The crowd had started to murmur.
Some even whispered it louder now, emboldened by disbelief.
Was Luke just running?
To most of them, that was all it looked like—a man in long robes sprinting across the training ground, narrowly dodging the thunderous blows of a mountain disguised as a man. Commander Alec was a storm, relentless and direct, and Luke looked more like a street performer avoiding a brawl than a true contender in this duel.
But General Haris saw something else.
The pattern in Luke's movements.
The consistency in his dodges.
It wasn't random.
He's waiting for something, General Haris thought. No magician runs without reason. Especially not one with fire in his blood.
He wasn't entirely sure what the boy was planning—but he had no doubt it was coming.
And when it did?
It came like the world cracked open.
