The white light faded, and Akhil took his first breath of arena air.
For a moment—just a brief moment before survival instincts fully kicked in—he allowed himself to truly look at where he'd been transported.
The arena was massive.
Watching on screens hadn't done it justice. The sheer scale of the structure was staggering—easily large enough to hold fifty thousand spectators, maybe more. Towering pillars of white marble rose toward a ceiling so high it disappeared into shadow. Golden banners hung from impossible heights, each one emblazoned with symbols that seemed to shift and change when viewed directly.
