We were leaving the mines. Actually to think about that it wasn't half bad. No one was checking if we actually work. Pretty weird… But besides.

We left the mines completely. Matthew had the mana crystal shard in his pocket, I hope he can make it. The stories about mana… Really are intriguing. What if those mana users can actually oppose the normal power… "normal". Well if they didn't die because of fights then maybe they really were powerful…

"Shaft 12! Come here!" Shouted one of the soldiers. It created a small commotion amongst the prisoners as to why we were called. Some voices said that we've done something and others were about our time to get killed. The general from before came to us.

"You guys… Because you gave us so much… We thought. We will allow you to get more food than usual and a pass to skip the arena day, let's say… Two! Two times! How about that huh?" He stated his proposition. I started looking around the crowd and I saw Lucas... He was looking at us. And directly at me at that. I think he is still shocked about the whole brother thing... "I don't have much time to waste, decide. Oh! Also, that reminded me. Tomorrow… One of the people from the imperial family will come here to look around. Maybe find some slaves? Or something else… Entertainment? Who knows. I just wanted to tell you that in regards to the mana crystals you've provided us with."

"Well, we can't turn down the proposition… But about the Imperials…" Estel with his finger on his chin looked at the general. "What will that give us?"

"Nothing. I don't care about you guys. For me, you can be as well off dead right now. Just said what I had on my mind for a small accommodation for you." Then the general just turned his back to us.

"We could be taken to slavery? Or for… Public execution? What kind of Imperium does that…" I asked myself and the answer came along with it… "The kind that is corrupted."

"What are you looking at with those angry eyes, huh? Who do you think you are? Pig." The soldier that called us here spit in our direction.

We just went back to the line with the rest of the prisoners.

"What did you get? Scolded? Haha" Asked Lupo with a small grin on his face.

"We can skip the arena two times," Matthew answered right before I wanted to do it.

"What! You won't even use it though… Since we need to talk as much as possible..." Added Lupo.

"Well if one of us gets injured it's a great way to heal up or anything. Or just exhaustion. Many ways to use this privilege." Estel nodded with a carrying voice.

"Let's go! We are going back to the cells!" A single soldier at the front screamed.

The whole surroundings were again blue. Like in the nightmare from before… I can't get these thoughts out of my mind… It's slightly hard to think… The gate was shut though. It's not the same now. The only thing that's left from that time is a memory. And even that is fading. I see only red…

"Hayden are you alright?" Asked Estel. "You seem somewhat… Off lately. Like if you weren't here." He was looking in one direction… In the direction of the gate. Staring at it like an eagle for its prey.

"I… Am fine. You don't have to worry" I smiled. A smile of deceit.

"Is that so…" He… Got fooled? He didn't notice that lie? Or is he… Playing with me? I don't know…

We arrived at our cell. One after another, we were taken off the power restraining handcuffs off and again put back to the cell. We all laid in our beds. I am especially tired and sweaty like nobody else. But why are they taking them off if they have enough for us? Oh... Hayden idiot. We are not the only floor here.

"What do you think about our 'privileges'?" Asked Matthew while again curling the hair of his beard.

"Well… We expected that. At least we can skip the arena two times.  Better than nothing…" Estel with his hands on his face said. It was a little blocked so the voice was really pitched.

"I think it's just shit. We won't even use the arena skip probably. So who cares about that. More food? This shit barely goes through our mouths and we are supposed to get more. Bullshit." While walking around Marcus was hitting the walls. He seemed really mad about this. Well, I understand him… But it's still better than nothing actually.

"I think we should get some sleep and not shout at each other…" I silently murmured under my nose but they still heard it.

"I agree with Hayden. Let's just go to sleep before we rip each other's eyes." It seems that Estel liked my idea.

We went to sleep. No word anymore after. Just clear silence with wind blows from the outside.

Again with closed eyes. Laying on my side and seeing only black. Was that a sphere? Square? No. It was nothingness.

