A shiver chased down your back as the lift came to a halt. A sandy pit opened before your eyes, surrounded by a cage.

"What a familiar sight.", you muttered and took a deep breath.

One last time you wanted to take in the scent of dried sand and blood that had drenched it. For many years this place had been your worst nightmare and only friend. It had helped you earn a lot of favours and even more respect.

Rumours had sprouted from the place and had taught others to keep their mouths shut about you if they wanted to keep all their ten fingers.

Without the arena and its system of rewards you would have never been able to gather an entire backpack full of things that would now help you escape this place.

It was shitty but just like a home of abuse it was still sadly that. Home. For the longest time you hadn't known anything else. Now it was finally time to say goodbye.

Maybe one day when you were settled and ready you would dwell in these memories and laugh about them. But for now all you had left for it was to spit on the ground.

"Charming.", Vi joked as she shouldered the backpack again. "You know how to open that?"

She pointed at the cages door. You pulled out the key from the control panel and inserted it in another keyhole that was not too far away.

"I can't believe they never changed the system or something after the key went missing.", Vi snarled with a grin. "This must be a security disaster."

"Which is great for us.", you said with a nod.

You were about to turn on the electricity of the arena as your finger froze. Something in the back of your neck tingled. It was like a small voice that screamed.

Just to check your eyes jumped to look at Vi. Her posture was more tense, hands clenched into fists while she held the string of the backpack tightly.

"Something's off?", she asked, not really sure herself.

But you could have sworn you felt it yourself. This place was empty, deserted but still. You felt watched just the way you had felt all the way down here.

Again, your gaze wandered around the lift. Maybe you had missed something. But nothing caught your attention, seemed out of the ordinary.

Your eyes returned to Vi who simply shook her head. Hands clenched into fists. She was ready, whatever the world would throw at her.

Nodding, you turned the key inside the lock, pressed a few buttons and then pulled it out again to let it disappear inside your pocket.

Lights flickered, flooding the dullness with a bright sensation that forced you to turn your face towards the ground.

Something rang inside your ears. And within the next moment the gate of the cage opened, revealing...

Nothing.

Thrown off guard you looked around. The entire arena was empty but you could have sworn that it didn't feel like it.

Vi looked just as confused as you. With her eyebrow knitted together she pushed herself in front of you.

"Oh, don't play the hero, kid.", you chuckled slightly.

In one swift movement she let the backpack slide off her shoulder and pushed it into your arms. Taken by surprise you held onto it tight.

"Don't mind if I do.", she gifted you a wink.

"I do, actually."

"Don't be so clingy, sweet cheeks. Or you'll make me think you like me.", once more these words made you roll your eyes but you couldn't deny the fuzzy feeling that they caused inside your stomach.

"For fucks sake...", you muttered under your breath and moved forward to the edge of the cage while Vi took the first step outside.

Her bare feet left foot prints in the sand, drawing a strange picture of a freedom that was so close the two of you could taste it on the tips of your tongues.

As she reached the middle of the arena and nothing happened yet you decided to drop the paranoia and closed the distance again to stick to her side.

It was best to not leave too much room for attacks. You needed to watch her back and she needed to watch yours otherwise things would turn sour really quickly.

Vi seemed to have the same thoughts and reached out to offer her hand. You looked at it for a moment before grabbing it. Fingers locked with one another while she pulled you along.

Sand nestled against the bare soles of your feet, dry, yet strangely wet. Almost as if the blood you had shed over the years was still slumbering below the surface.

"What's the plan?", Vi asked over her shoulder while her eyes moved along the empty ranks of the audience.

Something in the back of your neck started tingling. It was like an invisible hand that reached down to grab a hold of you.

"If we manage to get up to the seats we can try and break the door that leads up to the jaw.", you gestured towards the metal dome that was high up on walls of concrete.

"Why the jaw?", Vi pulled you along.

Her steps started to quicken. It seemed like she started to develop a bad feeling for this situation as well. Running was the best option at this point.

Something inside your stomach pulled together. It felt horrible to tell her now but there was no other way.

"If the VIP tunnel exists it must be connected to the jaw. Otherwise there's no way to get in and out without being seen by others."

"IF?", she threw a hesitant glance back at you.

Guilt tied your throat for a moment. You had made it to one of the walls, your gaze jumping up. It was so high it would be difficult to reach.

"No promises for anything.", you simply said and tried to dig your nails into the concrete.

Deep marks were left behind but the grip wasn't strong enough to carry you up more than a few inches.

"You could have told me you don't have a plan.", her voice was sharp, reproaching.

"What, you want to go back to the cell?", you hissed.

"Well too damn late for that now, is it?!"

"Indeed.", a very familiar voice suddenly cut through the rising anger of you two.