After that game ended, I never expected to be taken to this place-a grim underground prison.

  I let out a deep sigh, scanning my surroundings. Rough, damp stone walls, full of holes, enclosed me in this space. The dirt floor was covered in filthy straw, while thick iron bars stood firmly at the front of the cell. This room was half-buried underground, leaving only a small ventilation gap at the top of the wall, directly facing the sky. On one side, a rickety iron bed hung from rusty chains, swaying slightly whenever the damp wind blew in. The air reeked of rust, blood, and wet earth, making my chest tighten.

  I sat in the corner of the bed, clutching a photograph of Marlo's child that I had kept all this time. The girl's face looked faint in the dim light. Memories of Marlo weighed heavily on my chest again.

  I took a deep breath, trying hard to swallow the burning feeling inside me. Then, my mind drifted far away-to home. How would my father and mother react when they found out I had disappeared? Were they panicking? Were they okay?

  "Dad, Mom... I miss you," I whispered softly. "I hope this is just a nightmare. I want to wake up in my camping tent, go home, and eat Mom's cooking while listening to Dad's travel stories like always."

  Unknowingly, my tears began to fall, sliding slowly down my cheeks. Everything had happened so fast, so brutally. I hadn't even had time to fully process what was going on.

  "Hey, as a guy, don't be such a crybaby. Crying won't change anything."

  A female voice came from beyond of the wall next to mine. Her voice was hoarse but firm.

  "Have you accepted all of this already?" I asked quietly. "We were kidnapped into some unknown world, forced to play a brutal game, and now we're thrown into prison. There's a chance we might never go home, you know?"

  The girl chuckled bitterly. "Right now, survival is the only thing that matters. Focus on seeing tomorrow's sunrise first. If you keep thinking about going home, you'll just drive yourself insane."

  I fell silent. She had a point. But still...

  "I thought that after winning, we'd at least get proper accommodations, like a waiting room or something. But instead, we got this." The girl scoffed. "All because of those two who didn't return, we got labeled as rebels."

  I blinked. That's right. After the game ended, only the two of us had returned to the Colosseum.

  ----

  "CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!" the host had shouted, their voice echoing across the arena.

  I had stepped into the Colosseum, my body exhausted, greeted by cheers that somehow felt hollow. In front of me stood a beautiful girl with short brown hair. Her clothes were tattered, stained with dried blood as she stared at me.

  "TO THE TWO SURVIVING CONTESTANTS, PLEASE RETURN IMMEDIATELY!" the host called from the podium above.

  "If we won, we're supposed to get special treatment, right? Like you promised in the beginning," the girl asked, her sharp gaze fixed on the host.

  "Oh, of course! You will be freed from this kingdom. Until the day of your release, you will stay in a luxurious hotel and enjoy a dinner banquet with the elites," the host replied cheerfully.

  The girl sighed in relief, as if she had just hit the jackpot. I just stared at her in confusion. Didn't she feel broken after everything we had been through?

  But that smile didn't last long. Five minutes passed, and the two contestants who were supposed to return never appeared. The host's face stiffened.

  "WE APOLOGIZE TO THE AUDIENCE, AN UNEXPECTED INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED!" their voice boomed.

  "WITH THIS, THE HUNT AND SURVIVE GAME OFFICIALLY ENDS WITH TWO WINNERS!" they continued, trying to salvage the situation. But I could hear the murmurs of dissatisfaction from the audience stands.

  "THANK YOU TO ALL CONTESTANTS AND VIEWERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. THE CEREMONY WILL CONTINUE WITH THE PRIZE DISTRIBUTION FOR THE FUTURE GUARDIAN DOGS, AFTER A 5-MINUTE BREAK."

  The crowd's cheers were filled with discontent as the two of us were immediately escorted into a narrow corridor beneath the Colosseum.

  "Ungrateful humans," the host grumbled as they walked ahead of us. Two large guards followed closely behind. "We prepared a special reward, and now we're stuck with this mess instead."

  I lowered my head, too tired to argue. Meanwhile, the girl beside me didn't seem done yet.

  "So... what kind of special room will we be staying in?" she asked casually, as if this were just a sightseeing tour.

  The host suddenly stopped. They turned to us with a crooked smile filled with suppressed anger.

  "A prison. That's the most fitting room for you."

