Reza grinned broadly as their group celebrated Sabine’s victory over Lucius over drinks and food. After a long and arduous journey, they had finally emerged from the arena and gathered his siblings and the Sulli’s. Sabine’s parents and Lord Sulli had accompanied them to one of Lord Rewan’s many establishments, a renowned restaurant nestled deep within the noble district that exclusively catered to private dinners. A specially reserved room had been set aside for such an occasion.

  “Another toast to my daughter for reaching the penultimate duel!” Lord Rewan bellowed, raising his glass of wine. Despite the copious drinks, his words were barely slurred.

  Reza swiftly grabbed his glass and raised it in a toast to Sabine, who sat beside him. He discreetly squeezed her hand under the table as she momentarily gazed at him before refocusing her attention on her father.

  “Father, you can cease the toasts; it’s your fifth tonight,” she said with a broad smile. “You need to remember I had to defeat Lucius to achieve this victory, so perhaps you could tone it down a bit for his sake.”

  Reza had to suppress a dark look from showing. He leaned closer to Sabine and whispered, “He deserved everything that came his way. Now, at least he learned a modicum of respect for his elder sister.”

  Reza couldn’t deny Lucius’s credit in one way. He had handled the loss with remarkable composure. After transforming back into his original form, Lucius approached Sabine and shook his hand, though he remained silent. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the moment. Maybe he was trying to keep his image from suffering too much.

  “Reza, enjoy yourself tonight; Lucius is out of our hair,” She whispered, her tone growing more concerned. “It’s my turn to worry about you.”

  Reza froze; he had almost forgotten that his duel was next. He set down his glass of wine, though he didn’t feel its effects at the moment. It would be futile to continue drinking before the fight. “Of course, yes. I won’t antagonize your brother unless he provokes me. But you’re right as usual.”

  She smiled. “Finally, you’re listening.”

  Before he could respond, their conversation was interrupted by her father. “Sabine, what are you two whispering about over there? This is a celebration.”

  —————————

  The dinner dragged on for ages, and Reza had finally managed to convince Lord Rewan to let him leave after more than two hours in the private room, savoring several courses of expensive dishes, many of which contained ingredients he had never encountered before. Despite the length of the meal, it might have been the most delectable experience in recent memory. Reza and Sabine had finally returned to his suite. She stood there as he turned to face the door, gazing up at him.

  Nervousness pounded in his chest, but he had to know what this all meant. They stood at the precipice of a significant decision, and any choice they made would alter their lives forever. “So, are you coming in?” he asked the simplest question that would give him an idea of Sabine's thoughts.

  “Of course, what kind of question is that?” she replied, effortlessly moving past him and entering the room. As she shed her clothes, she turned to give him one last glance before crossing the threshold of his sleeping chambers.

  Reza followed her, leaving her garments behind. “Sabine, we should have a conversation first,” he suggested, hesitating before continuing. “What exactly are we doing? Are we merely lovers, or is there something more? I never pursued you for years solely because of our difference in rank, despite my genuine desire to do so. I need to know, what are our intentions?”

  Sabine, hiding her nakedness under the covers, declared her decision to Marius. “I’ve made my choice. Consequences be damned, I want you. Whatever comes our way, we will handle it together.”

  Sensing her resolve, Reza moved to the edge of the bed and took Sabine’s hand. “Are you certain? What if your father decides to make Lucius heir because of this?”

  Sabine, grabbing him by the back of the neck, pulled him into a passionate kiss. Reza didn’t resist, but he required a definitive answer. No matter what he might interpret the kiss to mean, he needed to hear it from her. “Sabine, are you sure? I need to hear it from you.”

  “You’re such a fool, Marius,” she whispered. “I’m certain, for whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.”

  Reza leaned in and kissed her again, trying to dispel the lingering fears and nervousness that gnawed at him. In less than a week, he could very well find himself in a position that rendered all his worries obsolete. Two more victories and everything will be mine for certain.

  Another thought haunting him for the past few hours crossed his mind. What if he had to confront Sabine in the final contest? Reza forced that thought aside, bringing Sabine closer and savoring the night with her.

  _________

  Reza ascended the dimly lit hallway towards the arena’s entrance; his duel would begin in mere moments. He stood silently at the gate, preparing for the unknown skills of the adversary he would face. Sabine, like him, had remained with him during the wait, but she had departed earlier to join the others in the private box above.

  Reza summoned Elana and gazed at her just beyond the gate.

  “Everything we have, right?” he inquired. Elana smiled, bowing slightly before her expression changed, and she turned to face the gate. Of course, this was serious. There was nothing more to do except defeat Hasbeck.

  The gate opened, and Reza entered the arena. Elana vanished and reappeared across the field, darting as she surveyed the entire field. Reza halted, his attention drawn to the sand where numerous swords of various styles and sizes protruded. What was this abyss?

