Ezra walked out from the Arena entrance, calmly waving to the crowd as their cheers rolled through the enormous structure.
The moment he appeared, the sound from the stands rose again.
Some spectators had been waiting for him.
Others had been waiting for Desmond.
Now both of them were finally standing in the same place.
Ezra continued walking without changing his pace.
His footsteps were steady as he crossed the short path leading toward the fight platform. The cheers, the banners, and the voices calling his name passed around him, but his expression remained plain.
He stepped onto the platform.
The snow beneath his boots made a soft crunching sound.
Ezra raised his eyes.
His plain black eyes locked onto Desmond's crimson eyes.
For several seconds, neither young Alchemist moved.
The distance between them wasn't large.
Yet the atmosphere around the platform had already changed.
The crowd had become more focused.
