The doors of the amphitheater open for the fifth time on the same night, and the seats fill up. The stage is clear and empty, nothing like it was just a few minutes ago. The spectators have returned to the same seats they occupied the last time, putting on the iron masks they had left behind. The masks covered the faces of the audience, distorting their features and only allowing sight and breath through holes. The lights dimmed, and all small conversations ceased. After a few seconds in the darkness, the spotlights focused on the center of the stage, where a slender, dark-haired man with a robe covering his body stood. All masks gazed upon him, awaiting the council's significant decision. A moment passed, and then the man began to announce with a powerful voice.

-"Today, our gods have allowed us to endure this tragedy once again. They warn us of our mistakes and recklessness, taking four young and innocent souls from our world and sending them to the Underworld. But this should not discourage us or frighten us from continuing our ancient customs and honoring them. For this reason, the city council has decided to proceed with a fifth sacrifice."

A massive outcry erupted throughout the entire amphitheater from the spectators who began whispering again among themselves, uneasy. Never before had they needed five sacrifices to find the god-sent child, and reaching the fourth sacrifice already seemed excessive. Some started shouting louder to be heard by everyone.

-"This is unheard of!"

-"And if the gods haven't chosen any of these children!"

-"We've already lost four!"

-"Your fate is being pushed!"

The man on the stage, however, seemed unfazed. He waited for the audience to settle, poised to speak when silence reigned in the hall once more.

-"After the customary drawing, the lottery revealed that the child to be tested by the gods for the position of demigod among us is... Dave Greywood!" he announced.

The man exited the stage, leaving the audience uneasy, questioning neighbors if they knew the child, who his parents were, and searching for the Greywoods among familiar faces, though they were, of course, absent. The orchestra began playing, the same concerto for the fifth time that night. Gradually, all members of the city's highest council emerged from the dressing rooms, dressed similarly to the speaker, and finally, a cloaked man with a concealed face. He approached the table that had been moved to the stage and examined the knives displayed on it. The cloaked man was the one chosen for sacrifice once again.

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The music shifted, becoming faster and more aggressive, filling the entire hall with tension and fear. Then, the grand curtains of the stage opened. An adult woman held the hand of a six-year-old dark-haired boy, dressed only in shorts, leading him to the center of the stage. The music intensified as the cloaked man picked up two golden daggers from the table and began moving towards the stage's center. The child burst into tears, desperately trying to free himself from the woman's grip without success. She held the child by the shoulders and positioned him in front of the cloaked man.

The entire audience was hushed, awaiting the sacrifice. The man knelt down, and without hesitation, began to cut into the small child. The music now accompanied the cries of pain and expressions of agony. After about a minute, the cloaked man and the accompanying woman stepped away, leaving behind a small lifeless body with a large pool of blood on the floor. A young woman from the council stepped forward, leaving an olive wreath a few meters in front.

-"As you know, if this child finds the strength from the gods to reach the olive wreath... then he is officially chosen by the gods!" she declared. After this statement, the girl returned to her place, and the entire audience turned their attention to young Dave. He had only one thing to do to secure his life – to reach for that wreath.

At that moment, only the violinists could be heard playing at a fast tempo. Every time the little boy made a move closer to the wreath, a heavy sound from the piano resonated. Slowly but surely, he approached, emitting cries of pain with each movement. He got closer and closer, and the violins played faster as he exerted all his remaining strength until he finally collapsed, unable to hold the wreath in his hand.

A gasp filled the air; everyone believed he had made it. The audience's anxiety heightened with each groan, and with each groan, the crowd's tension increased. Now, the child only needed to reach out his hand, but there were no more cries. No more strength left to shout. The next moment, the entire orchestra started playing a triumphant rhythm. The crowd erupted into cheers, and the doctors rushed onto the stage, ready to take the child. The mayor grabbed him, lifting him high in the air for everyone to see the marks on his body and the child with the olive wreath in his hand. However, before he could hold the wreath, it fell, slipping from the child's weakened grasp. Moments later, Dave collapsed unconscious on the stretcher, with the doctors rushing to provide him with first aid.

When the music ended, and the cheers subsided, the mayor stepped forward from the stage, capturing the attention of everyone.

-"Citizens of the City of Ares... the gods have given us their chosen representative on Earth and accepted our sacrifice. This means that officially, the festivities for our new demigod have begun!"

The crowd removed their masks, erupting into cheers and applause. Slowly, the hall emptied, and the triumphant atmosphere transitioned to the courtyard where the celebration for the new demigod, Dave Greywood, would take place.