The dragons all possessed this ability: the power to forgo sleep. In the arena, they had chosen wakefulness. For seven days as announced, they would watch the game without pause, eyes unblinking, fixed on every move unfolding before them. Slaves scurried at their feet, offering endless feasts, yet their attention never wavered as they indulged themselves. Every strike, every scream, every ripple of chaos happening in the forest played out beneath their gaze.
******
The forest was a labyrinth of shadows, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves. Valia moved through it like a ghost, her footsteps silent, her breath barely stirring the mist that clung to the ground. She had been running for hours, her heart pounding with adrenaline, her body approaching its limits.
But
