BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
A CRIMSON RED FLASH exploded across the arena.
The shockwave tore through the sand, ripping it from the ground and flinging it skyward in violent spirals. Light fractured. Air screamed. The stone walls trembled as if struck by thunder itself, and the crowd's roar merged into one unified scream of awe and terror.
For a heartbeat, the world shattered.
Few moments ago.
Leah was charging.
Her boots devoured the arena floor as she sprinted toward the prince; toward Daemion; who was struggling to rise. His palm pressed into the sand, fingers trembling, muscles screaming in protest. Every breath scraped his lungs like broken glass.
If I make one more slash… I'm done, he told himself.
His vision wavered. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Leah's speed increased.
Sand burst beneath her feet as she pushed harder, faster, her blade already shifting into position. The distance between them collapsed rapidly...too rapidly.
Daemion clenched his left hand into a fist, knuckles whitening.
"I won't give up," he whispered, voice hoarse but unbroken.
Leah closed in.
Her sword rose, light flashing along its edge as she prepared to strike.
At the final moment, Daemion slammed his arm into the ground and forced his body upward. Using the momentum, he spun; pain screaming through his core; as he swept his sword in a wide semicircle.
The air screamed.
Then; still spinning; he reversed the motion, slicing again in the opposite direction.
Leah's eyes widened.
"Shiiiiiit....!"
The first air slash struck her vertically across the arm.
BOOOOOM!
The impact detonated against the invisible armor, crimson light bursting outward as Leah was jolted violently mid-stride.
Before she could recover..
The second slash hit.
BOOOOOM!
Two consecutive strikes collided with explosive force.
A massive crimson red flash erupted, brighter, angrier, ripping through the arena as a shockwave surged outward like a collapsing star.
Leah was hurled backward.
Her body flew across the arena and slammed into the wall with catastrophic force. Stone groaned....then shattered. The wall collapsed inward as hundreds of fragments exploded outward, chunks of rock breaking apart into smaller pieces that rained down in a deafening cascade.
Dust swallowed everything.
Daemion collapsed.
His body hit the ground hard, the remaining strength draining from him instantly. He barely heard the arena master's voice cutting through the chaos.
"PRIIIIINCE DID IT AGAIN....THE VICTOR IS HERE!"
Daemion smiled faintly.
He turned his head slightly, face angled toward the sky. The sun burned above him; brilliant, blinding....its light washing over his face.
But in his eyes, the brightness dimmed.
His body lay sprawled on the sand. Left leg straight. Right knee bent at an angle.
Blood poured freely from his mouth, staining his chin, dripping onto the arena floor. His nose bled heavily, crimson tracing down his face.
Still, he smiled.
Softly.
As if satisfied.
His vision blurred. Darkness crept inward from the edges, swallowing the world little by little.
Leah groaned.
"Aaah...!"
Even with the invisible armor protecting her, pain tore through her body. She struggled to rise amid broken stone and dust.
The crowd erupted.
"DAEMIAAAAAAN!"
The roar surged...then faltered.
Because they saw the blood.
They saw it spilling from the prince's mouth.
The cheers thinned into uneasy murmurs.
Leah turned her head.
She saw him.
Daemion; motionless.
Her sword slipped from her hand.
CLIIIIIIIING.
The sound echoed far too loudly.
"Daemian…?"
Panic flooded her chest.
She scrambled to her feet and ran.
"DAAAMIAAAAAN!"
She reached him and dropped to her knees, cradling his head in her hands. His skin was pale. Too pale.
"Look at me, Daemian… look at me!" she shouted, tears streaking down her face. "Everyone's cheering for you...you won! Come on… stand up. Give your victory stance!"
Her voice broke.
King and Queen were already rushing toward them.
"DAEMIAN!" the Queen screamed, her voice tearing through the arena.
Leah shook him gently.
"Open your eyes… please… just open your eyes…"
Thalia dashed forward, tears streaming, panic etched into every step.
The Queen fell to her knees beside him and pressed her hand to her necklace. Her lips moved rapidly, whispering ancient spells. A faint glow answered her plea.
She reached Daemion.
"We can still save himmm ," she said urgently.
Relief and terror collided.
Orange energy wrapped around Daemion's body, lifting him gently from the ground. The Queen guided him toward the arena door, her expression strained, controlled only by desperation.
The doors opened.
She disappeared inside with him.
The doors closed.
Silence followed.
Whispers spread like a living thing.
The Sanctum of Steel filled with murmurs; confused, reverent, shaken.
Leah remained on the ground.
On her knees.
Alone.
The whispers pressed into her ears.
She remembered her father's voice:
"Today is Daemian's day."
Thalia's excitement echoed in her mind:
"Daemian is going to shine today!"
Her uncle's words followed, gentle but heavy:
"Let Daemian shine today… your time will come one day."
The voices overlapped.
Swirled.
Her head spun.
She turned left. Right. Everywhere.
Nowhere.
Her hands flew to her ears. She covered her both ears with her arms
Still voices echoed in her head
She screamed...
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Agony tore from her throat as the arena watched in stunned silence, the echo of her scream hanging in the air like a wound that refused to close.