"Did you see how quickly the maintenance crews fixed the arena?" Kelvin whispered to Noah as they settled back into their seats. "Triple-reinforced kinetic dampeners in the barrier this time."
Noah nodded, his eyes fixed on the reconstructed platform. The scars from Jayden and Luis's battle were barely visible now, the surface gleaming as if brand new. "They learn fast."
All around them, spectators who had been watching the Year 1 and Year 2 matches in the adjacent arenas were flooding back. The Jayden-Luis fight had stolen everyone's attention, and now all eyes were focused on the next Year 3 matchup.
"Bailey's up next," Kelvin said, his voice dropping even lower. "Against Diana Frost."
Noah's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Academy 8's Number Two."
A brief silence fell between them as they both processed what that meant. Kelvin glanced sideways at his friend, noting the tension in Noah's shoulders.