—GO!The announcer's voice echoed throughout the entire amphitheater.
And yet…
no one moved.
Not Elijah.Not Reid.
Even the crowd seemed to stop breathing. Everyone was frozen, expectant, waiting for the first move.
They kept staring at each other.
Without blinking.Without yielding.
—Looks like Elijah is trying to figure out his ability… —Tarin whispered beside me—. The announcer didn't mention it.
—I'm sure he asked him not to —I replied quietly—. To keep things fair.
I smiled faintly.
—That's just how my brother is.
But even he…
was hesitating.
I narrowed my eyes.
Reid had his hands raised, fingers slightly apart… as if he were holding something between them.
Something invisible.
A few more seconds passed.
Until it happened.
Reid stepped forward.
And with a sharp flick of his wrist…
he pulled on something.
He didn't throw it.
He tightened it.
Suddenly, his body shot to the side, as if an invisible force had violently dragged him. He wasn't running.
He wasn't jumping.
He was moving in jerks, at impossible angles, like he was suspended from unseen strings.
The air whistled as he passed.
In an instant, he was already on top of Elijah.
And even then…
my brother didn't move.
He just followed him with his eyes.
Reid spun midair in an unnatural way, like a weightless puppet. His body rotated right over Elijah's head…
and landed behind him.
That's when I understood.
Too late.
During that movement…
his fingers had never stopped moving.
Pulling.
Crossing.
Closing invisible paths.
Elijah took a step.
And stopped dead.
—…no way —I murmured.
There was nothing.
But he was trapped.
As if dozens of invisible threads had wrapped around him… immobilizing him from every angle.
Reid straightened slowly behind him.
Smiling.
—I've got you.
Elijah tried to move.
Nothing.
Not a single muscle responded.
His body was completely rigid, as if something was holding him from every direction.
Reid smiled faintly behind him.
—I thought it would be harder to catch you… —he said calmly—. Especially after all this time.
—It looks like Reid has immobilized Elijah!! —shouted the announcer—. What a surprise!! Especially after the speed he showed in previous matches!!
A murmur spread through the entire amphitheater.
—That was… too fast —said Tarin, frowning.
—Yeah… —added Luca—. He didn't even have time to react.
Mira didn't take her eyes off the fight.
—It's not that he didn't have time —she said seriously—. It's that he didn't know what was going to happen.
I looked at her.
—What do you mean?
Mira sighed softly, still watching her brother.
—Reid has been doing the same thing since the first match.
She subtly pointed toward the amphitheater's structure.
—He attaches invisible threads all over the arena… columns, edges, even the ground. Then he pulls on them to propel himself.
She lowered her gaze toward Elijah.
—And while he moves… he wraps them around his opponent without them realizing.
A chill ran down my spine.
—When he wants…
Mira pressed her lips together.
—He tightens them.
In the arena, Reid moved his fingers slightly.
Elijah tensed even more.
—And then it's already too late. Whenever he wants, he can pull him out of the ring and win the match.
—It's… simple —murmured Tarin—, but incredibly effective.
—And dangerous —added Luca, more serious than usual.
Down below, at the center of the arena…
Elijah remained motionless.
But something had changed.
His hands.
They were trembling.
Very slightly.
—Well… so invisible threads, huh, Reid? —Elijah said with a crooked smile—. After all this time… and the first thing you do is lock me up.
He let out a small laugh.
—You figured it out quickly —Reid replied—. But it's too late. You're trapped. I can throw you out of the arena whenever I want… and this will be over.
—I wouldn't be so sure.
My brother's smile didn't fade.
Suddenly, his body tensed.
The muscles in his arms and legs stood out sharply, as if he were trying to break something invisible.
Reid frowned.
—Are you seriously trying to break them? —he said, almost in disbelief—. I've lifted beasts with these threads. Do you really think you can?
—Let's find out.
Elijah pushed harder.
Reid's fingers trembled.
Just a little.
But enough.
—That's impossible —murmured Mira beside me—. Those threads can't be broken like that…
And she was right.
But something had changed.
Reid's eyes.
There was doubt.
No…
fear.
For a moment, even he seemed to question whether that… could break.
And that moment decided everything.
Reid reacted.
With a sharp pull, he activated another thread and his body shot forward, dragging Elijah with him. In one swift motion, he threw my brother out of the arena.
The air seemed to tear.
For a second…
everything felt over.
But then—
a flash.
An impossible movement.
Midair, Elijah's body stopped being completely rigid.
Just for an instant.
An opening.
Enough.
His arm moved.
His sword flashed.
A clean cut.
Invisible.
And the threads… gave way.
Elijah landed outside the point of impact…
and, with perfect precision, placed one foot down.
Then the other.
And remained standing.
Inside the arena.
The silence was absolute.
—INCREDIBLE!! —roared the announcer—. ELIJAH HAS BROKEN FREE!!
Reid stared at him, completely stunned.
—How…? —he murmured—. How did you do it?
Elijah lowered his sword slightly.
—Didn't you notice?
Reid shook his head, still in shock.
Elijah smiled.
—When you threw me… you stopped tightening the threads for a moment.
He took a small step forward.
—And I stopped resisting.
He raised his sword.
—That created an opening.
His eyes locked onto Reid's.
—And that… is more than enough.
Reid stayed silent for a few seconds.
And then…
he smiled.
—Of course… —he murmured—. I forgot who I was fighting.
Elijah took his stance.
—Now then.
The air tightened once more.
—My turn.