Chapter 50: THE 4TH QUARTERFINAL
The whole arena felt like it was holding its breath.
All eyes turned toward the stage as the magical panels hovering in the air shimmered with new text:
Quarterfinal Match 4: Logan Smith vs. Rovan Yale
A hushed silence fell over the noble balcony, thick with anticipation.
Alice clutched the edge of her seat, her knuckles pale. "Logan..." she breathed, heart thundering—from the fear of uncertainty. Logan had already won the earlier two matches. Though hard-fought, he had managed to pull through. But this... this opponent was different. Rovan was not just strong. He was talented.
Beside her, Rudeous stood still, arms crossed, but his gaze was heavy. He wasn’t just a father now—he was the head of House Smith, and every noble present would weigh his son’s performance. The pressure sat on his shoulders like a mountain.
Even Mirena, ever composed, had gone still. Her fan hung forgotten in her lap. She said nothing, but the twitch of her lips and furrowed brows gave her away. This match was important—but it wasn’t just about Logan or House Smith. For Mirena, this battle was about her son Darius’s future. If Logan won, Darius’s path to becoming patriarch would no longer be guaranteed.
In the lower tiers, the crowd erupted into shouts and gasps.
"That’s the 12-year-old kid! The one who defeated Varn! Another talent who awakened two affinities before fourteen."
"Yes. And he beat Lira Wynn too! No one knows how he survived her last spell though... but still... he’s a real talent for sure. Maybe not quite at the level of Lilith, Zephyr, Morgan, or Prince Rowan—but almost there."
"Yeah, but Rovan’s a monster! Fire and earth. Tier Two—he might crush the poor kid!"