AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Supervisor leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, as he listened.
The dim overhead lights caught the shimmer in his eyes, hinting at the cogs turning within his mind.
The air grew stagnant.
“It’s an interesting idea,” he mused, scratching his chin. “But it’s… unconventional. And not something we have done before.”
I inhaled deeply, grounding myself. “It’s time for a change,” I pressed, feeling the smooth cold floor beneath my feet as I stepped closer. “It’s something new, something fresh. The spectators would love it.”
He knew as well as I that our fights were broadcast all over the galaxy and bet on by millions.
Big events like this didn’t happen often.
It would be a real draw, increase the income for the prison, and, best of all, stroke the Supervisor’s ego.
Before the Supervisor could respond, Sneik chuckled, the sound grating like nails on a chalkboard. “Why are we even considering this nonsense?” He smirked, glancing my way. His eyes were predatory, and I could hear the insidious lilt in his voice. “You just want another shot because, you know in a regular match, I’d have the upper hand.”
Ignoring the burning in my cheeks and the rush of blood roaring in my ears, I countered:
“If you’re so confident, why not take up the challenge? Prove it in the ring.”
Sneik smirked, a hint of something darker behind his gaze.
He approached the Supervisor’s desk, his boots clicking on the floor, and I could feel the temperature in the room drop a few degrees. “I have a proposal of my own,” he began, confidence dripping from every word. “I’ll agree to this ridiculous setup on one condition.”
The Supervisor, ever the fan of dramatics, gestured for him to continue.
Sneik’s eyes locked onto mine, the venom evident. “I fight him. Just him and me, each with our chosen support. Winner takes all. I win, he serves double his solitary time, and I get Nova. He wins… his prison time becomes mine and he goes free.”
I clenched my fists, the coarse fabric of my clothes pressing into my palms.
The audacity of his proposal made my head spin.
Yet, the allure of freedom, the chance to protect Nova, beckoned enticingly.
“Very well,” the Supervisor finally said, drawing out the suspense. “Ashale, do you accept?”
“I go free, along with Nova,” I said.
The Supervisor shook his head. “One life for one. Two lives are not equal to one.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded.
The stakes were unimaginably high.
I could hear the distant murmur of the prison beyond the chamber walls, the soft hum of electric lights, and the rhythmic beat of my own heart. “I accept.”
The Supervisor clapped his hands together, the sound sharp and resounding. “Excellent! Tomorrow, then. Prepare yourselves and your support.”
The guards ushered me out, but not before I took one last look at Sneik.
He was smiling, the curve of his lips almost sinister.
A pang of dread swept over me, accompanied by the chilling realization that maybe this was what Sneik wanted all along.
He had laid the trap, and I had walked right into it.
Still, as the doors slid shut behind me, I held onto a glimmer of hope.
