The arena fell into an unnatural silence as Lila Rowe walked off the platform. No cheers erupted, no applause broke out—just the shocked hush of hundreds processing what they had just witnessed. The medical team rushed past her, their faces grim as they attended to what remained of her opponent.
Lila's uniform was splattered with blood, none of it her own. A smile stretched across her face, hovering somewhere between victory and madness as she approached Noah in the competitor area.
"You're up," she whispered, her voice unnervingly sweet as she brushed past him. The metallic scent of fresh blood clung to her like perfume.
Noah couldn't respond, his eyes fixed on the carnage being cleaned from the platform. Whatever Lila had done to Alistair Frost went beyond competition—it had been systematic destruction.
The scrambler spun, pulling his attention back to the present. Names crystallized into view:
Noah Eclipse vs. Elias Vance
