Beneath the Red Vein, the world had grown deeper.What had once been a cellar for barrels and secrets was now a labyrinth of glowing runes, polished froststone, and suspended mirrors that shimmered with Red Code light.
Lumiel stood in the center, arms crossed, grinning like a lunatic genius.
"Welcome," he said, "to a place where laws, physics, and modesty come to die."
Daniel sighed.
"You built an illegal arena under our main source of income.""Correction," Lumiel said, "I built an educational astral combat facility with gambling opportunities."
The Idea
The concept was simple—at least to Lumiel.Using the same astral projection methods that the Brotherhood practiced, warriors could project their souls into a dream-arena. There, they could fight, train, or duel for fame, honor, and profit—without dying (most of the time).
Luminous handled the spiritual wards; Laura brewed potions that stabilized souls between planes; Daniel organized the betting system; Klaus pretended not to know.
They called it the Dream Pit.
Opening Night
The first match drew half the city. Miners, mages, merchants, and assassins filled the underground stands, their breath visible in the cold air.Frostlight torches flickered in rings around a shimmering pool that reflected nothing.
Lumiel raised his hands, Red Code dancing across his fingers.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and morally flexible scholars—tonight, Frostheim learns what happens when you mix martial art, metaphysics, and bad life decisions!"
The crowd roared.
Luminous stepped forward, her voice amplified by rune-echo:
"Dreamers—begin."
The mirror-lake rippled. Two astral forms rose—one a frost-armored Ice-Elf knight, the other a vampire berserker wrapped in crimson mist.They clashed midair, swords sparking phantom fire and frostlight.
When the knight struck, his blade shattered into snow; when the vampire countered, her shadow expanded into a wolf made of smoke.The fight ended when both hit the ground laughing, victorious and dead-tired.
The crowd went wild. Bets flashed across rune-screens. Ale flowed like molten gold.
The Brotherhood's Role
The Fight Club became more than entertainment.Luminous used it as a recruiting ground, watching who fought with courage, grace, or subtlety.The best were offered a mask and an oath to the Brotherhood.
Laura developed new tonics for combat projection—Mindfire Elixirs that let fighters push their souls beyond human limits.Daniel regulated the market with an efficiency that terrified everyone.
"I don't gamble," he said once. "I invest in predictable outcomes.""So gambling," Lumiel replied.
Soon, the Dream Pit's winners became legends—ghost champions who walked both worlds.Spectators claimed to see their reflections duel in mirrors days later.
Klaus and Eira
Up above, Klaus and Eira stood on the balcony of Frostheim's palace, looking down at the glow rising from the underground arena.
"You know," Eira said, "when I imagined uniting our realms, I didn't picture an underground fight club.""It's an economic miracle," Klaus said."It's chaos with paperwork.""Which makes it efficient chaos."
She laughed softly.
"Your family turns insanity into infrastructure.""We call it innovation."
Her smile lingered longer this time.
The Champion's Duel
Weeks later, Lumiel himself entered the arena for a demonstration.His astral form—glowing crimson with traces of Nihility flame—faced a frost-sorcerer twice his size.
"Remember," Daniel warned, "this is a friendly match.""Friendly," Lumiel said, summoning a scythe of bloodlight, "is a matter of interpretation."
The duel shook the dream realm.Red Code lightning met ice spears; Nihility fire swirled into aurora light.When the clash ended, Lumiel bowed dramatically, both combatants laughing as frost and flame evaporated into mist.
"And that," he said to the roaring crowd, "is how you monetize metaphysics!"
Closing Scene
The Fight Club of Dreams became the new heart of Frostheim's night.Merchants drank beside warriors, nobles bet beside thieves, and the Brotherhood watched from the shadows, always recruiting, always learning.
Above it all, Lumiel stood on the balcony, Luminous beside him.
"You've turned battle into celebration," she said."And celebration into business," he replied."Do you ever rest?""Only when I'm dead—or trending."
She laughed, leaning into him as the aurora flared red and blue overhead, mirroring the colors of the Dream Pit below.
Frostheim no longer merely survived.It thrived, dreamed, and danced on the edge of power.