Julies stood in the corridor behind the arena, his hands clenched and trembling—not from fear, but from adrenaline that hadn't quite drained away.
The roar of the crowd still echoed in his ears, muffled but persistent. Not long ago, they were ready to jeer him off the stage. Now, they'd witnessed something else. Something even he hadn't expected.
A victory.
He exhaled and leaned back against the cold stone wall, closing his eyes.
"I actually did it…"
His voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. Part of him still couldn't believe it. The duel, Alice's blade slicing through the air, her relentless pressure, the crushing weight of a noble's presence—he had felt it all.
But more than that, he remembered the look in her eyes.
Pride. Frustration. And something else he couldn't quite name.
He opened his eyes again. The corridor was quiet, dimly lit by floating lanterns.
Then—
Click.
