Weightlessness. A stomach-lurching drop. Then—impact.

  Sand exploded into Aaron’s nose and mouth—coarse, suffocating. A scream. Barking—raw, hungry—echoed from the void.

  Aaron hit hard. Knees slammed into shifting sand. Skin burned as he scrambled upright, spear snapping to ready. The sandstorm swallowed everything. He could barely see the spear’s tip before it vanished into the haze.

  Growls. Circling. Close. Where are the others?

  He pivoted.

  Three shadows emerged—two standing, one down. Movement—fast and low.

  A shape broke from the sand—straight for Theon.

  Aaron opened his mouth—Warn him! —Too late. Theon’s scream tore through the dust.

  Aaron turned—instinct, panic. “Stay in formation!” Rhea’s voice thundered. No hesitation.

  She moved like a blade—her spear flashed, blood sprayed. Two hounds lay still.

  Barking—behind him. Shit.

  He spun. A bestial hound lunged. Eyes glazed. Unnatural. No time.

  Aaron lifted his spear. Blocked out the screams.

  The beast leapt and he braced. Hardened wood met flesh—piercing under the jaw, deep into the chest.

  The shaft wrenched in his grip, tearing at raw palms.

  Pain exploded along his ribs as the dying hound crashed into him. And it is not over.

  The dying hound’s momentum took its revenge. It hit him like a freight train.

  Aaron went down hard. Blood splashed his face—hot, metallic. It stung his eyes. Warmth soaked his side.

  The dog wheezed its last breath, pumping blood with it. Great. Literally bloody hell.

  Barking erupted—closer this time. Fast.

  His spear remained lodged in the hound’s chest.

  And he was pinned.

  Panic clawed at his throat. Is this my first death? At least let it be quick—straight to the throat.

  Then—

  A halb-burried piece of wood.

  The tip of a spear jutted from the sand. Backup.

  Paws thundered—closing in. Aaron stretched. Fingers scraped sand—too far. Shit.

  The dead hound’s weight pressed him down. No time.

  Jaws snapped. Teeth flashed. Missed his foot by inches. Did I just dodge that accedentally? Seriously?

  Fingers found the spear. Good. Now come around, puppy.

  He gripped it with both hands, raising it over his head—awkward under the dead weight. Which way?

  A shadow flickered. Left—nothing.

  He craned his neck. There.

  The monstrous hound sniffed—head tilting, uncertain. One step. Two.

  Close now. Aaron could smell its wet fur.

  He held his breath. The hound’s corpse crushedhis chest. No room. No breath. No way to fight.

  The living hound crept forward—sniffing, cautious. What? Aaron met its glassy eyes. Blind.

  Slow. Careful. He edged the spear sideways. Two steps from the beast. One from his skull.

  He lowered the tip.

  The corpse pressed down—unrelenting. His lungs burned. Pain pounded in his ribs.

  He tapped the spear’s tip against the sand. Snap.

  It lunged straight into range.

  Aaron pulled back. Strike.

  The corpse shifted—throwing him off. Correct it.

  Calm flooded him. Blood. Sand. The stink of sweat. It all made sense—like running a perfect simulation.

  Adjust. He felt for the skillguides warmth—drove the spear forward.

  The blade punched into the shoulder. A yelp—raw, panicked.

  The point scraped bone, slid into the neck.

  The beast twisted. The spear pinned it—neck skewered.

  Push of war, Aaron thought, grimly amused.

  His arms shook. His chest burned. Hold. Let it bleed.

  Sweat mixed with blood and sand. Seconds dragged into ethernity.

  Then—collapse. Silence.

  Muffled groans echoed behind him. Alive. Someone’s still alive.

  —

  The dust settled. The air was thick with the stench of sweat and blood.

  Rhea stepped into view, her spear resting casually against her shoulder. Her eyes scanned the carnage before settling on Aaron. “You look feral,” she murmured. “It suits you.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Aaron exhaled—ragged, unsteady. Blood dripped from his chin, warm and sticky. His muscles trembled from holding the hound at bay.

  He laughed—dry, breathless. “Thanks... I guess.”

  Rhea didn’t smile. “Need help?”

