Kael moved out of the building and began approaching the large arena. The moment he stepped back into the open, the air changed, carrying that dry, baked smell that always clung to places where fire had been living longer than it should.
From this angle, with the second-floor window no longer framing it neatly, the square looked even more deliberate, like someone had taken a bite out of the city and left a clean cavity behind. Broken walls and half-standing facades formed a ring around the opening, their jagged edges resembling teeth, and the ground ahead shimmered faintly as heat rose in wavering curtains.
Looking at it now, the buildings that crumbled to make this large square form really did feel like a boss battle area. The layout had that unnatural symmetry the Tower loved: a broad stage, ruined "stands" around it, and a single obvious way in, like the arena itself was an invitation and a warning at the same time.