  "What? But you just said-"

  "A special reward, right?" the host cut her off with a short laugh. "You know what? Because of those two idiots who didn't return, we were humiliated in front of the entire audience. This has never happened before! And now, we have to deal with you two. So yeah... a prison is the perfect prize for you."

  "But we came back, right? That's not our fault!" the girl protested.

  The host glared at her. "Shut up. You're just a pile of trash that happened to win. Don't act like you're worth anything."

  The girl held his gaze without fear. Meanwhile, I... could only stay silent. For some reason, this girl had a courage I completely lacked.

  "Take them down," the host ordered the two guards behind us. "Throw them into the underground cells. Let them know what it's like to be at the very bottom."

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The girl kept protesting, even as her hands were tightly gripped by the guards dragging her away. And so, we ended up in this damp, suffocating underground prison.

  "By the way, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Elio Castor. What about you?" I asked, trying to break the silence.

  "Just call me Eve. I don't think I've seen your face in the mining area before," she replied.

  "Mining? You mean there are other humans imprisoned there too?" I asked, confused.

  "Oh... so you're a newcomer? A fresh recruit who got thrown straight into their deadly game and survived the first trial? Wow, lucky you."

  I shook my head slightly. "I only survived because someone saved me, not because I'm strong," I murmured, guilt seeping through my words.

  The room fell silent again. But it didn't take long before Eve spoke in a softer tone.

  "Listen, not everyone gets a second chance like this. If you're alive, live in a way that honors the courage of the person who saved you. Be a glimmer of hope for those still fighting."

  I gave a small nod. "Thank you, Eve."

  "Ugh, don't go getting all emotional on me. I'm terrible at cheering people up," she complained, though a small chuckle slipped at the end.

  Just as the tension was starting to ease, the sound of a creaking door suddenly echoed through the room. A hooded Canidra figure appeared in the doorway, their footsteps heavy.

  "Hey! Are we finally getting transferred somewhere decent?" Eve called out hopefully.

  But the creature completely ignored her. It walked straight to my cell and opened the door without a word. I froze for a moment, but the fear I usually felt around creatures in this world wasn't there this time. Because I recognized him.

  "Buddy, are you okay? Sorry about what happened back then..." he whispered, his voice familiar.

  I gave a small smile. "I'm fine. But... is it really okay for you to be here?"

  "I got special permission to visit. The excuse? I'm here to speak with the prey I failed to kill," he replied, almost expressionless.

  Suddenly, a loud thud came from the wall next to me. "Elio! You're okay, right? Hey, don't you dare mess with the prisoners!" Eve shouted from the next cell, her voice full of suspicion.

  "Relax, I'm fine," I reassured her.

  Lucky, my pet dog who had now taken humanoid form, let out a sigh. "The girl next door is loud."

  I stifled a laugh and refocused. "So, why are you here?"

  "Tomorrow morning, you'll be transferred to the Porcusian territory. I'll try to sign up as one of the guards escorting you," he explained.

  I frowned. "Why?"

  "So I can help you escape without anyone noticing," he continued before handing me something. A small metal ring engraved with a head of mountain goat.

  "What's this?"

  "Mountain Goat Ring. It'll give you the strength of a mountain goat. Not much, but enough to break restraints or smash through wooden doors. It's just a kids' toy here, so no one will suspect anything."

  I clenched the ring tightly. "But... if they find out you're helping a human escape, you'll..."

  "Don't worry. I already have a backup plan. They won't suspect a thing," Lucky reassured me with a small smile, though I could see a faint trace of worry in his eyes.

  "Oh, about home... sorry for disappearing like that." His voice softened.

  I shook my head slightly, holding back the emotions welling up inside me. "I'm just glad you're okay."

  Time seemed to pass too quickly. Lucky stepped away, locking my cell again before leaving the room. His footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.

  "Elio? Hey, who was that? Why were you whispering? Do you know him?" Eve's voice called out again.

  I gave a small smile. "Yeah. He was my pet dog when I was a kid."

  "What?! And how the hell is he walking on two legs now?"

  I let out a short laugh. "I forgot to ask. Maybe tomorrow."

  The ring in my hand felt cold. I slipped it into my pocket, then lay down on the iron bed, staring at the small ventilation opening above, where the moonlight peeked through.

