The midday sun entered the room through the partially closed blinds.
Every part of this seemingly chaotic room known as Sai’s quarters was covered with a careful collection of treasures: antique swords mounted on the walls, their blades polished as though they were brand new. Then there were action figures posed around in elaborate battle scenes. The bookshelves were overflowing with hard covers and worn paperbacks, their spines cracked from repeated reading. A guitar leaned against one wall, above it was, a meticulous display of gaming disks and classic comics that occupied a red shelf.
What struck most visitors upon entering Sai’s domain was the explosion of color. After years in the Arena’s sterile white rooms, he had embraced the opposite extreme. The walls were painted a deep sapphire blue, the ceiling a midnight black scattered with glow-in-the-dark stars. His bed sheets and pillows were crimson, his carpet emerald green. Posters in every shade imaginable covered any remaining wall space
Every item had a strange sense of organization, and forced chaos. It was as if Sai attempted to make the room chaotic, yet instinctively gave it a strange order. An order that placed it all in a way that kept undisturbed for maximum viewing pleasure from the prime location of Sai’s bed.
The young man himself lay sprawled across his sheets, with eyes closed shut. A holographic screen hovered above him, silently playing an old pre-war martial arts film. The remote control rested by his side next to a small table that sat between his bed and a compact popcorn maker, it had a clear dome and flashing buttons, placed just within arm’s reach.
The door to his sanctuary burst open with enough force to rattle the action figures.
“SAI!”
He didn’t flinch, in fact his only response to the call was.
ZZZ
…
ZZZZ
Clare stood in the doorway, still gripping the broken handle of the porcelain cup, her expression promising consequences beyond mere inconvenience.
“I know you’re awake,” she said, voice dangerously calm. “Lady Selona has summoned you.”
Sai remained motionless, his breathing steady.
Clare crossed the room in three swift strides, snatched the remote from his hand, and shut off the film.
“Hmm?” Sai’s eyes opened and gave a loud yawn. “Clare? Did you need something? I was having the most fascinating dream about—”
“Save it,” Clare cut him off. “Lady Selona wants to speak with you. About the Arena.”
“Now why would the lady call me for that? It is a dreadful topic. Anyway” Sai yawned again and gave a half hearted stretch. “Can’t it wait? I’ve been terribly busy organizing my—”
“Now, Sai.” Clare’s tone left no room for negotiation.
“Mmm, that’s quite inconvenient,” Sai sighed. “Perhaps later this afternoon?”
Clare reached down, grabbed his collar, and pulled him off the bed with surprising strength.
“Lady Selona is worried about Dante,” she said quietly. “She needs answers only you can provide.”
Sai’s scratched his nose. With a sigh that suggested the weight of the world had just been placed on his shoulders, he closed his eyes.
“Fine,” he muttered. “But I am going to finish my nap and I also maintain this is an unreasonable intrusion on my very busy schedule.”
“Of course it is,” Clare agreed dryly, maintaining her grip on his collar as she physically dragged him to a small wagon nearby. “This is the best purchase I have ever made.”
Outside the manor, a small grey squirrel darted across the lawn, pausing occasionally to inspect possible hiding spots for its cache. Finding a promising acorn beneath a shrub, it clutched the prize between its tiny paws, turning it over with meticulous attention.
A sudden noise from inside the building caught its attention. The squirrel abandoned its treasure hunt, scampering up the nearest oak tree with practiced agility, coming to rest on a branch that offered a perfect view through the large windows.
The squirrel perched on the branch, watching with apparent fascination as Clare pulled a small red wagon through the corridor. Inside it, Sai lay sprawled with his eyes closed, one arm dangling over the edge, fingers occasionally brushing against the polished floor.
ZZZ
ZZZ
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“Huh? Oh I’m awake again,” Sai mumbled, his eyes opening to narrow slits.
“Congrats,” Clare replied, not slackening her pace as she pulled the wagon with determined efficiency.
Sai lazily glanced around the corridor, as though noticing their journey for the first time. “Are we not there yet? You are a slow walker, Clare.”
“Sai, I’m going to hit you.”
Four steps of silence passed before Sai opened his mouth again. “This wagon is also very uncomfortable.”
“Do you want to walk then?!” Clare asked, annoyance sharp in her voice.
Sai snuggled deeper into the wagon, finding a more cushioned position. “No, no, I’m fine. Carry on.”
“Good, because last time I trusted you to follow, you disappeared for three hours and were found napping in the pantry.”
“That was unnecessary, Clare. I told you I was inspecting the quality of the flour,” Sai corrected her, as he continued shifting slightly in his quest to find a more comfortable position in the wagon.
