Minutes went by in silence until Darian noticed several gazes coming from far away. It was subtle, and normally he didn't have senses that sharp, but this time it was crystal clear—there was a heavy animosity and a strong, dark karma behind it.
He was sure they were people from the Wube family, the ones running the tournament. Even so, he didn't feel the slightest bit afraid. That was because Irana's mother was also on that planet; if things went really bad, he was certain she'd step in to help.
Almost an hour later, the skies shook. Then, a middle-aged man radiating a white power appeared. Nearly everyone turned toward him, taking a deep breath, tense.
"I'm Atticus Wube. I'll be in charge of the tournament," the man announced, staring coldly at the thousands of human youths. "The first stage, as you all know, is the hardest. We'll be picking the top hundred directly, and they'll be the only winners."
