The grand hall vibrated with an intense, almost palpable energy, the air thick and heavy with the mingled scents of sweat, the acrid tang of burnt mana, and the faint, metallic hint of blood from the ongoing tournament matches.
Jae's next match was against a wild, unpredictable opponent, a girl named Veyra, whose long hair writhed and twisted like living snakes, infused with poisonous mana that shimmered a sickly, unsettling green in the arena's light.
She whipped her hair toward him with a sharp flick of her head, the strands lashing out like venomous tendrils, aiming to wrap around his arms and legs with deadly precision.
Jae's heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm, his focus sharp as he dodged with Phantom Step, his boots sliding across the smooth, polished floor with a soft scrape.
