The dust hadn't fully settled, but the silence screamed louder than any roar the crowd could've offered.
In the middle of the crater, Logan's body lay sprawled across the stone—blood soaked through his chest, trickling from his side. His cloak was torn, his breathing shallow. But… he was breathing.
Alice clutched the railing tighter, her entire body trembling. A single tear slipped down her cheek, then another, until they fell freely.
"No… Logan…"
Rudeous's jaw was locked, fists clenched so tight his knuckles cracked. Even he, the war-hardened patriarch of House Smith, had no words.
Mirena stood frozen, her lips barely twitching. She hadn't expected him to still be alive. So even that wasn't enough…?
The audience murmured. Gasps, scattered claps, even a few quiet sighs of sympathy.
"I thought he had more fight left…"
"Can't blame him. Even prodigies aren't immortal."
"He gave a hell of a performance though."
