As the first notes of music drifted from the grand hall, signaling the start of the feast, the two champions stepped forward into the twilight
After the crowd had calmed down and filtered inside the castle for the grand feast, the once-cheerful arena fell into an eerie silence, broken only by a few scattered voices echoing faintly in the distance.
The stands, which had been packed with roaring spectators just moments ago, now lay empty, save for a few stray pieces of debris fluttering in the gentle breeze.
The sand-strewn battlefield, still marked with the scars of the day's clashes, shimmered faintly under the fading sunlight, its golden hue giving way to the creeping shadows of twilight.
The air carried the lingering scent of sweat, steel, and dust, a reminder of the intensity that had unfolded here mere hours ago.
