The grand coliseum roared to life.
Flags of every color flapped in the high winds as nobles, scholars, sages, and inventors from all corners of the realm packed the stands. The sky above shimmered with heat, and the energy in the air crackled—not just from excitement, but from something deeper. Unseen eyes watched from the shadows.
Luma stood at the threshold of the stone arena, her hand trembling slightly beneath the fitted leather strap of the gauntlet.
Ion placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Remember, the gauntlet doesn't do the work. You do. Think in terms of force and motion. Let the physics guide your instincts."
She nodded, heart pounding.
The First Round: The Kinetic Maze
A huge gate slammed open. The first challenge awaited: a kinetic maze.
Giant platforms spun slowly over a pit. Some tilted with pressure, others shot into motion when touched. Competitors had to cross without falling—timing and force were everything.
Luma darted forward. A platform tilted as her weight hit it. She slipped—but with a quick adjustment, she leaned backward, reducing her forward momentum.
"Momentum," she recalled, "is mass times velocity. If I can lower the velocity, I can stay balanced."
A gust from another competitor's jump nearly knocked her, but she pushed downward with the gauntlet, generating a counterforce.
Ion's voice echoed in her mind. "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Use it."
She slammed her palm down, and the gauntlet discharged a controlled air burst, launching her upward. She landed on the final platform, just ahead of Nico.
"Nice move," he grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "Physics saves again."
They advanced.
Elsewhere... In the Shadowed Hall
Miles knelt before Saren.
"She's progressing faster than we predicted," he said.
Valen stepped out of the dark. "Her bond with the gauntlet is natural. But she still doesn't understand the truth."
Saren's voice was calm, almost pained. "The Masters will not tolerate failure. The attack will proceed on the final match."
"And the spy?" asked Valen.
Saren's eyes flashed. "Still trusted. Still watching."
Back in the Arena: Round Two
It was a duel event—teams of two would compete in problem-solving under pressure while dodging controlled projectiles. Luma and Nico faced a pair from the Eastern Skyhold.
Pillars rotated, each holding a mathematical challenge. Every wrong answer triggered a launch of weighted orbs.
Luma calculated aloud. "If velocity equals displacement over time, and I move diagonally at 2 m/s... I can dodge that!"
Nico laughed. "Only you do math mid-fight!"
They scored just in time. Cheers erupted.
From the stands, Leo and Miles applauded. Luma glanced at them. Miles smiled warmly.
But behind that smile... he blinked once, slowly. A signal.
Final Round Begins
By Chapter's end, Luma stood alone in the arena.
It was the last trial. The gauntlet thrummed with energy. Her opponent was fast—unnaturally fast.
Luma switched tactics. She remembered potential energy. "The higher I climb, the more stored energy I have."
She launched herself using rebound physics from a flexible pole, striking down with precision.
The crowd gasped.
But just as the victory sigil lit up—
BOOM.
A tremor.
Stone cracked.
A section of the coliseum wall collapsed, and from the breach stepped masked figures cloaked in smoke and entropy.
The crowd screamed.
Ion leapt from the stands, already calling on the laws of force.
Luma's gauntlet sparked.
She raised her hand.
To be continued in Chapter 27...