From the observation aisle, the arena looked more expensive than safe.
Polished rails divided the seating. Six ward posts stood around the test floor, their upper rings dark until the technicians connected the feed. The nearest post had a plate naming its donor. I wondered how much heat the plate could contain if the rest failed.
Veylan stood beside me with the inspection clerk. Aiden waited on the far side of the floor, outside the target lane. He had not been asked to attack anyone. Today's question was whether the proposed barrier could receive a controlled sample and release the remaining heat safely.
If the answer was no, the exhibition conditions failed before I drew Nihil.
I kept that order clear in my head while the technicians moved between the posts. This wasn't the match beginning quietly under another name. I was outside the floor, with my right arm supported and my sword still in its sheath.