  "Elio, are you asleep?" Eve's voice was still there.

  "Not yet. You?"

  "How could I sleep in a place like this? And especially after being served nothing but hard bread and water for dinner," she complained.

  I chuckled. "By the way, how long have you been here?"

  "About half a year."

  I jolted in surprise. "Half a year? That long?"

  "Yup. I was kidnapped on my way home from work. At first, they forced me to work in the crystal mines."

  "Then how did you end up in the game?"

  Eve let out a dry laugh. "That's a long story. To put it simply, I was once the wife of the chief warden in the mines."

  "The chief warden's wife? Then how did you end up in a deadly game?"

  Eve fell silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Because I was stupid enough to think that marrying the mining warden would save me. Turns out, I just walked into a new hell."

  "I was treated like a dog, along with twenty-five other wives. We weren't allowed to speak when he was in the room, and we could only crawl, with chains tightening around our necks."

  Her voice was quiet from behind the stone wall separating our cells. I couldn't see her face, but from the way she spoke, I knew she was struggling to contain an overwhelming storm of emotions.

  "Every night, we were forced to satisfy his filthy desires. Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit."

  I wanted to say something, but I didn't know where to start. All I could do was listen.

  "If he was angry, he would beat us without mercy. Some of us died just like that, as if our lives had no value. And the food... it was just his leftovers." Eve took a long breath, as if trying to pull back the rage that had momentarily surfaced. "Sometimes, I thought about killing him with my own hands."

  I closed my eyes, trying to imagine the darkness she had endured. Her voice carried bitterness, anger, and a deep disgust for herself.

  "He... was he also a Canidra?" I asked gently, trying to steer her mind away before she was consumed by her emotions.

  "No. He was human. Just like us," Eve replied, her tone laced with sarcasm. "A disgusting human who sold his soul for a little power."

  "A human? How could a human become the chief warden? And what exactly are the Canidra?" I asked again, trying to make sense of this twisted world.

  "Canidra is the name for the humanoid dog race in this world. This world is ruled by creatures like them-animals on two legs with intelligence equal to humans." She paused before continuing, "But to manage human prisoners, they needed someone who could speak our language. That's why that fat bastard was chosen as the warden."

  I nodded slowly, trying to absorb the absurd reality of it all.

  "Just because he had a little power, he became a monster. He saw all humans here as nothing more than livestock."

  Silence fell between us. The air felt heavy.

  "Then... how did you end up in the 'Hunt and Survive' game?" I asked, though I already knew the answer wouldn't be pleasant.

  Eve let out a bitter laugh.

  She fell silent for a moment before finally answering, "Some of the other wives and I planned to kill him. We knew it was insane, but if we stayed silent, we'd die slowly. We had everything prepared... but somehow, our plan was leaked."

  Her voice carried deep suspicion. "That night, his guards barged in before we could make a move. It was as if they already knew exactly what we were about to do."

  "As punishment, we were all thrown into the game. And... I was the only one who survived."

  Her voice sounded fragile as she said that, as if she herself couldn't believe she had made it out alive. But beneath that fragility, there was a fire of vengeance still burning.

  "If I could, I'd want to see his face crushed beneath my own hands."

  Eve took a deep breath, shifting the topic. "So, what's your plan for tomorrow? I know that hooded Canidra plans to set you free. Can I come with you?"

  I heard a small chuckle from Eve, faint but amused. "If you manage to get me out too, I'll give you a special reward."

  I blinked. "A reward? What is it?"

  "That's a secret," she chuckled. "But if we escape, we should head to Mount Olympus. I've heard rumors there's a human survivor colony there. Those who managed to escape and are now living in the mountains."

  Mount Olympus. A name that sounded like a myth, but in this world, it was our last hope for survival.

  "Yeah... that's part of my plan if we actually make it out tomorrow."

  "In that case, we should get some sleep. Save our strength for tomorrow. Your little dog... I hope he's reliable."

  "He's not a little dog anymore," I murmured with a smile. "But yeah, I trust him."

  "Good night, Elio."

  "Good night, Eve."

  I stared at the ceiling of my cell, watching the faint moonlight filter through the tiny vent above. On the other side of the wall, there was someone just as broken as I was. Somehow, that thought gave me a strange sense of comfort. Slowly, my eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted into a sleep that was far from peaceful.