Chapter 13:The Magic Tournament
The King sent his guards to announce a magic tournament. Everyone was shocked because this had never happened before.
The sudden change made people feel like something was wrong, as if the kingdom was in danger and the King was trying to gather everyone.
Victoria watched as the arena was prepared. The walls were decorated, and everything looked grand, but she felt uneasy. Something didn't feel right.
"Why is there a tournament here?" she asked. "Valor has never had one before. Why now?"
Lucas walked over to her, thinking carefully. "Maybe it's a trap," he said. "Maybe the King doesn't believe our story and wants to prove we're lying. He might be using this tournament to force the truth out of us."
He warned her, "He will test you and try to make you break. But don't lose control. Don't get emotional, or your bracelet will reveal your secret. No matter what happens, endure the pain and survive. I'll do the same. We can't leave yet—you still need to train, and I need the King's help."
The next morning, the arena was full of people. The King sat above, watching Victoria and Lucas closely as they were brought in.
The crowd didn't cheer. They were confused and whispered among themselves as the King began to speak.
"Welcome, my champion and travelers from Axel!" he said. "Axel is a great kingdom of magic. Since you have brought such rare power to our land, it is only fair that you show us your strength—to honor our hospitality."
The crowd cheered, and the trials began.
Lucas thought the trial would be like before, but he was wrong. The King had created fast, dangerous machines powered by magic.
When the gates opened, the machines rushed in.
"This is different," Victoria said nervously. "They're fast—what do we do?"
"Whatever happens, don't use your powers," Lucas replied. "Control your emotions."
When the bell rang, the machines attacked. One hit Victoria hard, throwing her into a wall. She was hurt and couldn't get up quickly before another machine attacked, almost stabbing her. She barely escaped.
She tried to fight using only her physical strength, but the machines were faster and relentless. Lucas was fast enough to fight his own, but he couldn't help her because of the rules.
Victoria kept fighting until she was tired and badly hurt. She started to lose control emotionally, and her bracelet began to glow.
Lucas couldn't see the light, but he felt it.
"Don't do it, Victoria!" he shouted. "Control your emotions! If you use your power, they'll know the truth and we'll become prisoners.
Even if you're in pain, keep fighting—you won't die!"
The King realized Lucas was her strength, so he decided to separate them. He ordered Lucas to leave the arena.
Lucas protested, but the King insisted. "You have already defeated sixty machines, while she has only defeated five. It's only fair she continues alone."
The crowd cheered as Lucas was forced to leave.
Before leaving, Lucas told her, "You have the same speed as me. You carry Den's blood. Close your eyes and focus."
Victoria did as he said. When the machine attacked again, she suddenly moved with incredible speed—like lightning.
The crowd stood in shock, and the arena went silent.
The King smiled, but Lucas noticed and secretly warned Victoria through her bracelet, telling her to pretend to fall. She did, and the crowd cheered again.
The King was still suspicious and made a new plan. He ordered the mages controlling the machines to create strong wind and dust so no one could see clearly.
The air became heavy and full of dust. Using the confusion, a machine hit Victoria hard against the wall.
At that moment, her bracelet glowed brightly and made a loud sound. Everyone heard it, but only Lucas saw the light.
The power from the bracelet destroyed all the machines instantly. The ground cracked, and the wind swirled violently.
Then everything went silent.
The crowd gasped in shock, not understanding what had happened. Victoria collapsed in the middle of the arena.
The King was frustrated because he couldn't see what happened due to the dust. He ordered that Victoria be taken to her room and called for a healer.
Then he turned angrily to the mages. "Why did you make it so dusty? I couldn't see anything!"
"I can't prove that the traveler from Axel is the Prince of Darkness and the Daughter of Shadows," he said. "Now I don't know if war is coming."
Angry and disappointed, the King left the arena and returned to his throne room.
Victoria was still asleep in her room, while Lucas walked back and forth, thinking. He wondered how she was able to move so fast. If she could run like that, maybe she had more of Den's abilities than they thought.
While he was still thinking, the King of Valor came to visit.
"Young man from Axel, how is she?" the King asked.
"My King, she is still asleep," Lucas replied.
Lucas then said, "If I may speak freely…"
The King allowed him.
"Why are you trying so hard to prove that we have powers?" Lucas asked. "Is it because of what Axel did long ago—the war that led to your father's death? Or are you trying to prove something to your people? You don't need to—they already respect you."
The King responded, "I don't like surprises. The shaking of the mountain and what happened in the arena worries me. I hope Axel is not planning to attack us again. I can't lose another battle to them."
Lucas said, "You won't lose. You have us—Victoria and me. You've seen what I can do. Don't be too quick to doubt us. One day, we might be your greatest allies."
The King listened and said, "I hope so," then he left.
As soon as he left, Victoria opened her eyes.
"You were trying to flatter him," she said. "And I still can't believe how fast I ran. It was amazing… but also scary."
Lucas replied, "When you moved that fast, Den probably felt it. He might now know we are in Valor."
"How do you know?" she asked.
"Everyone saw the dust spinning in the air—it looked like the power from your bracelet. If we saw it, Den likely saw it too."
Victoria realized the danger. "Then we need to tell the King. We might need his help to train."
Even though she was still injured and in pain, she was determined to keep training and learn how to control her powers.