Chapter 74 The Arena's Shadow

The night at Cherish’s safe house was quiet, though none of them slept. The air smelled of iron and smoke, but the silence weighed heavier. Revoli hadn’t liked Kai’s plan—going back to the arena—but she kept her protests short. She would follow him no matter what. Patrona said little, sharpening blades in the corner, while Kai sat alone, staring at the floor with that lost look since waking. When dawn came, they moved without ceremony. Revoli stayed at Cherish’s insistence; Patrona followed Kai into the shadows.

The handlers led Kai through the narrow passage under the arena. His staff hung loose in his grip, too light for his frame, but all they’d given him. The roar of the crowd above was constant.

Patrona walked close. If the handlers wanted to stop her, they’d need more than a shove.

“Kai.”

He stopped, eyes shadowed. Not unkind, but lost.

Patrona’s chest tightened. “Do you want to know why I won’t leave you?”

Silence.

“I met you in a bar fight. You threw me down hard. No hesitation. Nobody had ever done that to me.”

The memory burned—his sharp, relentless fight, not feeding the twisted hunger she once chased.

“All my life, I fed on pain. I thought that was all I wanted. Then you kissed me. Just once. And it broke me worse than the throw. It killed the part of me that craved cruelty. It made me want something real. It made me want you.”

The torches crackled. Kai gripped the staff.

“I don’t remember that,” he said. His voice was steady. “I don’t remember you the way you want.”

Her heart sank—until he went on.

“But… even without the memory, something tells me I’d do the same again. I’d fight for you. With you. There’s a link. I feel it.”

Patrona’s breath caught. Enough.

The arena gate groaned. Light and sound poured in—cheers, shouts, stamping feet.

The serpent slid out. Scales scraped the sand, body coiling, fangs dripping venom.

Patrona lifted her blades. “Then let’s prove it.”

The handlers shoved Kai. The serpent struck. Sand exploded where Patrona had stood—Kai had thrown her clear just in time.

She rolled, ears twitching, catching the scrape of coils and hiss of air. “Kai!”

Too late. The serpent lunged again, jaws clamping over his chest. It dragged him down and swallowed him whole.

The crowd erupted.

Patrona sprinted. She dove under its coils, jammed a knife into its belly. The serpent screeched, tail lashing stone. She twisted the blade deeper, but the beast whipped her aside. She hit hard, vision swimming.

Inside, Kai fought to breathe. Darkness pressed, muscles crushing his ribs. His staff was gone. Bones bent under the weight.

Not like this.

A memory stirred—fighting, near death, surviving. His hand found Patrona’s blade lodged in its gut. Heat burned his palm as he pulled and twisted.

Patrona staggered up, knives raised, as the serpent reared to strike.

Its belly split.

With a roar, Kai forced his way out. Blood poured into the sand. He stumbled forward, alive.

Patrona slashed across its eyes. The beast screeched, rearing back.

Kai gripped the staff, striking once, twice, until the skull cracked. The serpent collapsed.

For a heartbeat, silence. Then the stands erupted.

Kai stood panting, dripping blood, staff hanging at his side. Patrona was beside him, blades lowered.

The handlers rushed forward, shouting, eager to drag him away. Patrona’s eyes never left him.

He didn’t remember her. Not yet. But he had chosen to fight beside her. That was enough. For now.