A suction tugged at your feet while the darkness writhed. It was cold but also strangely warm. All you could really feel was Vi, her unconscious body pressed against your chest.

Every single inch of your body was burning, itching. The desire to bite your arms came over you. As if a swarm of insects were breeding under his skin. Nausea constricted your throat.

A few seconds passed. It was as if you were floating in nothing, weightless and yet as heavy as a thousand worlds.

The blood was sticking to your cheeks when it had finally drained away enough for your feet to find their footing again. The arena's sewage system was running at full speed.

Masses of liquid ran off and would be channelled through hidden pipes into the harbours of the Undercity where they would cause even more pollution. The world weighed heavily on your shoulders.

Exhausted, you slumped down, Vi on top of you. She was heavy but surprisingly soft. Like a stuffed teddy.

Rattling, your lungs took in air and the next moment the nausea overcame you with such force that you had to push Vi away and turn onto your stomach.

The stench of decaying water lingered in the air. The sand had turned into a muddy mass that you sank into with your hands and feet if you lay there motionless for too long.

"Hey...", you had to suppress a gag. "Kid."

Vi groaned. Her red hair was sticky and slippery from the blood. You felt disgusting. Worse than she looked.

Small shreds of your skin had flaked off your arms. The electricity had not been lethal but constant enough to cause permanent damage. You could still feel it tingling in your fingertips.

All at once, a flinch ran through Vi's shoulders. Then she tensed up, arched her back and threw up abruptly in the sand. Spitting and gasping, she emptied her stomach while the smell of acid crept into your nose.

A shiver ran down your spine that was only interrupted by a painful twinge in your bones. Tears blurred the world before your eyes.

"Shit..!", with trembling fingers you clutched your head to suppress the aching throbbing.

"Ugh... Fuck...", Vi spat out the last contents of her stomach. "Fuck... we... we're alive?"

Inhaling sharply, you squinted your eyes.

"Somehow...", you confirmed. "Shit..."

The crowd around you had fallen silent. Eyes watched, some curious, others tense. Even a blind man would have been able to tell that this was not the outcome that was supposed to happen.

It took a moment for visibility to improve. Not far from you lay the motionless body of the worm.

The creature was so huge that you couldn't see the other side. Hair and teeth protruded on all sides from torn flesh. And shards of glass were stuck in it.

Metal rods had drilled through the skin. It could have been an inspiring sight if it hadn't been for all the blood.

And the stench.

Vi shakily got to her feet. Her breathing was so heavy that it sounded as if her lungs were filled with pebbles. She couldn't even raise her hands, her face contorted in pain.

"Take it easy, kid.", you whispered to her as you stood up next to her. "No quick movements."

She swallowed hard. Small shreds of burst skin stuck to the metal of your fingernails as you placed your hand on her arm.

Like you, the electricity had caused her damage. At least it didn't seem so fatal for her. It would heal again. With enough time and wounds to lick.

Heavy footsteps filled the tense silence that had fallen in the arena. Only the pounding of your heart and the rush of your blood drowned out everything.

A group of enforcers encircled you. Weapons raised, their faces hidden under masks, they came closer and closer until you were forced to back away.

Only when your shoulders pressed against the cold, wet concrete of the walls did Vi finally give in, spitting on the floor and raising both arms.

Your eyebrows raised in surprise. Your hands remained calmly hanging at your sides. There was no reason to distrust you, it was an open secret that you didn't go into fights that couldn't be won. And unnecessary conflict didn't appeal to you.

Exhaling deeply, you closed your eyes and took a step away from Vi so that she could be handcuffed before cold metal was wrapped around your wrists.

The cold on your maltreated skin was like a bite that penetrated through every layer of flesh. Inhaling sharply, you suppressed a wince, the urge to rub your teeth against the itchy skin.

Next to you, Vi grunted with exhaustion. Like so many times before, she swayed on her feet.

"You'd better sit down.", you advised her with a glance over your shoulder.

But she only raised her chin defiantly in reply as one of the enforcers came towards you and stopped in front of you.

Like a cat whose fur stood on end, Vi kept her gaze fixed on the man, or the woman. It was hard to tell, the uniform of blue, white and gold wasn't there to emphasise the body.

"You're alive.", you guessed it was a woman from her voice. "Interesting."

Her gaze was fixed on you, but it didn't feel like she was talking to you. Dark brown eyes travelled to Vi only briefly, full of appraisal and little recognition, before she turned around and motioned for the others to take you away.

As she did so, a bit of her uniform lifted and revealed a shoulder made of solid brass.

All at once, the tension in your body eased. A soft sound of exhaustion escaped your lips before you almost tripped over your own feet as you took your first step.

"Shit...", you muttered as the feeling of warm blood crawled over your arms.

Behind you, Vi groaned. Two enforcers grabbed her by the arms but she couldn't walk and collapsed. Roughly, they dragged her along while her slippered feet left tracks in the sand.

"Hey...", you hissed with a warning glare. "Be careful. This is my new partner."