Turning point

The arena had become a battlefield. Shadows coiled like living serpents, twisting and writhing, while Zhao Wei's lightning illuminated the chaos with each crackle. The crowd, usually deafening, was eerily silent for once, the tension so thick you could cut it with a blade.

"Come on, Shadow Lotus!" Zhao Wei's voice echoed through the darkness, his grin as bright as his lightning. "Is this all you've got? I thought you were supposed to be untouchable!"

Ying Yue didn't answer. Instead, she moved through the shadows like a phantom, her form disappearing and reappearing in flashes. Every time Zhao Wei tried to strike, his lightning hit nothing but empty air.

Zhao Wei's confident smirk faltered. "Stop hiding and fight me!"

"Fight you?" Ying Yue's voice came from everywhere at once cold, mocking. "I didn't realize this was a game of tag."

Zhao Wei growled, his patience thinning. Planting his feet, he closed his eyes, and his lightning intensified, surrounding him in a dome of crackling energy. "Fine. If you won't come to me, I'll make you."

With a roar, he slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave of electricity rippling through the arena. The shadows recoiled, and for a brief moment, Ying Yue was forced to reveal herself. Zhao Wei didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, his fist crackling with a blinding bolt of lightning aimed directly at her.

But Ying Yue was ready.

Her shadows surged upward like a tidal wave, meeting Zhao Wei's attack head-on. The impact sent shockwaves through the arena, forcing the spectators to shield their eyes.

When the dust settled, both combatants were still standing, but the strain was starting to show. Zhao Wei's breathing was labored, his lightning flickering like a dying flame. Ying Yue, however, looked calm-too calm.

"She's playing him," I muttered under my breath, leaning forward, my gaze sharp.

Hurky glanced at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

"She's letting him burn himself out," I explained. "He's using too much energy trying to break through her defenses. He thinks he's winning, but she's just waiting for the right moment."

As if on cue, Ying Yue smirked, her lips curling ever so slightly. "Is that all you've got, Zhao Wei? I thought you were supposed to be impressive."

Her taunt hit its mark. Zhao Wei snarled, pushing himself harder. His lightning grew brighter, wilder, more chaotic, but it was clear he was running out of steam.

Ying Yue didn't give him a chance to recover. Her shadows lashed out like whips, forcing Zhao Wei to retreat. He stumbled, barely managing to deflect the attacks with a barrier of electricity.

"You're predictable," Ying Yue said, her tone icy. "All power, no strategy. That's why you'll lose."

Zhao Wei's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that!"

With a roar, he summoned the last of his strength, creating a massive spear of lightning. The crowd gasped as he hurled it at Ying Yue, the weapon crackling with raw energy.

For a moment, it seemed like she wouldn't be able to dodge in time. But then, at the last second, her shadows engulfed her completely, swallowing the spear whole.

When the shadows parted, Ying Yue stood there, untouched, her expression unreadable. Zhao Wei's face twisted in shock.

"How?" he gasped, his voice hoarse.

"You're too impatient," Ying Yue said, stepping forward, her shadows creeping at her heels. "That's your weakness."

Before Zhao Wei could respond, her shadows surged toward him, wrapping around his limbs, immobilizing him. He struggled, but it was no use. The shadows tightened, dragging him to his knees.

Zhao Wei slumped in defeat, the fight finally leaving him. Ying Yue released him from her shadows, stepping back and turning to leave the arena without a word, her expression as unreadable as ever.

The referee's voice echoed through the arena. "The winner is Ying Yue!"

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, the noise shaking the very walls. Ying Yue released Zhao Wei from her shadowy binds, her demeanor as composed as always. Zhao Wei crumbled to his knees, defeated, while she turned her back and began walking away.

But then, something unexpected happened.

As Ying Yue approached the edge of the arena, she paused. Her gaze flickered toward me, and for the briefest moment, her lips curled into a small, genuine smile. It was so fleeting, I almost thought I imagined it.

I blinked, stunned. Did she just...?

"Ying Yue, watch out!" Elder Wei's voice suddenly boomed, cutting through the noise of the crowd like a blade.

Before anyone could react, Elder Wei leapt from his seat, his robes billowing behind him as he dashed toward the arena. His movements were faster than anything I'd ever seen, a blur of energy and desperation. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed both Ying Yue and Zhao Wei, hurling them toward the stands toward me.

Time seemed to slow as their bodies hurtled through the air. I barely had a moment to process what was happening before they crashed into the seats beside me, the force knocking all three of us to the ground.

Then, it happened.

A deafening explosion erupted from the battlefield. A shockwave tore through the arena, the very earth beneath us shaking. The stage where Ying Yue had stood just moments ago was obliterated, replaced by a blinding flash of light and a plume of smoke.

"Elder Wei!" someone screamed from the stands, but it was too late.

His body shattered in the aftermath, chunks of flesh and bone flying in every direction. A horrifying silence fell over the arena as a single piece of his skull splintered, still dripping with blood, landing at my feet.

I stared at it, my stomach churning. My mind struggled to comprehend the carnage. Beside me, Ying Yue and Zhao Wei were coughing, disoriented but alive.

"What... just happened?" Ying Yue whispered, her voice barely steady.

I couldn't answer. My gaze was locked on the battlefield or what remained of it. The ground was scorched and broken, the air thick with smoke and the stench of burnt flesh.

The crowd, once roaring with excitement, now sat in stunned silence.

Elder Wei was gone.

And the world, as I knew it, had just been turned upside down.