The arena hummed with a restless charge. Mana clung to the air, sharp and metallic on the tongue, seeping into every breath. The sanded floor had been freshly smoothed by enchantments, though hairline fractures and scorched lines betrayed the echoes of past duels. Stone tiers rose high, their rune-etched pillars cutting long shadows across the ground.
No crowd filled the seats, no roaring voices. The absence of cheering only made every sound sharper, boots grinding against stone, whispers between students, the faint crackle of runes flickering along the edges.
In the far corner of the ring rested the God Wand's case, its surface gleaming beneath a spill of sunlight. Its aura pulsed faintly, a reminder of the prize that waited. Above, the faculty watched from their dais, faces stern, eyes gleaming like hawks. Their scrutiny felt heavier than any audience.
