The stairs went down forever.
Holden descended through a narrow corridor lit by flickering torches. Distant roars echoed from below, muffled by tons of rock but still powerful enough to vibrate in his body.
The passage opened into chaos.
The Blood Colosseum was a massive underground amphitheater carved from raw stone. Roaring fire pits lined the walls, casting orange light across thousands of faces. The stands rose in steep tiers, packed so tight that bodies pressed against each other. Gamblers waved fistfuls of cash. Syndicate bosses sat in boxed sections with guards flanking their seats. Corrupt nobles hid behind silk hoods and jeweled masks, their eyes bright with hunger as they watched the central pit.
The fighting cage dominated the center of it all. A massive circular structure of black iron bars, with glowing runes that pulsed with containment energy. Inside, bloodstains covered the floor like dark paint.
