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It bore the hallmarks of an alien world: luminous, otherworldly stripes that glowed with an inner light, elongated fangs that shimmered like crystals, and eyes that held the mysteries of galaxies far beyond our own.
With a deafening roar, Ashale’s tarigon sprang into action, attacking Sneik from behind.
The beast was ferocious, its movements a blend of grace and raw power.
Its claws raked at Sneik’s back, each swipe leaving glowing trails in the air.
Sneik, now overwhelmed, struggled to fend off this new threat.
The crowd’s cheers reached a fevered pitch, the sound wave upon wave crashing down on us, drowning out almost everything else.
Victory was so close I could almost taste it.
But just when it looked like Sneik was on the brink of defeat, he managed to find reserves of strength I hadn’t known existed.
With a violent shove, he threw Ashale’s tarigon off him, sending it sprawling in the sand, where it slowly faded, its energy spent.
Sneik, panting and covered in glowing scratch marks, turned to face his mysterious support.
His voice, deep and resonant, filled the pit as he bellowed a single word. “Now!”
And the arena, once filled with the exhilarating sounds of imminent victory, fell silent in anticipation of what was to come next.
* * *
As Sneik’s single command echoed throughout the pit, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through my chest.
I gasped, the pain so intense it was almost blinding.
It felt like my heart was being squeezed, crushed by an unseen force.
Looking down, I saw my tiger spirit shimmering, its form distorting.
Its roars of defiance were now replaced with cries of fear.
I tried to reach out, to calm and soothe the beast, but every attempt was met with an agonizing surge of pain.
It was like trying to push through a barrier made of razor blades.
I could feel the gritty texture of the sand as I dropped to my hands and knees, the particles digging into my skin.
The ambient sounds of the pit — the audience’s gasps, the distant clatter of weapons — faded as if I was submerged underwater.
My vision tunneled, the edges growing dark.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ashale, also down on all fours, his face contorted in pain.
Sweat dripped from his brow, landing on the sand with audible plops.
His breath came in ragged gasps; each exhale sending puffs of sand into the air. “Caged!” he managed to yell through gritted teeth. “They’re caged!”
My heart raced as I tried to comprehend his words.
Turning my head, I strained to look at our spirit animals.
And then I saw it.
It was like viewing the world through a distorted lens.
