hiding a weapon."
Fear and anger spread at the same time.
Anger at the bastard who had betrayed me and fear of the punishment I would receive.
My lips parted as I spoke.
"It isn't—"
"Shut it. You will come with me."
His large hand clamped around my arm and yanked me forward before I could finish my sentence.
I wasn't allowed to speak.
He just dragged me out of the cell.
I glanced back once as we entered the corridor.
31 stood there.
Smiling.
As if he hadn't just sold me out.
The stone walls hid him from my view as the guard pulled me forward.
'I should have killed him...'
The thought settled heavily.
If I had killed him in the arena.
If I had killed him after he saw me grinding the metal—
This wouldn't be happening.
I was angry at him.
And at myself.
Why did I even hesitate?
That son of a bitch sold me out for a single day of rest.
He must have run to the first guard he saw.
I had spared his life in the arena.
And this was his gratitude?
That bastard.
And I was feeling bad for thinking about killing him?
'I hope he—'
My thoughts broke as the guard shoved me forward.
Thud.
I stumbled and bumped into a wall.
Click.
The guard opened a wooden door to my right before gripping my arm again, dragging me inside.
He pushed me forward.
Thud.
I fell and barely stopped my head from slamming onto the floor as I reached out with my hands.
Click.
The door closed behind me.
Slowly, I pushed myself off the ground while I looked around.
It seemed to be the guards' resting room.
A large table stood in the center, surrounded by chairs. Cards were scattered across it, glasses and half-empty bottles lay in between.
At the far end of the room were extra doors leading somewhere unknown.
At the table sat three other guards, playing cards and drinking.
All were dragonkins.
They stopped their game and turned toward me, staring.
I didn't know why, but I straightened at once.
The air felt heavy.
A questioning look appeared on their faces as they looked me up and down. But before anyone could ask, the guard behind me stepped forward.
He placed one hand on my shoulder while speaking.
"I received a tip from another slave and see what I had found under his bed."
His hand tightened painfully around my shoulder as he lifted the broken piece.
"A broken part of a sword. I don't know if he thought he could fight us with it or not, but you should handle it, boss."
I waited for him to finish before speaking up, attempting to clear the misunderstanding about attacking them.
"It was—"
Thud.
One of the guards slammed his palm onto the table and stood up, interrupting me.
"Give it to me."
The broken piece changed hands, and he examined it carefully before placing it on the table beside the cards.
Silence settled as he stared at the piece of metal, his thoughts unknown.
Then, without even glancing at me, he turned toward one of the seated guards.
"Go and tell the cleaners to do their job properly. I don't want to hear about another piece being left behind."
The guard stood up at once, "Yes, boss," and left the room.
Then again, without looking at me, the boss turned back to the guard holding me.
"When do the fights start?"
The guard thought for a moment before answering.
"The opening bouts should be starting now."
The boss nodded slowly at his answer and finally shifted his gaze to me, red eyes staring down at me.
A small smile formed across his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Good, let's bring him out and make an example."
His words struck like a hammer, making me flinch.
I thought about another lie.
Another excuse.
Something to shift the blame away.
But—
I wasn't given any time.
The guard behind me grabbed my right arm while another stood up and seized my left.
Before I could react, I was turned and dragged out of the room.
My feet scraped across the stone floor.
I tried to resist, to plant my feet on the floor, but it was useless.
Their grip around my arms was tight, and their strength overwhelming.
Instead of resisting—
"I did—"
I tried to speak.
Bam.
But something hard struck the back of my head, making me slump forward.
Pain exploded in my skull as if a car had slammed into me.
A voice followed, breaking through the ringing in my ears.
"Shut up," the boss said coldly. "Before I cut out your tongue, slave."
Fear took over, and my mouth shut on its own, not daring to let out another sound.
The corridor felt longer than ever, but we soon reached the hall.
They stopped in front of the metal gate.
The boss muttered something behind me, but no one answered, as if he was speaking to himself.
We waited there silently.
Then—
Thud.
The gate opened.
Screech.
Metal scratched against stone.
Blinding light flooded my vision, and my eyes closed.
They dragged me forward into the darkness.
Beneath my feet, stone turned into sand.
When my sight returned, we were already near the center of the arena.
The guards holding my arms stopped upon reaching the center.
My eyes drifted through the arena in search of any clue of what would happen next.
My heart pounded violently, slamming against my chest.
The crowd filled the stands, roaring at our arrival.
Only one thought remained.
What was the punishment?
What would they do to me?
I couldn't see much as my head was facing the gate opposite the one we entered.
Then—
THUD.
Something heavy fell into the sand beside me.
I twisted my head to look.
It was a large, vertical stone.
As tall as my shoulder.
As wide as a grown man.
Two guards stood beside it, adjusting its angle. Chains gripped firmly in their hands.
Before I could process what was happening, I was moved.
The two guards holding my arms turned me and dragged me toward the stone.
Thud.
They threw me, pressing my chest against the cold stone.
One hand was placed at the back of my head and pushed me forward, while the other guards pulled my arms around the stone.
A guard stood behind the stone and started to wrap a chain around my wrists, binding them together.
At last, he used the sheath of his sword to hammer a metal spike in between the chain and into the stone, locking me in that position.
Then, as their hands left me, making me think it was over.
Rough hands grabbed my shirt—
Skrrch.
—and tore it apart.
Cold air brushed against my back.
Step.
Footsteps echoed as the guards walked away.
Soon—
Silence settled.
Only the faint murmurs of the crowd remained.
Until—
A voice echoed across the arena.
"My dear guests!"