After climbing the stairs, we reached another metal door which the guard opened.
Click.
He stepped into the corridor, and I followed shortly after.
Thud.
The door shut behind me.
Step.
Curious about the colosseum's upper floor, my gaze drifted around.
To my left was nothing but a stone wall where the corridor ended. When I looked to the right, I saw the guard already moving forward, so I followed him while observing my surroundings.
The right side of the corridor was a continuous wall stretching its entire length. On the left side were doors placed sparsely between corners and turns. Lightstones were embedded into the ceiling every few meters, casting a bright light across the stone floor.
The corridor stretched for dozens of meters before arching slightly and continuing onward. It seemed as if the entire structure of the colosseum had been built from many aligned circles.
Step.
The guard walked ahead at a slow pace, only occasionally glancing back to make sure I was following.
For a moment, my gaze lingered on his back before shifting to the left.
There, a metal door stood open.
As we passed, I turned my head and glanced inside, instinctively slowing my steps.
"Clean yourselves properly."
A stern voice echoed from within.
The room was a white chamber. Faucets lined the wall, water pouring steadily from them. Around the faucets stood a group of women.
They were naked, slowly washing their thin bodies. Soap and water ran across their pale skin while brushes were used to scrub themselves clean.
"You have to look presentable for the guests."
My attention lingered on them briefly before shifting toward the voice.
A woman dressed in plain clothing stood among them, giving orders. Her head snapped toward me when she noticed my gaze.
I quickly turned my head away and followed the guard.
For a moment, I expected her to shout after me, but when nothing happened, I quietly exhaled.
Step.
We passed another pair of doors before reaching one of the corners.
Looking left, I saw that the corridor split into a side passage that ended only a few meters later with another metal door. This door had a small barred window near the top where I could see through.
Rows of seats stretched beyond it.
The crowd stands.
Click.
My head turned forward at the sound of another door opening.
Two women stepped out of a room a few meters ahead of us.
They wore worn-out white dresses that reached their knees. In their hands were trays filled with cups and plates.
As we passed them, my gaze moved to the first woman's face.
That was when I noticed the metal collar.
Around her neck, partially hidden beneath her hair, was a small metal collar, on it engraved were white numbers and letters.
It didn't take me long to understand what it meant.
They were slaves.
Just like me.
Reduced to nothing more than a number.
We walked past them, but my head lingered a moment longer as I looked back. Soon, they vanished into another room, and I turned forward again.
Step.
The corridor seemed endless.
The guard continued walking at the same slow pace. We passed several more side corridors leading to arena entrances and rooms. Along the way, we encountered more women wearing the same white clothing and metal collars.
Click.
Another door opened ahead.
Step.
A human guard stepped out of it.
He glanced at the dragonkin escorting me and gave him a brief nod. Without even sparing me a glance, his attention shifted to a woman in a white dress walking past us.
The woman froze when he stepped in front of her, but that was all.
Curious, I watched what would happen next.
I wondered how the slaves here were treated compared to us.
Then—
The guard suddenly reached out and, with a swift move, pulled the upper part of her dress down. Her breasts were freed at once, bouncing in the air while the guard held her dress.
The woman didn't react in any way as the guard stared at her breasts and just stood there like a statue.
"I like them."
The guard spoke lazily before grabbing one of her breasts and squeezed it. His other hand moved around her waist, gripping her butt before pulling her toward the open room.
As we walked past, I caught one last glimpse of her face before the door closed.
Her eyes were empty.
Thud.
Tsk.
"Humans."
The dragonkin escorting me clicked his tongue while watching the scene, but he kept walking.
We continued a little farther before he finally stopped in front of another door.
But this door differed from the ones we passed before.
It was a wooden double door.
The wood looked old and had slightly darkened in several places.
Stepping closer, the guard knocked twice before taking a step back and waiting.
After a few seconds, a voice answered from inside.
"Bring him in."
The guard stepped forward at once and opened one of the doors, holding it open for me.
I hesitated for a brief moment before stepping inside.
Step.
But I stopped the instant I crossed the threshold.
The room was the reason.
It was large.
At least twice or thrice the size of our cells. But the interior was the biggest reason why I halted. It reminded me of the Ashspire estate.
While I took in the surroundings, a gust of wind brushed against my back as the door closed.
Click.
I glanced back for a moment before turning my attention forward again. But instead of the furniture, my focus settled on the man in the room.
Covered from head to toe.
A crimson suit clung tightly to his body, and a white mask covered his face. His gloved hands were busy sorting through documents scattered across the desk. He continued his work for a few moments before finally turning his head toward me.
The curved red line painted on his mask smiled at me.
John sat in a soft chair behind a large wooden desk. His elbows rested on the dark wood as his red eyes looked at me.
For a moment, my gaze drifted across the desk itself, noticing the intricate carvings along its edges, but I stopped a second later after feeling his stare again.
My body tensed slightly under his gaze, but I didn't look away and met his eyes without blinking.
He didn't speak and simply watched me.
And I remained silent because there was nothing I had to say.
For a moment, I considered my options.
If I were a little stronger, I could probably kill him right now. There were no guards inside the room. The one who brought me here must be waiting outside, but that wouldn't be a problem if I were fast enough.
But the thought vanished as quickly as it came.
Instead of landing a hit, I would probably only succeed in killing myself.
A few more moments passed.
John just stared at me as if he was examining me, and I held his gaze, not backing down.
Then—
"Number 29."
He finally spoke.
His tone was calm, almost indifferent.
"A special request has been made."
The way he spoke was so different from his theatrical voice in the arena that it just felt strange.
"A duel will be scheduled for you."
It was as if the man who entertained the crowd didn't exist here.
As if the John I knew was just an illusion, and nothing more than my imagination.
"Tomorrow. You will fight against the son of one of our supporters."
I pushed aside my thoughts about his personality and focused on his words.
A duel?
Supporters?
I kept my thoughts to myself and continued listening.
John glanced down at the documents on his desk.
"A dragonkin of a Highblood lineage. Their family is highly important to us."
The Highblood family?
The name sounded important, like a well-known family.
But I knew nothing about them.
John lifted his gaze again and stared directly at me.
"Understand that we will not tolerate mistakes."
He clasped his hands together and leaned forward.
"Entertain the crowd…"
A short pause.
"…and know your place."
I just stared at him blankly.
What did he mean?
My lips parted as I was about to ask, but John spoke again before I could.
"Bring him back."
He had already turned his eyes away from me and to the papers on his desk.
Click.
The wooden door behind me opened.
The same guard stood there, gesturing for me to come out.
"Slave."
I remained standing there for a brief moment longer and stared at John.
But it was pointless.
I wasn't going to receive any answers to my questions.
Step.
I turned and stepped through the open door and into the corridor.
Thud.
The guard closed the door behind me and walked ahead, leading the way back.
But this time I paid no attention to the rooms or the people we passed.
My mind was too occupied with John's words.
Know your place?