Ariana quickly realized what was happening.

It felt like this place had stepped out of ancient times, mirroring those old arenas where people had faced off against wild animals without any weapons. But how could that be possible? How could anyone be expected to fight wild, starving beasts bare-handed?

This was complete insanity!

Ariana's resolve started to falter as she watched the menacing beasts across from her, growling and eyeing her with fierce hunger. Her entire body began to shake uncontrollably, turning ice-cold.

Despite her past experiences and the challenges she had overcome, she had grown up in a peaceful country. Her previous dangers had only involved criminals-people she could negotiate with or confront.

But now, she was facing a group of beasts that viewed her as nothing more than their food. She had never even envisioned herself in such a terrifying situation, let alone actually being in one.

Clenching her fists tightly, Ariana tried to steady herself by digging her nails into her palms, searching for a way to escape.

Suddenly, her eyes met a cold, sinister stare.

A man sat on a high platform, dressed in a black trench coat, his hair slicked back and his face sharp and chillingly detached. The look in his eyes was like that of a snake, cold and threatening, making Ariana's skin crawl.

A wave of fear washed over Ariana, and she instinctively recoiled, her fear intensifying as she whispered to herself to be courageous, trying to hold back tears of terror. Her heart racing uncontrollably, she thought of Holden.

She was scared she might never see him again. They had only just gotten back together, and now, they were separated again.

Suddenly, Ariana saw the man gesture toward her.

She shuddered, sensing trouble ahead. Just as she had feared, within moments, her cage clicked open, and her restraints fell away.

Frozen with fear, she retreated in her cage, refusing to step out.

Seeing this, the man in black nearby entered the cage and dragged her out.

Ariana didn't have the strength to fight back. She was pulled out and ended up lying on the ground. Eventually, she got up slowly, using the cage to steady herself.

Then, she heard the man in black apologize to the man on the platform, saying, “Apologies, Mr. Brook. The new beast slave isn't acquainted with the rules. I'll ensure she receives proper training."

"I'm not a beast slave," Ariana quickly interjected upon overhearing their conversation. She added innocently, “You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm just a regular person, not a beast slave. Please, let me go. My family will reward you generously, I promise."

But at that moment, no one was paying attention to what she said.

As Ariana attempted to speak again, the man in black, irritated by her interruptions, whipped her leg with his whip and commanded sharply, “Enough! Be quiet!"