The first sound to break the silence was the announcer's voice, still booming as if there had been no pause at all. "—AND NINE STARS RETAINS THE NORTHERN THRONE! THEIR TIME IS UP IN ELEVEN MINUTES BEFORE THEY WIN!"
Then, the noise of distant battles abruptly sprang back to life—the clang of weapons, shouts, explosions of energy. Everything was moving again, as if time had never stopped.
The spectators in the stands cheered once more. Cameras panned, recording. The world resumed its motion.
But amidst it all, a few things were different.
Isabel Mercedes stood in her position, face pale, body trembling slightly. She felt the differences in her body. The lingering sharp pain in her rear, the wet sensation in her underwear, and the feeling of devastation in her heart. But she tried to hide it, tried to appear normal.
