Author's POV
— What is happening? — a trembling voice echoed through the crowd.
Selena felt her instincts scream in alarm. She took a step back, every muscle tensed. Her hands trembled, not from exhaustion, but from something deeper—something her body understood before her mind could catch up.
Raphael was gone. No, he hadn't run. He had simply been there, and then suddenly, he wasn't. A chilling screech cut through the air—his clawed hand sliced through the space mere millimeters from her face. Selena recoiled, but another strike came before she could fully register the danger. A vortex of shadows erupted from his missing arm, hurling her backward with such force that her body tore through multiple layers of the arena's stone walls.
She exhaled sharply, struggling to rise. Her chest burned, her clothes were torn, blood trickled down her arm. Her body trembled, but she could still fight. She had to fight.
