The next morning dawned hazy and bright over Kathelyn, the streets already buzzing with life. Merchants called out from their stalls, the smell of roasted chestnuts and spiced meats wafted through the air, and children darted between carriages with laughter that tangled with the sound of horses' hooves on cobblestone. The three of them—Sela, Nadia, and Rael—wandered without much purpose, weaving through the crowds.
Rael had his hands tucked behind his head, whistling tunelessly. Nadia strolled beside him, clutching the strap of her satchel while gazing up at the towers that pierced the sky above the capital. Sela trailed a step ahead, quiet as usual, her eyes flicking from shop to shop, though her focus was elsewhere.
It was Rael, of course, who stopped first.
Something caught his eye on the side of a wooden post, half-hidden by peeling advertisements for potion shops and traveling circuses. A thick piece of parchment nailed firmly to the wood, bold letters inked across it.
"Wait—hold up!" Rael blurted, darting to the post.
Sela glanced back. "What is it now?"
Rael leaned close, squinting as his lips moved, sounding the words out. "The… Pit? Reward… one thousand gold?"
He turned back to them with wide, shining eyes. "A thousand! Did you hear that? It's an arena, I'm telling you. Has to be. And we're going."
Sela folded her arms, unimpressed. "Why would we?"
"Why would—? Did you not hear me?" Rael jabbed a finger at the sign as though they might've missed it. "One. Thousand. Gold."
That made her blink. She hesitated, then muttered, "Alright… I'm in."
Nadia let out a sudden giggle. "That was fast."
Rael threw both fists in the air in triumph. "Yes! Finally! Some action that actually pays."
But Nadia tilted her head, stepping closer to read the parchment herself. "Where exactly is this 'Pit' supposed to be? Doesn't say…"
Rael shrugged, grinning. "It says it's outside Kathelyn. Close enough. We'll find it eventually."
Sela raised an eyebrow. "Right. Because people just put brutal underground fighting arenas on the map."
"Exactly!" Rael beamed, as though she had just agreed with him.
Nadia shook her head. "Even if we find it… do you really think they'd let three fourteen-year-olds into a place like that? To fight, no less?"
Rael puffed out his chest. "We'll lie about our age. Easy."
Sela gave him the driest look she could muster. "Lie? You look eleven. Nobody's buying that."
"Excuse me?!" Rael pointed at himself, genuinely offended. "I don't look eleven. Do I?"
Nadia bit her lip, suppressing a laugh. "…Kinda, yeah."
"What?!" His voice cracked in disbelief, which only made Nadia burst into laughter.
Sela shaking her head. "This is going to be a disaster."
---
The city walls shrank behind them as they pushed further into the outskirts. The chatter of the capital dimmed, replaced by the rustling of wind through leaves. Beyond the open fields, a line of trees stretched tall and dark, half-hiding whatever lay beyond.
Rael squinted through the woods. "If I were running an underground fighting ring, I'd hide it in there."
"You'd also be caught in about three days," Sela said flatly.
"Not if I was smart about it."
"You? Smart?" Nadia teased.
Rael gasped dramatically, "is today national hating rael day!?""
Before Sela could roll her eyes again, she froze mid-step. Her gaze sharpened. "Over there. Look."
Through a gap in the trees, a small cluster of people milled around. Rough men in leathers, a few carrying crates, others sharpening blades. A wagon rested nearby, its tarp pulled back just enough to reveal cages—empty ones, but cages nonetheless.
Rael grinned. "Bingo."
They approached cautiously. One of the men, broad-shouldered with a scar running down his jaw, spotted them first. His brow furrowed as the three stepped closer.
"What do you kids want?" he asked, his voice a gruff growl.
Rael puffed out his chest and strode right up, shoving the parchment into the man's face. "We're here for this. The Pit."
The man's eyes scanned it, then flicked back down at Rael, unimpressed. "You look a little young for something as brutal as the Pit."
Rael crossed his arms. "I'm sixteen. And they're seventeen." He gestured at Sela and Nadia with a sweeping hand. "We just look young. But trust me—we're old enough."
The man leaned down until his shadow fell heavy over Rael. His lips twisted into the faintest smirk. "Sixteen? You look about eleven."
Rael's eye twitched. His fists clenched at his sides. "I am not eleven."
"Sure you ain't," the man said with a chuckle, then gave him a heavy slap on the back that nearly sent him stumbling. "Good luck, champ. You'll need it."
Behind him, Sela pinched the bridge of her nose. Nadia was trying so hard not to laugh that her shoulders shook with the effort.
Rael scowled, muttering under his breath. "I'll show him eleven…"
---
Elsewhere, far removed from the capital's bustle, another scene unfolded.
Lif stood in silence, his eyes fixed on Teris across the clearing. His body was tense, fists balled tight at his sides. The world around them seemed to fade, the air thick with unspoken challenge.
And then, without a word, Lif lunged. His boots pounded against the dirt, muscles coiled with intent—only to be undone in the strangest way.
Teris shifted, not with a defensive stance or even an attack. He simply stuck his foot out.
Lif's momentum betrayed him. His toe caught against Teris's boot, and with no time to catch himself, he pitched forward.
The sound of impact—face against dirt—echoed through the clearing.
For a heartbeat, silence. Then Teris's laughter broke the air, sharp and loud. "You—hah! You actually fell for that?!"
In the back jenna's giggling at how lif fell
Lif groaned, spitting out a mouthful of dust, his pride wounded far deeper than his body.
Teris bent at the waist, holding his stomach as his laughter rolled on. "Gods above, I don't even have to fight you. You'll knock yourself out at this rate."
Lif pushed himself up, his face flushed with more than just dirt. His glare could have burned a hole straight through Teris,