Zander stood in the middle of the arena surrounded by a circle of guards.
His shirt was torn open and bloody, his hands hung limply at his sides while he waited for the teacher to pick a new opponent.
The sun was beating down on them, sweat slid down Zander's back and face but he made no move to wipe it away.
The teacher, Master Red, who ironically, was bright red in the heat. his muscular form moved toward Zander, his fingers fingering the whip at his side.
Zander flinched, wondering if he'd done something wrong.
Master Red grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. "This one's a champ here. One more fight them we'll call it a day."
Zander's gaze slid over the soldiers but no one would meet his eyes.
"You, boy." Master Red boomed. "Come."
A boy around eighteen was shoved forward and he stumbled from the weight of his armor.
"Luca. Don't disappoint me." Master said before slipping back into the circle of guards.
Luca was small with no muscles to speak of, and he barely came up to Zander's collarbone. He looked up at him with pity.
They began circling each other and without warning Luca punched tackling him to the ground.
"Don't do it," Luca whispered. "You're better than them."
Zander flicked him off, pinning him. "You don't know the first thing about me."
"I do."
Zander reeled back in surprise and Luca clocked him with a fist, squirming from beneath him. When they both regained their feet they began circling again.
Zander's blood boiled and he clenched and unclenched his hands.
The boy had no idea the horrors he experienced over the last four years: the deaths, the blood, the bodies.
He had no idea how much he'd lost.
This time Zander made the first move, dropping to the ground to kick at him. Luca fell onto his side and quickly tried to scramble to his feet but Zander caught him and he landed on his face.
Zander pulled the boy's arm behind his back.
"Don't!" Luca hissed. "Please."
It wasn't until he heard a snap and a scream that he realized what he had done.
...
Thirty lashes later, Zander was sitting in the clinic, waiting for Luca to emerge from behind the closed-off area.
The door opened and Luca emerged with his arm in a sling.
Zander got to his feet and rejected it instantly. His back screamed in complaint but he wiped his face of any pain and ducked his head.
"Are you-?"
"Fine. Though I should be asking you that." Luca smirks, cocking his head.
Without the armor weighing him down he looked gorgeous with windblown black hair flawless olive skin, and expressive blue eyes.
"Why would you ask me that?" Zander muttered.
"I know Red punished you. " Luca said. He tapped his chin. "My mom'll patch you up. Come on."
"Wait. You're not mad?"
Luca laughed and raised a brow. "Why would I be? You're not the first person who broke me. I'll survive."
Luca moved toward the door stopping when Zander made no move to follow him.
"What?"
"You want me to go to your house." Zander looked at him as though he'd grown two heads. "I'm an elf."
"You can protest as much as you want, but you're coming with me. Willingly or unwillingly is your choice."
Zander couldn't help but snort.
"This is coming from a boy with a broken arm."
The lights in the room flicker and Zander blinked looking around in confusion. The door to the back area opens and Ronnie and a woman poked their heads out to glower at them.
"We're trying to do a surgery!" Ronnie snapped, holding up her bloody gloved hands. "Knock it off, Luca."
"Yes ma'am."
The flickering stopped and Zander gawped at the boy who was now grinning at him. Ronnie and the woman disappear behind the door with an annoyed groan.
"Now, Zander, unless you prefer to be knocked out and dragged the whole way."
Zander huffed. "I'm not allowed to leave the place gates without soldiers."
"I'll worry about that. Come."
Zander thought about arguing with him but didn't want to get an electric shock. Gritting his teeth he bit back the comment he wanted to say and followed Luca out the room.