The sound of drums filled the vast hall like rhythmic thunder, vibrating off the stone walls and reverberating in the hearts of all present. Each beat seemed to mark the rhythm of something grand about to begin. Gradually, conversations fell silent, eyes shifted from the silent contests between competitors, and all attention was drawn to the stage set up in the background.
The stage was not extravagant, but its presence dominated the space. Heavy red curtains, embroidered with ancient symbols of dragons and phoenixes, fluttered slightly in the draft that passed through the columns. And then, from behind them, a man emerged.
An old man.
