The next morning, Yumaris greeted the remaining academies with a cold air that had nothing to do with temperature. The fifteen banners fluttered in the hallway of the council chamber—fourteen allowed inside, one conspicuously missing.
Forsaken Peak was not invited.
And everyone knew why.
The hall lights dimmed as the judges walked to their seats. Their expressions were carved from stone.
"Representatives," the lead judge said, voice echoing across the chamber, "today's meeting determines the path to the final match."
Eyes flickered toward Glacial Dominion's delegate—an older man with a frost-cracked beard—who stood as still as a sculpture. His presence alone made the air colder.
Across from him, Celestial Fang's representative wore a thin scowl, impatient.
No one congratulated anyone.
No one smiled. They were all here to survive Yumaris.
"We will begin," the judge continued, "with scheduling semifinal brackets."
