The shard pulsed ominously as the team prepared themselves.
Zoe stood at the edge of the corrupted dirt track, her staff clutched tightly in her hand, while the warped energy of the shard swirled overhead.
Around her, phantom cheers echoed faintly, coming from invisible grandstands that shimmered in and out of view like heat mirages.
"This feels wrong," Zoe muttered, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the track. "Too quiet."
Before anyone could respond, the ground under their feet trembled as the warped race cars sped toward them, snarling engines roaring like beasts on the hunt.
The team scattered instinctively, diving out of the way as the corrupted vehicles zoomed past.
"Head to the center pits!" Zoe shouted, darting toward the dirt pits as a jagged hunk of debris shot through the air.
Roderick flipped into a tight spin on his hover skates, narrowly dodging the projectile before chasing after her.
