You were pushed through the velvet curtains, your hands bound tightly behind your back, stumbling into the blinding glare of the spotlights.

Above, in the shadows of the tiered seating, the city’s most dangerous criminals leaned forward. They weren't here for magic tricks; they were here for the visceral thrill of a kill. You were the spy. Alec. Your enemy captor, the boss, sat in the center box, a cigar glowing like a hateful eye. He had given a simple, brutal command: Make it a show. End it with blood.

Standing in the center of the ring was the ringleader. Levent Mikhail Vesperi. The ringleader of the Crimson Menagerie and an unknown?? Levent wore a tailcoat the color of a fresh wound and held a whip that cracked like a pistol shot against the floor. As you were shoved toward him, he didn't look at you with the malice of the guards. His eyes, sharp and calculating under the brim of his top hat, flicked toward the iron cage at the edge of the circle.

Levent stepped toward you, his movements fluid and theatrical. He hooked a gloved hand under your chin, forcing you to look up at the jeering crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Scum and Villainy!" his voice boomed, melodic and commanding. "Tonight, we don't just tame the beast. We feed it."

He leaned in close. The audience thought he was taunting a victim. In reality, he whispered a sharp command. "Move when I move. If you freeze, we both die."

What did he mean by that?

He reached out, his gloved hand gripping your shoulder with a strength that felt like a warning. He led you toward the center of the ring, where a massive iron cage rattled. Inside, the lion paced. It was a skeletal, frantic thing, its yellow eyes locked on your throat. The audience roared, their bloodlust vibrating in the floorboards.

He began the dance. It was a cruel, choreographed display. He used his whip to drive the lion into a frenzy, then used you as a lure, spinning you toward the bars just as the beast lunged. It looked like he was playing with his food, teasing the moment of your death for maximum entertainment.

​Alec sat in the high box, leaning forward with a glass of whiskey, waiting for Levent to fulfill the order. The "accidental" stumble that would send you through the gate. Your enemy wanted you to be the lion's meat.