Elara wiped blood from her eye with the back of one broken gauntlet.
The Announcer crossed the frost-slick ground and held Ravel's shard out to her between two fingers. The crystal still carried streaks of blood along one edge. It pulsed once, then steadied as if it already understood the transfer better than anyone watching did.
"Your prize comes with teeth, Croft, so try not to let it bite anything important before breakfast."
Elara took the shard.
No speech. No smile. No visible relief. Her fingers closed around the crystal, and Cubes rotated once at her side like it was testing whether the new weight belonged near them.
The shard sank into her palm.
Ice crawled up her wrist for three seconds, then broke into flakes and vanished. Elara's shoulders tightened, but she did not make a sound.
The Announcer turned back to the stands.