  Reza approached one of the swords, evidently a creation of Kelburn. He lifted it from the ground, and it was as well-balanced as all his creations. As Reza slid a finger along the edge, assessing its sharpness, he noticed the blade had a well-honed edge. Hasbeck must have requested this sword, or the church was adding an exciting addition to the contest. Based on the information he had gathered while researching Hasbeck, Reza thought it unlikely. Reza retreated near the gate and glanced over to the opposite entrance.

  Hasbeck stood barefoot, dressed only in a pair of heavy black pants, exposing the upper half of his body. He held a dagger in each hand and had a belt full of extras. His massive wraith stood behind him, draped in a flowing robe and adorned with a finely decorated mask that concealed his face. Their eyes never left Reza’s as he examined them.

  The Orator began to speak, but Reza disregarded his words and focused on the first move. He caught Elana’s eye, and she nodded before flitting away, continuing her circle. Reza would swiftly approach Hasbeck and prevent him from moving. All these swords made him uneasy about Hasbeck’s intentions. The Orator continued talking, but Reza remained focused on the final word, anticipating Hasbeck’s reaction.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “You may begin,” The Orator shouted.

  Elana shifted at the words and moved to embrace Hasbeck, but Reza’s reaction was immediate. He positioned himself just in front of Hasbeck, who remained motionless. Reza’s smile never faltered as he swiftly slashed both his blades across Hasbeck’s chest. However, a sword swiftly blocked the attack. Reza flared again and retreated to assess the situation.

  To his astonishment, a pale yellow tendril held the blade before Hasbeck’s body. The wraith’s glow matched the color of the tendril, and more began to sprout from his back as he crouched, maintaining his unwavering smile. As each tendril started to move, they swiftly pulled blades from the battlefield.

  “Shit, this is bad,” Reza muttered under his breath.

  Blades began to rain down towards him, and he flared away, sprinting with all his might to avoid them. Each time he reappeared, more blades attacked, forcing him to block and retreat once more.

  Reza flared once more, positioning himself close to Hasbeck. The man’s smile persisted as he compelled Reza to retreat from dozens of blades flying in every direction.

  “Reza, please join us. Stop running; we simply want to have fun,” Hasbeck’s voice echoed faintly, carrying a menacing tone, amplified by the perpetual smile on the man’s face.

  Reza realized he needed to conserve his energy or risk losing the battle. He halted and flared, swiftly slicing through one of the tendrils, causing the blade to drop. The tendril vanished into a pale yellow smoke. Reza continued his relentless assault, slashing and destroying as many tendrils as possible, slowly inching closer to Hasbeck.

  However, the number of tendrils only increased, and despite his relentless efforts, Reza found himself unable to eliminate them all.

  Reza stood within ten feet of Hasbeck when the man hurled over a dozen tendrils towards him. Reza flared and retreated, but a burning sensation spread through his right calf as he glowed white. Despite his injury, he refused to stop, knowing that if he did, Hasbeck would emerge victorious.

  Uncertain, Reza flared in close, slashing at Hasbeck. Two swords blocked his attack, but he flared again, positioning himself behind Hasbeck. With a single blade, he cut across and through the dozens of tendrils from his back, stabbing down into Hasbeck’s shoulder. Reza flared once more as Hasbeck glowed, and multiple blades emerged from his body, heading towards him.

  Observing Hasbeck, Reza noticed that even with blood flowing down his useless arm, no pain appeared on his features. He continued to maintain his broad smile. “Now, that hurt. Your power is very impressive.” Hasbeck laughed. “Would you like to continue?”

  His wraith glowed again, and dozens of more tendrils appeared, grasping blades and beginning to pull them towards him. As more blades shot out, two of them grabbed Reza’s legs while many more started to wrap around his body.

  Reza slashed, and pale yellow smoke enveloped him. He felt another cut on his arm, and he flared once more. With a determined glint in his eyes, Reza flared away, continuously moving as he tried to regain his composure. Only one more hit and he was done.

  He channeled more energy into himself, flaring and running as if he and Elana were inseparable. His speed was so swift that Hasbeck’s weapons couldn’t catch him. He pushed himself harder, circling the tendrils and slashing at them as he passed close to one. This was his only chance.

  Reza could sense his energy-draining, and he knew he couldn’t sustain this for long. He ran faster, flaring repeatedly, searching for the perfect opening for his final attack. Finally, he ran directly into Hasbeck’s blind spot at his back and moved swiftly towards him. Without looking, Hasbeck created dozens more tendrils, forming into two massive pillars that shot towards the ground, lifting him into the air. Reza swiftly moved through the area where he had just been.

