After the match announcements, the contestants were led to a secluded garden arena atop the Azurean tower—a temporary resting ground before the final rounds.
Rashira sat near a crystal-clear pond, nervously tracing circles on the surface with a twig. Her usually calm green eyes darted around, her thoughts loud enough to make the air tense.
"Why me…? Why did they pair me with him? I'm not ready for this…"
She didn't notice Sevyr approaching until he plopped down beside her, stretching like a cat in the sun.
"You know," he said, "you've got this habit of shrinking when the world looks at you. It's charming, in a frustrating kind of way."
Rashira startled. "I—I don't shrink."
"Mm-hm," he hummed, tilting his head. "You freeze. Not in a Nix way. In a 'don't-look-at-me-I'm-just-a-shrub' way."
She frowned, clutching the hem of her sleeves. "I'm not like you, Sevyr. You shine in front of everyone. I'm… not built for that."
