Wednesday morning arrived with William feeling more anxious about Claire's curse percentage than about fighting Adrian in the finals. He had barely slept, running through scenarios of what a curse activation might look like in the middle of a packed arena with hundreds of students watching.
The combat finals were scheduled for early morning, followed by essence demonstrations in the afternoon for the top four from each house. William dressed and headed to the arena, deliberately taking a route that avoided the Luminara section where Claire would likely be preparing for her own matches.
The Ascendant area was already crowded with students who'd come to watch the finals. Adrian was there, looking completely relaxed despite the upcoming match, talking with a group of upperclassmen who were probably offering encouragement or advice.
