**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 63: Triple Arena**

  January 3rd, 4:52 p.m. – Central Triple Arena

  The dome felt smaller now — the air thicker, hotter, like the crowd’s breath was pressing down on everything. Three arenas side by side under the same massive roof: left pit for Cam vs Max, middle for Jessica vs Jamie, right for Jacob vs Jackson. All three fights running at once. No staggered starts. No mercy breaks. Just three killing floors, three pairs of people who used to know each other, now forced to end one another while 20,000+ watched and 1.7 billion more paid to stream it live.

  Sky sat in the stands with Frosty — her head resting on his shoulder, his arm around her waist like he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go. The necklace Mara gave him rested cool against his chest under the blue shirt. His baggy white pants were still flecked with yesterday’s blood — hadn’t changed since the walk with Mara. He didn’t care. Clean clothes felt like pretending.

  Frosty’s hand rested on his knee — fingers laced through his — squeezing every time the crowd roared too loud.

  Max and Cam were already in their pit — left side. Max stood at one end — shadows boiling around his feet like they were angry too. Cam at the other — wolves pacing in smoky circles, eyes glowing blue-white. Neither spoke. Just looked at each other — long, heavy — like they were saying goodbye without words.

  Jessica and Jamie were in the middle — Jessica’s lightning already crackling along her fists, Jamie’s memory-wipe aura shimmering faint purple around his hands. They didn’t look friendly. They looked ready to erase each other.

  Jacob and Jackson — right pit — were already circling. Gravity powers humming in the air, making the stone under their feet crack and float in tiny pieces. Brothers who’d trained together since academy days, now staring like strangers.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The announcer’s voice rolled out — calm, mechanical.

  “Simultaneous matches begin… now.”

  The bells rang — three at once, overlapping into one long, ugly sound.

  Left pit — Cam vs Max.

  Cam moved first — wolves lunging, Alpha Roar ripping through the air like thunder. Max met them head-on — loyal shade exploding outward, shadows clashing with shadows in a storm of black smoke. Echo bind wrapped Cam’s legs — delayed damage stacking inside his muscles. Cam snarled — broke free with pack dive — wolves reforming around him like armor. Max took the hit — ribs cracking — but countered with infinity veil clones swarming Cam from every angle. The crowd screamed louder.

  Middle pit — Jessica vs Jamie.

  Lightning arced from Jessica’s hands — jagged white bolts snapping toward Jamie. Jamie dodged — quick — and countered with memory wipe — purple wave rolling out. Jessica staggered — eyes glazing for a second — then shook it off, godspeed burst closing the gap. She punched — lightning exploding on impact. Jamie flew back — hit the wall — but rolled and came up swinging. The fight was fast — brutal — sparks and purple haze lighting up the pit like fireworks.

  Right pit — Jacob vs Jackson.

  Gravity clashed — air warping, stone chunks floating, then slamming down like meteors. Jacob pulled — Jackson pushed — the arena floor buckling under the pressure. They were evenly matched — too evenly — every move mirrored, every counter anticipated. The pit looked like it was collapsing in on itself.

  Sky watched all three at once — head turning left to right — stomach twisting tighter with every hit. Frosty’s hand squeezed his — hard — every time Max or Cam took damage.

  Mara sat a row behind them — Reaper planted between his knees, void eye fixed on the central pit where his name glowed on the board: Mara vs Jane. Last fight of the day. He didn’t speak. Just stared — wings tucked tight, like he was saving energy for what came next.

  The crowd roared again — one of the pits erupted in light. Jessica’s lightning finally connected clean — Jamie’s body jerked, smoking — then dropped. Middle pit over. Jessica advanced.

  Sky exhaled — shaky.

  One down.

  Two left.

  Cam vs Max still raging — shadows and wolves tearing each other apart.

  Jacob vs Jackson — gravity storm intensifying — stone floating in deadly orbits around them.

  Frosty leaned closer — whispered against his ear.

  “We’re next.”

  Sky nodded — once.

  He looked at the board — Sky vs Josh glowing red.

  Then at the final slot.

  Mara vs Jane.

  He squeezed Frosty’s hand back.

  “Yeah.”

  The chapter ended.

  To be continued…