Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, drowning out all the noise in the arena, as her adrenaline reached its peak.
The crowd in the rows of seats above her roared, their voices blending into a chaotic storm of laughter, shouts and people setting their bets on the next fight. The underground fighting arena beneath the Slaughterhouse Nightclub was filled to the brim with awakened and affluent people. The hubbub above Violet was dampened by the protective barrier fashioned out of transparent alloy and the neon lights were casting eerie glows across the bloodstained floor. The stench of sweat, iron, and blood filled the air.
Violet panted as she retreated. She was battle-worn but stayed focused, her arms steady, her mind razor-sharp. Victory was within reach. She had studied her opponent's movements and found the patterns in its attacks. One more good strike, one perfect execution, and the creature would fall.
Across from her, the Echo shifted, its black chitin glistening under the flickering lights. Its elongated form moved unnaturally, each step thudding against the floor made of sturdy synthwood boards. A long tail whipped behind it, ending in a jagged, serrated blade. Drops of smoking venom dripped from its tip, sizzling as they melted through the ground. It was one of the Echoes those rich bastards sent to fight against mundane people like her, for their entertainment.
Violet didn't care. This was the fastest way for her to make money, and money meant survival. Outskirts rats like her weren't meant to live long anyway. If it wasn't the arena, the streets would take her. At least here, she could choose how she fought, and how she fell. And as long as she kept winning, she wouldn't have to choke down the horrendous synthetic paste the government dumped on the poor. She could afford something halfway decent to eat. If anything, she was more than happy to see the wealthy squander their money on her.
A grotesque hiss slithered from the Echo's throat, a sound that made the back of Violet's neck shiver. No matter how many of those monsters she fought, she just couldn't get used to their hideous appearances.
She exhaled sharply, forcing her body into a ready stance. Then, she moved. She quickly feinted to the left, it reacted instantly, its bladed tail slicing through the air where her head had been a moment before. She immediately twisted right, ducking under the strike, and slashed with her dagger. The blade skidded off its armored hide, sparks flying. She clicked her tongue, 'tsk, this armor is way too hard, I didn't even leave a scratch. I have to hit it in its weak spots.'
The Echo lunged again, its bladed tail stabbing forward like a spear. She barely dodged, feeling the wind of the venom-soaked tail whistle past her cheek. Then she closed the distance and quickly struck with a precise stab. Her dagger found a gap near its shoulder joint, slicing through the softer tissue beneath the plating. The Echo screeched, thick blue blood spilling from the wound.
A sharp thrill surged through her. Victory was near! Only a few precise hits in the joints, and the money was hers!
But then it hit her.
A sudden wave of dizziness. Her vision blurred and her senses started weakening. A sudden tiredness took hold of her.
'Wh-what's happening...? I suddenly feel so tired... No, not now!'
Her breath hitched and she furrowed her brows in concentration as she struggled to regain her senses. She wavered, just for a breath, but a breath was all the creature needed. The chitin-covered monster screeched and lunged toward her with a murderous intensity. Unable to dodge, she twisted at the last second, taking the hit to her flank instead.
Pain exploded through her side as the poisoned tail tore a deep gash through her flesh, flinging her across the arena. She hit the ground hard, her body skidding to a stop near the edge of the battleground. Hot agony seared through her ribs, but she had no time to process it. The Echo was already closing in.
She forced herself to move. Rolling, she scrambled to her feet. Her vision swam, black spots dancing at the edges. The dizziness worsened and dulled her senses, making her movements sluggish.
Above, the spectators roared with excitement, their cheers fired up by her struggle. To them, she was nothing more than a passing thrill, a bet to win or lose. The only ones hoping for her victory were those with money on the line. Not for her sake, but for their own pockets.
The Echo struck again. She barely managed to deflect the tail with her dagger, but the force behind it shattered the fragile blade and sent her stumbling to the ground. The venom on her side hissed against her skin, burning like liquid fire. Blinking away the tears welling in her eyes, she ignored the pain and reached for the spare dagger strapped to her leg.
The Echo rushed forward, a blur of black chitin and gleaming venom. Her steps were faltering and her vision was swimming, but she gritted her teeth and pushed forward. She needed to end this quickly.
It lunged. She ducked low and slashed at its leg joints, severing tendons. The creature screeched, stumbling. An opening.
She gripped her dagger in both hands and drove it upward into the soft flesh beneath its mandibles.
A deafening screech tore through the air. The creature convulsed, tail thrashing wildly, venom splattering across the arena. Olivia yanked her blade free and slashed again, severing its neck. A final, shuddering twitch, then it finally collapsed.
The arena immediately erupted in excited shouts.
Bets were won and lost as cheers and curses filled the air, but she barely heard any of it. Her vision blurred, her limbs numb. Every inch of her body pulsed with agony. Blood leaked from the deep wound at her side, her strength fading fast due to the venom. She struggled to keep standing and clutched her wound. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Then, darkness surged over the edges of her sight. Her body, battered by the exhaustion and wounds, finally gave in.
As she collapsed, she heard the distant voices of the arena's overseers.
"And the winner is Violet! What a wonderful fight, even the Echo of Shadow Blade couldn't best her!"
"She doesn't look good, quickly get her to the med..."
Darkness swallowed the rest.
...
Violet groaned as she woke up up with a throbbing head-ache. Grabbing her head she looked around, recognising the medical ward of the Slaughterhouse. It was a small room, its grey walls slightly damp. Two beds filled the room, one being occupied by Violet.
She knew this place pretty well, even though it has been quite a while since she got hurt badly enough she had to be transported here. In her first few days in the arena, around two years ago, she landed in here quite often. Even though she has always had talent for fighting thanks to her good senses and quick reflexes, she had pretty much no experience.
But it had been quite a while since a dormant beast gave her that much struggle. It was this damned tiredness that suddenly appeared in the middle of the fight that broke her concentration.
Violet propped herself up and sat cross-legged on her bed. The tiredness was not going away, still lingering and dulling her senses. She hated this feeling. Ever since she was little, she had exceptionally heightened senses, way more than average. This helped her a lot in the streets, but also in the arena. But this tiredness, it made her feel weak, and weakness meant death for her. Her next fight was in a week. She barely managed to survive this time, but she couldn't guarantee her victory next time, and she was not allowed to cancel a fight that she already signed.
But that was not her greatest worry, because she had an idea if what the situation she was in might be. Sudden tiredness, constant sleepiness,... These were the symptoms of being infected by the Nightmare Spell. And if that was true, her chances of dying just multiplied by a hundred.
The Nightmare spell appeared a few decades ago, starting a new era of humanity. The infected showed symptoms of extreme sleepiness that wouldn't go away, and after around a week, their souls got transported into a Nightmare. Most of them perished there, turning their bodies into monsters that started an absolute massacre everywhere on earth. The few that survived their Nightmare, the awakened, returned with extraordinary powers. Together, they put an end to the chaos and formed some semblance of peace again.
But people still got infected with the spell every now and then, everyone was at risk.
Outskirt rats like her were even more at risk, since they had no background to prepare them for the trials. And entering a Nightmare unprepared, was basically a death sentence.
'Sigh'.
Violet rubbed her temples and stood up with a determined gaze.
She would not let the Nightmare Spell kill her.
'I have to prepare immediately, I should have a bit under a week left.'
With a yawn, she left the room.
'My life is already a nightmare anyway, how bad can this Nightmare be...'