The clouds had arrived at the stadium, blocking the path of the sun with dark, gloomy banks. Maybe it was a sign of rain.
The winds blew in our direction, and people shivered from the cold. Women pulled their cloaks up, wrapping themselves and their kids tightly against the freezing gusts.
I guess me and Kit are immune to the temperature in this timeline.
I never felt the heat rise when the sun blazed during the first trial, nor was I feeling cold now while the wind howled.
"The third and last trial of the slave Araegon will begin as—"
His words were cut short as more wind swept through the stadium—wild, strong gusts that felt like they could blow you anywhere.
A feather bounced through the sky, making its way from the stands down toward the arena floor.
It was a silvery feather, as if glitter had been sprinkled all over it.
Twisting and turning, it drifted right toward where I was standing.
I quickly lifted my hand to catch it, but the feather phased straight through my palm and landed on the ground.
As soon as I narrowed my vision, a man passed right through me. The very next second, the feather was crushed under the man's foot, leaving no trace of its former beauty or sparkle.
A shadow loomed over the stadium—a man's shadow.
No, a man can't have hands like that! Nor can he have a mouth like that!
I stared at the shadow in desperation, trying to figure out what on earth it was.
A kid nearby had seen it too.
"Mom! What is that shadow?"
Araegon was the only person looking directly toward where the shadow was cast. He had his arms crossed, his chained dog baring its metallic tongue.
More gusts of wind approached, finally granting us a clear view of the creature that had captivated both me and that young boy.
Massive, snowy white wings flapped in the air.
His curly gray hair fell long, his hands were entirely human, but his two feet were the claws of a bird, and his head belonged to a feathered beast.
The audience gasped for breath at the sight of his beauty. Humans had always been fascinated by birds—perhaps that was why we invented cages so quickly.
Even I had never seen anything like it in my life.
Yet, its eyes were completely serene and calm.
The messenger spoke up loudly, ruining the magnificent moment:
"From the continents of Fleetus, we have the divine warrior, Garuda."