The Destined Fighter

7:30pm, dinner time.

As Ivaim reached for the roasted beef on the dinner table, his hand froze mid-air when Grandma Neli's voice broke the quiet.

"His father... my husband, was part of the Council of Champions," she said, her tone distant, as though she were speaking to ghosts only she could see.

Ivaim slowly lowered his spoon, his appetite forgotten.

"The Council of Champions?" he prompted gently, sensing she needed someone to listen.

Neli nodded, her eyes fixed on the flickering candlelight.

"You might not know this, but when you're part of the Council of Champions, you carry more than a title. At the end of every Coliseum of Chosens, the victor earns the right to challenge one of the Council's members."

Her voice grew heavier as she continued.