The announcer raised his voice, calling for the next battle with a solemnity that echoed throughout the stadium.
- Announcer: "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for the fight between Lady Elara and Thaldirur!"
The crowd waited eagerly, but time passed and the anticipation turned into unease. Lady Elara and Thaldirur did not appear. Tension began to grow in the air. Durin, with his face still marked by the signs of the previous battle, and Throk, visibly tired and wounded, exchanged concerned glances. The absence of the competitors was inexplicable, and the atmosphere grew heavy.
- Announcer: "We inform everyone that, due to the disappearance of the competitors, the fight between Lady Elara and Thaldirur is officially canceled."
The crowd murmured, perplexed by the unexpected turn of events. What could have happened for both fighters to simply not show up?
Time continued to pass, and soon it was time for the battle between Lilya and Elyra. The arena was set, but Elyra had not yet returned with Midoki. The unease grew when the announcer began to announce the preparations for the fight, but the stage remained empty.
- Announcer: "We inform everyone that due to Elyra's absence, the fight between Lilya and Elyra is temporarily suspended. We apologize for the inconvenience."
The scene shifted from the arena to a darker setting. In a hidden forest, relatively far from the capital, Midoki knelt beside the bloodied body of Lady Elara, his desperate gaze and rapid breathing evident. Lady Elara was gravely injured, and blood was still flowing from her body, staining the ground around her.
- Midoki: "Master! Where are you? What happened here?"
Midoki's desperation was palpable, his mind struggling to understand what was happening. Amidst his anguish, a sinister presence began to manifest. Before Midoki, The Shadow (Ēna) was in the process of de-transforming. What had once been a figure cloaked in shadow was beginning to reveal its true form.
However, the vision was blurry and confusing. Midoki could only discern a cloak that was familiar, the same one Thaldirur had worn. But now, the cloak was draped over the shoulders of Mammon, also known as Ēna.
- Midoki: "No... It can't be..."
The sight was disturbing. The transformation was incomplete, and the identity of the figure was not fully clear. But the cloak and fragments of the truth were enough for Midoki to feel a chill down his spine. The presence of Ēna meant that something darker and more dangerous was at play.
The chapter ends with Midoki staring at the scene before him, the anguish and tension hanging in the air as the shadow of future revelations begins to take form.