The awards ceremony passed in a blur of formality and celebration.
Aurelia stood at the center of the arena floor, her honey-blonde hair catching the afternoon sun as she congratulated with the perfect blend of authority and grace befitting her new position as Student Council President.
Her words were measured, political, designed to honor both victor and defeated without showing favoritism.
Alaric barely heard them.
He stood with his teammates, accepting the recognition with the appropriate nods and acknowledgments, but his attention kept drifting to the stands. To those figures that sat too still.
The ceremony concluded. The crowd began to disperse. Students filed out of the stands in chattering groups, their voices high with excitement, replaying favorite moments from the fights.
Alaric made his way through the hallways of the academy arena, his footsteps echoing off stone walls.
