As the dust settled, the energy around us finally dimmed. A few students staggered forward, some clutching injuries while others simply looked dazed by the intensity of the trial.
I felt my own heartbeat pounding in my chest, still reeling from the adrenaline, but I couldn't help a quick, relieved glance over at Lise and Zaya, who were both still standing, breathing heavily but otherwise intact.
We exchanged silent looks a wordless pact of survival, strengthened in the madness of what we had just endured.
A figure stepped forward, one of the principals, her long robes swaying as she addressed the gathered students with an intense gaze. "Congratulations to each of you," she began, her voice echoing through the large arena. "After the first trial, only twenty students remain."
A murmur of shock rippled through the crowd. I blinked, taken aback by the number. Twenty? Out of what must have been hundreds?
