The scent of fresh blood still clung to the air, a metallic tang that sharpened the familiar rush of adrenaline. It hummed beneath my skin, a wild, untamed thing, as Bennett’s severed head hit the dusty ground with a dull thud. Another rebellious whisper silenced. The familiar throbbing headache, a cruel aftershock of spilled blood, was already beginning to crawl behind my eyes, but I ignored it. \n\nMy hands clapped, the sharp sound echoing through the suddenly silent arena. Dozens of eyes, a mix of fear, disgust, and grim acceptance, were fixed on me. They never truly affected me. Never would. “Anyone else care to join him?” I called out, my voice cutting through the tension. “I’ll make your death swift—I promise.”