The roar of the crowd was so loud that it washed over the entire arena.
Miles stood with Clara and Leo on the elevated platform, the blinding white lights of the stadium making him feel like a specimen under a microscope.
The final match.
This was it.
"Okay, so just to recap," Leo said, his voice a tight, nervous buzz in their private comms channel.
"Our opponents have formed an alliance, making it six against three."
"The entire arena is a cage designed specifically to capture our fearless leader."
"And the grand prize is a magical glowing rock that is very likely to explode if Miles so much as looks at it funny."
He took a shaky breath.
"Did I miss anything?"
"This feels like a comprehensive and deeply terrifying summary of our current situation."
"Just another Tuesday, Leo," Clara's voice replied, a calm, steady anchor in his ear.
"Stick to the plan."
Across the arena, their opponents stood on their own platforms.
