Augustine led Anne down another hallway—narrow, dimly lit, and humming with muffled roars from below. The deeper they descended, the more the air thickened. The slick elegance of the casino faded behind them, replaced by the pulse of raw violence.
At the end of the passage was a steel door, dented and scarred. Two guards stood in front, faces expressionless. One of them opened the door wordlessly, and a blast of sound and heat hit them.
Anne flinched and clasped Augustine's arm tightly, her heart sinking.
The arena stretched out before her like something out of a nightmare. An iron cage sat at the center of a sunken pit, blood staining the floor beneath the mesh. Harsh lights buzzed above.
The crowd surrounded the ring—men in suits, women draped in luxury, all screaming and cheering with primal hunger. Some waved betting slips. Others held their breath, waiting for a knockout blow.
