"Bro..."
"Bro..."
A sudden tug on his shoulder snapped Alden out of his thoughts as he turned toward Azriel, who had apparently been calling him for the past few minutes.
But Alden had been too focused on the platform where Ryou had stood monts ago, where those cold eyes had been locked onto him, missing everything Aziel had said.
"What is it?" Alden asked.
"I said... let’s go and et Zephyr." Aziel’s voice was low and heavy with concern.
But Alden shook his head without even a second of hesitation.
"I don’t think we should." He said calmly. "You know how stubborn Zephyr is. And I am pretty sure we are the last people he would want to see after sothing like that."
He paused for a mont, then added,
"We should give him so ti."
Cecilia nodded in agreent. "Yeah... Aziel, I think the sa."
Aziel still looked unconvinced, his brows knitted with worry but after a little more persuasion from Cecilia, he finally let out a quiet sigh and nodded.
"Okay... fine."
"So, when is Nyx’s match?" Alden asked, trying to shift the topic.
"From what I saw on the match list today, hers should start in about an hour at most," Aziel replied imdiately. "We haven’t even seen her since we ca to the island... sa with Amyra."
Just then, Cecilia spoke up, her voice carrying a hint of surprise.
"Isn’t that Amyra?" She pointed toward a battle platform numbered twenty-one.
"Yeah," Azriel nodded. "Looks like her match was also in the morning slot."
Alden turned his gaze in that direction as for a brief mont, his eyes t Amyra’s. Only for her to imdiately look away.
Aziel, who had unintentionally caught the exchange, raised a brow. "Hey bro... did you guys have a couple’s spat or sothing?"
Alden snapped his head toward him, eyes narrowing. "Since when are we a couple?"
Aziel quickly looked away, waving his hand. "Ahh, I was just joking. It’s just... you two are always so close. Like, Amyra’s almost always with you."
"Tsk," Alden scoffed. "Stop cooking useless thoughts or you are gonna lose your next match."
"Anyways, who is her opponent?" Alden asked, trying to divert the topic for the second ti.
Aziel squinted toward the blonde boy standing opposite Amyra. "Hmm... he looks familiar but I can’t rember where I have seen him."
Cecilia leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp.
"Don’t you recognize him, Alden?"
"Should I?" Alden replied, confused, trying to recall anyone with that face but nothing clicked.
"Do you know him, Cecilia?" Aziel asked quickly.
Cecilia let out a quiet sigh.
"He’s the maternal cousin of Seles," she said. "You know... your father’s nephew."
She paused just a little before adding,
"Darian Dawnbringer, the son of the Guildmaster of the Dawnbringer Guild."
Only then did the na click.
Darian, huh?
—
anwhile, on the platform, Darian looked at Amyra as she stepped in. Her pure white hair was neatly tied in a ponytail and her cold violet eyes sent a strange shiver down his spine. Yet instead of feeling intimidated, he felt sothing else.
He felt excitent.
He had never seen soone so beautiful, so unreal, in his entire life. She was almost angelic. He had seen Amyra before, back in childhood and countless tis in pictures but standing right in front of him like this... it was completely different.
His heart started pounding faster.
Is this... love?
He had heard and read about it in books and always thought it was exaggerated nonsense but now, for the first ti, he found himself believing it.
There was a fiancée cheering for him from the stands but he didn’t care anymore because if he could sohow impress the Princess... if he could catch her attention... He was certain his father wouldn’t hesitate to break his previous engagent, no matter the cost.
So, he smiled brightly, giving his best charming smile to her.
"Hello, Princess Amyra."
But Amyra didn’t even bother acknowledging his presence. She didn’t spare him a glance or show even the slightest reaction and that blatant indifference annoyed Darian for a mont but he quickly forced himself to calm down.
Well... she is a princess. So arrogance is expected, I guess.
And then a twisted smile ford in his mind.
The colder she acts, the more fun it’ll be when I win her over.
"I am Darian Dawnbringer, heir of the Dawnbringer family. It’s my pleasure to et you." He said, trying again with a steady voice but Amyra ignored him again.
Darian clenched his teeth as his fragile ego felt hurt.
This pretentious bitch.
She thinks she can ignore just because she is beautiful.
I guess, I just have to show her during our battle.
A plan quickly ford in his mind. He would attack, let her land a hit and then make so flirtatious remark. He was sure that no woman could resist his charm in situations like that.
Just then, the referee announced.
"Both participants have arrived, the battle will begin imdiately."
"Please stand in front of each other."
"The platform will be enclosed within a mana barrier to prevent outside interference and the safety bracelets on your wrists will activate if you are subjected to a fatal attack."
"You may also surrender voluntarily and loss of consciousness will be considered a defeat."
Once both of them nodded, the referee spoke once more.
"You may begin."
Darian prepared himself to move but as his gaze locked onto Amyra, his body froze. All of a sudden, the whole world vanished except her cold emotionless violet gaze as she walked step by step toward him.
She didn’t say a single word but her presence alone crushed him. The bloodlust pouring from her was so overwhelming that it made his heart feel like it was being ripped apart. He had never felt anything like this before, not even from his father... who was an Overlord.
She took another step as sothing warm slid down his knees. It was his own urine as his knees gave up and his pride shattered completely.
"I... I GIVE UP." He scread, his face completely terrified as if he was looking at a monster rather than a human.
The entire arena fell into a strange silence because no one had seen Amyra attack. Even the strongest spectators were confused, unable to understand what she had done. To them, she had rely walked forward but in truth... she had concentrated every drop of her bloodlust on a single person, the one who had dared to look at her with lustful eyes in front of her dear.
Even if she was angry with her dear, even if she was cold... That didn’t give anyone the right to look at her with that gaze and she had made it painfully clear.
"Amyra Celestrian wins." The referee announced after a few seconds as the crowd finally snapped out of their silence daze before cheering wildly.
While the boy, Darian remained still in the arena with his eyes blank from the trauma he would never recover from.
—
anwhile standing within the audience seating, Alden’s eyes widened. This was the first ti he had seen Amyra actually fight and even with all his senses focused on the battle he hadn’t felt a single thing and that could an only one thing.
"She is stronger than ."
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