A clear sight of devouring darkness… This null sorrowful sight slowly tired me more with every second. No thoughts left. And so I started sleeping…

A dreamless night…

It was morning again. Marcus woke up first of course. All of them up and stretching. It's my fifth day here and this slowly seems to become an everyday thing. Going to sleep. Wake up, stretch, and do some small exercises. Well, not me though, unfortunately. And be ready for the struggle of the day.

"Today… One of the imperials will come here… He might choose a slave… Damn. That's really getting on my nerves. What if he chooses one of us?" The demon looked through the bars in the cell.

"Well… We need to hope that none of us will be chosen and them as well. It will be hard for us otherwise… Oh, also. Marcus. Try to learn some more stuff while you're at it. Spy on them even if it's morning." We need intel now. And so I told Marcus to try and get some information. The only one still laying in the bed was Estel. He had his hands on his face all the time since I woke up. I don't know why though…

"I didn't even finish exercising! I can't do it simultaneously!" Shouted the demon pretty angry.

"Oh sorry… Didn't want to make you angry."

"Ahh… It's fine… My mistake for getting angry actually. Stress is consuming me, I don't want to become a slave or anything like that…" He looked down.

"Ladies! In an hour one of the imperials comes! Be sure to smile a lot!" It always has to be that guy… He always laughs when he says something in this direction. Really annoying.

Breakfast also came. The same shit as always. I don't even know what to call this thing. It looks and smells disgusting. After we ate, around ten minutes later while Marcus was already trying to spy the soldiers were going around and looking into the cells.

"How much do you bet? And which cell do you bet on?" One of them asked the other.

"How about… 50 thousand? For that cell over there." He pointed at the cell right next to Lupo's.

"50 thousand you say… Okay. I bet that cell." The cells didn't have numbers. I think he pointed at the cell directly in the middle when you look from upstairs.

"So we have a deal. Don't try to say otherwise if you lose okay?"

"I never lie, you know that" They both laughed and went to opposite sides of the ring to watch if there was some commotion.

Then we heard loud trumpets from upstairs. Many at that. "Oh, they are here! They came much earlier than normal." One of the guards said to himself and started smiling.

The sound of trumpets didn't disappear. It just went on and on in a sound that resembled that of applause for greater power.

I looked out from the cell and I was able to see that all the soldiers upstairs were running in one way and the other. They were preparing for that imperial person for a long time. What are they actually doing up there? Just running around doesn't make sense. A special formation? To show something? I don't know.

After two more minutes of music, the sound slowly started fading. And the movements above also stopped. I saw a red robe with golden laces in the shapes of ancient dragons. It was very distinct… Never seen anything like this. The face also slowly started appearing as the person went lower. His face was very… Pure? Not one that belonged to a place like this. His crown or… Hat? Weird. It was also of the same colors. There was a needle that went through the crown… Or a hat? I don't know anymore… He had long brown hair that looked almost like silk. Very beautiful.

That person then sat his feet at the ring of this floor. Boots… At this point, it makes sense for them to be the same color to match everything together. He put his hands out of his very long sleeves and his palm was white as snow in winter. Almost as if it never touched a single tool. The vines were very visible since they were so skinny and probably very well known with the quill. He was slowly going around all the cells together with the general of this place. Probably for self defense since in his presence no soul would even try to do anything.

He already went by 15 cells from I think 30. And not a single person was chosen. Since this part only contains very weak people I don't think he would choose anyone. But my thoughts were not correct. He murmured something to the general and in an instance, three people started running from upstairs. He was getting closer and closer to our cell and with each step in our direction, I felt colder. As if the temperature in here was getting to an absurd zero.

"Be careful Hayden," Estel said to me while standing up from his bed. "I went through this around four times. Just be careful. I don't think it's the same person every time but their eyes are always so…" He was interrupted mid sentence as the imperial approached our cell. He looked at me with his red eyes and…