The late afternoon sun cast long, slanted shadows across the busy arena concourse. The preliminary matches were winding down, leaving the wide stone corridors packed with exhausted competitors, excited spectators, and merchants selling cold drinks and roasted skewers.
Alex sat at a dented wooden table near a food stall, holding a simple chicken wrap in his uninjured left hand while his right hand, still wrapped in white medical bandages, rested on his knee. He had intended to eat lunch in peace. That plan had lasted less than three minutes.
A tight group of first-year mages stood around his table, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Just weeks ago, these were the same students who had snickered at his lack of magical pedigree. Now, they looked at him as though he knew the secret to becoming invincible.