  What is this abyss? Reza stopped to stare at the man, Hasbeck, who held himself almost fifteen feet in the air, surrounded by more tendrils grasping weapons. They formed into colossal arms, with the swords transforming into claws on each hand. Reza flared his magic once more and sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him.

  What on earth was he going to do against that? Hasbeck’s arms swung out and attacked, trying to grab Reza. The longer Reza ran, the more Hasbeck formed a pale yellow shell around him, transforming him into a colossal monster. Reza darted past Hasbeck’s right arm, slicing into it. Yellow smoke erupted, leaving a scar the length of his cut.

  Reza continued to flare and move, cutting into every spot of the monster. He skillfully maneuvered around its attacks from the flying arms and blades. He inflicted deep scars, but they miraculously began to reform.

  “Elana, we need to finish this,” Reza shouted back to her. She nodded and vanished. Reza flared, placing all his hope in her finding a valuable location for him. He reappeared at the back of Hasbeck, twenty feet in the air. Reza slammed down, cutting into the monster’s back and swiftly cutting through its defenses. It took precious moments, but he finally found Hasbeck’s bareback. Got you.

  Reza lunged forward, but Hasbeck’s back vanished. Reza flared away, feeling blades slicing directly towards him. Back on the ground, Reza scanned the area for Hasbeck. The man was easily spotted standing directly behind the monster that had sent one of its massive clawed hands toward him.

  Reza flared, closing in on Hasbeck. The man had tendrils wrapped around each arm, forming a pair of clawed hands with daggers creating the claws.

  Reza flared, sprinting towards Hasbeck as the man lunged at him with his claws. Reza positioned himself before Hasbeck, thrusting his sword down through his protected arms with all his might, leaving himself vulnerable to Hasbeck’s counterattacks. Reza landed a powerful blow, piercing through Hasbeck’s left arm and chest. Hasbeck’s claws raked against his chest, emitting a deep crimson-red glow.

  Reza collapsed onto his back, a wave of pain sweeping over his chest. He quickly assessed the cuts; they weren’t deep but excruciatingly painful. If Hasbeck had gone deeper, Reza might have been in grave danger without healing. He lowered his head to the ground and lay there, exhausted.

  The contest was over; Reza had emerged victorious. He gazed up into the darkening sky, where Elana stood above him, her excitement palpable. She smiled down at him before vanishing in a cloud of silver smoke. One more fight, just one more battle, and it would be over.

  The crowd cheered, but Reza remained motionless until someone crossed his path. Hasbeck, still smiling, though bloodied, stood looking down at him.

  “I hope you’re not planning to strike me one last time?” Reza asked, doubt creeping into his voice. He didn’t believe he had the energy to fight back if Hasbeck tried. He wasn’t sure if he had any remaining strength to summon Elana, let alone wield his power.

  Hasbeck’s smile widened. “Of course not. I wanted to ensure I didn’t kill you. I apologize; I didn’t mean to hit you after you won. My arm wouldn’t stop moving.”

  Reza shook his head in disbelief. He hadn’t anticipated this. The man appeared to be a serial killer, yet he maintained a remarkably noble demeanor throughout the situation. “I’ll be fine; I don’t blame you.”

  Hasbeck nodded. "Good, good. That was great fun, not that I expected anything different, but I haven't been pushed that far in ages. Andeth, my wraith, brought everything she had." He spoke in a light, almost musical voice. “If you ever need someone to practice with, we would be delighted if you would contact us. I believe we can learn a great deal about my power by fighting against you.”

  He bowed and held out his hand. Reza grasped his forearm, and Hasbeck helped him to his feet.

  “I will remember that. It was a close match; either of us could have won.” Reza acknowledged the truth of his statement. The fight had ended in mere minutes because both fighters had sought to finish it swiftly. The disparity in their fighting styles forced Reza to employ every ounce of his agility to avoid being overwhelmed within seconds by the dozens of weapons Hasbeck wielded. Hasbeck’s nickname was truly well-deserved.

  They shook hands before Hasbeck moved towards his gate. Reza did the same, slowly limping towards his own. The crowd was in a frenzy, cheering for both fighters. It seemed that the entire fight had been an incredible display, considering how short it had been. Reza raised his hand in acknowledgment of the cheering.

  He glanced up towards the box where Sorana’s guest sat. He could make out his sisters, Cassia jumping up and down beside Lukas. However, as he continued to look, he didn’t see Sabine. She was probably waiting for him in the holding area.

  Finally, he heard the Orator’s voice over the crowd. “Ladies and Gentlemen, your winner and first finalist, Marius Reza. In four days, he will face off against the winners of our next duel between Sabine and Tannic.”

  Reza made one last wave to the crowd before moving through the gate and returning to the room he had been in before. He set his daggers on the table and fell into bed, his eyes closing as sleep came to him. Sabine will wake him up when he needed to go.