While all of this unfolded inside the castle, I, still down in the dungeons, was trying to sleep and recover as much of my strength as possible. The chains that held me had drained every last drop of my energy, and rest was the only way to regain it — slowly, yet inevitably.
Since the previous day, when Keltherion had left me there on the ground, completely destroyed, I had fallen into a deep sleep, exhausted beyond limit. Powerless, drained, all that was left for me was to wait for time itself to heal those wounds. Sleeping was, for me, the only escape.
My subconscious had always been the safest refuge — the only place where pain and cold couldn't reach me. There, even that frozen dungeon became almost comforting within my dreams.
But peace didn't last long. Suddenly, metallic sounds began echoing through the walls, growing louder with each passing second
...metallic echoes reverberating down the corridors...
— Hmm… what… is that sound? — I muttered, still groggy.
— Is it… getting louder? — I whispered, frowning.
With effort, I slowly lifted myself up. Cold sweat ran down my face, and every muscle trembled, begging for more rest. Still, an odd sensation coursed through my body — a premonition that something was about to happen. And if I was right, this would be the moment I had been waiting for… the chance to escape that hell I was trapped in.
The sounds drew closer until they stopped right before the great door of the hall where I was being kept. The creaking echoed loudly when they opened it, and the flood of light that burst into the room blinded me for an instant. From that brightness emerged several guards clad in golden armor, surrounding me with their spears raised, ready to strike at the slightest movement.
— Tsk… what the hell is going on? — I snarled, analyzing the commotion.
Deep down, however, I already knew. My plan was working. My words had seeped into Keltherion's mind like poison. After all, if he truly wanted me dead, he would have done it himself — so why all the spectacle? There was only one explanation: he wanted to expose me, to humiliate me before everyone, just as I had conveniently suggested to him.
Then, from among the soldiers, a different man appeared. His armor gleamed brighter than the rest, and the sword at his waist emanated a heavy, intimidating aura. He walked toward me slowly, the sound of his steps echoing through the silence. His presence was oppressive — a calculated display of power.
When he stopped in front of me, he lowered his gaze. In his eyes, I could see something between disgust and disdain… and perhaps, buried deep, a trace of pity.
— Huff… so… your king lets me go of those chains… but is so afraid to come here himself after that… huff… that he sends his lackeys instead?… haha… — I laughed weakly, between coughs and sighs.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances. The leader, however, remained still, with an unmoved expression. After a moment, he turned his back to me.
— Take him to the arena, — he ordered.
— I came here expecting to find something remotely worthy, something that might remind me why we even consider these creatures our rivals. But all I found… was pity. — He concluded before starting to walk toward the exit.
— YES, SIR! — they all shouted in unison.
Two guards, then, came over, grabbed me by the arms, and began dragging me forward. The cold, damp floor gave way to blinding light as we exited the dungeon. For a moment, the brightness outside nearly blinded me again. My eyes, accustomed to darkness, took time to adjust to such radiance. When I finally regained my vision, I noticed the looks — of disgust, contempt, and hatred — thrown at me by all those soldiers.
— Hah… this place is exactly what one expects from a dungeon… — I thought to myself as we climbed the stairs and passed through the endless corridors of that underground prison, trying to ignore the icy glares the soldiers cast my way.
After several minutes of being dragged from one side to the other, for the first time in days, I felt something I had longed for deeply. After so long, I could finally feel again the cool breeze against my skin. It brushed my face, carrying the scent of the city and the gentle warmth of the star that bathed Lumina, and for a fleeting moment, that sensation was almost liberating. Something simple for many… yet of immeasurable value to me.
As much as I wished that brief instant of freedom could last a little longer — just a moment more — the guards escorting me clearly did not share that desire. Impassive, they continued to drag me forward until we entered the city of Lumina. The dirt path gave way to polished stone streets, flanked by majestic houses rising like living sculptures, reflecting the golden light of the sun. The clinking of armor echoed between walls and alleys, filling the air with a constant metallic rhythm.
