Chapter 9 - Snake

----------------------------------------

Snake’s death was a reminder that a lapse in judgment, even for a moment, could spell Ace’s death in the arena. Snake was the one to duel Rook when Ace first arrived at Salvador’s compound and he thought about the short time they had spent together.

Snake was a quiet and serious guy with a troubled past. Since arriving, Ace got a chance to know him pretty well. Other than train, the men didn’t have much else to do but get to know each other.

Snake taught Ace a few different gambling games that they’d play in the evenings with the other guys. They usually wagered their chores, and if lady luck was on one’s side, one might avoid having to cook or clean for a few days.

Ace wished he had more time to know Snake, they got along pretty well. Snake showed Ace how to live in the camp, and was sort of like a big brother to him. Ace knew he was from a city in a place once known as Colombia, which is now a part of a large collection of nations called, “the Southern Alliance”.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The continent of South America was separated into many islands due to the bombing of the Great Calamity. Warlords of the Scattered Empire worked together with powerful trading companies to rule over these lands and unify into the Southern Alliance.

It was relatively peaceful in these lands. The Southern Alliance survived many years without war, but the corruption was rampant and deadly.

Many refugees tried escaping by heading north, but it was during their travels that many were kidnapped into slavery.

Salvador held a somber ceremony for Snake, a testament to the respect he commanded among his fellow gladiators.

Ace watched as Snake's body was laid to rest behind the compound, joining the other fallen warriors who had met their end in the arena. About twenty tombstones littered the back of the compound, each with a name and date inscribed. It was a stark reminder of the price they all could pay for their freedom.

The days that followed were filled with a sense of unease among the gladiators. The light-hearted atmosphere that had once filled the compound was replaced by a tense silence, broken only by the sound of training.

Ace knew that he had to be ready for the battles ahead. The arena was unforgiving, and he needed to be ready to kill to survive. He found a new passion to train harder than ever, pushing himself to the limit in order to prepare for his upcoming challenges.

As he honed his blade, Ace couldn't help but think of his sister, Luna, and the promise he had made to reunite with her. He knew that he couldn't afford to fail—not just for his sake, but for hers as well. The thought of failing her, of never seeing her again, was a fear that drove him forward, pushing him to be stronger and faster, in order to conquer the arena.