The arena was massive.
Adam stepped onto the stone platform, his eyes sweeping across the colossal structure. The towering walls, the intricate carvings, the sheer scale of it—it really did feel like a Colosseum.
He let out a low whistle. "Damn… this place is huge."
But that wasn't why he was here.
Today was the day Mark was going to get his ass handed to him.
Not just a simple defeat—a beating so bad he'd curse the day he was born.
Adam grinned. He couldn't wait.
Gloria, standing beside him, let out a sigh. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, arms crossed. "Now that you're close to Blackveil, and with my brother and your mother back, don't you think it's ti to let bygones be bygones?"
Adam's smirk didn't waver.
"Nah."
His voice was casual, but his eyes were cold.
"Mark hurt Aria. If luck wasn't on our side that night, we would've lost her. And you think I should just let it go?"
Gloria pressed her lips together but didn't say anything.
Adam stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Since I can't deal with him myself, I'll let Alfred and Aria handle it." His smirk widened. "And besides… Selene said she wanted to use this match as a way to punish him."
Gloria winced.
If Selene was involved…
Mark was screwed.
"Why all the chatter? Where's that Mark kid? I thought he should've been here by now."
A man's voice rang out through the arena, cutting through the murmurs.
Kael Veridian, the charismatic leader of the Veridian Circle and boss to Thomas, strolled into the arena with a group of well-dressed enforcers. Their black suits glistened under the arena's lights, the sharpness of their presence unmistakable.
Kael had that air about him, the kind that made people bow their heads in fear. But not everyone was so easily intimidated.
Gloria looked up, unfazed, and glanced at him with a cool, unblinking stare. "I didn't know you were invited."
Kael's lips curved into a knowing smile, though there was an edge to it.
"Most people bow their heads when they see ," he said, his gaze shifting to Adam, who stood there, completely indifferent. "But you, Gloria… you've always been fearless, haven't you? Even from a young age."
His eyes narrowed as he focused on Adam, who was completely unbothered by Kael's presence.
"And you," Kael said with a slight sneer, "you're the one who broke the supernatural code and brought a human into our world."
He took a step forward, a hand moving toward Adam's shoulder, his fingers already tingling with the anticipation of asserting control.
But before his hand could make contact, the air shifted. A terrifying pressure slamd down on him, and Kael froze, his hand halted mid-air.
He looked up, his breath catching in his throat.
From her seat in the arena, Tatia's gaze pierced through him.
Her eyes glowed with an ancient, unmistakable power.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her voice cold and unyielding. "Threatening my grandson in my presence?"
Kael's blood ran cold as the weight of her words sank in. He swallowed hard.
He couldn't forget what happened ten years ago. The mory of it sent a shiver down his spine.
Tatia didn't need to say more. The silence in the air was louder than any words.
Kael clenched his jaw, suppressing the urge to step back. His enforcers shifted uneasily behind him, sensing the overwhelming presence radiating from Tatia.
He exhaled slowly, forcing a smirk onto his face. "Heh… no need for hostility, Lady Tatia. I was rely greeting the boy."
"With your hand on his shoulder?" Tatia's voice remained calm, but the pressure around Kael intensified. "Do I need to remind you of what happened last ti you overstepped?"
Kael's smirk faltered. His fingers twitched at the mory. Ten years ago. The pain. The humiliation. He had no intention of reliving that mont.
He dropped his hand and took a step back.
Adam, watching the exchange, let out a small chuckle. "Damn, Grandma's built different."
Gloria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're not helping."
Kael cleared his throat, trying to regain so control of the situation. "Let's not dwell on the past. I'm here for a reason." His gaze flickered toward the arena.
Adam smirked, his arms folding across his chest. "Oh, don't worry, you'll definitely see sothing. Just don't blink."
As if on cue, the arena doors creaked open.
Heavy footsteps echoed as Mark finally arrived.
His expression was dark, unreadable. His mother, Selene, walked beside him, her eyes sharp and calculating. The air around them seed to thrum with an unspoken tension.
"Sorry for the delay," Selene said, her voice smooth yet firm. "I had to make sure my son was… prepared."
Mark stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Alfred and Aria.
The arena fell into silence.
Tatia leaned back in her seat, watching with mild interest.
"Well then," she said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Let's begin."
Mark stepped onto the arena, his every movent weighed down by the gazes locked onto him.
His mother, Selene, stood at the sidelines, her expression unreadable. His eldest sister watched with her arms crossed. The president of the country, the Veridian leader, and the legendary couple—all eyes were on him.
A suffocating pressure settled over the arena.
Then, two figures stepped forward.
Alfred and Aria.
Mark's fingers twitched.
Aria's lips curled into a smirk. "Hey, miss much?"
Her eyes glead with anticipation. She could still rember every shove, every insult, every humiliation he put Alfred through. Her fists clenched at the mory. If not for her promise to their mother to take it easy on him, Mark would already be on the ground.
Alfred, however, barely acknowledged Mark. His gaze flickered toward the audience—toward his parents. That's all he cared about.
This match?
It was nothing but a formality.
Tatia's voice rang out, calm yet commanding.
"Let's not keep everyone waiting."
The arena humd with energy.
The fight was about to begin.
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