The barrier dissolved. Attendants entered to manage the arena between matches.
The announcer's voice emerged, directing the crowd's attention toward the final matches of the afternoon.
"Seed #2, Sylvia Asher, will commence her quarterfinals match against Seed #15, Kaelen Ashwood. Seed #3, Byron Vantris, will challenge Seed #11, Cyrus Ouroboros. And Seed #7, Anya Castian, will defend her position against Seed #10, Drakka Gor-Voidgaze, and finally the animal Seed #6 Garrosh Zor-Grimmarch against Seed #11 Bastian Fireheart. Four exceptional matches remain before the quarterfinals are determined."
The crowd's energy shifted into anticipation.
But in the highest tier, the white-robed woman remained motionless, her expression unchanged, her presence creating an island of absolute calm amid the cascading energy of millions of observers watching through scrying mirrors across seventeen kingdoms.
Her companion leaned slightly closer.
