8. Fight for Survival

'.....'= Thoughts

 "....."= Conversations 

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Ethan had no idea how long he had been unconscious. He was awakened by a masked person.

'What the hell is wrong with these people? Why do they keep knocking us out?' Ethan cursed under his breath, but didn't show any expression on his face. He knew that if he spoke his thoughts out loud, he would be severely beaten.

Ethan shook his head and looked around. There were a few masked people in the room. Some were waking up the peopleof his group while others stood guard.

'Huh? Only four of us?' Ethan frowned, noticing that only four of them including him were present in the room.

The other members of his group who had woken up also noticed the absence.

'Did they kill him?' Ethan wondered, but he had no desire to ask the masked people, and neither did the others in his group. The number of people in their group had already decreased to four and by speaking out of line he didn't want the number to decrease to three. The four of them acted as if nothing had happened in the first place.

After waking everyone up, the masked people led Ethan and the group out of the room.

They were ushered through grand hallways and up a sweeping staircase, eventually arriving in a massive room with high ceilings and ornate tapestries adorning the walls. The room was already filled with 24 other people, all looking bewildered and confused like Ethan and his companions. Some were sobbing quietly, while others were trying to comfort each other in hushed tones.

As they were trying to understand their situation, the atmosphere became charged with tension as two figures swept into the room. They were utterly captivating, with an otherworldly beauty that took Ethan's breath away. The man had chiseled features, piercing eyes, and a confidence that commanded attention. His female counterpart was equally striking, with ethereal grace and a gaze that seemed to pierce into the very souls of those she looked upon. They exuded an aura of power and danger that was palpable in the air.

"Welcome, inferior beings," the woman spoke, with a seductive voice. "You have been brought here to entertain us. You will fight until only ten of you remain alive."

"Whattt?" A captive shouted, unable to hold his emotions.

The captive's words were cut off as the woman lunged at him, moving with inhuman speed and grace. In the blink of an eye, she had beheaded him with a single swift motion, the sound of his gasp cut short as his lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

The other captives stared in shock and horror, unable to comprehend the speed and precision with which the vampire had taken the man's life. Blood splattered across the floor as the head rolled, and a hushed silence fell over the room as the reality of their situation sank in.

'Vampires,' Ethan cursed his rotten luck. When they had appeared, he was almost 95% sure that these guys were vampires due to their mind-blowing appearance. Now, after the swift movement of the woman, his thoughts were further proved.

The female vampire straightened, her eyes flashing with a deadly warning as she returned to her original position,"Interfering with me will only result in swift and brutal consequences," she stated, her voice cold and commanding. "You are here to fight for your survival, nothing more. Let this be a reminder to all of you."

Her male counterpart stepped forward, his imposing figure casting a shadow over the room. "You have been chosen for our entertainment," he added, his voice like thunder. "You will obey our every command, or face the same fate as this unfortunate soul."

The captives trembled in fear, their hearts pounding with terror as they realized the gravity of their situation. They were at the mercy of these powerful beings, and there was no escape from the deadly games that awaited them.

The female vampire turned her piercing gaze upon the captives once again, a cruel smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"The rules are simple," the female vampire added, her voice as hypnotic as her gaze. "You will fight with nothing but your bare fists and legs. The only path to survival is through the elimination of others. Moroeover you cannot team up with the people you came with in the same wagon. Only teaming up between those who arrived through different wagons is allowed,"

Ethan felt a wave of panic wash over him as he processed the cruel words of the female vampires. He had never been a violent person, never harbored any desires to harm others. But as he looked around at the other contestants, he knew that he had no other choice if he wanted to survive.

The air was thick with the scent of fear and determination as the others sized each other up, preparing for the savage battle that was about to commence.

He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself against the horror of what he was about to do. He closed his eyes and made a promise to himself that if he survived this game of the vampires again, he would become stronger. He would train hard, both physically and mentally, to ensure that he would never be in such a desperate position ever again. He would make the best use of the system given to him.

He would become resilient, unyielding, and unbreakable.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the other contestants eyeing each other warily, some with grim determination etched on their faces, others with desperation and fear. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to steady his shaking hands, knowing that he needed to act quickly if he wanted to survive.

He first observed the other captives in the room. Apart from there were six more people who had a good and muscular build. Among the six captives there was one person whose height was almost close to seven feet and was bulkier and muscular then all the people in the room.

Ethan himself was a 6'1, and the remaining captives were almost as the same height as him. Though he knew that he shouldn't compare a person'a strength based only on his height and muscles, that was the only option he had at the moment. The sight of the other contestants made him realize the gravity of the situation he was in. It was a fight for survival, and only the strongest would come out alive.

Initially, the captives had been horrified by their situation, but now they were all sizing each other up. Earlier, they may have considered escaping, but the speed at which the woman had killed one of them pushed those thoughts to the back of their minds.

Now, the only thing on their minds was to fight and survive.

As the captives contemplated their grim predicament, the two vampires observed them with detached amusement. They seemed to take pleasure in the fear and confusion that reigned in the room, relishing the spectacle of mortal turmoil.

The male vampire surveyed the captives with a cold smile, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "One more thing. Those who don't participate in the fight will be brutally killed by us."

"The games begin now," he announced, his voice carrying through the room with chilling finality.

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