Slammed into the wall, a man wrapped in bandages slumped motionless, while a burly, bearded swordsman stood above him—his blade looking rather small in his massive hands.
The announcer's voice rang out as he stepped into the arena
"And that ends this duel!"
"The winner is Adri Masma!"
"Masu didn't stand a chance—Adri didn't even break a sweat!"
The crowd rose to their feet in unison, erupting into cheers and praise for Adri. He faced the audience, arms extended sideways, basking in the glory he believed he rightly deserved.
His expression said it all: a wide grin stretched from ear to ear, eyes closed, eyebrows raised in delight—pure pride radiated from him.
"That concludes the match! Now we take a short break before the grand battle between our top students!"
"Nyx Lockheart and Aria Lockheart!"
"Family versus family—who will win? Who will triumph over whom? You'll find out in ten minutes!"
"Take this chance to refresh yourselves, visit the food stalls, or ready your voices for the next match!"
With a single swipe of his thumb, Adri wiped his runny nose, his smile still shining brightly for the crowd. Then, turning to his right, he bowed and strode out of the arena—while the crowd began to disperse for the break.
Meanwhile, elsewhere within the coliseum...
In a hallway, the announcer walked along a red carpet, accompanied by marble pillars and stony walls covered in curtains.
Each step made a loud, echoing sound, bouncing off the walls as he walked for a long while toward the doors at the end of the corridor.
Step. Step. Step.
Stopping in front of the door, he reached for the handle and opened it.
He swung the doors open and walked inside, calling out:
"Aria Lockheart! Nyx Lockheart! It's your turn!"
"Stand up, get ready, and come to the arena this moment."
"Fast."
He slammed the door shut as he finished.
Aria scoffed, thinking to herself, "What a jerk"
Nyx stood up. Aria sighed, then stood up after him and walked toward him.
She said, "Perfect matchmaking."
"Indeed it is," Nyx replied.
Aria looked at Nyx, and a gentle smile appeared on her face as she opened the door to the corridor.
"Luna never saw me fight, did she?"
"Nope."
She looked down with a soft smile, a glimmer sparking in her eyes. Then, with a blink, she looked up and exclaimed
"Then that'll be a good opportunity for me to show off."
Proudly, she slammed her hand onto her chest. Her smile intensified, a light blush appeared on her face, and a glimmer shone in her eyes.
Walking down the corridor, their voices echoed from above:
"I'll defeat you in front of her, and she'll come running to me, praising me lots!"
"Ha, you wish," Nyx scoffed.
"I promise you, it'll be me that she'll praise and do all those things."
"You're not that strong to defeat me," he chuckled.
A hamster scurried across the carpet, glancing at Aria and Nyx as they talked.
"I trained lots!" Aria puffed her cheeks as she glared at Nyx.
"I did too—I tripled my practice time since earlier," Nyx replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"There's no way I am losing to you," she said, just as they passed the hamster, who continued to watch them from behind.
"You just wait and see! I'll triumph over you!" Aria declared with resolve.
The hamster, losing interest, ran off behind a pillar.
A few days earlier
A man ran through the underground alleys—drenched in rain, a coat clinging to him. Beneath his hood, a silver-chained monocle glinted faintly, and a worn dagger lay hidden within his cloak.
It was none other than Aellion Masuvi, Captain of the Empire's Special Affairs Department.
"HEY, YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
A guard covered in black armor thundered after him, each step landing with a metallic THUMP.
"YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RUN! GIVE UP!" another shouted.
The tunnel reeked of mold and rot, its stone walls slick with moss and tangled in rusted mesh. Rats scattered at his footsteps, their claws scratching over damp stone.
Aellion pushed himself harder, every ounce of strength funneled into his legs. He ran—desperate, breath ragged.
He couldn't be caught. Capture would mean a massive setback for his department.
"You wish, Black Dogs!" he scoffed, glancing back.
Then his eyes snapped forward—and he flinched.
"Fuc—"
He barely stopped himself from slamming into a wall. Skidding, he twisted left and jolted forward.
"What the hell was that?" he thought. "Where did the passage go?"
"No time—how do I get rid of them?"
"GIVE UP, YOU SCUM!" the two guards bellowed in unison as they rounded the corner behind him.
"Shit, shit, shit," he cursed internally, his mind racing for a plan.
"Huh?"
His eyes widened. In a small recess in the wall, a cloaked figure sat calmly. A woman—fox-like in appearance, with white hair draped out her hood and a fluffy tail curled beneath her.
He shouted, "Hey!"
She jolted at his voice, glancing up mid-bite. She was chewing on a loaf of bread.
"Will you help me with them?" he asked, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder at the approaching guards.
"Alright," she murmured through the bread, barely lifting her gaze.
As he passed her, their eyes met—hers, unblinking and cold.
His breath hitched. A tremor ran down his spine, as if something old and wrong had just brushed against his soul.
Sensing that chill, he jolted forward.
Only one sound followed him—a sharp voice, echoing faintly behind him:
"Are you human?"
He ran.
And after that—
Silence.
He hesitated. His feet slowed. Then he stopped, reluctantly, and glanced back.
Nothing.
No guards.
No girl.
No sound.
Gone—completely, utterly gone.
"What...?" he murmured.
He shook off the thought and picked up the pace again, sweat slick on his brow, racing through the halls.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. I need to report this immediately."
Scarred for life, only the sound of his footsteps accompanied him now—dripping water echoing from the ceiling to the floor, a slow rhythm of dread.