The waiting chamber was quiet, the low hum of mana-crystals in the walls the only sound. Noel sat on the bench, adjusting the grip of Revenant Fang, checking the wrappings on his hands for what felt like the tenth time.
The door opened. Selene stepped in, her wand of ice at her side, short blue hair neat as ever. She didn't hurry, didn't glance around—just walked in and stopped a few paces away, silent as the cavern itself.
Noel lifted his head. "So, you made it to the final."
Selene's cyan eyes settled on him briefly. "Obviously."
He smirked, leaning back. "Guess it was always going to be you and me at the end."
She crossed her arms, her tone flat. "That was predictable."
For a moment, the silence stretched again. The distant echo of the arena outside—cheers, stomping, the roar of a restless crowd—drifted faintly through the stone walls.
Noel tapped Revenant Fang's hilt lightly. "Funny. A week ago, I wouldn't have bet on myself lasting this far."
