Each successful retrieval glowed green beside the academy name. Failures glowed red. The crowd began murmuring, doing their own mental tallies.
The last match ended with a Thornevale student nearly crushed, but retrieving the orb just in time.
The first phase was over.
"Evaluation Complete!" the announcer's voice boomed. "Students, return to your corners and prepare for Phase Two!"
The teams began regrouping. The air shifted again. The arena's floor began to transform—runic lights drawing new shapes across the ground, readying for the next trial.
Up in the ElderGlow platform, Damon sat back in his seat, eyes narrowing.
"That wasn't just a warm-up," he said.
"No," Daveon agreed. "That was a warning."
The arena began shifting again.
Rumbles pulsed beneath the colosseum floor, sending tremors through the soles of every spectator.
Glowing runes spiraled out from the center stage, etching new lines and forming square grids, corridors, and uneven terrain across the wide arena.
