Alex's eyes slowly fluttered open. At first, everything was a blur, but as his vision came into focus, an unfamiliar scene materialized before him.
He found himself lying on rough stone that formed natural terraces across what appeared to be a massive underground arena. The rock beneath him was warm to the touch, as if heated by some internal source that pulsed with rhythmic energy.
A dank, earthy smell filled the air, but underneath it was something else: the metallic scent of old blood and the sharp smell of fear that had soaked into stone over countless years. Though the space looked like a natural cavern, strips of gray sky were visible through deliberate openings far overhead, allowing pale light to filter down in geometric patterns.
