Chapter 4 : Let the game begin
Kael scrambled to his feet, trying to regain some semblance of composure amidst the chaos. He surveyed the other slaves, his comrades in this unwilling performance. Some huddled together, their faces etched with despair. Others seemed to have accepted their fate, their eyes vacant, their spirits broken. A few, like him, were scanning their surroundings, searching for any glimmer of hope.
He noticed a young woman, barely more than a teenager, with vibrant blue hair and eyes that burned with defiance. She was whispering fiercely to a hulking brute of a man, whose arms were covered in crude tattoos. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see the intensity in their expressions. They were planning something.
"Looks like we got a lively bunch this time, eh, ?" A calm voice boomed from the edge of the arena. Kael turned to see one of the chrome-limbed guards leaning against the gate, a cruel smirk twisting his metallic features. "Let's see how long that spirit lasts."
From a darkened archway, another figure emerged. This one was different from the guards, more imposing, radiating an aura of power. He was tall and slender, with a dark skinned completion and eyes that glowed with an unsettling crimson light. He wore ornate armor, crafted from some unknown metal that hummed with great technological strength.
"The Games are about to begin," the obsidian-skinned figure announced, his voice echoing across the arena. "Let the strong survive, and the weak… entertain us."
A heavy metal gate across the arena groaned open, revealing a shadowy tunnel. A low growl rumbled from within, sending a wave of fear through the assembled slaves. From the depths of the tunnel emerged a creature of nightmare.It was massive, easily ten feet tall, with thick, leathery hide and razor-sharp claws that glinted in the neon light. Its eyes were burning embers, and its teeth were long and yellowed. Bio-engineered, no doubt, and bred for one purpose: carnage. The crowd roared its approval.
Kael's blood ran cold. He knew what this was. This was not just a fight for survival, it was a hunt. He was the prey.
The creature surged forward, its claws tearing into the dirt as it charged towards the nearest slaves. Screams echoed through the arena as the terrified prisoners scattered, desperately trying to avoid the monster's wrath.
He instinctively knew that brute strength alone wouldn't suffice against such a monstrosity. This was a game rigged against them from the start.
The creature surged forward, its claws tearing into the dirt as it charged towards the nearest slaves. Screams pierced the air as the terrified prisoners scattered, desperately trying to avoid the monster's wrath. The air filled with the stench of fear and anticipation.
Kael knew he couldn't just stand there, paralyzed by terror, and wait to be slaughtered. He had to fight. He clenched his fists, focusing his mind, trying to channel the last vestige of his dream-walking powers.
From what he could recall, ever since his shackles were removed, his dream powers had been returning slowly, albeit at slow pace.
The dream walking powers that had returned after his restraints were lifted off were an echo of what he once possessed, a flickering ember in the face of overwhelming darkness, and this tiny ember, might be enough to buy him some time, some space to think.
He focused on the creature, reaching out with his mind, attempting to weave a thread of sleep into its enraged consciousness. The dream-walking ability, even in its weakened state, rippled through reality, affecting the beast in subtle yet crucial ways.
Its eyes glazed over momentarily, the burning embers dimming to flickering coals. Its movements faltered, its powerful legs stumbling slightly. The creature, for a fleeting moment, was caught between the waking world and the pull of slumber.
Kael, drawing on years of experience in manipulating the dream world, seized the opportunity. With unnatural speed, fueled by adrenaline and desperation, he darted forward, grabbing one of the loose stones scattered on the ground along his path. It was a jagged piece of granite, rough against his palm.
He gripped the stone tightly, channeling all his physical strength into a single, desperate act. He swung his arm back and hurled the stone towards the beast.
Whoosh!
The force behind the throw was incredible, amplified by his latent dream-walking abilities. The stone sliced through the air with unnatural speed, a blur against the backdrop of chaos.
A moment later, the stone impacted with a sickening thud against the beast's temple. The creature's momentum was abruptly halted. A hole, surprisingly clean and precise, was drilled into its thick skull. The monstrous creature shuddered, its eyes rolling back into its head, and then collapsed to the ground with a deafening thud, sending tremors through the arena floor.
Silence descended, heavy and absolute. The crowd, which had been roaring its approval only moments before, was now utterly still, their bloodlust momentarily quenched by disbelief.
The blue-haired woman and the hulking brute man were both staring at him, their faces etched with shock and awe. Their whispered plans seemed forgotten.
The dark-skinned armored man, who had been leaning against the archway with his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement, suddenly straightened up. He narrowed his eyes, a flicker of something akin to interest replacing the condescending amusement. He hadn't anticipated this. Kael had disrupted the carefully orchestrated entertainment, and in doing so, had caught the attention of someone far more dangerous than the beast he had just slain.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Kael stood frozen, the remaining small parts of the jagged stone still clutched in his hand, and his breath coming in ragged gasps. He could feel the weight of thousands of eyes on him, but his focus was solely on the obsidian-skinned figure by the archway.
The man's expression was unreadable, a mask of cold calculation. Then, a slow, deliberate smile spread across his face, sending a shiver down Kael's spine. It wasn't a smile of amusement or approval, but something far more predatory.
"Interesting," the man's voice echoed, the word laced with a dangerous curiosity.He stepped forward, the metallic hum of his armor intensifying with each stride. The guards with their chrome limbs seemed to shrink back, their arrogance replaced with a palpable fear.
Intriguing," he said, his voice a low purr. "Very intriguing. Perhaps… you are worth more than I initially thought."
He paused, his crimson eyes locking with Kael's
"Tell me, slave, what is your name?"