EMBERS (Marcus Acacius)

XI | The Fighter of the Arena

My mind was spinning uncontrollably. I wanted to shout, to scream, but my throat felt dry and tight. I can't believe this is happening! The man I had once tried to help was now standing in front of me as my opponent to the death.

A cruel, bitter laugh rose in my throat, but it was hollow. There was no humour in it. I just wanted to die right here, right now—to spare Gaius and myself from this madness. But instead, I stood frozen, meeting his gaze as we were both surrounded by the jeering crowd, the heat of the sun baking down on us both.

My hands gripped the daggers in my grasp; I wasn't completely helpless. As I locked eyes with Gaius, I noticed something: there was no anger in his eyes—no hatred—only painfully inextricable fear.

The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium, and the crowd erupted in anticipation. Their cries were deafening. There was no going back now. The guards began to back away, leaving Gaius and I alone in the centre of the arena. I didn't want to fight him. But, I knew the rules. If I didn't fight, I would die.

Inhaling deeply, I took a step forward, my body trembling, but my resolve hardening. I was not just going to fight for myself today—I was going to fight for Gaius, for the other innocents in this hellhole. I'll survive this, I thought determinedly. I have to.

Gaius wasn't going to drop his sword—not even for me—so I was going to have to fight back. The thought of striking him was horrible, but I knew it must be done. So, with that I raised my hands, daggers clenched tightly in my fists as the horn sounded, carrying across the stands.

***

As if knowing Adriana was in the arena wasn't bad enough, the soldiers who had restrained me now escorted me up to the stands. I blinked against the bright sunlight as the stadium came into clear view. We were at the north end of the field, the spot where the healers waited to tend to the injured—where Adriana used to stand.

The guards marched me up the steps and forced me into a vacant seat in the front row. "Stay here," one of the guards muttered. "You're lucky we're letting you watch."

But, I barely heard him. My eyes were already locked on the centre of the arena, where Adriana had been forced to stand unaided. I felt my throat tighten, my pulse thundering in my ears.

She was alone. And I couldn't do a damn thing to help her.

The gate on the opposite side of the arena flung open, and the breath caught in my throat as Gaius was dragged out. The same man Adriana had tended to, the same man I had trained with and fought against myself.

But now? Now he was her opponent.

"Gaius..." I whispered under my breath. I knew the man. He was a kind soul, one of the few left in this hell. What had the arena turned him into? What is he going to do?

But there was no time for those thoughts. The crowd screamed in anticipation, their hunger for violence palpable in the air. I clenched my fists, biting the inside of my cheek until it started to bleed. My body trembled with the urge to run down there and throw myself in between them, to shield Adriana from whatever was to come. But I couldn't. Not with so many eyes on her, not with so many guards around.

I was just a spectator, as helpless as the next man.

The gates slammed shut behind Gaius. The two of them stood facing each other, and I could see the brief, silent exchange between them; saw the hesitation in Gaius' eyes, the confusion and the guilt. And then, I saw it in Adriana's gaze—nothing. She was a wall, as cold as stone, as distant as the sky. She had already decided.