Chapter 349: A Friend Amongst Tragedy
…57 years ago… Hollow Shade’s Grand Coliseum…
The crowds flinched back and shouted in fear as azure flames erupted around the three Noir siblings and consumed the arena grounds. The flames burned brighter and hotter as they bloomed into the vague shape of a flower, threatening to break through the enchanted arena walls and swallow up the entire coliseum in a blazing inferno.
Almost like a dream, the azure fire disappeared as quickly as it had ignited. The smoke slowly dissipated and revealed the arena’s scorched blackened grounds. Elzri Noir stood alone, his brother and sister gone.
Una Noir watched, stunned, from her family’s regal box in the private area of the stands. She tried to comprehend the sight, surely her eyes were playing a trick on her. Perhaps her brother Aiden had cast an illusion spell or maybe their sister Esletha had helped them escape at the last moment with the speed of her agility magic…
But the longer Una stared at the charred empty arena, the more the feeling of dread tightened around her, squeezing the air from her lungs.
Elzri stumbled to his feet and slowly glanced around as if searching for someone. And it was at that moment Una knew, Aiden and Esletha were gone.
A terrible wretched scream of agony pierced the coliseum’s shocked silence.
Elzri stiffened and looked up at the regal box.
Ismene stood up from her seat and hugged Una tightly. “Don’t look, don’t look,” she whispered soothingly, though her own voice was breaking in panic.