The arena gates closed with a groan, sealing the darkness inside. The faceless crowd howled in protest, but Hades silenced them with a single gesture. The trial was done — for now.
Kairo was dragged through the tunnels beneath the pit, his body half-limp, his mind burning from what the Threads had forced him to see. Chains rattled with each step, their iron biting into wounds that refused to close.
At last, the guards threw him into a stone chamber. A cell, though larger than the one before. The walls dripped with condensation, the air heavy with the stench of rust and blood. A single torch flickered weakly in the corner, more shadow than flame.
Kairo lay still for a long time, chest rising and falling, his crimson eyes dimming to coals. His body begged for sleep, but his mind would not yield. The visions still lingered — thrones, hooks, the laughter of voices that were not his own.
Footsteps echoed.
He did not lift his head until the iron door creaked open. A figure slipped inside, his steps quiet, calculated.
Igron.
He did not speak at first. He simply leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze studying Kairo with something that was not mockery this time. Silence stretched, broken only by the drip of water down stone.
Finally, Igron's voice came low, almost conversational.
"You think what you've endured so far was the end? It wasn't even the opening verse."
Kairo's lips barely moved. His voice was a rasp.
"Then what comes next?"
Igron smirked, but there was no humor in it.
"Ninety-nine demons."
The words hung in the air like a curse.
Kairo's eyes narrowed, though his body was too broken to rise.
"With what?"
Igron's smirk faded. His gaze sharpened, heavy, deliberate.
"Your bare hands."
The silence that followed was suffocating. The torch sputtered, casting jagged shadows against the stone.
Kairo closed his eyes, his breath steadying, though inside he could feel the weight pressing down already. Ninety-nine demons. No blade. No chain. No mercy.
Igron pushed off the wall and stepped back toward the door. He paused once, glancing over his shoulder.
"Rest while you can, Kairo. When the next round begins… there will be no rest until you've killed them all."
The door slammed shut.
And in the darkness, Kairo lay waiting, his fists clenched tight enough for blood to drip onto the floor.