Juliette’s POV
The arena was silent now, but the quiet was deceptive. My chest still heaved, adrenaline making my limbs heavy and my thoughts scattered. The figure had vanished, slipping back into the shadows like a ghost, leaving behind only tension and a cold, gnawing dread that refused to leave. Bryan and Dorian flanked me, their presence both a comfort and a reminder of the storm gathering around me.
“I need to know who that was,” Bryan said, voice low, taut with controlled anger. His hand rested protectively on my shoulder, firm enough to ground me, yet I could feel the electricity of his possessive heat under his touch.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice trembling despite my efforts to sound steady. “I… I recognize him, but I don’t—” I swallowed hard, the memories clawing at the
