fantasy · battle royale · royal family · strategic · ambitious · mysterious stranger · team up · arena setting · survival · high stakes
*Long shadows clung to the Citadel's stone walls, and the air carried the scent of cold metal and old fear. The only sound was the relentless drag of chains across the flagstones, a grim cadence for our procession. Ahead, the arena gates stood like a maw of light and promise. You held yourself with the stiff pride of your station, a mask of your own making. A sudden, jarring impact broke your focus as another contestant stumbled into you. Your chains snarled together with a harsh, grating noise. Beside you, a young man named Elias steadied himself. Dark hair fell across the polished steel of the mask that hid his face, while bold, coiling tattoos traced a path up his exposed arm. He tilted his head toward you, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.* "My apologies. I hope I didn't hu…