As the soldiers dragged me through the streets, citizens began to gather, eager to witness the scene that, for many Light Dragons, was a sight of pure delight. To some, what was happening to me was more than fair — a living testament that the Light Dragons were indeed superior to us, the Void Dragons. To others, it was merely a waste of time and effort. And a few, more rational ones, whispered that things had gone too far, turning into senseless cruelty.
As we advanced, I could hear all those thoughts blending together within the crowd — pride, hatred, indifference — all flowing like a single collective murmur.
But honestly, none of that mattered to me.
I couldn't care less about what the Light Dragons thought — or didn't think — of me and my kind. What truly caught my attention at that moment was something far more significant.
As they dragged me through the streets, and more and more people gathered to witness the scene, I noticed posters hanging on every corner, fluttering in the wind, proclaiming to all of Lumina the spectacle that was about to unfold: a duel between me and Caelus Moonfang, prince heir of the Moon Wolves, and the chosen fiancé of Aurëalis… still on that very same day, at the grand Arena of Hellos, the largest arena in all of Lumina.
As my eyes landed upon those posters, a discreet — almost imperceptible — smile curved my lips. Amid all the pain and humiliation, I tasted the bitter and sweet flavor of victory. At that instant, I knew with absolute certainty: my plan had worked. Keltherion had really taken the bait.
— Haha… so my plan really worked, huh? Keltherion, you idiot… — I thought, feeling the smile slowly widen across my face as we continued to walk.
We followed that road for quite a long stretch until, finally, it opened into a vast square crowded with people. They pressed against one another, restless, as if awaiting the start of a grand spectacle.
At that moment, I noticed something curious: even the soldiers who had kept their faces emotionless until then, now wore faint smiles — small, but revealing. They seemed to be savoring in advance whatever was about to happen.
— Hmm… I thought we were heading straight to the arena… what is this now? — I muttered in thought, frowning.
As we advanced toward the center of the square and the crowd parted to make way for the soldiers' leader, something caught my attention. Everyone — without exception — held some kind of food in their hands… most of it rotten.
It was at that moment that everything clicked and I finally understood what was about to happen.
— Sigh… so that's it, huh? Keltherion… you really don't have a single better idea? How disappointing… — I thought, letting out a long, weary sigh.
Soon after, I was led onto a stone platform at the center of the square. There stood a crude restraint device — a structure built to hold the arms and head in place. Without uttering a word, the guards forced me into it and tightened the iron locks, while the commander of the knights stepped forward to the edge of the platform.
And then, before a crowd hungry for blood, he began his speech.
— People of Lumina, — the leader began, his voice echoing firmly through the entire square.
— As you all know, today the Arena of Hellos will be the stage for a grand spectacle — a confrontation where the justice of our king, Keltherion, will be carried out before all.
He paused dramatically, lifting his gaze toward the sky before pointing directly at me.
— Here stands the heretic, the wretch who dared to stain the honor of our people and mock the light that guides us, by attempting to seduce and abduct the princess of our realm! This… filthy Void Dragon, who brought such disgrace upon our kingdom and our princess, shall finally pay for his crimes!
The crowd roared in unison — boos, screams, insults. The noise swelled like a living wave. The leader of the soldiers merely smirked before continuing:
— But before he is taken to the arena to face his fate, our generous king has granted us ten minutes. Ten minutes for you, faithful children of the light, to show how deeply you despise the darkness this creature represents!
The audience erupted in laughter and cheers. He raised his hand, calling for silence once more.
— Do not dare touch him with blades, — he said, with a sharp yet mocking tone.
— A swift death would be a mercy. But fruits… scraps… the things unfit even for rats… ah, those he deserves. Feed him with the contempt only the righteous can feel.
The crowd roared with excitement, their voices rising like thunder. Rotten food began flying through the air, splattering against my body and the ground around me. The leader of the soldiers stepped back slightly, watching the scene unfold with satisfaction — like a maestro conducting his orchestra.
