Two days to NovaTopia

The rest of our journey was silent. General Lorensky drove with such a furious glare ahead and at such a breakneck speed that it felt as if he'd run over anybody who crossed our path. Fortunately, no one did.

I have so many questions from his exchange with Devon, but I do not want to disturb him when he's radiating this much anger. What happened back there was shocking, to say the least. It's easy to forget General Lorensky's strength when he's usually so mild-tempered in the Tower, but he is strong. And judging from the way NovaTopia piles assignments on him and how the soldiers relied on him last night, he is not only strong but also the weapon for NovaTopia. Devon didn't fight back at all, and I have a feeling that even if he had, he would have lost regardless.

We made quick stops for fuel and food, but not for rest, especially not for General Lorensky. While I get to doze off now and then, he has to keep driving. I don't know how he's even keeping his eyes open.

By the time we arrive at our destination, the sky is awash with the orange hues of dusk. I can't believe I've witnessed the sun's complete arc across the sky on this car trip, yet I still haven't found Lara. I suppress a sigh as I follow General Lorensky out of the car.

It turns out the Pyramids get their name from the massive heaps of junk that pile up so high they become pyramids. The smell is putrid, and it's difficult to even breathe. Despite that, it's as crowded as the Neon District. Thankfully, everyone's dressed appropriately here. They're wearing more than usual too, with odor masks and other face coverings. The Neon District thrives because the soldiers enjoy the services they provide, while the Pyramid probably thrives because no soldiers would want to subject themselves to this stench.

There are no rows of houses and shops like in the Neon District. Instead, multiple stairways lead downwards below the pyramids of trash. We follow a group of people down one of them. As we descend, the foul smell disappears, and the people in front begin to remove their masks.

The underground is unlike anything I've ever witnessed. The place is overflowing with flashing lights and colorful signage, even more than the Neon District, which is named after their iconic neon signs. There are shops selling items I've never heard of before, and numerous machines for people to play at. Some of the restaurants have sparkling chandeliers in their ceiling, a lavish decor I thought only existed in the Tower. The walk paths wind and turn like a maze, and I feel like I'm already lost after only a minute.

General Lorensky stops a random passerby by putting a hand on his shoulder. The man glares at the general, but as he scrutinizes him, his annoyance changes to wariness. General Lorensky must have seemed too intimidating for him to mess with.

"What do you want?" the passerby asks cautiously.

"Where can we find the fighting ring here?" General Lorensky has not spoken since we left Devon's, and his voice is now raspy and parched.

"You talking about the Ring?" The man jerks his head towards a hallway. "It's down there. You'll hear it."

General Lorensky gives him a pat on the shoulder before releasing him. "Thanks."

The stranger is right; it's very clear where the Ring is as we approach. The cheers are so deafening that the ground seems to tremble.

A bouncer blocks the small entrance to the Ring, but the rowdy crowd inside is still visible. The venue is packed. Next to the door, there is a ticket booth. The wall around the booth is plastered with posters, and I immediately spot the poster.

A familiar young woman is pumping her fists, her long black ponytail streaming in the wind. Light catches the toned muscles in her raised arm. Those brown eyes are weary, determined, and as captivating as ever. The words below her read, "New Babe in Town!"

I stare at the photo for what feels like forever. I can't take my eyes off of it. It captures everything about Lara. Her strength, her determination, her... beauty. She really is here at the Pyramids. But she couldn't have been here for that long—she only left two days ago—so how is there already a poster of her? And such a well-made poster too...

"Are we ready?"

General Lorensky's question jolts me back to reality. Heat flushes my cheeks, and I frantically gesture at the poster.

"It's- It's Lara, General."

"I can see that." He approaches the ticket booth. "Two tickets, please."

The cashier does not even look up from his e-reader as he drawls, "All sold out for today. Come back tomorrow."

General Lorensky grunts and steps toward the booth. Instinctively, I grab his arm. He halts, his eyes flicking to me. The dark circles under them seem to intensify his hazy glare. Sleep loss and heartbreak are not a good combination, I'm learning.

"What? Do you have another plan or something?" he grumbles.

I don't, but assaulting the person working for this place is still a bad idea. We could be banned and not get in at all, tickets or no tickets. I scan the area. There are a few passersby, an unconscious man in the corner, and a couple who are making out. Then, by a stroke of luck, two men exit the Ring. I glance at General Lorensky, and he nods. We have a plan now.

We trail them down the hallway. It appears they're going to a restroom around the corner. Just before reaching the bend, they turn to face us.

"Why are you following us?" one of them snaps. "You have a problem with us or something?"

