Chapter Four

A sharp pain spread through Solene's body as she stirred awake. Her wrists ached, bound tightly in iron chains, and her skin burned from the bruises left by the guards. The air was thick with the stench of rot and damp stone, making her stomach churn. She forced her heavy eyelids open, blinking against the darkness surrounding her.

She was in a small, cold space maybe a cell, maybe something worse. The walls were rough, scratched with marks from whoever had been here before her. The floor beneath her was uneven, damp, and cold against her skin. Her heart pounded as she struggled to move, but the chains rattled, refusing to give her freedom.

Outside, muffled voices echoed through the corridors, their tones indifferent, almost bored. She strained to listen, hoping to hear something that would tell her where she was or what would happen next, but the words were too distant to make sense.

Then it all came crashing back.

The guards. The officer. The attack. Lira's face as she turned away.

A shudder ran through her, and tears welled in her eyes. She had begged for help, reached out to the only person she trusted, but Lira had done nothing. Not a word, not a fight, not even a look of sympathy. Just silence.

Her chest tightened, and a sob escaped her lips. She had spent years enduring pain, struggling to survive in a world that never wanted her. The memories flooded her mind the times she had gone to sleep hungry, the nights she spent curled up on the cold ground, the abuse she endured simply for existing as a Hollow. She had worked so hard just to keep going, just to find something anything to hold onto. And she had found it at Lira's shop. It wasn't much, but it had been hers. A place where she felt useful, where she wasn't just another unwanted Hollow.

But it had all been a lie.

She pulled against the chains, frustration and despair twisting inside her. No matter how hard she yanked, they wouldn't budge. She clenched her jaw, fresh tears slipping down her face.

Was this it? Was this how her story ended?

She bit her lip, refusing to break down completely. She couldn't let them see her like this. She couldn't give them the satisfaction. Even if she didn't know how, even if there was no hope, she had to find a way out. She had to survive.

Because no one else was coming to save her.

As she struggled against the chains in frustration, a sudden creaking sound filled the space. The heavy iron gates ahead groaned as they slowly opened, allowing a blinding light to flood into the dark chamber. Solene flinched, her eyes burning from the sudden brightness. She could hear the distant roar of a crowd—cheering, laughing, shouting.

Her breath quickened.

Before she could gather her thoughts, rough hands grabbed her and yanked her forward. She stumbled, her weakened legs barely holding her up. The smell of sweat, dust, and blood mixed in the air as she was shoved through the gates.

As her vision adjusted, the sight before her made her blood run cold.

An arena.

The ground beneath her was hard and cracked, stained with old blood. Towering stone walls enclosed the space, and above them, rows of seats were filled with nobles and officers, guards alike, all watching, waiting.

To her horror, she saw other people being dragged from different cages across the arena, each one looking just as confused and terrified as she was. They were Hollow like her, their faces gaunt and hopeless. 

She realized what was happening.

This wasn't just a prison.

A booming voice echoed through the arena, making Solene's body tense.

"Welcome, noble citizens of Velmora, to today's grand spectacle!" The announcer's voice was smooth and theatrical, filled with excitement. The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices blending into a deafening roar.

"Before you stand the unfortunate souls of the Hollows, criminals and beggars, the weak and the worthless!" The announcer gestured dramatically toward Solene and the others, his words dripping with mockery. "But today, they have a chance to prove themselves… if they can survive!"

The nobles in the high seats laughed and whispered among themselves, sipping their expensive wines. In the merchant's quarter, traders and workers who had sworn with their lives not to reveal this place, placed bets, their eyes gleaming with greed. 

Solene swallowed hard, her heart hammering.

"As always, our entertainment would not be complete without a challenge!" The announcer raised a hand, and a massive gate on the far end of the arena groaned open. deep, guttural growls echoed from the darkness beyond it.

Solene's blood turned to ice.

"Let the Hollows' Game… begin!" The announcer's voice rang out just as the monstrous creatures lunged into the light.

The ground trembled as the creatures stepped into the arena. Solene's breath caught in her throat as she took in their grotesque forms. Some had twisted, elongated limbs, others had patches of human skin stretched unnaturally over beastly frames. One had a gaping mouth where its stomach should be, its jagged teeth grinding together as drool dripped onto the bloodstained sand.

The announcer's voice boomed over the cheers of the crowd.

"Tonight's entertainment Hollows, the cursed filth of our great city, fighting for the only thing they've ever had… survival! But against the beasts of the pits, how long will they last?"

Laughter erupted from the stands.

A deep horn sounded.

The monsters charged.

The first Hollow to fall was a boy barely more than a child. He had no time to move before a massive beast with four arms snatched him up like a ragdoll. He screamed, kicking and thrashing, but the monster held him up high for the audience to see. Then, with one violent motion, it ripped him in two. Blood sprayed across the sand, his lifeless torso thrown to the side like garbage.

The crowd roared with approval.

Solene stumbled back, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

A woman beside her turned to flee, but another beast a grotesque, half-human abomination grabbed her by the head. Its claws dug into her skull, and with a sickening crunch, it crushed her like a fruit. Her body twitched before collapsing.

More screams filled the air.

Solene turned in time to see a man trying to climb the arena walls. He barely made it a few feet before one of the guards above grinned and raised his hand. A bolt of crackling energy shot from his palm, striking the man in the chest. His body convulsed violently, his flesh bubbling and peeling as he dropped back onto the sand, dead before he even hit the ground.

The beasts did not hesitate. They swarmed his corpse, tearing it apart with their fangs, fighting over the pieces.

Solene gagged.

A Hollow near her tried to fight back, using only her fists. She managed to land a punch on a smaller creature's snout, making it stagger for a brief moment. But the victory was short-lived. Another beast a massive thing with glowing red eyes lunged at her, wrapping its elongated fingers around her waist.

She screamed as it lifted her into the air.

Then, with one horrifying twist, it snapped her spine in half.

Solene's stomach churned as the body dropped limply onto the ground.

The crowd chanted, their voices blending into a single deafening roar of excitement.

Blood coated the sand, seeping into the cracks. The metallic scent of death filled the air.

Solene panted, stumbling backward as a hulking creature with cracked, blackened skin stalked toward her. It had no eyes only deep hollows where they should have been. Its breath was heavy, labored, as it crouched, preparing to pounce.

She had no weapons. No way to fight back.

Run.

Her body moved before she could think. She darted to the side just as the creature lunged. It landed where she had stood, sand flying up in its wake.

Another Hollow wasn't as lucky. The beast swung its massive clawed hand, catching the man in the side. His body twisted unnaturally as he was flung across the arena, crashing into a pile of broken bones from previous battles.

The blood. The screams. The horror.

Solene's vision blurred, her breathing uneven.

She was going to die here.

No.

She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to move. She couldn't die. Not like this.

A low growl made her snap her head up.

The eyeless beast was still watching her.

No, not watching.

Sensing.

She barely had a moment to react before it lunged again.

This time, she didn't run.

She dove to the side, rolling onto the sand as the monster skidded past her. It turned, confused, snarling in frustration.

She could hear the announcer laughing above.

"Oh? It seems we have a little fighter among the filth! How long can she last, I wonder?"

The crowd cheered louder, waiting for her inevitable death.

The beast crouched again.

Solene's fists clenched.

She had no weapons. No powers. She was going to die here.