Stuck in my thoughts, I assume I was in a trance-like state as I suddenly come back to myself and realize where I am stepping in.
My sister, Antonia has always been interested in history, but as wide as this subject is, reaching into infinity, she told me a lot about the Holy Roman Empire. Hundreds of paintings and maps were thrown into my face as I was a child, her wanting to tell everyone about her interest.
Often, I didn't listen, which I now regret but still the little things stuck with me. Dubious stories about affairs between the rulers of this time, festivities that occurred behind hidden doors, and of course the open gladiator fights, a game of power played in enormous arenas you can now only see ruins of.
And if I could imagine the feeling of placing myself down in the front row of the colloseum, I would take this moment as the modern equivalent.
Not that this was as big as an entire arena, or as triumphal as this must have been thousands of years ago but something inside me made me realize...
I am living in this time, where in many countries democracy is the first priority and where thankfully only a few- still too many- dictators are ruling over everyone.
And still I got somehow stuck in a world with people that seem almost unreachable. Not that I am saying they are more worthy than anybody else and as I got friends with Harvey and maybe even Kaden they seem so close to me. They are people just like the normal neighbor and still...
There is something they seem to have, only a handful of people in the world truly own.
The power over everything and everyone.
And I have no idea why those thoughts only come now to me.
I mean they have big amounts of money, I couldn't even dream of and I spent enough time with them to realize how others react to them.
What they can achieve with who they are. Just by being themselves.
But standing here, on the first... second... third... fourth... fifth...58th row of a round stand, centering a huge field in the middle that almost looks like a boxing ring... it draws to me.
People are screaming around us, men talking at high- volume, cheering for God knows what but I cannot understand anything. My eyes travel through the rows, the different variety of people shocking me.
Some in suits, seeming like they just came out of a room, completing a 40 million dollar deal, while a few rows right the guys look more like A-class rappers, women hoarded around them.
"What is this?" I whisper more to myself but my look travels to Harvey who has his gaze directed at me.
But if I thought the thrill rushing through my body from the loud screams of strangers, or the darkness in this huge stadium, would shock me I cannot express what his stoic expression does to me. A man who always has a smirk plastered on his face, looking at me with a seriousness I would have never expected.
He doesn't reply just lets me and Em hanging our arms in his and leads us away from the door. Before I realize what we have done, the alcohol buzzing and my pulse raising from moment to moment, we are rows down, standing in a delimited zone, sealed off from all the others, having the perfect look at the podium.
The excitement is engraved in my body but I can't help but feel the uneasiness.
I hate being so nosy because why am I here? I could be at home in my comfortable bed by now, sleeping in till I wake up with a hangover tomorrow but now I am here... doing what... exactly?
I should be a normal college student...
Kaden is my project partner, I don't give a shit that he watches those fight every once in a while. It is not like he would bring the kids here so why would I care?
I play with my rings, which adore my fingers as I notice the crowd getting loud. And not only loud scream but almost a roar goes through the hall.
I feel my skin heating up as suddenly a man with a microphone yells over the crowd and apparently he made an announcement considering the next moment a large man steps out of a door in the middle of the room, that is fenced off from the rest.
People are trying to reach over the barrier to the man but getting held up by security.
The man is only wearing loose blue shorts, a bandage covering his fists, and tattoos decorating his tanned skin. A smirk plastered on his face as he looks over the crowd, standing straight up, almost as if he sees himself as a God.
I don't like him.
He definitely doesn't look like one but his smirk screams highschool frat boy.
He is more than toned, his torso practically only existing of muscles but he cannot be older than 22. He still has a boyish face, not a defined jawline but a little square-shaped. The buzzcut looks good on him and I must say he is not unattractive but something is seeming unfriendly about him and it's not only his physical appearance. It is the fact that he radiates such terrifying energy. My face is fixed on him until suddenly the crowd gets quieter.
The bald man with the training suit and the microphone talks again but before he can even finish his sentence and I can comprehend what he is saying people start to scream again. And I thought before was loud.
I have to hold my ears for a moment to get used to the screaming.
"This is more noise than a Harry Styles concert and the Superbowl combined." Emmabell screams over to me, even though we are only inches apart.
She takes my hand, pulling me closer but at the same time in my peripheral vision, I can see another door opening. The screams hollow through the room as I look to the side and a man steps out of the door.
Dark brown hair and black loose shorts hanging on his hips and even though he looks less professional than the other... without any bandages... there is no way that he wouldn't win.
He steps onto the podium, but instead of the grin the other guy had, his expression is stone cold. He isn't taller but somehow he looks terrifying
We are only about 20 feet away from each other but we are way closer in my head.
Too close.
Because there isn't any friendliness... no teasing smirk on his lips.
His insults aren't forgotten but the guy-man in front of me doesn't seem like he would put down someone like me. He looks like his presence could do it alone.
And I don't like it.
Not one bit.
The other guy has no chance.
Kaden Graham Harrison will win.
Why the hell is he fighting here?
It cannot be for money and if he wanted to learn technique he could do this in a legal fighting club.
And this?
This is not in a hundred years legal.
I tear my eyes away from him and turn my head to Harvey who is already studying me.
He looks almost concerned now but he tries to hide it pretty well. I narrow my eyes at him but then force them away.
Big mistake.
I gulp down as Kaden and my eyes meet.
He was already looking at me.
I am not afraid of him, because my intuition is way too good... I would have been scared before.
And I am not angry or disappointed, why would I be?
It's not like I haven't done anything illegal before but still...
When he looks into my eyes and gives me nothing. Just a blank stare, making me feel like I don't matter. A look I have gotten often enough, I wish I could return to before. Before I was here.
This is the man that almost kissed me hours before. We teased each other. He got jealous. He laughed with me before.
He reads.
"Who is this?" That is the first thing I think, the second is "I'm gonna find out."
And the third thought comes to my mind as he takes a step back, getting himself ready to fight as he looks away from me and directs his gaze at Harvey.
"I shouldn't enjoy this so much." He gives the man that brought me here the most dangerous look I have ever seen that can only be described with one word...
Murderous.
Tomorrow will follow an update🤍