"Someone...please save me..."

    Seraphine''s voice broke into a whisper, trembling as she hugged herself tighter on the cold ground. Her tears refused to stop, spilling endlessly, as though each one carried the weight of the betrayal she''d uncovered.

    Her mind flooded with memories, images of her past flashing before her eyes like fragments of a broken mirror. She saw her father, his strong, confident figure standing tall even as the guards dragged him away in chains. His face was etched with pain, not for himself but for the family he was leaving behind. She remembered the fear that clutched her chest as she watched him turn one last time to look at her.

    "Stay strong, Seraphine," he''d said, his voice steady but his eyes filled with sorrow.

    But how could she stay strong when the world around her crumbled into chaos?

    The memory shifted to the days that came after that, to the whispers and pointed fingers. How the townsfolk spoke of her father as a traitor, taunting her and her mother mercilessly.

    "A knight''s family? Hah, nothing but cowards and liars," they''d sneered. The weight of those words had slowly eaten away at her mother''s spirit, leaving her hollow. Seraphine clenched her eyes shut, trying to push away the image of the day she found her mother lifeless, her fragile mind having finally given in to the depths of mountains where she commited suicide.

    The sobs wracked her body harder now, her nails digging into her arms as she trembled uncontrollably.

    And then came Darius. The man who had stepped into her life when it was at its darkest. He had been her savior—or so she had believed. He had wiped her tears, took care of her, and granted her every wish. He had been the father figure she thought she''d lost.@@@@

    Now, every act of kindness, every reassuring word, felt like a knife stabbing her heart. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    "All of it... nothing more than a lie," she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of realization.

    Her lips quivered as another name escaped them.

    "Cutiepie..."

    She saw my face in her mind, the casual smirk I always wore, the way I teased her relentlessly, and the moments when I offered her advice late at night.

    Her breathing slowed as the words I''d once spoken echoed in her ears.

    "People come... people leave. It''s a part of life. Me, Darius... everyone."

    Her eyes widened slightly, her breath hitching as the truth in those words began to sink in.

    "But you, as a knight, have a duty," my voice continued, firm yet oddly comforting. "A knight''s duty isn''t to their past—it''s to protect the future. What will you choose, Seraphine? Redemption through lies or justice through truth?"

    Her trembling stopped, and her tears slowed as her fists clenched at her sides. Her eyes, bloodshot and heavy with anguish, faded into a steely darkness.

    The choice was getting clear for her now.

    Shivering, Seraphine slowly sat up, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and resolve. Her eyes lingered on her trembling hand, and with a deep, shaky breath, she clenched her fist. As the sharp sting of cold air brushed against her skin, she wiped away the tears that had threatened to fall.

    Her long, blue hair cascaded over her face, hiding her emotions from the world. The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on her, but she refused to let it break her.

    With quiet determination, Seraphine stood, with the support of both hands against the cold ground.

    She stared forward, looking at the exit, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it carried the gravity of her resolve.

    I smirked, tilting my head slightly as I responded, "And you''ve got quite the fan club." I nodded sarcastically toward the booing crowd.

    His jaw tightened, but he didn''t take the bait. "All this confidence won''t save you when I put you in the ground."

    "Big words for someone who needs drugs to win," I shot back, my smirk widening.

    His eyes darkened, but he said nothing, gripping the handle of his chain knife tighter instead.

    The announcer stepped forward, raising his arms to silence the crowd.

    "Warriors, take your positions!"

    The noise began to die down as the anticipation reached its peak.

    My gaze locked onto Orcas, who stood ready to strike, his weapon gleaming ominously under the torchlight.

    The crowd leaned forward in their seats, every eye in the arena fixed on the two of us.

    They all murmured with restless energy, the air thick with anticipation. Conversations overlapped, a chaotic mix of excitement and doubt.

    "You think Cutipie has a chance?" a voice whispered from the left, hesitant but curious.

    "I mean, she''s strong and all," another chimed in, "but Orcas didn''t even flinch during his match with Alex. Did you see that? He''s a monster."

    A scoff came from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. "No, we can''t be sure of that. Even Braun was strong—really strong—but Cutipie saved Seraphine and snapped his arm like it was a toy."

    "Yeah," someone agreed, their tone laced with awe. "She''s crazily strong as well. I wouldn''t count her out."

    "Ahh—this is exciting!" a younger voice exclaimed, unable to hide their enthusiasm.

    The tension in the arena crackled like electricity. All eyes turned toward the center stage, where the fateful clash would soon begin.

    Whispers turned into a low roar, the crowd divided between loyalty and disbelief, all eager to see if I could truly hold my own against Orcas.

    The announcer raised his voice one final time, his words echoing across the arena.

    "Let the final... BEGIN!"

    For a moment, we stood still, our gazes locked. The world around us seemed to blur, the noise of the crowd fading into a distant hum. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing—just a quiet understanding that this was it.

    *Step* *Step*

    Slowly, we both took a step forward. Then another. The distance between us closed with each step, the tension thickening in the air.

    "They''re walking so confidently towards each other!" the announcer''s voice boomed, his excitement rippling through the crowd like a wave.

    Finally, we stopped, hardly three steps away from each other. I could see every detail now—the faint rise and fall of his breath, his dead eyes and bulging muscles.