All at once, attention snapped to Adyr.
He had struck at Kharom—scion of a top race—and as one of the realm's top geniuses himself, the shock of it outstripped even Thalira Luna's audacious move a moment before. Curiosity and alarm bent every gaze towards him.
A duel between a once-hidden rising star and a seasoned prodigy renowned for ruthless, ironclad defense was bound to become the day's main event.
Even Thalira halted mid-assault on the Gorathim to look.
Her relaxed, beautiful brows drew together, a fine crease of displeasure cutting her poise. She had not anticipated losing the arena's focus, and quiet anger settled into her eyes.
Good. Looks like I've pulled the attention to me, Adyr observed, satisfied as he felt the center of gravity on the field tilt.
He had two reasons for a flashy opening on Kharom.
First, he needed to siphon the crowd's attention away from Thalira, who was overpowering Brakhtar with her insane speed.
