An absolute silence blanketed the hall. It was a rare kind of silence; the heavy, breathless kind that only comes when reality itself has just been shattered in front of an audience.
As they all began to recognize the woman standing in front of Lancet, their gasps came one after the other.
It rippled through the stands like a wave. Eyes widened to the point of tearing. Fingers shakily pointed toward the center of the arena.
Up in the back rows, Kasto's jaw had practically unhinged, his hands gripping his knees so tightly he could've popped his sockets. Beside him, Anita looked utterly bewildered, her eyes darting between Lancet and the lightning-clad warrior woman.
Higher up in the stands, Luke, who rarely showed emotion during these duels, actually leaned forward even with arms folded. Those typically stoic brows shoot up toward his hairline.
"He's done it again!" someone muttered in the crown.
"Just who the hell is this guy?"