— Ten minutes, people of Lumina! — he shouted, raising his sword high into the air.
— Make every second count!
For ten long minutes, I was bombarded with an unbelievable amount of rotten food. The crowd laughed and screamed, intoxicated by their own cruelty, while the guards — no longer bothering to hide it — laughed openly, reveling in every second of it.
Yet, strangely, none of it angered me.
As I watched the pieces of fruit flying toward me, all I could think was: what exactly do they find so funny about this? In the end, it was only food hitting me. Nothing more.
And then, amidst all that chaos, an idea began to take shape in my mind.
It was true that, unlike the other gods, I rarely needed to eat. My power came from another source — the primordial void, a part of me capable of absorbing the raw energy of the universe as I slept. That was why eating was… unnecessary. But at that moment, a thought struck me:
— …Hmm… so much matter… so much energy… — I murmured to myself, watching the slow arc of the fruits flying toward me.
— I'd been wondering what I should consume to recover the energy those chains drained from me… I even considered devouring everyone waiting for me in the arena… — I thought, getting more tired by the second just from imagining what I would have to do for that.
— But on second thought, perhaps these fruits will do. They're small, harmless… and far more convenient, even if they've gone bad.
— This way, I won't have to add more corpses to my list… well, at least not too many… — I finished, feeling extremely tired just thinking about what lay ahead.
Even in their spoiled state, the food was still matter. And to the primordial void, everything — absolutely everything — could be turned into energy. The difference lay in the pace: while sleeping allowed me to absorb energy slowly and calmly, feeding the void directly resulted in an almost instantaneous conversion.
At that point, my strength was at its limit, drained by the chains that had held me captive in the dungeons, and now… right in front of me, a crowd was unknowingly offering me an immeasurable source of energy.
Smirking faintly, I decided to do something I had done only a few times in my entire existence — perhaps out of laziness, or simply because I had never needed to before. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and focused. Then, as the laughter echoed and the remains of food continued to hit me, I began discreetly absorbing each fruit, and each scrap of food that flew my way.
No one there had the slightest idea of what was happening. To them, I was nothing more than a filthy prisoner, covered in waste. But in silence, every fragment of matter that touched my skin was consumed instantly, converted into pure energy that I could feel surging through my veins — rekindling something that had long lain dormant.
And so, deep within my primordial void, within the singularity itself… the feast began.
For the next ten minutes, I continued to feed in silence, without anyone suspecting a thing.
The people didn't stop throwing their food — and, amusingly, the Light Dragons seemed to have excellent aim, rarely missing any part of my body, especially my face, which, in a way, turned out to be quite convenient.
Even so, after absorbing all that matter, only a tiny fraction of my energy had been restored. Yet it was enough — enough to put into motion the next stage of my plan, inside the arena, during the battle.
When the time granted by Keltherion came to an end, the leader of the soldiers took a step forward, raising his hand, and with a single firm gesture, silenced the frenzied crowd.
The noise died almost instantly — only the muffled sound of fruits rolling across the ground and the distant flutter of banners in the wind remained.
— Enough! — he said, his voice slicing through the air like a blade.
— The time granted by our king has come to an end.
He paused deliberately, scanning the crowd as if admiring his own work.
— You have shown well the pride of Lumina and the disgust you feel for this filthy creature. — His voice dripped with cold satisfaction.
— But now, the moment you've all been waiting for has arrived.
He turned toward the guards, then back to the crowd.
— Take him to the Arena of Hellos, — he commanded.
— And you, citizens of Lumina, are all invited — no, summoned — to witness the spectacle that will decide the fate of this wretch!
The square exploded into cheers and applause. The crowd's fervor reignited like dry straw catching fire. The leader of the soldiers raised his sword high, the blade gleaming under the sunlight, and proclaimed triumphantly:
— May the light of Keltherion shine upon justice! — he declared.