“You were sleeping on top of a flour sack.”
“As I said, complete immersion.”
Clare turned a corner sharply, causing the wagon to jostle. Sai didn’t react beyond a small sigh, as though even expressing discomfort required too much effort.
The few household staff they passed barely spared them a glance—a testament to how routine this particular scene had become in the estate.
Selona sipped her coffee, reviewing the morning’s correspondences on her holographic display. The rich aroma helped soothe her nerves, though her thoughts kept returning to Dante. The Arena.
She knew not what exactly it was.
No one that had not experienced it firsthand did.
As far as she knew, it was a grooming ground for the Mercier family. Alexanders father had a less sophisticated one, or so she had been told.
The Arena seemed to be Alexander Mercier’s personal way of forging his children.
Not just his children but selected others into elite, capable individuals with exceptional physical and mental abilities. A training ground for the benefit of the family she was told. But from the little she had heard, it pained a brutal picture regardless of its efficiency.
Yet she had no power over it for it had always been Alexander’s domain—a world of trials and tests she could neither access nor fully understand.
The door to her study opened. She looked up to see Clare entering, pulling a small red wagon behind her. Inside it, Sai lay sprawled with his eyes half-open for all the world to see, looking like a reluctant child being transported by his parent by force.
“Lady Selona,” Clare announced. “Sai is here as requested.”
“So I see,” Selona replied, unable to completely hide her amusement. “Thank you, Clare.”
Clare tipped the wagon slightly.
Thud!
Sai dropped onto the floor like a sack of potatoes. He stood with a theatrical sigh, brushing imaginary dust from his uniform and straightening his collar as if he were not someone who had been dragged around or thrown. Absolutely… had not just been wagon-dragged through the corridors of the estate, whatsoever…
“Lady Selona,” he greeted her with a bow. “You wished to speak with me?”
“Yes, Sai. Please sit.” Selona gestured to the chair across from her. “I want to know about the Arena.”
He lowered himself into the chair.
“What specifically would you like to know, my lady?” His voice had changed, become more formal, more disciplined.
“Tomorrow is Dante’s assessment day,” Selona said. “I want to know what that means. What he’s facing.”
Sai was quiet for a moment.
…
“My lady you know I’m not allowed to tell you.” Sai sighed.
“Please, Sai,” Selona leaned forward slightly, her voice softening. “It’s just the three of us here. You know I’m different from the others. I’ve never involved myself in their battles for succession. I only want to know what my son faces.” She rested her hand near his, not touching but close enough to create a connection. “The rules forbid sharing with mothers who meddle, but I’ve always kept my distance, haven’t I?”
“Your killing me lady Selona…” Sai couldn’t help but let out another sigh.
His eyes then became distant. “The Assessment is... comprehensive,” he finally said. “Physical trials that test not just strength but agility, spatial awareness, and movement through complex environments. Combat scenarios against multiple opponents with varying styles. Tactical challenges that force split-second decisions under extreme pressure.”
“And the purpose?” Selona pressed.
“Officially? To identify those worthy of carrying the Mercier name.” Sai’s voice had taken on an unusual edge. “But who knows, the way wer are trained…”
“Let’s just say we are prepared for unusual situations and scenarios and that there is always a deeper motive. Each test is designed with specific applications—applications most don’t understand until much later.”
“Applications for what?”
“I’ve said enough my lady.” Sai replied carefully. “Let’s just say. Dante’s... well, his might be something entirely different. The lord’s designs on him might not be as simple as everyone else thinks they are.”
“And what happens if he fails?” Selona asked.
“He tries again…” Sai paused. “It’s complicated. Technically the trial has numerous tries, some of those in the Arena are in fact in there for years, so you will see quite a lot of different ages inside. But in fact he is not just any trainee. He is at the end of the day a Mercier I don’t know how long he is allowed there until he is kicked out the rules are different for him, and don’t ask how because I don’t know the answer.”
“And those who pass?” Selona pressed.
“They become Children of the Arena,” Sai replied. “Graduates who have proven their worth. The lord Alexander takes charge of them personally. As for what they all do.”
…
Selona and Clare stared at Sai during his pause.
Sai shrugged. “No idea.”
“You passed,” Selona observed. “Yet here you are.”
A lazy smile crossed Sai’s face. “I passed, yes. But I was asked to come here. That's all I will say.”
“Actually.” Sai said hesitantly. “I’ll say one more thing, Dante… I don’t know why but it seems the lord holds him in high esteem.”
“Now then if you will excuse me. I must get to one of my offices I have business there.” Sai got up and left before either of the women had time to question him further.
