Under the harsh, burning lights of the Grand Arena, the air felt heavy like every breath the crowd took was dragged through chains. Tension didn't just linger; it bound. The ball rested in Poseidon's hands for the inbound, but not a soul was watching him.
Every gaze was fixed pulled toward Zeus.
He stepped forward.
Only one step.
The floor answered like it recognized its rightful master. A low tremor rippled beneath the polished court, faint but undeniable as if the world adjusted its balance to accommodate his presence. Static crackled along the sidelines, catching on jersey fabric, whispering across the hardwood like sparks dancing before a storm.
Referees twitched, whistles halfway raised… then slowly lowered, as if calling a foul now would be an offense to something greater than the game.
Ethan, sitting among the crowd, felt his pulse stumble. For a second, he forgot to breathe. His hands clenched the railing.
