"Ten! Nine! Eight!" The crowd's unified countdown reverberated through the Nexus Arena, fifty thousand voices merging into a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the very foundation of the building.
Noah stood perfectly still at his designated starting position, his gaze alternating between his opponents. Lila—or whoever this was wearing her face—maintained an unnerving stare, her newly darkened hair framing features that seemed somehow sharper, more predatory than he remembered. There was no recognition in her eyes, no acknowledgment of their shared history or academy. It was as if she were looking at a complete stranger.
'Something's definitely wrong with her,' Noah thought, cataloging the discrepancies. 'That's Lila's face, but everything else feels... off.'
Across the triangular formation, Kaiden Vex balanced on the balls of his feet, muscles coiled like springs. His eyes never left Noah, ignoring Lila completely.
"Seven! Six! Five!"
