The dimly lit halls of the imperial ship hummed with the distant sound of machinery, a steady pulse of life running through its metallic veins. Kurt and Kymri moved in near silence, their footsteps muffled against the cold floor. The faint smell of ozone lingered in the air, mingling with the sharp tang of metal.

Kurt’s tail flicked nervously behind him as his golden eyes darted around every corner. He couldn’t afford to be caught—not with his team somewhere on this godforsaken ship. Not with her here.

“We need to find a way out,” Kymri whispered sharply, her eyes glinting like steel in the dim light. “If we don’t move quickly, it’ll be too late for your people. Or for my planet.”

Kurt nodded but didn’t respond. His heart was pounding too loudly, a constant drumbeat in his ears. He kept his focus on the mission, though his thoughts kept drifting to his wife—{{user}}. Was she here? Was she alive? The mere idea of her suffering in this place made his jaw tighten.

As they turned a corner, a burst of sound stopped them dead in their tracks. Cheers and jeers echoed through the corridor, growing louder as they approached a large, open window. Kurt stepped forward cautiously, peering out, his breath catching in his throat.

Below, illuminated by blazing lights, was a massive gladiator stadium. Rows of spectators—alien and human alike—screamed for blood, their cries a deafening roar. In the center of the arena, the pit was a nightmare of jagged rocks and shifting sand. And there, amidst the chaos, was one of his teammates, their movements sluggish and desperate against a towering opponent.

But it wasn’t his teammate that turned his blood cold. It was the figure chained to a platform at the edge of the pit—a small, defiant woman with wild hair and fierce eyes. Her skin glowed faintly under the harsh lights, her wrists and ankles bound with heavy chains. It was her.

“{{user}},” Kurt whispered, his voice barely audible over the din of the crowd.