Despite the massive crowd, the arena was engulfed in silence.
Arvad, Morgiana, Fredrin, and Victor stood at one end of the battlefield, their eyes locked on Eratz. Their postures were steady but alert, like predators sizing up another predator.
Eratz stood alone in the center under the blazing lights, the eye of the storm, the match's unpredictable variable.
Behind him, Kaida, Colin, and Milo stood tense. Kaida's arms hovered slightly at her sides as if ready to shield the children. Colin clutched her hands tightly, and Milo's chest rose and fell with shallow breaths.
Victoria's worried gaze was fixed on Eratz, her hands gripping the railing so tightly it seemed ready to bend. Zara stood beside her, barely breathing. Mercury leaned forward slightly, clutching her bandaged ribs, her expression unreadable but tense.
