An intense beam of light sliced through the narrow gap, bathing the dim space in a harsh, blinding glow. Slowly, I peeled my hands away from my eyes, the searing glare gradually softening to a manageable brightness. As my vision adjusted, I began to discern the earthen floor beneath my feet.
"No...no, no, not this. Please not this," I murmur.
I revolve slowly, the air sharp like a blade's edge with an arctic chill that surges through me, each breath crystallizing in my lungs as my blood seems to freeze over. Before me stands the coliseum, a hollow monument to despair where the Blood Games once raged, yet now it feels stripped of life. The tiered stands loom empty and silent, their cold stone faces bearing witness to a haunting stillness. A ghost-like breeze sweeps through, rustling the tattered wisps of the awning.
