Is this destiny?

The fights started in the afternoon.

Sarah and Aiden guessed that they will be individual one-on-one matches and that they will be held in one of the four boxing-style rings in the training area. Well, they were right about the one-on-one part, but they were off about the location.

The soldier-guide came to lead them to the area where fights will be held.

Sarah, Aiden, and Hong followed their guide through underground tunnels. The walls were bare, with electric bulbs on every few meters along the top of the wall on both sides. And after several twists and turns, Sarah and Aiden were disoriented and unsure in what direction they are moving.

Occasionally, they would pass a door either on the right or the left, but the doors were closed, and they were unable to see what hides behind them.

After about ten minutes long walk, they passed through one door and they were greeted with distant noise that reminded Sarah of the clamor generated by their fight clubs.

The soldier showed them several rooms that were leading toward restrooms and snack areas, as well as a lounge, and instructed them that when they want to return to their rooms, they need to come and call for an escort. If they don't leave earlier, someone will come to pick them up when the last match for the day ends.

After the explanations were done, the soldier guided them to the main area.

It was a big underground space that reminded Sarah of the room at the Lebedev family where she fought Nikolai and Konstantin for the position of the Elder and Grand Elder respectively. The only difference was that this space was bigger, and seats were almost in the same line while the fighting area in the middle is a square-shaped raised platform.

From their entrance, they could barely see the other side through the thick smoke that filled the space.

Both Sarah and Aiden grimaced. Smoking in the United States is frowned upon, and it's not allowed in public spaces unless a bar or a gambling establishment acquires a specific license and it's built according to a specific code. In their fight clubs, Sarah and Aiden have designated smoking areas to accommodate customers who enjoy tobacco, but those are well ventilated and physically separated from the other areas of the club so that non-smoking customers are not bothered.

The two of them traveled a lot and they saw all kinds of venues, but the amount of smoke here caught them by surprise because it's an enclosed space with poor airflow.

Most of the fighters and soldiers avoid smoking because it impacts lung capacity, and in extension, their stamina as well.

"I think you should go back to our room.", Aiden told Sarah.

Sarah knows that he is telling her because she is pregnant, and she should not inhale smoke, but how can she leave him?

"I will go to the restroom and get some paper to cover my face.", Sarah responded desperately.

Hong tugged Aiden's sleeve and handed him two handkerchiefs. He was already holding one over his face.

"Thanks!", Sarah said happily, folded one handkerchief in four, and held it over her nose.

Her victorious expression told Aiden that she found a solution.

He exhaled helplessly and hoped that his fight is one of the first ones so that they can leave as soon as possible.

With this, other than a makeshift air-filter they have a covering to conceal their faces. That is super-handy for Hong.

The soldier showed them where to sit before walking away.

Sarah observed symbols resembling a black crow on the otherwise brown walls.

From up-close, Sarah and Aiden observed that the raised platform in the center is made with a mix of bricks and concrete and it does not have any border around it. That is a big contrast from the padded ones located outside that have three rubbery cords that prevent fighters from falling off.

The dried-up bloodstains on the surface of the platform are a reminder that fights can be brutal.

Aiden exhaled. Only falling can cause injury.

They didn't announce the order of fights in advance and Hong didn't know how opponents will be picked.

The noise was increasing as the fighters gathered.

At 2 PM sharp, the voice boomed from the speakers and a face appeared on the big screen on Sarah's and Aiden's left and right.

"Welcome, welcome…", the woman who had her ash-blonde hair tied in a high bun spoke cheerfully. "Before fights start, I will mention the rules. Listen carefully because they will not be repeated! Weapons are not allowed on the platform! Fighters can use their fists, legs, and any other body part to overpower their opponent. The fight ends when one is unable to continue, gives up, or falls off the platform. That's it for the rules! Winning does not guarantee you will be picked for the grand prize, because the focus is on the skills and technique you show… but winning can't hurt. Now… our remaining forty-two contestants have their numbers assigned from day one and I will call two of them to come on stage and show what they've got!"

There was silence for a few seconds while the camera showed the announcer-woman dipping her hand into a basket. She got her hand out and was holding a stick that had '78' on both sides. She showed it to the camera and shouted: "Seventy-eight!"

Her hand went back in the basket and pulled another stick: "Fifteen!"

"Seventy-eight and fifteen, please come up on the platform in the middle. For the rest of you, you have five minutes to place your bets!"

The image of the woman was replaced by two ID-looking images, one for each of the fighters. It showed a photo of the fighter, name, base represented, age, weight, height, and statistics about fights so far.

"Fifteen is Igor…", Sarah mumbled.

Igor and his opponent (Vlad) stepped on the platform.

Vlad is a head shorter than Igor and about half of Igor's width. Vlad is not a small man, but Igor is like a mountain made of muscles.

"Do you think Igor will hold his ground?", Aiden asked.

Sarah shrugged. "So far, Igor won his fights thanks to his size and strength and didn't show much technique. We will see… But I bet that pushing him off that platform is nearly impossible."

Vlad didn't look intimidated by Igor's size. He flexed his muscles and stretched his neck while observing the crowd who was placing bets.

"Do you want to bet?", Sarah asked Aiden.

"Sure. How about ten thousand points on Igor?"

Aiden was not so sure. "You think that he can take that guy?"

Sarah gave Aiden a knowing look. "I would bet against Igor only if you are his opponent."

Aiden's expression told her that he liked what she said.

Hong went to place the bet in their name.

When they arrived at the first camp where group matches were held, only the fighters got their numbers (Aiden's is 257).

At the second camp, everyone who entered got an ID and they had an opportunity to exchange money for points that can be used within the bases of the Voronin family.

Points are something like currency and they can be earned by exchanging them for real money or by fighting and doing chores or other favors. In the same way, if they want to buy something, they can use points.

So far, they used points only in the cafeteria. Everyone got a standard meal 'for free', and if they wanted extra food, they could be bought for points. Aiden used quite a bit of points on fresh fruits and healthy snacks. For Sarah, mostly.

This is the first time they are using points for something other than food.

At first, Sarah was reluctant to part from her money, but then she found that these points are tied to her ID and are convenient. Whenever someone wants to spend the points, they confirm that the ID is used by the correct owner.

Sarah suspects that the IDs also double as tracking devices, but as long as she does not leave this base or wanders into an area she does not have access to, she will be safe.

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