  The dead weight still pressed him into the sand. Aaron shifted slowly—legs angled, twisted beneath the carcass. Rhea watched, expression flat, but moved over. Then, a quiet count: “...Three.”

  With a grunt, Aaron shoved. The absolute unit of a dog rolled aside. He lay still on his side, chest heaving. The bloody sand felt oddly pleasant. Like something from a spa.

  Rhea raised an eyebrow. Aaron gave her a tired nod. “Are the others—?” Aaron’s voice wavered, his gaze snapping over the blood-slicked battlefield. “Are they..”

  Theon and Erai sat, their figures etched in the mess of sand and blood.

  Rhea’s voice cut through the haze. “Fine, yes. Focus.” Her tone was flat, but her eyes were sharp.

  Aaron looked down. His tunic clung—drenched, heavy. Blood coated his skin—thick, still warm.

  The smell had faded. Or I stopped noticing it. Yet the taste lingered. Copper and survival.

  Aaron snatched his spear, thrusting it toward the fallen dogs. “What the hell are those monsters?” Aaron snapped, eyes wide in disbelief.

  Rhea glanced at him, her expression unreadable. “They’re not monsters. They’re normal beast-hounds.”

  He laughed—bitter, sharp. “They don’t exactly look like cuddle puppies.” Anger surged. His voice shook. “Why does this keep happening?!”

  Tears burned through the blood caked on his face. “What did I do wrong? What have I done to your gods? Why me? There are plenty of psychopaths out there. Let them enjoy this!”

  His scream echoed—raw, unfiltered. The others stared.

  Only Theon’s gaze held understanding.

  Without warning the ground shuddered. The platform tilted— towards a forty-five degrees angle. Even Reha only got out a surprised curse.

  Sand became a landslide. Aaron lunged for his spear—fingers scraped, slipped.

  He fell. Theon and Erai tumbled beside him.

  Seven canine carcasses slid after them. Seven?

  A distant thought, cold and precise. That does not make sense.

  The sand funneled downward—into a yawning black void. A yelp—sharp, sudden—from above. A dog barreled into Theon and Erai. Knocked free. Into the dark.

  Teh were ten steps from the edge. We’re gonna fall down. Fuck this bullshit.

  Rhea shoved herself up—and leaped after them. Futile. We are dead.

  Then—

  The far side of the platform lurched viloently. Grinding stone roared. The edge rose—smooth, relentless. Came level with the lowest part.

  The hole sealed with a deep, final thud. Fighters and tons of sand slammed into the wall.

  Rhea rebounded off it with practiced ease. Her spear—gone. Lucky none of us got skewered.

  Aaron crashed into a sandpile at the far left. No spear. No plan. How do we kill a beast-hound without weapons?

  He looked toward the scuffle. There.

  Theon and the hound lay dazed against the wall. Erai, steady and sharp, clung to the hound’s back. Arms locked in a chokehold. Big or small—brains still need oxygen. Smart.

  Aaron scanned the arena. Two barred gates. Opposite sides. Perfectly aligned with the center. That cannot be good.

  A deep slam. The bars dropped. Four smaller hounds burst out—mangy and snarling. Wolf-sized. Fast. Growls echoed. Claws scraped against stone.

  “Dogs from the sides!” Aaron shouted, raising his empty hands in frustration. “What do we do?” Rhea’s eyes flicked from threat to threat. Cool. Focused.

  “Theon—cover that side! Aaron—find weapons! Erai—choke him out!” Her voice split the chaos like a blade.

  Theon limped forward, blood trailing from his arm. Rhea turned to face the incoming hounds. Aaron scanned the sand. Weapons. Where—

  He dashed across the sandpile. The snarling hound twisted, turning beneath Erai’s grip.

  No spear. Damn it—

  Then—he spotted it. A jagged chunk of wood, half-buried under the thrashing beast. Great. Under the dog rodeo.

  Before he could move the ground shifted. Stone groaned again.

  Theon cried out—a hound clamped onto his arm. Blood splattered the sand.

  Rhea fell. The shifting ground shattered her footing, sending her crashing into the dust.

  Aaron froze. A burst of adrenaline, and then—nothing. No plan. No weapons.

