"Pah, look at you, you'd only dare to mutter behind his back. If he were standing in front of you, would you dare to curse him? He'd smash your mouth in!"
...
The Arena was noisy and restless. They were truly impatient, and some were nearly coming to blows.
Finally!!
A resounding shout came from the entrance. "He's here!! Alavin has come down from Botanic Haven. He's heading for the Arena with Eyla and Mariela."
The Arena erupted into chaos. Alavin had finally arrived!
Roald and the others exchanged glances, wondering why Alavin had first gone to Botanic Haven. Was he worried about injury and had called Mariela as a precaution?
The elite Protégés perked up, their patience wearing thin. If he didn't show up soon, they couldn't wait any longer. But inside, they grumbled with disapproval. The lad sure had a way of making things interesting. The whole Organization was on hold for him, yet he'd gone off to Botanic Haven to see Mariela. Rumors had been swirling that Alavin's relationship with Mariela was no ordinary affair. Was he off courting her? Or was he deliberately using this to vex Roald and his lot?
Galos, standing amidst the crowd, was seething with jealousy. Many within the Organization secretly longed for Mariela's affection, and he was one of them. That damned Alavin, not only had he made a fool of Galos, but now he was wooing the woman of his dreams. There was no fairness in it!
When Alavin arrived at the Arena with Mariela and Eyla in tow, the thousands of Protégés were in awe. Flanked by two stunning beauties, with a pair of guards trailing behind, this was no longer the servant they knew.
A true victor in life!
Many laid eyes on Eyla for the first time, and she was as breathtakingly beautiful as the legends suggested. Her crimson gaze made many wary, too intimidated to stare for long.
Mariela, upon arriving at the Arena, felt a twinge of regret. She had come to gauge the power of Icebound and to see if it could indeed restrain Alavin, but the atmosphere and the looks from the crowd clearly meant people had other ideas about her and Alavin. Yet, with her naturally aloof nature, she quickly dismissed it and accompanied Alavin into the Arena with a indifferent demeanor.
"Sorry for the wait. I had to take care of some business," Alavin declared as he strode into the combat circle.
"As long as you're here."
"What's the plan for today's bout?" Alavin asked, stretching his limbs, eager to experience the might of Icebound.
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