Aether's gaze locked with Ugilovich's, the weight of the room pressing down on him like a vice. His muscles coiled, every fiber of his being screaming at him to retreat, but he held his ground. The crowd's murmurs swelled into a deafening roar, their voices dissecting his every move, their eyes hungry for his failure.
"He's just a child," Zareth's voice cut through the noise, smooth and laced with amusement. His indigo hair shimmered faintly under the dim light as he leaned casually against a pillar, his tone dripping with condescension. "Barely old enough to kill a demon, let alone face someone like Ugilovich."
Far across the chamber, Daelano Fierani stood with her arms crossed, her sharp eyes following Aether's every move. A faint smirk played on her lips. "Eighteen, at most," she mused.
