Descent - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter thirteen

Mattheo

May 21st, 12:30 p.m., Arena

I sat alone in the upper tiers, isolated from the others. The night air was cool, the faint metallic scent of blood lingering from the earlier battles. Above, the sky was a dark canvas, slowly transitioning from twilight to the deep hues of night. The floodlights of the arena blazed, casting stark shadows, and highlighting every detail of the unfolding spectacle below. I had been lost in thought earlier, the events of the past weeks swirling in my mind. But now, my focus was entirely on the arena, and on Lucia.

She stood in the center, a lone figure surrounded by the oppressive presence of my father's most loyal followers. The first opponent was one of my father's best duelists, a Death Eater named Mulciber. I knew his skills well; he was ruthless and efficient, his spells precise and deadly. As he moved to engage Lucia, I could see the confidence in his stance. Lucia, however, met him head-on, her expression steely and determined. Despite the absence of a wand, she managed to summon a protective shield, much to my surprise. Her movements were fluid, her attacks powerful, and soon enough, Mulciber was on the ground, defeated. I felt a flicker of something - was it admiration? I quickly dismissed it, attributing it to my appreciation for a good duel.

Then, the hatch in the floor opened, and out came the Acromantula. A massive spider, its legs clicking ominously on the arena floor, its body filling half the space. I had encountered these creatures before, during one of my father's tests. They were vicious, relentless hunters. Lucia seemed momentarily paralyzed by fear, a hesitation that could have been fatal. But then, she gathered herself, summoning blue flames from her bare hands. The spider shrieked as the fire engulfed it, and I couldn't help but be impressed by her raw power and control. She had conquered a fear that had held her captive, at least for the moment.

Next came the Graphorn. Its appearance was heralded by a loud rumble, and it immediately charged at her with terrifying speed. Graphorns were known for their incredible strength and resilience. They were almost impervious to regular spells, and their skin was nearly impenetrable. As I watched Lucia dodge and retaliate with fire and lightning, I noted her desperation, her fierce will to survive. She managed to bring it down, but not without visible effort. The strain on her face was evident, and I found myself involuntarily clenching my fists.

The final opponent emerged from the third hatch - a Chimera. My father had sent a team of Death Eaters to Greece years ago to capture this beast, a deadly mission that had claimed several lives. The Chimera was a nightmarish creature, with the body and head of a lion, the head of a goat, and a serpent for a tail. Its appearance was both majestic and terrifying. I could see the astonishment on Lucia's face as she realized what she was up against. The Chimera was a death sentence, a creature so dangerous that few had ever survived an encounter.

As Lucia fought, I observed her strategy, the way she used her surroundings to her advantage. She summoned water to push the Chimera back, then transfigured stones into metal shards to wound it. Her ingenuity was impressive. But it was the final moment, when she hovered above the ground on a broken broom, summoning lightning to electrify the arena, that truly took my breath away. The Chimera fell, defeated by her sheer will and ancient magic.

And then it happened. Just as she seemed to have secured her victory, the serpent head reared up and struck. A jet of venom hit Lucia square in the neck, and she crumpled to the ground. My breath caught in my throat, a mix of shock and an unfamiliar pang of concern. A half death beast of all things had managed to land the final blow. I felt a surge of anger, quickly suppressed, as I watched Lucia's body go limp.

The crowd's reaction was a cacophony of jeers and cheers, the Death Eaters reveling in the spectacle. The night was filled with their raucous laughter and the scent of burning flesh from the earlier battles. I could see my father in his tower, his expression unreadable. Was he satisfied with the display? Was he disappointed? I couldn't tell.