  The hounds closed in. Their snarls seemed to pierce through his brain, his muscles seizing under the weight of helplessness.

  Suddenly, the platform lurched—dropping a meter. Dogs and fighters scattered.

  “Aaron, the spears!” Rhea’s voice slammed through the chaos. Aaron spun. Spears jutted from the sand like broken teeth.

  Erai’s beasthound had belly-flopped—unconscious. Her arm lay pinned beneath its bulk.

  Aaron grabbed the nearest spear. No hesitation. He drove it deep into the beast’s chest.

  The hound shuddered. Red bloomed beneath it—fast.

  Erai gasped, rolling clear. Her arm bent at a wrong angle—broken.

  But she didn’t pause. She grabbed a spear—hurled it. “Theon!” Aaron matched her. Another spear in the air. Rhea snatched hers without breaking stride.

  Theon didn’t.

  A hound had his right hand in its jaws. Theon dragged it back, dodging another snapping maw. How long can he survive that?

  Aaron sprinted. Erai close behind. The chasing dog never saw the strike.

  Aaron rammed the spear beneath its tail. The hound screamed.

  The warmth surged—familiar, guiding. Follow it.

  Throat. Stomach. Each stab clean, clinical. Five steps—

  Theon still grappled with the beast. The throat—open, vulnerable.

  Momentum carried Aaron’s strike home—

  The spear sank—butter-soft. Dog and man collapsed.

  Theon’s arm—still caught. Rhea stood nearby. Her opponent lay dead, barely a scratch on her.

  “Are you okay?” Aaron asked—pointless, breathless. Theon’s legs bled freely—three savage gashes.

  “No.” His voice trembled, but his eyes stayed steady. “Force open the jaws. Unbind my belt—I took some tunics.”

  “I’m not sure you’ll make it. You’re injured badly.” Another brilliant gem of mine. Because that helps.

  Aaron dropped to his knees, fumbling with Theon’s belt. Severed ropes. Torn tunics. Great first-aid kit.

  Theon gave him a puzzled look. “Why would this kill me? The legs will heal in hours. The arm, a few days. Regrowing flesh is annoying.” Lecturer tone. Teeth gritted.

  Rhea arrived, cutting off Aaron’s next dumb comment. “Grab the snout. Press your fingers into the base of its lips—hard.” Her voice—steady. Unshakable.

  Erai snapped a javelin shard. Handed it to Rhea. Aaron knelt beside the beast’s head. Hot. Wet. Sand everywhere. Blood and dust—it smells like a copper mine.

  “Open the jaws.” Rhea had the rope secured around Theon’s upper arm. The wood splint ready—a tourniquet. Efficient. Didn’t expect that.

  Aaron shoved his fingers into the hound’s slick mouth. Resistance. Then—release. A surge of blood streamed out.

  Rhea twisted the splint. The flow slowed. Stopped.

  Theon groaned. Erai worked in silence, wrapping makeshift bandages around shredded flesh. Good enough for now.

  Aaron collapsed onto the sand. The sky loomed above—deep blue, an ocean scattered with islands. Anywhere but here. A beach sounds nice.

  After a while, the ground shuddered beneath them for the forth time. A deep groan echoed through the platform as it sank downwards, its structure screaming under the strain. The sand began to shudder like boiling water.

  Aaron pushed himself up, muscles burning. The others mirrored him, tense, alert. Writing appeard along the walls. A mosaic—beautifully worked. Men wrestling beasts.

  A door slid open—silent, smooth and a figure stepped through. Turquoise robes shimmered—rippling like water. A sphere of glass floated before him, flickering with distorted arena scenes.

  He smiled. A beard twitched—controlled, calculating. The room stilled.

  The others knelt immediately. Aaron hesitated. Seriously? How low are we bowing now? Flat on our faces next?

  With a sigh, he knelt—slow, reluctant.

  +++ Shout-Out Time +++

  As always, this chapter was edited using the mighty Infomancy Analyst Spell called ChatGPT.

  Upload schedule: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri 4:47 PM EST / 10:47 PM CET → Each chapter is 1500 +/- 500 words long.

  What do you think of Aaron's decisions? Would you have done the same?

  Comment below, Like, Favorite or Recommend. It really helps. Thank you :)