CHAPTER 4 — THE WARDEN'S TERRIBLE SECRET
Before Ethan could open the file—
Someone applauded behind him.
Slow.
Confident.
"I wondered how long it would take."
Ethan spun around.
A tall man in a perfectly pressed black uniform stepped out of the shadows.
Silver hair.
Cold blue eyes.
The prison warden.
Without raising his voice, he smiled.
"You look exactly like your mother."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"You... know who I am?"
The Warden laughed softly.
"I should."
"I watched you grow up."
"You've been my greatest experiment."
Ethan lunged at him.
But hidden turrets dropped from the ceiling.
Red laser sights covered Ethan's chest.
One wrong move...
He'd be dead.
The Warden calmly picked up the Project Phoenix file.
"You think these prisoners are criminals?"
He shook his head.
"No."
"They're test subjects."
He pressed a remote.
Every glass tank around them lit up.
Inside were photographs of men and women from different countries.
Military veterans.
Police officers.
Journalists.
Scientists.
People who had simply... disappeared.
"They were never sentenced."
"They were selected."
Ethan's breathing became heavy.
"You kidnapped innocent people..."
The Warden smiled wider.
"We created perfect survivors."
"We televised the fights."
"We sold the bets."
"We sold the research."
"And governments paid billions."
Then he handed Ethan a photograph.
Ethan nearly collapsed.
The picture showed a young woman holding a little boy.
His wife.
His son.
Taken only three weeks earlier.
"They're alive," the Warden said calmly.
"For now."
"If you want to see them again..."
"You'll enter tomorrow night's championship."
The Warden leaned close enough for Ethan to hear only one final sentence.
"If you refuse..."
"They become the next contestants."
The steel doors slammed shut behind Ethan.
The arena speakers echoed through the prison.
"Tomorrow night..."
"The Death Championship begins."
May you like
"Only ONE fighter will leave the arena alive."
To Be Continued...
