I will return

60

I closed my eyes and slid into Titan's body, who was close enough to the ring to have a perfect view of the entire spectacle. I watched as N' Goo Tuana burst into the arena, his face pale and his voice trembling as he shouted:

"Zarkos, where are you?! Scrappy is free and has the Daemon Ritus! We have to get out of here..." His gaze frantically scanned every corner of the place, and when he saw that no familiar face appeared, he let out one last shout in the direction of the shadows, "Zarkos!"

Taking advantage of the moment, I walked towards him. "Did you miss something?" I asked with Titan's mocking smile.

N' Goo Tuana turned towards me, desperation tattooed in his eyes. "I need to see Zarkos, we have to get out of here... it's not safe!"

"Oh wow, who do you owe to be so scared?" I asked, crossing my arms.

The fear on his face intensified. "Yes, I owe someone...something worse than anything a human could do to me."

I smiled, knowing well what that meant. Stealing his soul and trapping it in me... was a fate worse than death, and the knowledge gave me a shudder of satisfaction. But I pretended to be interested.

"Because?" I asked him with an almost carefree tone.

N' Goo Tuana swallowed, lowering his voice as he remembered, his face a map of shadows and regrets. "Twenty years ago I worked for a pup who...found a device called the Daemon Ritus. He said that whoever used it would have unlimited power, dominion over the entire world. When I met him... he seemed like just a puppy, but he offered me to join his army, and if I refused... I would become part of his energy. I saw many of my friends fall on Spooky Island, trapped in their hands."

Laughter escaped me. The story he told was but a fragment of what had happened. But seeing him like this, broken and on the verge of despair, made me enjoy every second.

N' Goo Tuana looked at me, offended and scared. "What...what's wrong with you? I'm telling you the truth, we are all in danger!

I was still laughing, and my laughter echoed through the room as my tone became mocking. "I think the one who is in danger is you."

More figures appeared around, security guards, employees, other fighters, and even some administrators. The tension was palpable. I decided to drop the last piece.

"Besides, the only ones who have a soul here are Zarkos... and you."

"That?" N' Goo Tuana stammered, as he turned around with a horrified expression on his face.

Then, as if it were a theatrical act, the central door opened and my friends appeared, carrying Scrappy's small body, sitting in a tiny chair. There he was, asleep, and with the Daemon Ritus hanging from his neck. The scene was perfect, and I feigned surprise.

"Wow, seriously, I look adorable when I sleep," I muttered in a fake-astonished voice.

"That...?" N' Goo Tuana stammered, terror painted on his face.

He stared at the puppy in the chair, and upon recognizing me in that form, reality hit him like an iron fist. He couldn't help but whisper, almost out of breath, "Scrappy?"

I saw him tremble, and I felt unmatched satisfaction. "That's right," I thought, "now this whole theater is about to become a nightmare... for you."