Chapter Five
A guttural growl rumbled from the eyeless beast's chest, its cracked skin pulsing with an eerie glow. Solene barely had time to register the shift before a wave of blistering heat washed over her.
Then—
FWOOSH!
A stream of fire erupted from the creature's mouth, blazing across the sand like a dragon's breath. Solene's instincts screamed at her to move, and she hurled herself to the side just in time. The fire scorched the spot where she had stood a heartbeat ago, turning the sand black, the air thick with the acrid scent of burning flesh.
The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers.
Solene hit the ground hard, sand scraping against her raw skin. She gasped, her chest heaving, her vision swimming from exhaustion.
But there was no time to rest.
The beast pivoted, its empty sockets somehow locking onto her. It inhaled, the glow beneath its cracked skin intensifying.
It was going to breathe fire again.
She scrambled to her feet and ran, her legs burning with the effort. Behind her, the creature roared and unleashed another inferno. The heat singed the edges of her ragged dress as she barely dodged the blast, rolling behind a pile of charred bones from fallen fighters.
The flames devoured the remains in an instant. The skulls cracked open from the heat, flesh melting away into nothing.
Solene's breath came in short, panicked gasps.
She was among the last three left.
Across the arena, one of the other surviving Hollows—a tall man with a muscular build—tried to charge the beast, desperation in his every move. He picked up a broken chain from the sand, swinging it like a weapon, and rushed at the monster.
The crowd gasped in excitement.
Solene wanted to scream at him to stop, to run, but it was too late.
The beast exhaled another column of flames.
The man screamed.
His body was engulfed instantly, the fire clinging to his skin like a living thing. He stumbled forward, his flesh melting off in chunks, his eyes wide with agony. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, his blackened hands reaching toward the sky.
Then, he fell face-first into the dirt, smoke curling from his remains.
The crowd cheered, stomping their feet in amusement.
Solene's stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat.
Only two left.
Her and a young woman who was already wounded, clutching a gash on her side. The woman trembled, barely able to stand, her breaths ragged.
Solene didn't want to die like this.
The beast turned toward them, exhaling another low growl, savoring the moment. It knew there was no escape.
The announcer's voice boomed.
"Ah, the final two! Who will be the last to burn?"
The crowd roared in anticipation.
Solene's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
The beast stepped forward, its cracked skin glowing brighter.
It was going to kill them both.
And she had nothing—no weapons, no powers, no way to fight.
But she had her mind.
She sucked in a sharp breath, forcing herself to think. If I can't outrun it… I have to outsmart it.
Her gaze flicked toward the sand. The fire had left trails of molten glass where it burned the ground. It was scorching hot, but it was something.
The monster lunged.
Solene sprinted forward—toward it.
The beast hesitated for just a second, surprised by her movement. That was all she needed.
She dropped low at the last moment, sliding across the sand. The heat seared her skin, but she gritted her teeth and reached down, grabbing a shard of still-melting glass with her bare hands.
Pain shot up her arm, but she ignored it.
With every ounce of strength left in her body, she sprang up and shoved the molten shard into the beast's exposed chest.
It let out an earsplitting screech, staggering back, the glass fusing into its body. Smoke poured from the wound as it flailed, its fire turning wild and uncontrolled.
Solene drove the molten shard into the beast's cracked chest. The moment the scorching glass made contact, the creature let out a piercing, guttural screech. Its entire body tensed, and the glow beneath its broken skin flared violently.
Then—BOOM!
A wave of fire erupted from the wound.
Solene barely managed to throw herself backward before the explosion consumed her. She hit the ground hard, rolling across the burning sand.
But the beast—
It wasn't dead.
It staggered, its body trembling with fury, the flames inside it growing unstable. The glow beneath its cracked flesh turned from molten red to a dangerous, blinding white.
It was enraged.
And it wanted vengeance.
Solene's breathing was ragged as she crawled backward, her hands blistered from the heat. The monster turned its head, eyeless sockets locking onto her for a moment—
Then, it turned to the only other survivor.
The young woman, already weak and barely able to stand, could only let out a strangled gasp as the beast lunged.
Before she could even take a step—
FWOOSH!
The monster unleashed a blast of white-hot fire at point-blank range.
The woman didn't even have time to scream.
Her body turned to ash in seconds, reduced to nothing but blackened bones that collapsed into the scorched sand.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Solene's stomach twisted, horror gripping her chest.
She was the only one left.
She pressed her palm into the sand, trying to push herself up, but her body was trembling too much. Her mind screamed at her to run, to find a way out—
But then, the ground shook.
The rest of the monsters—ones she had forgotten about in the chaos—were moving.
Slowly, with eerie coordination, they all turned toward her.
A sick realization settled in her gut.
The game wasn't over.
The announcer's voice boomed over the roaring cheers.
"Oh? It seems we've found ourselves a fighter! But tell me, dear audience… should we end this quickly?"
The nobles laughed and shouted in response, their amusement sickening.
The monsters circled her, their grotesque forms shifting in the firelight. Some had gnarled, twisted limbs. Others had exposed bones, their mouths stretched too wide with jagged teeth. And the worst of them all—the fire-breathing beast—stood at the center, its molten rage fixated entirely on her.
Solene gritted her teeth.
She was exhausted. Her body ached. She had no weapon.
The fire-breathing beast let out a guttural snarl, its molten chest rising and falling as flames flickered from its cracked skin. The other monsters closed in, their deformed limbs twitching, their jagged teeth bared in anticipation.
Then, all at once, they attacked.
A massive clawed hand slammed into Solene's back, sending her flying across the sand. She hit the ground hard, her body skidding across the scorched arena floor. Her ribs screamed in agony, but she had no time to react—another monster lunged, its skeletal fingers curling around her throat, lifting her off the ground.
She gasped, kicking wildly as her vision blurred. The crowd roared with laughter and cheers.
With a violent crack, the beast flung her like a rag doll.
She crashed onto the stone barrier at the edge of the arena, a sharp pain ripping through her shoulder as something popped out of place. The moment she hit the ground, another monster was already on her.
A twisted, hunched creature with protruding bones slammed its knee into her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs.
Solene choked. Blood spilled from her lips.
She curled up instinctively, but it didn't matter. Another beast grabbed her arm and twisted.
A sickening snap echoed through the arena.
She screamed.
The fire-breathing beast stepped forward, towering over her. Heat radiated from its molten body, and the sand beneath it blackened with every step. It raised one massive foot and stomped down—
She barely rolled away in time, but the flames singed her side, her flesh blistering. The pain was unbearable, her body nearly unresponsive.
More blows rained down. Claws raked across her back, leaving deep, burning gashes. A monstrous hand struck her face, snapping her head to the side. Her vision swam, the world flickering in and out.
And yet… she was still alive.
The crowd was on their feet, ecstatic.
The announcer's voice boomed over the arena.
"Unbelievable! This little Hollow refuses to die!"
The people laughed, amused at her suffering.
The announcer continued, his voice dripping with excitement.
"This—this is the longest battle we have ever seen! A mere Hollow, enduring against the beasts of the pit! But tell me, dear audience…" He paused for dramatic effect.
"Shall we end her?"
The arena exploded with cheers.
The monsters surrounded Solene once more.
She lay on the ground, barely breathing, her body broken.
And yet… her fingers twitched.