I awoke from my sleep. My eyelids still felt heavy and groggy.
However, soon that feeling was overtaken by another. I felt adrenaline pumping through my veins. Sweat cascaded down my forehead. My lungs felt compressed, I was struggling to catch my breath. My mind was overwhelmed with confusion. It was then replaced with the need to survive. To...win?
I looked around and I realised where I was. The floor was covered in sand. The circular arena was painted in all black with gold and gun-metal pillars. The walls were high, we were locked in. I looked up and to my left and noticed a balcony. I figure I could not discern was looking in my direction. Was he watching? Who was he? My mind was in no position to reason and recollect. What is happening? Why do I feel like I'm fighting for my life? I continued my gaze skyward.
The top of the arena was made entirely of glass. The only barrier between me and the blazing sun was the glass and a spiderweb-like frame. The sun? Something was amiss. When the red sun of Nox rises, the sky is usually orange or purple. Now, the sky was a piercing shade of light blue, a shade so bright my retinas felt like burning.
I avoided gazing at the sun, looking instead at myself. I was covered in cuts and bruises. I was wearing light armor and a yellow tunic underneath. My legs were grazed and covered in cuts. I realised that I felt extremely weak. I was kneeling on the ground, supporting myself with... a staff? My right hand gripped a long wooden staff with metal wrapped around the midsection and ends. I traced my gaze towards my right hand. Shock paralyzed my senses.
My right hand was much scrawnier than before. It was still prosthetic. However, it was unpainted, smaller, it felt much clunkier and bulkier. There were some components and wires exposed. It did not feel the same.
"Hunter! Look Out !" A young adolescent voice called my name. It was high-pitched but still belonging to a male. My head jolted ahead and I saw a tall man in full armor rushing toward me with a similar wooden staff in hand. My prior shock intensified. I was rooted and the man rushing toward me was relentless. I could not react.p
Before I even had the thought of contemplating death, a loud thud could be heard as the aggressor staggered back, clutching his stomach. I looked up to see an adolescent, looking down on me. I could not discern his facial features or who he was. Only that he had black hair and was smiling at me. Simply his smile was mesmerising, it brought a smile to my own lips. He was also holding a staff similar to mine. I guess he was my teammate in this fight.
Ever sensitive, I heard a loud thumping from behind us. Finally returning to my sense, I rose to my feet, turn tailing to look at another enemy rushing toward us. I readjusted my grip on my weapon, flourishing and brandishing it. The enemy slowed his pace, clearly intimidated for a split second, but he did not back down.
A smirk was drawn across my face. I ran to meet him. The enemy raised his weapon above his head, when I was in range, he brought it down in an overbearing overhead strike. Unfazed, I gave the slightest side step, causing the attack to miss my head and instead go unto my shoulder. Anticipating this, I positioned my staff above my shoulders, catching the strike and stopping it with the strength of my arms and shoulders.
I thrust upwards, clearly staggering the enemy with my strength from my small frame. Readjusting my grip, I leapt into the enemy's space, striking both his sides with the ends of my spear, finishing with an upward strike that further staggered him.
"Nhuh!" I grunting noise came from behind me, followed by the sound of wood falling on the sand. I turned behind to see my partner clutching his stomach, clearly, fatigue was starting to take its toll. With newfound urgency, I knew this had to end this skirmish quickly.
I reengaged my opponent, unleashing a barrage of swift hits with the side of my staff. The enemy could not keep up, every attempt to block was diverted by a change in the direction of attack. After just 4 strikes to his abdomen, he was starting to lose his balance and composure. Seeing a window, I gripped the end of my staff, pulling back and winding up a wide swing. I aimed for his head and was met with a clanking sound and a loud thud. He was now unconscious.
I returned my attention to that last remaining enemy. He was about to finish my partner. However, something within me felt great compassion for this boy in front of me, I could not allow him to be hurt. I rushed forward, prodding my staff forward in a poking motion and stabbing the abdomen of the attacker. I followed with a swift flying kick in the exact same spot and it pushed him to the ground.
The boy looked up at me, first with gratitude, then with conviction. I saw it in his eyes, it was as if we could communicate telepathically. He was calling for a plan. Despite not knowing this boy, I knew his intentions and his plan. I nodded.
The enemy was regaining his composure and rising to his feet. The boy, still on his knees, cupped his hands for me to step on them. I inhaled and breathed out a hot breath, anticipation, and anxiety flowing through my veins. With a running start, I ran straight into his hands. Simultaneously, he brought his hands up. I experienced a giddy feeling. Flipping through the air, adrenaline pumping, euphoria building. All the while, the momentum I built for my attack spiking ever higher. In one swift motion, the flip gave me enough momentum in my weapon, bringing it down on my opponent. The shock denied any reaction, he simply watched in awe.
*CLANK* *THUD*
The next thing I knew, my enemy fell face-first into the sand. Unmoving. Adrenaline was still rushing through my veins, looking around frantically, looking for whoever else dared to challenge me. I surveyed the arena. I only now realised the bodies that were scattered around the battleground. All laying, motionless, armor dented. There were at least 20 of them. All brought down by our collective efforts.
A hand reached out to me, and I accepted gratefully. I gripped onto my partners' forearm as he gripped onto mine, pulling me to my feet. We smiled at each other, then turned our gaze to the balcony that loomed over us, and the figure that eyed us like a vulture.
Like a fever dream, the surrounding around us morphed and twisted. The figure we gazed at started walking back into the cover of darkness. The black of the arena seeped into the sky, polluting it. The bright blue sky is being replaced with the void of night. The sunset rapidly, with the moon taking its place in the sky.
The arena grew in height as the glass was replaced by darkness. The darkness that surrounded me twisted further, forming stairs to the balcony, and the darkness of the hallway twisted into a grand throne with the moon above it. The warmth and heat of battle were replaced by the frigidness and the dead of night. Everything is...going back to how it should be.