WHITE DWARF • THE 100

24

A LITTLE BIT OF CHAOS

Cassie stared in awe at the fighters in the ring. They'd been in the Pit for hours, watching the fighters throw punches, kick each other mercilessly and utilise every move they had to get even the slightest of an advantage. It was animalistic, seeing them scramble for even the smallest of chances to win. They didn't flinch as bones snapped. Their faces remained impassive as blood spilled to the floor. 

The only time Cassie saw any emotion pass their faces was the moment that they realised the fate of the fight. 

Moments before the finishing blow, Cassie could see the defeat written on the face of the victim. Their bodies slumped before Aidan called the end to the fight. They knew there was no reason to carry on fighting - they had lost. 

It was another story for the victor. Cassie had never seen such happiness bless someone's face. Their eyes wide and mouth spread wide, despite the many bruises and blood cracking at their features. Through all of the pain, they smiled. 

"Why are we doing this?" Cassie finally asked. Her arms were tucked tightly into each other, the hood of her jacket far over her head. If anyone had any suspicions about it, they didn't declare it, only sending her the odd curious glance. The Pit was a place of secrecy, and as monstrous as some of the people within it were, they respected privacy. After all, they all had their own secrets to hide. 

Astrid sighed, clapping her lightly on the back. Cassie nearly fell over from the force. "Just watch how they fight." 

"Why can't we just keep training?" 

"Because someone is a little stronger than they thought." Even though the words were harsh, a small smile had formed on Astrid's face. After what happened after the last time they fought, Astrid still hadn't fully recovered. It had been nearly two weeks, and each time she looked at her she felt her stomach clench. 

She had caused that. 

Suddenly Cassie was very interested in the sleeves of her jacket. 

Astrid must have sensed her change of mood, for she spoke up again. This time, she used a tone of voice Cassie had only heard once before, and that was when she was trying to convince her to stay away from the Pit. "Don't feel bad about it. I was purposely pushing you over the edge, and you did exactly what I wanted. More than I what I wanted. You surprised me. You should be proud." 

Cassie scoffed. "Yeah, be proud of beating you to a pulp." 

"Hey." Astrid's voice hardened. She moved into Cassie's line of sight, blocking her sight from the ring and forcing her whole attention onto her. "You better get used to it. If you are really serious about this, what you did to me will pale in comparison." 

"How can you just, brush it off so easily?" Cassie turned her head away from Astrid, eyes drifting to the floor. "How can you be so happy hurting these people?" 

"Okay kid, time for another lesson. It's pretty straightforward, so hopefully you'll wrap your head around it. No one around here cares for your safety. All they care about is seeing a good show, or getting that prize. No one will check to make sure that you're okay, they'll just pat you on the back and congratulate you or tell you to get your act together. The sooner you learn that, the better." Astrid snatched at Cassie's chin, forcing her head up. Cassie didn't even fight it. "Look at my bruises, look at my cuts. This is what victory looks like, and if you don't like the look of it you should just leave." 

Cassie jolted her head out of Astrid's hands. Her jaw was working so hard she could feel her teeth grind against each other. She didn't say anything, only side stepping Astrid so that she could properly get a good view of the fight. She pretended that she was so absorbed in it that she couldn't notice Astrid's gaze searing into the side of her face.