= Amara =
From where I sat, I watched Mikael deal with the aftermath of the chaos I had caused. His voice carried across the arena—calm, controlled, edged with authority—as he spoke to the gamma and the vendors one by one. It didn’t take long. A few firm words, a promise that this kind of disruption wouldn’t happen again, and the situation was neatly folded back into order, as if nothing had ever gone wrong.
Slowly, the crowd began to thin. One by one, people drifted away from the arena, their murmurs fading into the open air. Yet even as they left, I caught the looks they cast over their shoulders—expressions tangled with disappointment and curiosity.
I couldn’t tell who they were disappointed in.
Me… or Mikael.
“All done now, Miss Amara.”
Caryl’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
