"VICTORY: ORION!"
The crowd erupted.
Thunderous cheers poured like a tsunami across the stadium. The energy was electric, his name already on thousands of lips.
Orion stood tall, arms at his sides, breathing hard. His fists clenched as he looked up at the crowd, a small but defiant smile forming across his face.
I did it.
Up in the stands, Leiza jumped up, hugging Azzy tightly. "He won! He actually won!"
Azzy gave a quiet smile, letting her wrap around him, their hands interlocked. His eyes shone with pride.
But only for a moment.
Suddenly, his expression changed to a sharp, focused intensity washing over his features like a storm cloud.
He pulled away slightly, looking upward into the sky. His pupils narrowed. "Something's wrong…"
"Rael?" Leiza asked, concerned.
He didn't answer.
In the next instant, Azzy vanished in a black flash, reappearing high in the upper atmosphere, far above the stadium and invisible to all below.
Wind screamed around him.
