CHAPTER 1: Neither The Beginning Nor The End But Somewhere In The Story

'Where am I? What just happened?'

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around in confusion. All around all I could see was fire.

Panic immediately overcame me and I began screaming. This went on for a few minutes before I paused.

'Wait, I can't feel anything.' Once I realized that the confusion I was feeling tripled. 'Not only that, I can't hear my voice. I feel like I'm using my vocal chords but I can't hear anything.'

As I was processing what was going on a voice suddenly boomed out from above me.

"WELCOME ALL OF YOU."

I looked up as soon as I heard the voice and what I saw in the air changed my life forever.

A hazy figure was floating tens of meters up in the air. Both of the person's arms were bound by long chains that extended far into the distance. If fact the chains were so long that I couldn't even see how far it went, it just seemed to stretch too eternity.

"I WAITED FOR A WHILE SINCE SOME OF YOU SEEMED TO BE DEALING WITH…ISSUES. BUT I'VE GIVEN YOU ALL THE TIME I CAN."

The figure's words implied that multiple people were in this burning purgatory so I began looking around, it was then that I noticed multiple shadowy figures in the distance.

'Who are those?" I then noticed that some of the figures seemed strange. "Are they even human?"

The voice then boomed out once again, only this time I thought I could hear excitement in the person's voice.

"ONCE AGAIN WELL TO ALL OF YOU." The person then began to laugh. "WELCOME MY ELEVEN CHAMPIONS!"

 ONE AND A HALF MONTHS EARLIER 

*CLASH*

*BANG*

*BOOM*

*PANT, PANT, PANT*

I took a deep ragged breath. Raising my hand I rested it against my chest, instantly feeling the hard and quick pounding beat of my heart, bearing similarity to that of a beating drum.

"YOUR WINNER GRISE!!!"

At the announcer's entilarated words, the crowd of masked—and the rare few unmasked—individuals broke out into loud, booming cheers and screams, echoing around and increasing the pitch, making the sound appear louder than it actually was.

"GRISE, GRISE, GRISE!!!"

'That was harder than usual.' I thought as I gripped my shoulder, immediately after a sharp stabbing pain ran up my arm. 'A few seconds more and I would have lost.'

I then turned around, and as I jumped off the stage, I looked at the rising metal gates that led out of the arena and sighed.

I glanced behind my back and looked at the glossy eyes of the still body which was lying dead on the stone platform I had just jumped off.

I shook my head and thought darkly. 'I wonder if that will be me one day. A nameless corpse on the ground that will be forgotten minutes, or at most hours after its death.'

I sighed and walked through the metal gate.

'No use thinking about it now, this is the life I chose and I'll see it through till the end.'

With that the metal gate began to come down and with a loud clunk it hit the ground.

-

-

-

"Here are your winnings." A woman who looked to be in her early twenties said cheerfully.

The woman was sitting behind a desk in the lobby of the arena where illegal fights happened every night. This desk was where fighters came to collect the money they win after every fight.

Well, that is if they manage to not die during the fight.

The woman then leaned forward while twirling a lock of her hair.

"You know I remember the first day you came here Grise. Although it was only a few years ago I get shocked everytime I think about how far you've come."

Ignoring her words I reached across the table for the bag of coins that was in her hand.

But before I could take the bag away from her the woman grabbed my hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

Then as she looked me in my eyes she leaned close to me and whispered in my ear.

"How about we head somewhere more private," She ran her hand down my bicep then winked at me. "And, you know...chat."

I looked down and noticed that her breasts were almost hanging out of her loose blouse. I then looked up and really looked at her.

She had short red hair that was styled in a bob cut fashion, slightly pale skin, shapely figure although it was a bit on the thin side, with long lashes and shining emerald eyes.

Honestly she was beautiful and any active male would gladly have a 'chat' with her, but I knew better than that.

"Sorry," I said gruffly as I pulled my hand out of hers. "I'm not in the mood to 'chat' today."

Some people would call me a fool for ignoring her obvious advances towards me, especially when she was easy on the eyes, but in this world looks can be deceiving. 

So although I noticed how she was flirting with me (I mean it was almost impossible to not notice) I ignored her and turned around.

As I walked away I touched the place on the lion mask I was wearing where my cheek would have been.

'I would not have remembered if that woman hadn't mentioned it, but isn't she the same woman who had been at that same desk the first time I came here?'

I thought hard about it as I walked out of the building and stared up in the air.

I looked at the ceiling of the huge cave I was in, which was probably at least a hundred meters up.

'Yes, I think it was her.' I then looked down and shook my head. 'That day when I came here with those two, when I was eleven years old, it was her who registered us.'

'Hmmm, all the more reason I was right to not go with her. If even now, about two years later, she still looks the same, hell she might even look younger, then I think it was wise to keep my distance.'

I then shrugged my shoulders, looked up and began to walk away.

"Speak of the devil." I said with a sigh as I stopped in my tracks. "One of the two is here."

In front of me was a lanky figure of about six feet two inches, who was wearing a horned demon mask on his face.

The figure then started walking slowly up to me.

I looked around and immediately knew that this wasn't the place for the conversation we were about to have so I turned and looked for a place we could talk. 

As I was looking I glanced to the right and I saw a restaurant. 

My eyes lit up when I saw the name which hung over the door. 

''Fayls spot'' I thought as I began walking toward the restaurant. 'I remember hearing that it was a private place and if you enter one of their special rooms it won't be possible for anyone outside to see or hear what is going on inside.'

At this point the man in the demon mask had reached me, and not even glancing at him, I continued walking toward Fayls spot.

The man followed me and soon we both entered the restaurant.

"Welcome." Said a masked man who was standing by the door. "Do you want a table for two or do you require more privacy?"

I glanced behind me at the demon masked man.

"I want a private room." I said as I turned back to the host.

"Very good." Replied the man as he tapped away at a panel next to him.

He then looked up at us. "If you two would please follow me."

He then turned, walked through a beaded curtain and entered the serving area of the restaurant.

The host didn't stop walking and led us past what seemed to be a privacy booths.

'I guess so they can eat without anyone seeing their faces.' I thought as I looked around.

He then led us past another pair of beaded curtains and into a hall that had doors on either side of it.

After waking a few more steps into the hall he turned and looked at the demon masked man and I.

"Room 11, when you are ready to order just press the button next to the door."

He then stood outside as we entered the room.

*CLICK*

I then looked at the demon masked man as the door clicked shut.

'Well, I guess it's time to face the music.'