Light flared, then the world folded and spat us out into open air. My boots hit the dirt just as the arena shimmered behind us, enormous, glowing like it was forged out of a sun.
The air buzzed with tension, thunder, and the faint sound of hundreds of spectators screaming our names.
"Congratulations to our Top 8!" a booming voice announced from nowhere. "Prepare for the semifinals, one-on-one matches! Only the best will advance!"
My heart was trying to crawl up my throat.
Top eight. Out of thousands.
Oh god. Oh no. Oh yes.
I looked around, Kael, Zeref, Keiji, Yukon, Riven, Bull, Manaya… and me.
Eight idiots who apparently forgot what fear feels like.
We were teleported outside the main stage first. The arena itself glowed like a coliseum of gods, massive, carved in gold, sand swirling with arcane energy. Each round, two names lit up on the sky itself.
First round: Manaya vs Yukon.
