The tournament had been a grind.
Three rounds in four days. Ashen Dawn had faced opponents from across Verland—each one different, each one pushing them in new ways. The first match had been easy, almost insultingly so. The second had required actual strategy, the third had tested their endurance.
But they had won. All of them.
Cora had become a crowd favorite, her phasing ability drawing gasps and cheers every time she slipped through an attack that should have landed. Mason's controlled flames had earned nods from the veteran hunters in the stands. Sera's precision shots had silenced more than one overconfident opponent. And Derek—Derek had surprised everyone, including himself. His ghosts had turned the tide in the third match, freezing a charging brute in his tracks while Cora delivered the finishing blow.
