The arena didn't pretend to be fair. It pretended to be unforgettable.
For the first time in too long, Raizen could see the sky. Cloud-thick and layered, but real sky all the same. A soft wash of white and gray that let sun through, just barely.
There were a lot of people.
Rows of seats climbed in neat rings. Every level was full - people squeezed together, students in matching jackets, old-timers with thermoses, vendors weaving with trays, carrying all sorts of snacks.
Conversations stacked: gossip, odds, warnings, tiny arguments that ended in laughter...
Nothing serious, because it was morning and the show hadn't given anyone a reason to be angry yet. Drones drifted all around the place, their lenses blinking as they threw faces up onto the big screens.
Raizen stood in the line of candidates and let it all move through him. The ground vibrated under his boots. Past the bars, the arena: buildings leaning at difficult angles, mostly wrecked.
