June led a typical life when she was young. She brushed daily, studied, ate, and slept like any other average person.
She was eight years old when it happened. The light was flashing from a blade. Her mom, falling before her eyes. Red reflecting on the overhead light from the liquid on the floor. The masked man that entered her house was breaking her family. It was like a scene from a horror movie—only this was real life. June slowly backed away from the stranger and bumped into the oak dining table.
Like a hawk snatching the bird out of its nest, her little sister vanished out the shattering living room window.
Dead silence cast across the room.
Tears clouded her vision as she sank to the floor. She could hear her dad calling the police.
June closed her eyes, trying to block put the view that lay in front of her. Shaking ragged breaths escaped her mouth.
She opened her eyes and looked out the window. The shattered glass on the ground was bloodred.
June laid on the floor directly in front of her mother's eyes. She heard people come in through the front door.
"June. June!"
Derek. She needed her lifelong friend by her side right now. She needed him to help her get through this. Doctors were helping her mom off the floor and onto a strether. Neighbors flooded through, trying to help clean the mess scattered around the house. The police said they would file kidnapping and get on the case immediately.
"Are you alright, June?"
June tried to get up, but her arms and legs faoled her. Her mind too. There were so many thoughts running through her head. Doubts, worries. She couldn't think straight, much less respond to Derek. Every bone in her body was shaking.
"It's okay, don't move."
Derek picked her up.
"You should rest for a while."
He went upstairs and gently laid June in bed. The covers were tucked over her as she went to sleep. She could still feel Derek's calming presence as she slipped into a dream. A dream where her family could exist again.

Years passed before they got word of where she was held hostage—a ransom note lefr in the mail.

'I have your youngest daughter. I will give her to you, but in exchange, I want the older one. If you don't reply, I will take it that you have declined this offer. I am not at liberty to say what will happen if you turn this down. You have 14 days decide your answer.
Oh and P.S., if you report this to the police, I will take her by force and keep both of them. If you agree to those terms, go to the ice-cream shop downtown and I'll be waiting.'

June rushed out of the house.

When June arrived, she saw one particular thing that stood out. The room was empty. Just then, a man came out of the sqinging door near the back.
"So you got the note?"
"Yes, now give me my sister."
"Unfortunately, I don't know where your sister is, but I do know this. She's been hidden underground somewhere. That's why the police couldn't find her. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here to relay a message saying that June Lily must go underground and train for a certain Colesseum," he said.
"What's a Colesseum?" June asked.
"It's where to people are pitted against each other. But for this one, there are different species and magic users are among the fighters. So that's why we're entering you. Your sister is too young to participate, so that's why we called you here. Only after you are done training, you will get to see your sister."
June mulled this for a while. She came to a conclusion.
"Ok, I'll do it. But you have to promise my sister is safe and thay she will be returned to my parents."
"Yes, she is safe and she will be returned to your parents."
"Ok, good," June followed the man to the back of the store, the world behind the swinging door. The man pulled a lever and stairs appeared out of the ground.
"Come on, follow me."
June hesitated for a moment then followed the man down the stairs.
Her first impression of the lair—dangerous. Weapons bordered the wall on the right of her. Swords, sickle and chains, bows and arrows. Armor lined on the left side of the wall. A bookshelf was on the wall where they came in.
"This is where you will train, eat, sleep, and study from now on. This is your new home, June."
June walked around surveying the floor, walls and ceiling.
"First of all, where is my sister?"
"Like I told you before, I don't know where she is. Anyway, we better start your training right away."
A woman entered from the doorway in the left wall.
"This will be your instructor. She will teach you how to handle most weapons in this room."
The woman walked up to her.

"Please to meet you, I'm Maria," she said. She pushed back a strand of brown hair.
"June."
"So should we get started?"
"I think," June replied, unsure.
"Ok then, let's start with the basics. Hand-to-hand combat. Try punching and kicking this dummy."
A rubber dummy cane out of the ground. June was confused for a minute but cleared her head. With all the strength she could gather, she punched it in the chest. The dummy bent slightly behind but straightened itself up.
"Here, let me show you how to do it." Maria said. She punched the dummy. It went flying backwards and crashed into the wall in front of them.
"Whoa," June whispered.
"You'll be able to do this in a few weeks with my way of training."
"Ok, let's get started then." June said.
Another dummy popped up out of the ground. Day after day, June punched and kicked until it touched the floor backwards. Two weeks later, June punched the dummy again. It went ripping through the wall this time.
"Nice job, you did it even farther than me when I was your age. Now for the next part of this training. Come at me with all you've got."

⚔

Written by Anaya5125