Chapter 130: Fostered Blood
Elara wiped blood from her eyes, her gaze cold and steady.
The Announcer stepped toward her, his grin wide and wild. He held out the shard, its surface slick with Ravel’s life, droplets falling to the frost below. "Your prize, Croft," he said, his voice dropping to a purr. "Wear it well."
She took it, her armored hand closing around the jagged crystal. Blood smeared her fingers, mixing with her own, but her expression didn’t shift—just a slow, deliberate nod.
The Announcer spun back to the crowd, raising his mic high. "That’s all for tonight, my lovely chaos-lovers!" he shouted, his tone dripping with theatrics. "Sleep tight—dream of blood and shards, ’cause we’ll be back soon for more!"
He snapped his fingers, a sharp crack echoing through the pit.
The arena shimmered, the gravel blurring, the torches fading to black.
Elias blinked, the platform dissolving beneath his boots.
His stomach churned, the image of Ravel’s spliced body burning into his mind. Ninety-four left, he thought, his shard pulsing faintly against his chest. She took him apart—brutal, cold, like she’s proving something. His hands still shook, slick with sweat, the railing’s rough grain lingering on his skin.
He glanced at Kikaru, her arms still crossed, her jaw tight. "She’s unstoppable," she muttered, her voice low but firm. Tidwell’s grin was back, tight and forced. "Yeah, and scary as hell," he said, his fingers twitching.