The quiet, domestic peace that had settled over the guild hall for the past six months vanished the second they accepted Valerie's invitation.
The sudden shift from comfortable routine to international competition sent an electric current through the entire building. Bags were hurriedly packed, weapons were polished to a mirror shine by an exhausted Vex, and the media buzz outside their front doors grew to a deafening roar.
As Nathan Cross stood by the tall window in Valerie's office looking out at the waking capital, he could actually feel the heavy, buzzing anticipation of the World Climber Tournament pressing against the glass.
The heavy office door clicked open behind him.
