Page 96 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol 2
I step into a massive open space overlooking a lower area—possibly the arena. At the far end, a Srebat lounges on a throne, casually nibbling on brightly colored beads. A wall nearby displays screens showing brutal fights. So that’s why they call this place the Red Arena. Lovely.
That must be Danuk.
He rises slowly—a towering figure draped in reinforced leather marked with tribal symbols. His golden-yellow eyes glint with cold intelligence. He doesn’t need words to assert dominance.
“What do we have here, interrupting my meal? A frail little human?”
“Brilliant deduction!” I grin. “Yes, I am human. A fine example, if I may say so. You know, we come in all shapes: short, pudgy, tall... You’re lucky—you’ve got one of the premium models today!”
“Silence!”
He glares daggers at me. Tough crowd. Clearly not the funny type. No problem—I’ve got enough humor for both of us.
“What were you doing in Red Arena sector?” he growls.
“I didn’t even know this delightful place had a name until you dragged me here. Very poetic. Did you come up with it yourself?” I ask with a cocky grin.
“Answer me! What were you doing there?”
“Oh… just vacationing. Exploring new places…”
“Lies!” he roars, slamming a brutal punch straight into my jaw.
My head whips sideways, lip splitting as pain ricochets through my skull.
“Ouch…” I mutter through gritted teeth.
I spit out blood, then lift my head slowly, half-lidded. What’d I tell you—no sense of humor.
“I’m waiting,” he growls.
“Well… truth is… I had a date with your sister.”
Wrong answer.
A kick slams into my gut, folding me over in pain. Air whooshes from my lungs, and my knees nearly give out. I fight not to collapse, each breath a stab.
“Last chance,” he warns.
“Wow… hurtful. You mean she didn’t mention me?”
Another blow sends me reeling, but the guards catch me before I hit the ground. Damn, this Srebat punches like a freight hauler.
“You’ve got guts. Good. That might help you survive. Or at least die more slowly.”
“I’ll go with option one,” I say through clenched teeth, forcing a grin.
Danuk lets out a low, humorless chuckle.
“We’ll see.”
He turns to his men.
“Take him to the others. Let’s see if his mouth holds up in the Arena.”
Two armed guards approach, ready to escort me to whatever fate awaits. I stand upright, barely, but proud. I didn’t give up a single piece of information. That’s a win.
Now everything hinges on a fragile hope—that Sam is really here. I can’t imagine her being forced to fight in a place like this. I have to find a way to escape or at least sneak around the base to find her.