General Lorensky grinds his teeth. I get the feeling he's ready to beat them up and steal their tickets at this very moment, but I figure it's worth trying a nonviolent method first.

"How much to buy the tickets to the Ring from you?" I ask.

The two men exchange a look before erupting into laughter. "Are you stupid? We're not selling our tickets. No one will, especially today."

"What about renting them? We'll return them to you within an hour. We just want to check out one of the fighters—"

"Yeah, no shit. We all want to check out that new babe fighter." The taller of the two men gets uncomfortably close to me, his breath reeking worse than the trash pyramids outside. "But maybe if you show me a good time, I may reconsider—"

Alright, the nonviolent approach ends now.

I punch the man in the face. He staggers back, grasping his bleeding nose and groaning.

His friend launches at me, but before I can even react, he is flung across the hallway. A few onlookers gasp at his crumpled body. My jaw drops, and I turn to see General Lorensky cracking his knuckles. He did that so easily? He must have been holding back a lot of his strength with Devon.

The first man I punched yells and lunges at General Lorensky. With a swift sidestep, General Lorensky avoids the attack and counters with a blow that sends the man flying like his friend before him. And just like that, two people with tickets to the Ring are unconscious on the floor.

General Lorensky digs around in their pockets. Then he stands, waving two tickets at me.

We head back to the Ring entrance. The cashier in the ticket booth is still reading his e-reader, but his eyes narrow at us. He remains silent as the bouncer lets us into the stadium.

Pushing through the crowd, I see the arena at the center of a packed stadium. It's much smaller than the ones in the Selection. A protective glass panel cages the arena, and its raised platform and bright spotlight make it easy to see. Even without looking at the stage, massive screens around the stadium display various angles of the it.

The audience is as raucous as I expected. There are a few extra bouncers stationed around the arena cage to keep the most enthusiastic audience members away. A room connects to the arena via an entrance ramp. That must be the backstage where the fighters are. Where Lara must be.

A man with a clipboard is guarding that backstage room. A few people approach; he admits some and dismisses others. I contemplate going to him to get into the backstage—maybe I can tell him I know Lara or something—but the lights suddenly go out. The crowd's excitement grows.

"Get ready!" a voice booms from above, as disco lights flash across the stadium and a smoke screen fills the air. I thought the Selection was extravagant, but the theatrics here are on a whole other level. "It's time for the second half with the new babe in town! Let us welcome back... Alara!" The voice draws the name out amidst wild cheers.

A smile crawls on my lips. Of course Lara is using the name Waldo misheard. It's the easiest alias to use.

"And as a reminder, if you win, you will get a date with her!"

"A date?" I repeat in horror.

"What the fuck did he say?" General Lorensky's shock echoes mine.

What exactly did GaiaTopia make her do?

"And she will not go easy on you if you are not her type!" the announcer continues. "But what is her type? Could it be you? Or could it be nobody? Sign up for a fight to find out!"

The light returns, once again illuminating the arena, and a silhouetted figure approaches. My breath catches in my throat. This is the same figure I've pictured countless times in my head, with that familiar walk and the long ponytail that sways in the air.

She steps into the light, revealing her face. Her warm, brown eyes, her glowing porcelain skin, and her round cheekbones that seem to glisten when she smiles.

It's Lara. It's actually Lara.

And—oh, goodness—she is only wearing a sports bra and shorts. I can see all her well-defined muscles from her years of training—her biceps, abs, thighs... Blood rushes to my face, and I tear my gaze away. She always wore the NovaTopian cadet uniform that covered her entire body, so I've never seen her like this. I shouldn't be seeing her like this. Except I did, back when she was fighting with the underground rats and they bit her clothes off...

I shake those thoughts away, angry at myself for even having them.

"What the fuck is she wearing?" General Lorensky's fists are clenched and trembling, and I can tell he wants to teleport in and get her. But this is not like that time in the bar when he teleported to me. The aftermath would not be pretty, and Lara can't just run out of here.

Also, he's not wearing the right clothes, and I don't want to see him teleport in there naked. Nobody wants that.

"We can go in and talk to her if we sign up for a fight." I point to the man with a clipboard. "I think we can sign up with that person there."

General Lorensky frowns. "You want to fight her?"

"No, I mean, we don't have to actually fight her." My eyes return to her. She is stretching her body and waving occasionally at the crowd, now chanting her name. "I'm sure when she sees us, she'd... she'll just want to talk."

"She'd want to fight me for real, but you're right." He lets out an exasperated sigh. "Let's go sign up to fight Lara."