A collective gasp echoed through the crowd.
Darius's laughter faded instantly. His eyes bulged in disbelief. Did some random nobody just challenge him?
Beside the blindfolded girl sat an older teenage girl with green eyes and short brown hair. She grabbed the blindfolded girl's arm, whispering frantically,
"Polly, what are you doing?! That's the captain of the Crimson Corsairs! We can't challenge him!"
Polly didn't even flinch. She turned her head slightly toward the older girl, her expression unreadable behind the blindfold.
"We came here for the lotus. We're not leaving without it," she said flatly. Her voice was calm, cold, and completely devoid of hesitation.
She lifted her face toward the enormous holographic projection of the pirate captain.
"I don't care who we have to challenge. The lotus will be ours."
For the first time since appearing on the screen, Darius's arrogant expression cracked. Something about the girl's voice had unsettled him.
