After observing Arianaâs struggle wane from the sedativeâs effects, K left with Spade.
Outside the room, Spade secured the lock and chuckled at the sight of the bite mark on Kâs hand, remarking, âSheâs quite the fiery one.
â
He glanced at K and teased, âYou really were tempting fate by reaching into her cage like that.
â
Kâs face clouded over as he responded firmly, âJust keep an eye on her.
â
With that, he walked away.
When Ariana woke again, she sensed movement.
The cage she was in swayed slightly, signaling it was in transit.
This time, the drugâs haze was less oppressive, and she managed to regain some strength quickly.
Dark fabric enveloped her entire cage.
Shackles bound her to the cold metal bars, and her lips were taped.
The cage bumped along a rugged trail on a cart, its progress marked by a cacophony of metallic clatters.
Caught in a situation far beyond anything she had known, panic began to claw at Ariana, The uncertainty of her destination or the horrors awaited only fueled her fear.
âs
In desperation, she struggled and tried to kick the cage, though her efforts did little to alter her course.
The cage relentlessly rolled on.
Overwhelmed by hunger and dizziness, Ariana resigned herself to conserve her energy for whatever she might face soon.
After a brief journey, the cart carrying the cage abruptly halted, causing Arianaâs heart to race.
As the covering was yanked away, blinding light assaulted her eyes, forcing them to a squint.
When her vision cleared, she found herself in an expansive arena, encircled by eager faces.
Suddenly, some deep, menacing growls drew her gaze.
Before her cage stood a lineup of fierce beasts.
The beasts were all moving in their confines.
Their intense stares were directed at Ariana, drool pooling from their mouths, a clear sign they were ready to lunge at her the moment they were freed.
Ariana was terrified; her legs turned to jelly, and she collapsed in her cage.
As she tried to calm down, she heard someone crying nearby.
Looking around, she saw she wasnât alone.
There were lots of cages, each packed with a person.
Some looked scared and pale, trembling, while others seemed unfazed as if they had been through this before.
Ariana quickly realized what was happening.
It felt like this place had stepped out of ancient times, mirroring those old arenas where people had faced off against wild animals without any weapons.
But how could that be possible? How could anyone be expected to fight wild, starving beasts bare-handed?
This was complete insanity!
Arianaâs resolve started to falter as she watched the menacing beasts across from her, growling and eyeing her with fierce hunger.
Her entire body began to shake uncontrollably, turning ice-cold.
Despite her past experiences and the challenges she had overcome, she had grown up in a peaceful country.
Her previous dangers had only involved criminals-people she could negotiate with or confront.
But now, she was facing a group of beasts that viewed her as nothing more than their food.
She had never even envisioned herself in such a terrifying situation, let alone actually being in one.