The tournament city sprawled before us.
Three days of travel had brought us here—Valdris's team, plus Lyra as support, plus Professor Voss as official chaperone. But the moment we crested the final hill, all exhaustion vanished.
Tents. Pavilions. Crowds from every nation. Flags in colors I'd never seen. Magic in the air so thick it made my spark hum constantly.
"Welcome to the crucible," Darius muttered.
Theo's eyes were huge. "There are so many people."
Mira squeezed his shoulder. "Stick close."
I scanned the crowd. Assessing. Cataloging. Old habit from Elara's training—always know your exits, always know your threats.
Lyra appeared beside me. "I'll start gathering information. Merchant network has contacts here."
"Good. Focus on the major schools. Their strengths, weaknesses, rumors."
She nodded. Disappeared into the crowd.
Voss approached. "First, we register. Second, we settle. Third—" He looked at me. "—you rest. Tomorrow changes everything."
I wanted to argue. Wanted to explore. Wanted to follow the memory-band's insistent pull toward something beneath this city.
But Voss was right.
Team first.
---
Afternoon – Registration
The registration hall was chaos.
Hundreds of competitors from a dozen schools. Different uniforms. Different magic styles. Different attitudes.
We stood in line behind a team from the Northern Academy. Tall. Pale. Quiet. They glanced at us once, dismissed us, returned to their own conversations.
Darius bristled. I touched his arm.
"Let them underestimate us."
He relaxed. Barely.
When we reached the front, an official checked our credentials, handed us packets, and pointed toward our quarters.
"Team Valdris. Section Seven, Building Four. Opening ceremonies tomorrow at dawn. Don't be late."
We gathered our things. Headed out.
But as we left, I felt eyes on me.
I turned.
Across the hall, standing alone despite the crowd, a figure watched.
Draven Blackwood.
Tournament favorite. Northern Academy's champion. Tall. Dark. Effortlessly confident.
Our eyes met.
He smiled. Cold. Assessing.
Then he nodded. Just once.
Acknowledgment. Or challenge.
I nodded back.
Beside him, a figure stepped from the shadows.
Mei Lian.
She looked at me. Then at Draven. Then back at me.
And smiled.
---
Evening – Section Seven
Our quarters were simple but adequate. Two rooms—one for Darius and Theo, one for me and the girls. Voss took a separate space nearby.
We gathered in the common area to review the packets.
"First match is day after tomorrow," Mira read. "Team versus team. Random draw."
"Random my foot," Darius muttered. "Northern Academy will get easy draws until finals. Always do."
"Then we win anyway." I spread the materials. "Lyra's gathering intelligence. Until she returns, we focus on what we know."
I pulled out notes I'd compiled during training.
"Three major threats. Northern Academy—Draven Blackwood leads them. Fast, brutal, efficient. Eastern Consortium—Mei Lian's school. Different philosophy, different techniques, unknown capabilities. And host city's team—they'll have home advantage and crowd support."
Theo swallowed. "That's a lot."
"That's tournament." I looked at each of them. "We're not here to place. We're here to win. That means beating everyone."
Darius grinned. "Finally. Something interesting."
---
Night – Lyra Returns
She slipped in after midnight, face flushed with information.
"Twelve schools. I've got dossiers on nine." She dropped papers on the table. "Northern Academy first. Draven Blackwood is their captain. Undefeated in three years. His magic is... weird."
"Weird how?"
"Shadow-based. Rare. Unsettling. Opponents say fighting him feels like fighting darkness itself."
I filed that away.
"Eastern Consortium next. They're not here to win—they're here to observe. Rumor says they're scouting for something. Or someone."
"Mei Lian?"
"Her specifically. She's their best, but she's not competing. Just watching." Lyra met my eyes. "Watching you, mostly."
I'd noticed.
"Host city's team is good but arrogant. They expect home advantage to carry them. Weakness—they've never faced real pressure."
We talked for hours. By dawn, we had profiles on every major rival.
Knowledge was ammunition.
---
Dawn – Opening Ceremonies
The main arena held ten thousand.
We walked in with the other teams, flags raised, crowds roaring. Theo looked ready to faint. Mira gripped his arm. Darius stared straight ahead, expression carved from stone.
I scanned the crowd.
There. Northern Academy. Draven at their center, basking in attention.
There. Eastern Consortium. Mei Lian in the stands, not competing, watching.
There. Host city's team. Preening. Confident. Unaware.
The ceremony dragged. Speeches. Displays. Formalities.
Finally, the announcer's voice boomed:
"First round pairings will be posted at noon. Competitors, return to your quarters and await assignment."
We filed out.
Back in Section Seven, we waited.
Noon came. A messenger arrived with our assignment.
I opened it. Read.
"Team Valdris versus Team Northern Spire. Day after tomorrow. First match of the tournament."
Darius's eyes widened. "Northern Spire? They're ranked fourth overall."
"Then we beat them."
Mira's voice quiet. "And if we don't?"
I looked at my team.
"We do."
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Quest Update: THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS
· First Match: Team Valdris vs. Team Northern Spire
· Timeline: 2 days
· Opponent Rank: 4th overall
· Your Rank: Unranked (first tournament)