GLADIATOR | ELYSIUM RISING 1 ✔️

⍢ | 28

Iggy wished he never opened his eyes that next morning. Many nightmares plagued him the previous night—most of them revolving around Tenn's murder. Though, a few terrors regarding the fate of his parents made their way into his psyche. Yet, he'd rather be tortured by those images than face the day before him.

He dragged his aching body out of bed. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. As he trudged toward the bathroom to begin his morning routine, he couldn't help but notice how quiet the sleeping quarters were. All the other tributes—what was left of them, anyway—had gone off to the cantina for breakfast already. The morning alarm had likely gone off hours ago; he wouldn't have been surprised if he slept through it.

Eating was the last thing on his mind.

He stopped in front of the long mirror sitting above the row of faucets in the bathroom. The face staring back at him drooped with exhaustion and sorrow. Dark bags pulled down the skin beneath his eyes. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot and misty; a poorly timed joke could've caused him to break down at this point.

He stared at himself for what must've been ten minutes. Finally, he turned on the water and washed his face.

#

Iggy never made it to the cantina.

A white-haired android dressed in black and gold retrieved him from the sleeping quarters before he could make it there. He remembered it to be Opal, High Priestess Noia's servant.

He didn't mind the detour. Anything to get his mind off yesterday was fine with him. Every inch of the arena he'd explored so far reminded him of Tenn. So, when Opal led him to another sector of the stadium he hadn't been to, he welcomed the unfamiliarity.

The sparkling white halls fitted with holograms displaying newsfeeds and random videos reminded him of the route the guards from last night took to bring him to Voltai. His jaw clenched at the memory of that wretched man. As he sulked behind Opal, he kept his eyes on the floor.

He would kill that man. He didn't know how or when, but he would do it.

"We have arrived," Opal announced. The android gestured toward an open doorway. A quaint room overlooking the arena's north stand met his eye. Inside were several tables full of food, chairs, and a floating screen pushed toward one wall. One person sat inside.

Iggy refused to move.

High Priestess Noia Adani rose from her seat. A shimmering gold dress hugged her dark skin, further accentuating her astounding figure. A portion of her pink hair had been styled in a crown of braids around her head while the rest spilled down her back in silky waves. A tight smile rested on her painted lips.

"Iggorii," she said, her voice clipped. "Please, come in."

Iggy looked at Opal. The android's eyes never left their owner. Shaking his head, he trudged into the room. The smells of all the food mixing in the air around him made his stomach growl. He ignored the tables full of plates and cups, opting to keep his gaze fixated on the polished marble tile beneath his feet.

"Are you hungry?" the priestess asked him.

"No."

Clearing her throat, she smoothed out the wrinkles on the midsection of her gown. "I heard about what the emperor did last night. I'm...I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I truly am."

My loss?

He laughed. Noia blinked at him, her nose scrunching ever-so-slightly. Even Opal tilted her perfect head at him.

"You're sorry for my loss." He scoffed. "I didn't lose anything. Tenn was taken. He was murdered—executed like a stray dog when he did nothing wrong."