-

-

My breath comes out shallow and fast, as dread began to wash over me.

Another body had been dropped from above me, landing with a loud thud as blood seeped from the limp corpse.

"Young things as small as you two have no place here. I believe I should be the one to put you out of your misery early on," A largely built man spoke.

The man was a mountain of roiling muscle. His outsize arms hung like menacing weapons from his sloping shoulders. His back had the texture of a bag full of angry snakes.

"Would you mind.. giving me some space? Your man breasts are in my face," I noted, poking the solid muscle of the man's chest.

Pushing Cassani behind me, the man spoke gruffly once more. "This isn't a game, princess. I'm gonna wipe that smug look off your face."

He swings his sharp knee wildly into my stomach and I can feel my muscles tensing as the pain bursts through my body.

I stumble back with a groan and attempt to re-arrange my senses in order to combat his powerful movements.

I raise my arm to swing but he kicks me to the ground before I can even begin to strike.

Swiftly standing on my feet, I staggered back, paused, listening for movement. The whisper of a footstep to my left. I turned, and lashed out blindly, feeling my fist connect with muscled flesh.

I pulled the knife from the back of my jeans, gripping the metal handling tightly. I thrashed forward, successfully slicing the skin of shoulder.

The knife shredded the sleeve of his jacket, blood bursting forth and running down his arm.

His eyes widened as he clamped her hand over the wound, but as he watched the blood trickling through his fingers, his expression contorted into something monstrous.

He shifted positions and his feet crossed, left in front of right. He spun on his left foot, the right coming up and out, catching me squarely in the jaw.

I could stumbled, feeling blood trickle through my teeth as I soothed me jaw with my hand.

I can't win this.

Don't give up.

As the adrenaline continued to pump through my veins, I moved my upper body neatly to my right, leaving my left foot planted, leg out like a tripwire as he ran towards me.

The man tripped, and as he fell forward I slammed my elbow back into the man's gut, snapping my fist up into the man's face.

There was a crunch and a spray of blood as the man stumbled backwards.

He snarled and pulled his arm back to swing the knife.

As the blade swept toward me, I stepped in close to his body, so when I turned, my right shoulder brushed his chest.

Using the edges of my opened hands, I struck his upper and lower arm.

His arm weakened and his gripped loosened, making the knife clatter to the floor.

Grabbing his arm, I twisted it until the heel of his hand pointed toward the ceiling. I then pivoted, placing my right shoulder under his elbow.

I yanked his hand down. A loud crack then a scream as his arm broke.

Spinning around to face him, I punched him twice in the nose.

While he was off balance, I kicked his kneecap, shattering it. Hard.

I moved around him, kicking him in the ribs. He lost balance and crumbled to the floor.

When he was still, I knelt beside him and felt for a pulse. A strong throb met my fingertips. Then he suddenly clutched my elbow.

I yelped and punched him in the face.

His grip relaxed, and I pulled my arm free. Snatching the knife from the floor, and standing up once again.

"And that's time! Please drop all of your weapons immediately." Calix rasped through the intercom.

Following suite, each and everyone weapon clattered to the floor, making a variety of sounds.

"There are in fact 40 of you left, which means you all will progress to the next challenge. Before then, all of you will get cleaned up and prepare for dinner. No trying to escape, or you will be killed." He finished quickly, ushering everyone to get a move on.

-

-

Another group of guards had thrown me back into the room I was once in. Cassani was no longer by my side, and I had a sense of self loathing knowing there was nothing I could do.

An older woman, had came inside of my room. She'd given me a pair of black shorts that were too short for my liking, and a form fitting tank top.

This has to be some form of non-physical torture.

The cold of the room moves in only to meet the warmth of my blood, my defence against such ice. I feel it wash over my skin, again and again, only to be met by the beat of my heart, again and again.

The biting cold filled my lungs with every breath of the stale air that filled the small home. The warm exhale was more palatable, but I braced for fresh shards of ice to stab throat again.

I wrapped myself in the thin cloth blanket, trying my best to keep warm. The thin mattress hurt my back, and my entire body ached.

There was no way out.

We're trapped here.

These stone walls are endless, and guards surround the entire premises. All of them are heavily armed, and protected with vests and helmets.

Even if I had the strength and courage to try to escape, failure is inevitable.